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the preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for eye gaze tracking . more specifically , the preferred embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for eye gaze tracking that automatically calibrates gaze direction of the subject . in contrast to typical eye gaze tracking systems , the calibration process occurs without requiring directed effort on behalf of the subject . instead it is broadly based on the subject &# 39 ; s probable behaviour within the tracking environment . it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use . the invention is applicable to any situation in which tracking of eye gaze direction is desirable such as monitoring of driver attentiveness or psychological experiments . the preferred embodiments allow the calibration process to automatically occur without the knowledge or necessary cooperation of the subject . calibration is achieved through the automatic collection of uncalibrated gaze direction measurements at points in time when it is known that a subject is very likely to be looking in a particular direction . specifically , this is made possible when a gaze tracking system is used in a situation where the subject &# 39 ; s gaze direction can be assumed to be in a known direction at a certain point in time , and that this point in time can be found through observation of the subject &# 39 ; s behaviour . the calibration process may occur continuously as measurements suitable for calibration are identified , or may occur once after a statistically significant amount of suitable measurement data is obtained . optionally , the system can recognise the subject &# 39 ; s through biometrics and load a pre - determined set of ocular profile parameters to aid calibration . the calibration process is passive ; and it does not distract the user from their task at hand . referring now to fig1 a and 1b , these show generalized algorithms for the automatic eye gaze calibration method of the preferred embodiment . the subject &# 39 ; s un - calibrated gaze direction is tracked ( its intersection with the visual scene ( un - calibrated gaze position ) may be calculated ) and continuously stored . a measurement quality test may be employed to discard bad quality data as shown in fig1 b , for instance with this determination based on noise . when the system receives a user input , such as the action of selecting or clicking a small region of a computer screen , the subject &# 39 ; s gaze direction can be assumed to be in a known direction ( towards the on - screen cursor location ) at a certain point in time ( for example , the time of selection or slightly before or after ). the measured gaze direction and known direction are stored for calibration purposes . the user input could be any signal generated by an action of the user . for example , in the case of a user &# 39 ; s touch on a touchscreen is detected , or one or a series of keystrokes on a keyboard are detected , or when the driver of a vehicle ( stationary or moving ) adjusts the radio or adjusts the electric side mirrors . comparison of the subject &# 39 ; s measured gaze direction and known direction is used for calibration . a test to decide whether this data is suitable for calibration could be employed as shown in fig1 b . for example , the data can be determined to be suitable by the relative shift in measurements over time indicating that the subject briefly fixated on the screen within a certain time window of the user input . if determined unsuitable , the data may be discarded . for example , the data can be determined to be suitable by a test based on the measured gaze direction , the known direction , and the offset ( such as comparison to a predetermined threshold ) between them over time . if determined unsuitable , the data may be discarded . other indicators , such as eye closure and head pose can also be used to infer suitability of data for calibration . the automatic gaze calibration process may occur continuously as measurements suitable for calibration are identified , or may occur after a statistically significant amount of suitable measurement data is obtained . the statistical significance requirement may be based on the angular dispersion and numeracy of stored gaze direction data meeting pre - determined criteria . referring now to fig2 , a first embodiment of the gaze tracking system includes a computer workstation ( including a display screen 2 and a user input device 3 , 4 ) and an eye gaze tracking system 6 . the eye gaze tracking system can be any conventional system known in the art such as one or more cameras and one or more infra - red illumination lamps . the user input device 4 could be any pointing device such as a mouse , trackball , or touchscreen . a typical graphical user interface is displayed on the screen 2 . in this situation , the action of selecting or clicking ( or touching with hand or stylus in the case of a touchscreen ) a small region 8 of the screen 2 , such as an icon or hyperlink , is taken as an indication that the subject was observing that region , which has a known location , and a time that is known ( from the time of the selection or immediately before ), therefore useful data can be collected for gaze direction calibration . in another embodiment , still referring to fig2 , the user input from the keyboard input device 3 can be used as an indication that the subject was observing a particular region of the screen 2 . typically , whilst inputting text ( for example during word processing , email drafting , instant messaging , or entering a url into a web browser ) a subject frequently looks at the text they are typing and / or the location of the text cursor . for example , the text cursor has a known location on the screen , and a time that is known from the keystrokes of the subject . therefore useful data for gaze direction calibration can be collected during text input by the subject . it will be appreciated that input data from multiple input devices can be used separately or in combination , where appropriate , to contribute to the gaze direction calibration . for example , calibration from mouse clicks can be augmented by calibration from text input to provide more robust and / or faster gaze direction calibration , since mouse clicking behaviour is generally sparser than key pressing behaviour during typing . fig6 illustrates schematically one example set up of the preferred embodiment wherein the camera 6 , display 2 , input device 4 and keyboard 3 are interconnected to a computer system 7 . the flow chart of fig1 a or fig1 b can be implemented on the computer system 7 which can be interconnected to other computer systems via network 8 . it should be appreciated that the physical form of this system is not limited to a computer workstation but can be any electronic system ( such as a gaming console system , arcade system , laptop , hand - held device , or a device with a touchscreen ). furthermore , it can apply to situations such as calibrating the driver of a vehicle , where the user input is taken from button presses like when the driver adjusts the radio , air conditioning , or adjusts the electric side mirrors . a variation of the graphical user interface embodiment is where a game is instead being played on the screen . the eye gaze calibration occurs automatically during the game where , in particular circumstances , the action of selecting or clicking a small region of the screen with the input device indicates that the subject was observing a known region of the screen at a particular point in time ( such as shooting an enemy ). referring now to fig3 , there is shown a generalized algorithm 30 for the automatic eye gaze calibration method based on user behaviour without the requirement for user input ( such as a mouse click ). the subject &# 39 ; s un - calibrated gaze direction is tracked 31 and continuously stored . a measurement quality test may be employed to discard bad quality data , for instance with this determination based on noise . through this process a histogram of gaze time versus gaze direction is accumulated 32 . histogram peaks are extracted 33 using standard techniques and associated with known directions of objects that the subject is likely to fixate on , in order to calibrate the subject &# 39 ; s gaze direction . the offset between the known and measured directions is used to calibrate the driver &# 39 ; s gaze direction . the automatic gaze calibration process may occur continuously as measurements suitable for calibration are identified , or may occur after a statistically significant amount of suitable measurement data is obtained . the present invention allows the calibration process to automatically occur without the knowledge or necessary cooperation of the subject . referring now to fig4 , an alternative embodiment of the gaze tracking system is shown 40 which is used to track the driver of a vehicle . an eye gaze tracking system in the form of a tracking camera 41 is mounted in front of the driver 42 . in this situation the road ahead of the driver is regularly observed by the driver so that he / she may control the vehicle . the road ahead is a known direction ( relative to the vehicle ), and it is also known that by necessity , this direction must be the most frequently observed direction , therefore observation of the frequency of measurements with respect to direction will reveal those measurements which are in the direction of the road ahead , and this subset of measurements may be used to calibrate the gaze direction algorithm . furthermore , other fixed regions of the car that may gauge the driver &# 39 ; s interest such as the speedometer 43 , rear - view mirror , and side mirrors 44 could be used as known directions . in another embodiment , a combination of automatic calibration based on user behaviour and automatic calibration based on user input is used . for example as shown in fig4 , the button presses of the driver ( user input ) can be used in combination with histogram data based on frequently observed directions ( user behaviour ). referring now to fig5 , this illustrates one example of a histogram of a vehicle driver &# 39 ; s gaze time versus angle . the known angular directions of scene objects used in this case for calibration are indicated . defined from the driver &# 39 ; s perspective , θ ra is the azimuthal angle of the road ahead , θ dm and θ rm are azimuthal angles of the left and right mirrors , and θ 1 is the azimuthal angle of an instrument display . θ 1 - θ 4 are the extracted peaks of the histogram ( gaze directions that have attracted a significant proportion of the driver &# 39 ; s interest ). the known and measured directions are associated and the offset between them used to calibrate the driver &# 39 ; s gaze direction . although this example illustrated in illustrates calibration based on gaze direction in one directional angle ( azimuth ), calibration can be based on gaze direction azimuth and / or elevation . although the embodiments illustrated in fig2 and fig4 incorporate remote camera based eye gaze tracking it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that many alternative tracking methods exist and could equally be employed with this calibration method . the disclosure of patent publications u . s . pat . no . 7 , 043 , 056 , wo 2003 / 081532 , wo 2004 / 003849 , wo 2007 / 062478 , and wo 2008 / 106725 , by the present applicant and related to alternative tracking systems and methods , is hereby incorporated by cross reference . the methods taught in these disclosures are equally applicable to the eye gaze tracking requirements of the present invention . in another embodiment , since periodic re - calibration may be required to maintain the accuracy of the gaze direction tracking , the automatic calibration method of the present invention can be used in combination with , rather than completely replacing , the standard prior art calibration methods . that is , after an initial standard calibration , the automatic method could subsequently be invoked to maintain the accuracy of the gaze direction tracking of the subject in an unobtrusive manner . in another embodiment , the automatically obtained calibration data for the subject could be stored along with the subject &# 39 ; s recognition data ( biometric data is recorded , such as iris imagery or facial feature data ) through standard methods . in subsequent use of the system the subject &# 39 ; s identity can be established and the subject &# 39 ; s eye gaze direction calibrated by retrieving the previously measured calibration . if the subject is not identified , calibration is performed and the subject &# 39 ; s calibration and recognition data stored . reference throughout 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 present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , but may . furthermore , the particular features , structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner , as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure , in one or more embodiments . similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment , figure , or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects . this method of disclosure , however , 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 claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention . furthermore , while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments , combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention , and form different embodiments , as would be understood by those in the art . for example , in the following claims , any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination . furthermore , some of the embodiments are described herein as a method or combination of elements of a method that can be implemented by a processor of a computer system or by other means of carrying out the function . thus , a processor with the necessary instructions for carrying out such a method or element of a method forms a means for carrying out the method or element of a method . furthermore , an element described herein of an apparatus embodiment is an example of a means for carrying out the function performed by the element for the purpose of carrying out the invention . in the description provided herein , numerous specific details are set forth . however , it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description . as used herein , unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives “ first ”, “ second ”, “ third ”, etc ., to describe a common object , merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to , and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence , either temporally , spatially , in ranking , or in any other manner . in the claims below and the description herein , any one of the terms comprising , comprised of or which comprises is an open term that means including at least the elements / features that follow , but not excluding others . thus , the term comprising , when used in the claims , should not be interpreted as being limitative to the means or elements or steps listed thereafter . for example , the scope of the expression a device comprising a and b should not be limited to devices consisting only of elements a and b . any one of the terms including or which includes or that includes as used herein is also an open term that also means including at least the elements / features that follow the term , but not excluding others . thus , including is synonymous with and means comprising . similarly , it is to be noticed that the term coupled , when used in the claims , should not be interpreted as being limitative to direct connections only . the terms “ coupled ” and “ connected ,” along with their derivatives , may be used . it should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other . thus , the scope of the expression a device a coupled to a device b should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an output of device a is directly connected to an input of device b . it means that there exists a path between an output of a and an input of b which may be a path including other devices or means . “ coupled ” may mean that two or more elements are either in direct physical or electrical contact , or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but yet still co - operate or interact with each other . although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms .	6
as can be seen in fig1 , 1 indicates the screw thread that connects with the prosthesis . that thread can be made as an internal or external thread . numeral 2 indicates the annular body of the implant . numeral 3 is the thread holder which connects the annular body with the threads . the bar that connects the thread holder 3 to the base 2 is designated as 4 . it has been determined that implants of this type transfer the masticatory force essentially into the peripheral annular section of the base 2 , indicated here by 5 , which is anchored in the cortical jaw bone . numbers 6 a , 6 b and 6 c indicate the surface structure according to the invention that extends beyond the level of the base 2 . g indicates the width of the base 2 or the diameter of the base 8 . as shown in fig1 b , the surface structures according to the invention are formed by grooves 6 which can run parallel with each other , as shown at the left of the thread holder 3 , or concentrically , as shown at the right of the thread holder 3 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 c , the surface structures 6 , which can have a profile such as shown in fig4 , 5 and 7 , have a spiral shape and extend essentially over the entire upper and / or lower surface of the base 2 , with the center of the spiral placed in the region where the screw holder 3 connects to the foot 4 . fig2 shows another variant of the basic form of the implant , a round implant in this case . the corrugated or pointed surface structures 6 a , 6 c , which are formed by the grooves 6 , are placed as far as the thread holder 3 in the upper part b of fig2 , while in the lower part c of fig2 they extend only to the junction of bar 4 with the base 8 . the latter of the two embodiments has the advantage that this design increases the breaking strength of the base 2 in the vicinity of the bar 4 . d indicates the implant diameter . there is a single diameter for the round implants , while there can be numerous diameters for longitudinal implants or for implant with multiple force - transferring bases . in the presentation of fig3 , the surface structures continue up to the screw holder 3 at the left part ( b ) of the figure , while in the right part ( c ) they terminate at the left . therefore , the central height h 3 of the base 8 terminates at a core height h 2 of the ring of the base 8 , so that the surface structures according to the invention either maintain the central height h 3 or , as shown in the right part , c , diminish outwardly and are less high in the peripheral region of the base 2 , resulting in a core height h 2 . it is entirely possible , though , for the surface structure in the peripheral region to have a height which exceeds the central height h 3 of the base 8 , 2 and the surface structure terminates in the vicinity of the junction of the thread holder 3 and foot 4 at the implant height h 3 with continuous decrease of the depth of the selected profile shape . r 1 indicates the radius of the transition from the thread holder 3 to the bar 4 . k indicates the direction of the principal masticatory force . however , forces that occur with laterotrusion motions during the act of chewing also act at an angle , even perpendicularly , to the main masticatory force . fig4 shows a bone - adaptive surface structure with a corrugated profile which terminates in points , with which the substrate or the wave valleys 7 a have essentially a round concave shape . fig5 shows another optimized variant for the shaping of the surface structure 6 b which is also inserted in the vertical sidewall surface of the force - transferring base , 2 , 8 . the shaping of such structures on the outer side of the implant in particular is being proven clinically . a ′ indicates the direction opposite to the insertion path . e indicates the distance between corrugations or points of the surface structure . according to the results of the investigations on which this application is based , it is optimally 0 . 2 - 0 . 7 mm . fig6 shows a section of the base in which the surface structure according to the invention is formed by individual elevations with bowl - like depressions between them made by milling or by lasers . the depth of these depressions is preferably 0 . 05 - 0 . 25 mm , as was determined , surprisingly , by investigations . greater depths retard osseointegration , while lesser depths do not give good results for bone adherence of the implant . surface structures with edges 10 perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the direction of insertion and slowly diminishing concave sides 11 also give particularly good adhesion values . these sawtooth - like structures can be produced either just over the annular region of the base or over the entire implant . however , for reasons of production technology , it can be difficult to provide truly perpendicular edges because the initially vertical edges formed by lathe - turning or machining can be flattened by ablative abrading . in production , the result is that the angles are between 80 and 90 degrees , but they all give good clinical results . in the embodiment shown in fig8 to 10 , depressions 12 , 13 and 14 , 15 are made in the base 8 of the lateral implant . they have a different configuration , in that the geometries that deviate from each other are selected so that there is a reentrant angle between the forms of the adjacent depressions 12 , 13 and 14 , 15 . following insertion of the implant into the ground osteotomy slot , the jaw bone , which has the tendency to draw together , will reach into the lesser depressions 12 and 14 more quickly than into the depressions 13 , 15 with the greater shaping . in this way , high initial strength is attained relatively rapidly , with the bone particles scraped off during the insertion and collected in the depressions 13 , 15 promoting bone formation and healing of the implant . the depression 17 , directed toward the underside of the implant and preferably placed obliquely , makes it easier to insert the implant into the osteotomy slot .	0
fig1 shows a vacuum interrupter 1 . the vacuum interrupter 1 is part of an interrupter unit of a switching pole of an electrical switch . the vacuum interrupter 1 has an insulating housing 2 and a first cover plate 3 and a second cover plate 4 . arranged in the interior of the vacuum interrupter 1 is a first contact piece 5 and a second contact piece 6 . the first contact piece 5 and the second contact piece 6 form a switching contact . at the end of the first contact piece 5 which faces away from the switching contact , a first strut 7 is passed through the second cover plate 4 such that it can move . a second strut 8 bears the second contact piece 6 and positions it rigidly on the first cover plate 3 . in order to pass the first strut 7 in a gas - tight manner through the wall of the vacuum interrupter 1 , a bellows 9 is arranged between the first strut 7 and the second cover plate 4 . the vacuum interrupter 1 is arranged within an insulating housing 10 . the insulating housing 10 is essentially cylindrical and has a ribbed section 11 on its outer surface . the end faces of the insulating housing 10 are sealed by a first closing armature 12 and a second closing armature 13 . the first and the second closing armature 12 , 13 are manufactured from an electrically conductive material and also serve the purpose of connecting the electrical conductors of a current path to be connected . the vacuum interrupter 1 is arranged in the interior of the insulating housing 10 . as an alternative to this , provision may be made for the vacuum interrupter 1 to be arranged in an electrically conductive housing . the vacuum interrupter 1 must then be mounted such that it is insulated with respect to the conductive housing . for the purpose of retaining the vacuum interrupter 1 and for making electrical contact with the contact pieces 5 , 6 , a first retaining armature 14 is connected to the first closing armature 12 , and a second retaining armature 15 is connected to the second closing armature 13 . the vacuum interrupter 1 is retained between the two retaining armatures 14 , 15 . the second retaining armature 15 has a hole through which a screw 16 is passed . the screw 16 presses the first cover plate 3 of the vacuum interrupter 1 against the second retaining armature 15 , and makes contact between the second contact piece 6 and the second closing armature 13 via the second strut 8 and the first cover plate 3 . the first retaining armature 14 positions the vacuum interrupter 1 in the axial and radial direction . both the first retaining armature 14 and the second retaining armature 15 have , at their ends which face the vacuum interrupter 1 , beads 26 a , b which provide dielectric shielding . the interior of the insulating housing 10 is filled with an insulating gas . the first retaining armature 14 is in the form of a hollow body which has a cylindrical recess in its interior . the first strut 7 protrudes into this cylindrical recess . at the end of the first strut 7 which faces away from the first contact piece 5 , the first strut 7 has an intermediate piece 17 . this intermediate piece 17 forms a first section having a greater circumference than the remaining sections of the strut 7 . the first section has a first sliding contact face 18 . the cylindrical inner wall of the first retaining armature 14 is in the form of a second sliding contact face 19 . the second sliding contact face 19 is mounted such that it is fixed with respect to the insulating housing 10 . the first sliding contact face 18 and the second sliding contact face 19 form a sliding contact arrangement . for the purpose of improving the electrical and thermal contact between the first sliding contact face 18 and the second sliding contact face 19 , the first section of the intermediate piece 17 has a first annular groove 20 a and a second annular groove 20 b . an annular , resilient contact element is inserted in each of the annular grooves 20 a , 20 b . the elastic contact elements improve the contact between the first sliding contact face 18 and the second sliding contact face 19 . the number of contact elements may be selected . depending on the current load , one , two or more contact elements may be arranged on the intermediate piece 17 . as an alternative to this , provision may be made for the elastic contact elements to be mounted such that they are fixed to the second contact face 19 . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the first section is formed by a separate intermediate piece 17 . provision may be made for this intermediate piece 17 to be formed integrally as part of the first strut 7 . at its end which faces away from the vacuum interrupter 1 , the intermediate piece 17 has a pin 21 . a drive rod 22 is connected to the pin 21 . this drive rod 22 transfers the movement of a drive ( not shown in the figure ) to the intermediate piece 17 and thus to the first contact piece 5 via the first strut 7 . the arrow provided with the reference numeral 23 illustrates the movement of the first contact piece 5 when the switching contact is being closed . the first retaining armature 14 has two or more openings 24 a , b , c , d . the insulating gas arranged in the interior of the insulating housing 10 flows through the openings 24 a , b , c , d in the first retaining armature 14 . in order to have a favorable effect on the flow through the recess in the retaining armature 14 , the intermediate piece 17 has openings 25 a , 25 b . this makes it possible to produce a flow driven by convection in the interior of the first retaining armature 14 . the heat transmitted via the first strut 7 into the interior of the first retaining armature 14 can thus be dissipated in a simple manner to the outside . in addition , the outer surface of the first retaining armature 14 emits further heat radiation . some of the heat is transmitted directly to the first retaining armature 14 from the first contact piece 5 via the first strut 7 , the intermediate piece 17 and the sliding contact arrangement and is emitted to its surrounding environment from the first retaining armature 14 . the heat produced is largely caused by i 2 r losses or by arcs formed between the first contact piece 5 and the second contact piece 6 during switching procedures .	7
fig1 represents an exploded cross sectional view of each component of the construct 1 of the present invention . an image accepting / receiving first paper layer 2 ( alternatively called an image accepting layer ) can include an indicia or image ( not shown ) used for providing end user or customer details , alternatively the first paper layer 2 can be used to include a radio frequency identification device ( not shown ) as a means to indicate the loss of an article ( b ) shown in fig5 , attached to the construct 1 , or rupturing of at least one layer of construct 1 . the first paper layer 2 ( image accepting layer ) can be direct thermal paper depending on the method of printing can also be film , paper or a variety of other stocks that will accept an image , hence an image accepting layer . bonding adhesive 4 , during manufacture , bonds the first paper layer 2 and a fragile second paper layer 8 to opposite sides of a reinforcement core layer 6 ( hereinafter referred to as a core layer 6 ). preferably , a cohesive 10 is applied to the fragile second paper layer 8 for providing evidence of tampering as shown in fig6 . referring to fig2 , construct 1 in manufactured form provides at least three layers 2 , 6 and 8 bonded together by at least one type of bonding adhesive 4 . optionally , preferably the bonding adhesive 4 can be tinted to provide a further indication of tampering of the construct 1 visible to the naked eye over a large area as the type of tinted colour used is luminescent . bonding adhesive 4 , bonded to the lower portion of the core layer 6 , adheres to the second paper layer 8 for allowing evidence of rupturing when in use . the second paper layer 8 can be made of light weight paper for detachment , preferably recycled rupturable tissue paper , preferably the a fragile paper layer . fig3 , provides an embodiment of the present invention in that second paper layer 8 is bonded to a pressure sensitive adhesive ( psa ) 12 which in turn has a releasably attached liner 14 thereon . the psa 12 is preferably a water based pressure sensitive adhesive having environmentally friendly qualities . the release liner 14 is preferably a 70 grams per square meter ( gsm ) or 80 gsm densified haft with a known release coating on one side , the uncoated side has preferably at least one colour or image / indicia accepting surface . in fig4 , an example of a manufacturing process for the laminate construct 1 ′ which includes step 1 — of applying the water based polymer adhesive 4 to a lower side of core layer 6 , step 2 — applying the second paper layer 8 to the lower side of the core layer 6 , step 3 — applying adhesive 4 to the upper layer of 6 , step 4 — drying off the water from the adhesives 4 of the partial construct and curing the adhesives 4 in a first zone at predetermined intervals , temperatures and speeds , step 5 — applying cohesive 10 to the under side of the second paper layer 8 , step 6 — adhering the first paper layer or image receiving layer 2 to the upper side of core layer 6 . optionally , after step 5 an adhesive 12 is applied to a release liner 14 by means of the mayer rod system , the adhesive is then dried and cured in a second zone of the same oven at about 75 ° c . to about 85 ° c . at a speed of about 35 meters per minute to about 45 meters per minute . preferably , the first zone can have a temperature of about 80 ° c . to about 120 ° c . and the second zone having a temperature of about 50 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., laminated at a speed of about 30 meters per minute to about 60 meters per minute . more preferably , the first zone ( step 4 ) could have a temperature of about 104 ° c . and the second zone ( after step 5 ) has a temperature of about 85 ° c ., and the lamination process occurs at a speed of about 160 feet per minute . the image receiving portion of the first paper layer 2 or the release liner 14 is applied during or before completion of the final laminate construct , wherein the indicia / image is on the underside , topside or a combination of both showing a mark of choice . the core layer 6 is preferably a reinforcing core and the cold seal cohesive 10 is preferably a rubber latex , an uncured isoprene , a styrene butadiene rubber , a neoprene or combinations thereof . more preferably adhesives 4 or 12 are applied to the construct substrates during the manufacture thereof , and the cohesive 10 is applied at a predetermined dry weight in the range of about 5 to 10 pounds . the adhesive 12 is applied to the release liner 14 by means of a mayer rod system ( not shown ), however , there are other means of applying adhesive in such a manufacturing environment , accordingly , the present invention is by no means limited to the use of only the mayer rod system . the adhesive 12 can then be dried and cured at between 50 ° c . and 80 ° c . more preferably at 79 ° c . at a speed of from about 20 meters per minute to about 40 meters per minute . more preferably at 37 meters per minute . the combination of the release liner 14 and psa 12 is then laminated to the second paper layer 8 , the core layer 6 with the bonding adhesive 4 either side of the core layer 6 with the first paper layer 2 . the first paper layer 2 can be uncoated paper , paper with a thermal transfer coating , paper with direct thermal coating or combinations thereof . preferably , the first paper layer 2 is a direct thermal paper layer having a predetermined grade as found in generic thermal papers . the bonding adhesive 4 can be , for example , an acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive known in the art . however , other well known bonding adhesives have been contemplated as one skilled in the art would appreciate . preferably , the adhesive 4 , 12 , is tinted with a predetermined colour for showing a contrast in colour between the colour of at least one ruptured paper layer 2 , 8 , and the tinted adhesive 4 , 12 , or vice - versa , in that the at least one paper layer 2 or 8 , is tinted and the adhesive 4 , 12 , is clear . more preferably , the cohesive 12 does not leave any residue on the article ( b ) and is the choice adhesive 12 for that reason . the core layer 6 is a reinforcement film that is made from polypropylene , polyester , polyolefin , polyethylene or combinations thereof . preferably the core layer 6 is a biaxially oriented polypropylene film available , for example from amtopp products group . the second paper layer 8 is optionally an alternative offset paper which provides , when in combination with the laminate construct , the rupturing effect used for indicating tampering . widths of the construct 1 are produced in the range of about 10 mm to 150 cm , preferably from about 50 mm to 10 cm . however , as one skilled in the art would appreciate these dimensions can vary depending on the requirements and operating machine capabilities . referring to fig5 and 6 , there is provided an exemplary indication of how the tamper evident construct 1 is used . an in - tact construct 1 as shown in fig5 includes the image layer 2 folded around article ( b ) having opposed sides . strips 2 a and 2 b of the construct 1 show two separate unjoined strips with cohesive 10 to be contacted with one another , character “ b ” represents , as an example , the article ( b ) used with the construct 1 . fig6 , indicates the tampering and rupturing of the construct denoted by character “ a ” with construct 1 clearly showing the ruptured strips 2 a and 2 b of the second paper layer 8 . preferably , at least one layer 2 , 8 or 14 of the multi - layered laminate construct comprising paper 14 , a synthetic paper or a coated film impregnated or coated with a passive or active radio frequency identification device ( rfid ) ( not shown ). the rfid devices having at least two parts , first part including an integrated circuit for storing and processing information , modulating and demodulating a radio - frequency ( rf ) signal , including other specialized functions for security measures . the second part has an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal for indicating that tampering ( a ) of the article ( b ) in question is evident . the rfid is inserted onto or into the laminate construct , preferably between one of the paper layers 2 , 8 and 14 and / or one of the adhesive layers 4 , 12 . more preferably , the core layer 6 includes the rfid located either on the top , on the bottom or in the middle portions of the core layer 6 . more preferably , at least one of the layers 2 , 8 or 14 of the laminate construct includes paper , a synthetic paper or a coated film , which is impregnated or coated with an active or passive radio frequency identification device ( rfid ). if and when tampered with the laminate construct will rupture ( a ) and impart an indication that the labeled article ( b ) has been tampered with . the active rfid devices having at least two parts , first part including an integrated circuit for storing and processing information , modulating and demodulating a radio - frequency ( rf ) signal , and other specialized functions , the second part is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal for indicating that tampering of the article ( b ) in question is evident . preferably , the passive rfid is used for reasons of manufacturing costs , smaller sizes and when radio frequency waves from a reader are encountered by the passive rfid device within the construct , the coiled antenna within the device forms a magnetic field drawing power therefrom and energizing the circuits in the device and construct . the laminate construct 1 and device therein transfers information encoded therein . when ruptured , the laminate construct 1 is disabled and the coiled antenna prevents any signal from being emitted in the passive rfid , thereby providing an indication of tampering with the article ( b ) attached therewith . the tamper evident laminate construct of the present invention can be applied in an assortment of applications where tamper evident needs are required . accordingly , there appears to be a need in high human traffic areas including airports , train stations , shipping docks and other means of travel . as one would appreciate this type of tamper evident construct is not limited to only the transport of articles and people carrying those articles . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications to those preferred embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention .	1
the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof . in order to reduce the cost of detector components while preserving functionality , the present invention seeks to provide multiple - wavelength light detection and imaging capabilities using a single set of detector hardware . in a missile - seeker embodiment of the inventive concept , redundant and duplicate components in a multi - mode missile seeker are eliminated through the use of a four - quadrant focal plane detector overlaid with a ‘ checkerboard ’ waveband filter , with each quadrant having a separate analog output channel . this focal plane array ( fpa ) detector design , shown in fig1 a , uses a patterned filter 130 that covers each pixel of the fpa with a waveband filter area . half of the pixels in this embodiment are filtered to detect only wavelengths associated with mid - wave infra - red light ( mwir ) and are used for imaging , and the other half are filtered to detect only the wavelengths associated with semi - active laser ( sal ) targeting systems and are used to produce analog output . other embodiments of the inventive concept may be filtered to detect visible light and ultra - violet light , and may have different types of waveband filter masks such as ones using larger filter block sizes or different filter area patterns ( e . g . triangles or a honeycomb ), or may use an entirely different form of filtering altogether — such as magneto - optical filters . other embodiments of the inventive concept may employ different forms of detectors , such as pin photodiodes or apds . other embodiments of the inventive concept that use an fpa may dispense with the four quadrant system and either use one output channel for the entire fpa or divide the fpa some other way — such as into eighths or fifths . yet other embodiments may use polarization filtering on groups of pixels , either instead of or in addition to spectral filtering . in such embodiments it may be advantageous to break the fpa up into many pixel groups , with each group of anywhere from 4 to 400 pixels having a separate output channel . still further embodiments of the invention may dispense with spectral filtering altogether and instead rely on red spike and blue spike detection to differentiate between things like mid - wave and long - wave infra - red signals . for the purposes of this specification and the attendant claims , “ analog pixels ” refer to those pixels that are used to produce analog output and “ imaging pixels ” refer to those pixels that are used for imaging . no structural or material difference between the two pixel types is required as far as the detector portion of the fpa is concerned , but certain embodiments may employ different pixel shapes or materials for the two pixel types . in a missile - seeker embodiment , one of the concerns is cost control . one embodiment of a multi - mode missile seeker may give a munition the capability of augmenting a directed target acquisition approach through sal by allowing for autonomous target acquisition through electro - optical ( eo ) imaging with mid - wave infra - red ( mwir ). while making the missile more effective and enabling it to better locate and retain targets , the need for two detection systems — one for mwir and one for sal — increases the cost of the detector and therefore of the missile . by allowing the sal and eo detection wavelengths to share a single detector , the component cost of the missile - seeker decreases , decreasing the overall cost of the missile while still allowing for multi - mode target acquisition . as shown in fig1 a , a patterned waveband filter 130 may be applied over the pixels in the detector array 120 . this limits the wavelengths of light that are allowed to contact the detector array 120 and cause it to pass an electrical signal to the read - out integrated circuit ( roic ) 110 mounted on the substrate 101 . embodiments of waveband filters may be patterned to cover individual pixels with different filter areas , or may spread a filter area across groups of pixels . also , the pixels in the detector are not all required to be of identical shape and size , so an associated patterned waveband filter may further reflect any variation in pixel size of its underlying detector . a side - view of a particular embodiment of an fpa detector with a patterned waveband filter , shown in fig1 b , shows an embodiment of a checkerboard - type filtering pattern . as in a conventional fpa , the silicon roc 140 is connected to the detector array 160 with a combination of epoxy and indium interconnects 150 . the patterned waveband filter rests on top of the detector array 160 . the filter is composed of a transparent substrate 180 ( by transparent , it is meant that the substrate is transparent to those wavelengths admitted by the filter — visible - spectrum transparency is not necessarily essential or desirable ) which , in this embodiment , is sandwiched by top and bottom anti - reflective coatings 170 190 . the waveband filter portion , 195 is patterned on top of the transparent substrate 180 and , in some embodiments , the top anti - reflective coating 190 may have additional or inherent waveband filtering capabilities as well . the areas with the waveband filter 195 only admit one particular waveband of photons , whereas the areas with only the anti - reflective coating 190 may admit a broader waveband . the waveband filters may each have a different waveband of light that they will admit , and the areas depicted as only covered with an anti - reflected coating 190 may , in other embodiments , also be covered with different types of waveband filters . before proceeding further , it may be helpful to review how an fpa detector operates so that the distinguishing features of the present invention can be better understood . referring to fig1 c , an fpa - type detector typically comprises an extrinsic or intrinsic detector array 010 . this detector array may be made of a wide range of materials , including gaas ( gallium - arsenide ) and insb ( indium - antimonide ). the detector array may be a continuous layer of material , or it may be composed of pixels of the detector material , with each pixel on the detector array corresponding to one pixel of image resolution . a 600 × 800 detector array , therefore , has 48 , 000 pixels and can produce an image of up to 600 × 800 screen resolution . each pixel in the array is a ‘ collection hole ’ that absorbs incident photons and produces an electric charge relative to the amount and intensity of the photons absorbed . the detector material may be covered with an anti - reflective coating to improve its detection characteristics . the particular embodiment of an fpa detector depicted here is meant to detect incoming infrared radiation 001 . the detector array 010 is connected to an roic ( read - out integrated circuit ) array 030 , which is printed on a substrate — typically made of silicon 020 . the detector array 010 is connected to the roic 030 through interconnects 040 that match each pixel of the detector array 010 to a point on the roic array 030 . in this embodiments , the interconnects are made of indium 040 because it is suitable for cold - welding and cold - temperature operation . the input to the roic array elements 030 is then multiplexed before being output 050 for further signal processing and image display . this integrated , multiplexed output 050 combines the individual inputs to the roic array 030 into a single , cohesive image signal suitable for subsequent image processing and analysis . an fpa detector of this type produces integrated , multiplexed image output 050 by combining all of the pixel - level signals in a given column , and then combining the columns . an example of how this operation is carried out is shown in fig2 b . in the detector 401 , an incident photon creates a charge in a pixel 405 . this charge is transferred to the roic 420 and integrated in the integration capacitor 427 over a set period of time . the reset switch 429 is then opened to stop integration and the integrated current moves to a holding capacitor 423 . the hold switch 421 is then opened to stop the flow of current between the capacitors , and the integration capacitor charge 427 is cleared and the reset switch 429 closed to begin integrating charge from the pixel again . the hold capacitors 423 of all pixels in a given row feed into a column bus 410 when the multiplexing switch is closed 425 , and the column buses are then further multiplexed together ( not shown ) when the multiplexing switch 425 to stop charge transfer from the hold capacitors . this set of operations repeats every set time period , which determines what the frame rate of an fpa is . the higher the frame rate , the more quickly the fpa is able to move charge from a pixel to the roic , integrate the pixel outputs , and produce an image signal . the present invention has discrete areas of non - imaging , analog pixels on the fpa that are connected to additional components in the roic for the purpose of generating non - sampling , analog ouput . in a missile - seeker embodiment of the present invention , this would be the sal data , and it may be used for target tracking , range - finding , and trajectory adjustments . an embodiment of a four - quadrant sal - detecting fpa detector according to the present invention is depicted in fig2 a , and non - sampling analog output generation from an fpa is depicted in fig2 c as shown in fig2 a , the fpa detector array 480 is divided into four quadrants 4801 , 4805 , 4811 , 4821 that each have a separate analog output channel . in this sal / mwir missile seeker embodiment , each channel of non - sampling , analog detector output 401 is converted into a digital signal 450 and then processed in an fpga logic circuit 460 to determine first pulse or last pulse logic . alternative embodiments of the present invention may have more or fewer channels . one embodiment may have a separate channel for each analog pixel such that each analog output channel is eventually combined into a single overall analog output signal that can be used for subsequent tracking , control , or ranging operations . the present embodiment of thethe conversion process for an output channel begins with a two step filtering and amplification process by a pair of a / c coupling detectors 4505 , 4515 . the filtering and amplification process strips out background and ambient noise in the signal , which may be caused by sunlight and ambient light . other embodiments of the present invention may employ a single - step filtering and amplification process , additional filtering and amplification processes , or may dispense with this step entirely . yet further embodiments of the present invention may accomplish signal filtering and amplification using different types of components . still other embodiments of the preset invention may dispense with signal filtering and conversion process altogether , working instead with the pure analog output of the fpa channels . the amplification , filtering , a / d conversion , and other signal processing may be performed in the roic unit cell , may be performed by external circuitry , or may be a combination of roic and external circuits . in the present embodiment , after filtering and amplification , the signal passes into an analog to digital converter 4520 to convert the analog channel output into a digital signal suitable for further processing by the fpga 460 . the fpga encompasses the logic to acquire the and track the laser pulse in the presence of noise and clutter , sense pim codes , reject countermeasures , perform m out of n pulse correlation to improve detection in poor snr conditions , compute target centroid based on signals from each quadrant , and compute guidance and control commands to maneuver the airframe . in the embodiment described , the separate channel signals are combined after fpga processing ( not shown ) and then translated into actuator commands that direct the canards of a missile based on the relative centroid location of a de - focused laser sport detected by the multi - mode fpa . alternative embodiments of the present invention may multiplex the analog output channels and have one set of amplification , filtering , and aid conversion hardware 450 for the multiplexed signal . in such embodiments , the fpga 460 would have to demultiplex the separate channel signals in order to properly process and threshold them . alternative embodiments of the fpga may also entail a range - finder aspect where the laser pulses are analyzed to determine distance from the target . alternate embodiments of the present invention may dispense with fpga processing . this may be accomplished in embodiments that use pure analog signal processing , or that employ wavelengths other than sal for analog signal detection aspects . alternative wavelengths include radio - frequency and millimeter - wave radiation bands , and analog signal processing may include techniques such as marking each channel output with an identifying characteristic so that simply comparing signal intensities across channels and over time provides centroid and range information . in an embodiment of a detector according to the present invention where the desired wavebands are in the sal ( semi - active laser ) and mwir ( mid - wave infrared ) ranges , the two incoming light signals serve different purposes and are processed differently . in a missile - seeker embodiment of an sal / mwir multi - mode detector according to the present invention , it may be advantageous to de - focus part of the incoming light signal before it is detected by the fpa . this de - focusing may be accomplished by a beam spoiler device of the type depicted in fig3 . in the embodiment shown , incoming light in both mwir 205 and sal 211 wavelengths enters a sensor through a window 201 and passes into a cassegrain - type reflector arrangement . the main reflector 225 directs the mwir 205 and sal 211 light to a secondary cassegrain reflector 221 made of a dichroic material that reflects the mwir 205 through refractive optics 235 that direct the light signal onto the detector array of the fpa 231 . the sal 211 light passes through the dichroic 221 and reflects off an sal spoiler 215 that de - focuses the sal 211 light , so that the sal signal will appear on the fpa detector array as a large , de - focused spot 140 . de - focusing an sal beam serves two purposes in a multi - mode missile seeker embodiment of the present invention . first , a tightly - focused sal beam may be blocked if it is concentrated on an imaging pixel , causing no detection at all . de - focusing the beam ensures that it will be detected by multiple analog pixels . second , in a multi - quadrant fpa embodiment , a highly focused sal beam may only fall in one quadrant , making it difficult to determine the direction of the incoming beam with any precision . de - focusing the beam so that it crosses quadrants 490 allows for a more precise determination of beam direction because rationing the signal amplitude in each quadrant to the others provides a signal proportional to the signal centroid location on the fpa . embodiments of a multi - mode missile - seeker according to the present invention may also slightly de - focus the mwir signal before sampling in order to eliminate issues such as aliasing during image detection . for a more comprehensive treatment of processing under - sampled images , please see published u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 429 , 958 , the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . alternative embodiments of the inventive concept may use a different kind of beam spoiler , such as holographic surfaces , diffractive optics , curved mirrors , or reflect - arrays or may instead seek to more tightly focus portions of the beam through devices such as microlens arrays . such an approach may be useful in variants of the mwir / sal multi - mode missile seeker embodiment of the present invention where a highly focused mwir image may be desirable . yet other embodiments may not employ any form of beam focus or de - focus , merely using the minimum set of optics required for light capture and transmission to the fpa . yet further embodiments of the invention may employ a refractive holographic element instead of a beam spoiler device , such as a hologram of a prism . this may accomplish beam spreading and signal uniformity without requiring a larger and more mechanically complex beam spoiler device . in a missile - seeker embodiment having a beam spoiler , the de - focused light beam may then be detected by a staring fpa with a patterned waveband filter of a type described above . alternative embodiments may employ further signal processing techniques , such as wavelength shifting , magneto - optical filtering , or light intensification before allowing incoming light to register on a detector . such techniques may be useful in embodiments meant to operate in low - light environments for things such as simultaneous visible and ultra - violet detection , embodiments seeking to detect light wavelengths associated with the combustion of specific elements or compounds ( such as magnesium or thermite ) as well as provide general mwir detection . alternative embodiments of the present invention may also employ various shapes and sizes for the analog channel areas . an embodiment meant to provide range - finding and imaging capability on the same fpa may have a large area in the center of the fpa set as a ‘ super pixel ’ with a single analog channel output so that it can detect incoming laser signals and determine how far it is from the target . this may be accomplished , for instance , by having four separate imaging quadrants on an fpa with a ‘ plus - sign ’ shaped area between them acting as a large laser detection analog pixel for range - finding . an embodiment intended for simultaneous , multi - mode detection of mwir and sal light may have alternating waveband filter squares designed to pass only wavelengths of between 3 and 5 μm and 1 . 06 and 1 . 57 μm , respectively . such an embodiment of a waveband filter accomplishes waveband filtering by reflecting or absorbing radiation outside of the desired wavebands . this can be achieved through a selection of filter materials that only pass the bands of interest , or through prisms , diffraction gratings , or anti - reflective coatings . the mwir portion of incoming light is also detected by this fpa embodiment , and the gaps created through the omission of every other pixel ( due to a combination of the waveband filter mask and roic circuitry ) are filled in by an extended - range image processing technique of a type disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 429 , 958 — the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . the mwir signal is detected through a standard fpa integration / multiplexing technique depicted in fig2 b . alternative embodiments of the inventive concept may employ different methods for separately processing the multiple types of input detected by a multi - mode detector . possible alternatives include charge injection devices , digital roics , any other variations of detection devices capable of providing multi - channel analog output in addition to integrated image signal output . fig4 a shows the imaging portion of an embodiment of a multi - mode missile seeker device that provides both target imaging and target tracking capabilities using a sampled , imaging output , and a non - sampled , analog channel output . the fpa 315 , which contains both the detector with a patterned waveband filter and the roic with the added analog channel outputs , is operatively connected to a controller 330 that governs the operating mode of the fpa 310 , feeds in a power signal 305 , and feeds in a timing signal 301 . the controller also monitors fpa temperature and controls cooling of the fpa unit 320 . the signal output of the fpa 325 is fed through the controller 330 to a calibration and processing unit 340 . the signal coming from the controller 335 contains the multiplexed imaging output of the fpa . the calibration and processing unit 340 may direct the imaging signal 355 to an image processing unit 350 , and subsequently to a display unit 365 . the signal 355 may also be directed to a tracking and target recognition system 345 which analyzes the imaging portion of the signal for known or readily ascertained targets and performs further processing and subsequent target tracking , or missile course correction based on the detected location of the target in the imaging plane . fig4 b shows the analog signal detection portion of an embodiment of a multi - mode missile seeker device that provides both target imaging and target tracking capabilities using a sampled imaging output and a non - sampled analog channel output . this embodiment of the fpa 370 contains four analog output channels that correspond to four quadrants of analog detection on the fpa . alternative embodiments may contain more or fewer analog channels , up to a separate channel for each analog pixel on the fpa . each analog channel outputs a signal to a set of filters and amplifiers 375 - 1 , 375 - 2 , 375 - 3 , 375 - 4 . each of these filter / amplifier sets may contain some or all of the components in the digital signal conversion aspect 450 of fig2 c . as shown there , each filter / amplifier portion may have one or more ac couplings to amplify the detected signal and filter out background noise , and may also have an aid converter to generate digital output . alternate embodiments of the present invention may dispense with the a / d converter aspect entirely and employ a purely analog signal output . yet further alternative embodiments may embed the filter / amplifier aspect into the roic of the fpa device . in one possible embodiment , each analog pixel may be operatively connected to a separate ac coupling or set of ac couplings for pixel - level analog signal filtering . after filtering and amplification , the analog signal or signals may be sent for further signal processing 380 . this processing may include combining disparate analog channel outputs into a single signal , de - multiplexing a cross - channel multiplexed analog output signal , or processing either combined or separate signals without combining or dividing them . in the present invention , this additional signal processing 380 may include aid conversion and fpga analysis , or may simply include basic cross - channel signal comparisons to determine either a range or centroid location of the analog signal source . this processed signal is then passed on to any number of subsequent devices 390 including controllers to adjust things like steering / guidance fins to make missile heading corrections , timing and detonation control devices to determine range - based warhead detonation parameters , or , in some embodiments , into a target tracking system that may dynamically adjust the integration time of the imaging aspect based on properties of the analog signals . such an embodiment would enable variable frame - rate imaging that could adaptively increase integration time for improved resolution or decrease integration time for improved frame rate based on things like relative target speed and proximity and heading . the present invention is not limited to mwir / sal multi mode missile seekers , and is not limited strictly to two - mode detector devices . multiple foul &# 39 ; s of analog channel output and sampled imaging output may be maintained on the same fpa device . spectral filtering may be eliminated altogether or replaced with polarization filtering and possible alternative embodiments may include an mwir / sal / visible spectrum multi - mode detector that provides mwir and visible spectrum imaging as well as sal range - finding and orientation on the same fpa . yet other alternative embodiments may employ variants such as eye - safe and non eye - safe laser detection on different sets of fpa sections and associated channels . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	5
the following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . various modifications to the preferred embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment show , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . fig1 illustrates a removable monitoring adapter system 10 . the adapter features a set of monitoring electrode connectors 12 . the configuration shown in fig1 shows three monitoring electrode connectors ra , ll and rl typical of the configuration used in connection with a right leg drive monitoring configuration . each of the three electrode connectors 12 are connected to an adapter 16 via connection wires 14 . as will be appreciated by persons of skill in the art , the connection wires may associate with the adapter 16 separately ( as shown ) or may be configured such that they form a single wiring bundle . disposable monitoring electrodes ( not shown ) are connected to the electrode connectors 12 . disposable monitoring electrodes could be attached , for example , by means of a snap connector or a clamp . suitable electrodes include , for example , 3m red dot monitoring electrodes . additional , other connection means may also be provided without departing from the scope of the invention . as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art , monitoring electrode pads could also be formed integral with the adapter system 10 . however , in such an instance the cost benefit associated with using disposable electrodes may be subverted if the integrated monitoring electrodes are not reusable . additionally , the adapter system 10 may be configured to have more or fewer electrodes . typically , the adapter would be configured to have between 2 - 12 electrode connectors . the adapter 16 contains circuitry , discussed in more detail below , that enables the defibrillator to identify the presence of the adapter , thus configuring the defibrillator to monitor ecg and prohibit delivery of a defibrillation shock . in this embodiment , adapter 16 is connected to a connector 20 via a wire 18 . connector 20 provides a standard two wire connection to the defibrillator . although the adapter 16 and the connector 20 are shown in fig1 as being separated by wire 18 , it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the functionality of adapter 16 could be incorporated into connector 20 , thereby eliminating wire 18 without departing from the scope of the invention . additionally , the adapter 16 could be a removable reusable adapter . in that instance , the monitoring electrodes 12 would plug into the adapter 16 and the adapter 16 would , in turn , plug into the defibrillator . turning to fig2 a high level block diagram is depicted that illustrates the defibrillator 30 connected to monitoring electrodes 12 via a connector 20 and monitoring adapter 16 . although depicted as separate blocks , as discussed above , connector 20 and monitoring adapter 16 may be formed integrally as mentioned above . the major components of an aed 100 suitable for use in conjunction with this invention are shown in fig3 in block diagram form . in this example , aed 100 control functions are divided among a microprocessor unit ( mpu ) 102 and two custom gate arrays 104 and 106 . it should be understood , however , that gate arrays 104 and 106 are optional , and their functions can be performed by other circuits . mpu 102 performs program steps according to software instructions provided to it from rom 114 . mpu 102 controls the operation of certain buttons ( such as display contrast buttons 108 ) and certain system led &# 39 ; s 110 ( such as led &# 39 ; s associated with the shock button and the electrode connector ). mpu 102 receives system status information as shown by block 112 . mpu 102 also controls the operation of the display contrast button 108 . as shown in fig3 gate array 104 implements a memory map to system rom 114 , data card port 116 and other system memory elements . gate array 106 provides a system monitor function by initiating automatic self - tests of the defibrillator and its components . the gate array 106 displays the operational status of the defibrillator on a status display 128 . gate array 106 is also the defibrillator &# 39 ; s interface with a user - activated on / off switch 130 . gate array 106 also may control the power management subsystem 132 to provide power to operate system components from battery 134 and to provide energy to the shock delivery system &# 39 ; s capacitor ( s ) for a therapeutic shock during treatment mode . power management subsystem 132 enables energy from the battery 134 to be delivered to the patient 18 via shock delivery and ecg front end 124 . for that purpose , power management subsystem 132 includes a capacitor ( not shown ). gate array 106 also interfaces with the defibrillator &# 39 ; s ecg front end 124 , providing data to the mpu , which performs detection of a patient ecg pattern requiring treatment . the gate array 106 also controls delivery of the shock to electrode connector 136 , upon actuation of the shock button , in response to shock delivery status information obtained during delivery of the shock . the front end 124 provides for an impedance measurement to be made by mpu 102 , via connector 136 . for example , a preliminary fixed current waveform is delivered to the connector 136 . a suitable signal would be , for example , a 540 hz signal . a return signal is received by the defibrillator front end 124 , and delivered to mpu 102 , which calculates the impedance present at connector 136 . by analyzing the impedance , mpu 102 can determine if the monitoring adapter is present at connector 136 , and select software instructions from rom 114 which configures the defibrillator as a monitor only , thus suppressing the defibrillation function . when mpu 102 determines that the adapter is present , mpu 102 can also determine if monitoring electrodes are disconnected from the patient . if the impedance analysis determines that the monitor adapter 16 is not present , then the standard software instructions are selected and the aed functions normally . further information regarding defibrillator operation be found in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 735 , 879 by gliner et al . for “ electrotherapy method for external defibrillators ” and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 607 , 454 by cameron et al . for “ electrotherapy method and apparatus ,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . as is known in the art , the aed 100 can be operated in different modes , such as self - test mode , stand - by mode and patient treatment mode . further discussion of the operation of an external defibrillator in self - test mode , stand by mode and patient treatment mode is provided in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 800 , 460 by powers et al . for “ method for performing self - test in a defibrillator ”, the specification of which is incorporated herein . fig4 illustrates a circuit implementation of the monitor adapter , which includes a right leg drive system similar to that which is commonly known in the art . typically modern electrocardiographic systems do not ground the patient . in order to overcome the interference effects of large common mode signals present on an un - grounded patient the right - leg electrode is connected to the output of an auxiliary op amp 200 , which effectively shunts the common mode currents away from sense electrodes ra and ll . the common - mode voltage on the body is derived by averaging the signals present at ra and ll , via the output of unity gain amplifiers 202 and 204 , with resistors r 1 and r 2 . this average is inverted , amplified and fed back to the right leg , rl , via the output of the auxiliary op amp 200 through resistor r rl . bias voltage of 1 . 18 v is also established for amplifiers 202 and 204 via this feedback path . the negative feedback then drives the common - mode voltage on the body to a low value , thus minimizing the interference in the patient &# 39 ; s ecg . resistor r rl is located in series between the patient and the op amp 200 which , in the event of an abnormally high voltage , would limit the current to a safe level . op amps 202 and 204 buffer the ecg signal received via ra and ll , providing a low impedance unity gain ecg signal for the aed at v 1 and v 2 . input resistors r ra and r ll and diodes ( d 1 , d 2 , d 3 and d 4 ) protect op amps 202 and 204 against high voltage transients that might be present , such as the presence of another defibrillator . capacitors c 1 and c 3 provide high - frequency filtering of the input signal received from ra and ll . resistors r 3 and r 7 provide a bias current which will drive the amplifier outputs of op amps 202 and 204 to ground if an electrode is removed from the patient . inductor 210 , resistor r 5 , capacitor 230 , and switch 250 , present a unique impedance interface 215 at v 1 , v 2 , which enables the aed to detect the presence of the monitor adapter , as well as disconnected electrodes ra , rl , or ll . interface 215 presents significant inductive reactance and resistance to the aed . when the aed is connected to a patient using defibrillation electrode pads , under normal conditions , the patient impedance presents a distinctly different impedance , including capacitive reactance and much lower resistance , than the monitor adapter . thus , the aed can be configured to operate in either normal defibrillation mode or monitor mode only , depending on the impedance measured at the patient connector . in a preferred embodiment the inductor 210 is 470 mh , capacitor 230 is 0 . 12 μf , and resistor r 5 is 3 . 4 kω . when the monitor adapter is connected to the aed then the following impedance relationships measured by the aed shall hold ( where a small - signal 540 hz impedance data is analyzed to indicate the device ): when the adapter is present and the leads are connected to the patient , then switch 250 disconnects capacitor 230 from the interface and the aed measures a 3 . 4 kω resistor in series with inductor 210 , thus meeting the impedance requirements for an adapter connected with all leads on the patient . the j - fet switch 250 in series with a capacitor 230 together function as an electrode disconnect and battery fault encoder for the monitor impedance . in the event a lead is off , or a battery fault condition occurs , j - fet 250 is switched to a low resistance state , thus connecting capacitor 230 in parallel with inductor 210 . the capacitor 230 causes the inductive reactance to increase as seen by the defibrillator , thus meeting the impedance requirements for an adapter with one or more leads off . comparator 220 and op amp 228 form the logic and control for switch 250 , which enables the leads off and battery fault function . if the battery is low , or any of the leads are disconnected , then comparator 220 drives the inverting input of op amp 228 high , thus driving the gate of j - fet switch 250 low , which in turn causes low switch resistance . logic 220 includes voltage comparators 222 a and 222 b and zener diode 224 . zener diode 224 sets the reference voltage for the system . in fig5 defibrillator measures the complex impedance at the patient connector by delivering a current signal to the connector and measuring the resulting voltage signal . when the defibrillator is directly connected to a patient , the impedance measured by the defibrillator meets the normal resistive operating requirements , and the defibrillator functions normally . in contrast , when the defibrillator is used in conjunction with the adapter 16 ( connected in series with monitoring electrodes 12 or integral with the monitoring electrodes , as shown in fig1 ), the impedance signal measured by defibrillator meets the monitoring adapter detection requirements , which include inductive reactance , z i , and high resistance , z r . thus the defibrillator is reconfigured as a passive monitor suppressing the shock capability of the defibrillator . turning to the specifics of fig5 which describes a method for using the adapter in conjunction with an aed . the first step is to turn the aed on 300 . next , a complex impedance is measured , for example , at the patient connector 302 . if z i / z r is greater than threshold 1 304 then the monitoring mode is enabled 308 . if z i / z r is less than or equal to threshold 1 304 then the monitoring mode is not enabled 306 . once monitoring mode is enabled , it is determined whether z i , is greater than threshold 2 310 . if z i , is greater than threshold 2 then a fault or fault condition 312 exists . if z i is not greater than threshold 2 , then no fault or fault condition exists . examples of values for z i is provided in more detail above . modifications to the invention embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such modifications are within the scope the invention .	0
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows an inspection system configuration according to a first embodiment of the invention . the inspection system ( sem inspection system ) is equipped with a chamber for inspection 2 which is degassed and evacuated and a reserve chamber ( not shown in this embodiment ) for feeding a wafer 9 as a sample inside the chamber for inspection 2 . this reserve chamber is arranged so that it can be degassed and evacuated independently of the chamber for inspection 2 . the inspection system also includes a control unit 6 and an image processing unit 5 in addition to the chamber for inspection 2 and the reserve chamber . the internals of the chamber for inspection 2 roughly comprise electron optics 3 , a charging voltage control unit , a detection unit 7 , a sample chamber 8 , and an optical microscopy unit 4 . the electron optics 3 comprise a cathode 10 , electron beam extraction electrodes 11 , condenser lenses 12 , blanking deflectors 13 , apertures 14 , objective lenses 16 , converter electrodes 17 , and e × b ( e cross b ) deflectors 18 . a detector 20 out of the detection unit 7 is placed above one objective lens 16 within the chamber for inspection 2 . an output signal of the detector 20 is amplified by a preamplifier 21 installed outside of the chamber for inspection 2 and converted into digital data by an ad converter 22 . the charging voltage control unit comprises charging voltage control electrodes 65 installed facing toward the stage , a charging voltage control electrode control unit 66 , and a charging voltage control electrode power supply 67 . the detection unit 7 comprises the detector 20 within the degassed vacuum chamber for inspection 2 , the preamplifier 21 , the ad converter 22 , an optical signal converter 23 , an optical fiber 24 , an electrical signal converter 25 , a high voltage power supply 26 , a preamplifier power supply 27 , an ad converter power supply 28 , and a reverse bias power supply 29 which are external to the chamber for inspection 2 . the detector 20 out of the detection unit 7 is placed above one objective lens 16 within the chamber for inspection 2 . the detector 20 , preamplifier 21 , ad converter 22 , optical signal converter 23 , and preamplifier power supply 28 are floated to positive voltage by the high - voltage power supply 26 . the sample chamber 8 comprises a sample holder 30 , an x - direction stage 31 , a y - direction stage 32 , a rotation stage 33 , a stage position monitoring sensor 34 , and an optical height sensor 35 . the optical microscopy unit 4 is installed near the electron optics 3 within the chamber for inspection 2 , but separated from the optics by a distance enough to avoid a mutual effect on each other . the distance between the electron optics 3 and the optical microscopy unit 4 is known . the x - direction stage 31 and the y - direction stage 32 are arranged to reciprocate over the known distance between the electron optics 3 and the optical microscopy unit 4 . the optical microscopy unit 4 comprises a light source 40 , an optical lens 41 , and a ccd camera 42 . instructions for causing each component of the system to operate and conditions for operation are input to the control unit 6 and output therefrom to each component . various conditions of an acceleration voltage when an electron beam is generated , electron beam deflection width , deflection speed , signal capturing timing of the detection unit , speed at which the sample holder moves , etc . are input in advance to the control unit 6 so that any of the conditions can be set arbitrarily or selected and set , according to the purpose . using a correction control circuit 43 , the control unit 6 monitors for deviation in position and height , according to signals from the stage position monitoring sensor 34 and the optical height sensor 35 , generates a correction signal , according to the results of the monitoring , and sends the correction signal to a lens power supply 45 and a scanning signal generator 44 so that an electron beam always hits a correct spot . to obtain an image of a wafer 9 , a narrow focused electron beam 19 is applied to the wafer to emit secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 from the wafer 9 . by detecting these electrons in synchronization with scanning the electron beam 19 and the movements of the stages 31 and 32 , an image of the wafer 9 surface is obtained . for the cathode 10 , a thermal field emission cathode of a diffusion resupply type is used . by using this cathode 10 , it is ensured that more stable electron beam current is generated than a conventionally used cathode such as , e . g ., a tungsten ( w ) filament cathode and a cold field emission cathode , and , consequently , a voltage contrast image with less variation in luminance can be obtained . the electron beam 19 is drawn from the cathode 10 by applying a voltage between the cathode 10 and the extraction electrodes 11 . the electron beam 19 is accelerated by applying a negative high voltage potential of high voltage to the cathode 10 . by being thus accelerated , the electron beam 19 with energy corresponding to its potential travels toward the sample holder 30 . the electron beam 19 is converged by the condenser lenses 12 , narrow focused by the objective lenses 16 , and applied to the wafer 9 mounted on the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 on the sample holder 30 . the scanning signal generator 44 which generates a scanning signal and a blanking signal is connected to the blanking deflectors 13 and the lens power supply 45 is connected to the condenser lenses 12 and the objective lenses 16 . a negative voltage ( retarding voltage ) can be applied to the wafer 9 from a retarding power supply 36 . by adjusting this retarding power supply 36 , a primary electron beam is decelerated and the electron beam irradiation energy to the wafer 9 can be adjusted to an optimal value without changing the voltage of the cathode 10 . the secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 emitted by applying the electron beam 19 to the wafer 9 are accelerated by a negative voltage applied to the wafer 9 . the e × b deflectors 18 are located above the wafer 9 to deflect the secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 toward predetermined directions . the magnitude of the deflection can be adjusted by changing the voltage and the magnetic field energy applied to the e × b deflectors 18 . this electromagnetic field can be varied in conjunction with the negative voltage applied to the sample . the secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 deflected by the e × b deflectors 18 strike against the converter electrodes 17 under a predetermined condition . when the accelerated secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 strike against the converter electrodes 17 , second secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 52 are emitted from the converter electrodes 17 . the second secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 52 emitted when the electrons strike against the converter electrodes 17 are guided to the detector 20 by an attractive electric field . the detector 20 is configured to , in concurrence with timing of scanning the electron beam 19 , detect the second secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 52 emitted when the secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 emitted during the application of the electron beam 19 to the wafer 9 are then accelerated and strike against the converter electrodes 17 . an output signal of the detector 20 is amplified by the preamplifier 21 installed outside of the chamber for inspection 2 and converted into digital data by the ad converter 22 . the ad converter 22 is configured to convert an analog signal detected by the detector 20 into digital signal immediately after being amplified by the preamplifier 21 and transmit the digital signal to the image processing unit 5 . because the detected analog signal is digitized and transmitted immediately after being detected , a signal to be handled at a high speed and with a high s / n ratio can be obtained . as the detector 20 employed herein , for example , a semiconductor detector may be used . the wafer 9 is mounted on the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 . either of the following methods of scanning can be selected : a method of scanning the electron beam 19 in two dimensions with the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 standing still when inspection is executed ; and a method of scanning the electron beam 19 linearly in the x direction while moving the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 in the y direction continuously at a constant speed when inspection is executed . if a specific relatively small area is inspected , the former method for inspection by scanning with the stages standing still is effective . if a relatively wide area is inspected , the latter method for inspection by scanning while moving the stages continuously at a constant speed is effective . when it is necessary to blank the electron beam 19 , the electron beam 19 is deflected by the blanking deflectors 13 and can be controlled not to pass through the apertures 14 . as the stage position monitoring sensor 34 , a length measuring sensor using laser interference is used in this embodiment . the positions of the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 can be monitored in real time and the measurements are transferred to the control unit 6 . the mechanism is configured such that data for the rotating speeds or the like of the motors of the x - direction stage 31 , y - direction stage 32 , and rotation stage 33 are also transferred to the control unit 6 . based on the above data , the control unit 6 can correctly identify an area and position being irradiated with the electron beam 19 and is arranged to make real - time correction for deviation in position to be irradiated with the electron beam 19 by the correction control circuit 43 , if necessary . an area irradiated with the electron beam can be stored per wafer . as the optical height sensor 35 , an optical sensor based on a measurement method other than using an electron beam , for example , a laser interference sensor or a reflected light sensor which measures a change in reflected light position . this sensor is configured to measure the height of the wafer 9 mounted on the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 in real time . in this embodiment , a method in which white light emitted from a light source 37 is applied to the wafer 9 , the reflected light position is detected by a position detecting monitor , and a change in height is calculated from a change in the position is used . based on the measurement data obtained by the optical height sensor 35 , the focal length of the objective lenses 16 to narrow focus the electron beam 19 is corrected dynamically , so that an area to be inspected can always be irradiated with the electron beam 19 focused on that area . the mechanism can also be configured to measure warpage and height distortion of a wafer 9 in advance before irradiation with the electron beam and to set conditions for correcting the focal length of the objective lenses 16 per area to be inspected , based on the measurement data . the image processing unit 5 comprises an image storing unit 46 , a calculation unit 48 , and a monitor 50 . wafer 9 image signals detected by the above detector 20 are amplified by the preamplifier 21 and converted into digital signals by the ad converter 22 . then , the digital signals are converted into optical signals by the optical signal converter 23 , the optical signals are transmitted through the optical fiber 24 and converted into electrical signals by the electrical signal converter 25 , and the electrical signals are stored into the image storing unit 46 . electron beam irradiation conditions for generating an image and various detection conditions for the detection unit are set in advance when an inspection condition setting operation is performed and stored into files and on a database . next , a procedure of inspection with the inspection system shown in fig1 will be described with a flowchart shown in fig2 a . first , in step 201 , set a wafer in an arbitrary shelf in a wafer cassette and set the wafer cassette in place . to specify the wafer to be inspected , specify the in - cassette number of the shelf in which the wafer has been set via the monitor 50 . in step 202 , enter various conditions for inspection via the monitor 50 . entries as the conditions for inspection include the settings of electron beam current , electron beam irradiation energy , view size of a screen ( field of view ( fov )), voltage of the retarding power supply 36 . voltage of the charging voltage control electrodes 65 , etc . although individual parameters can be entered , combinations of various parameters for inspection for the above settings are normally stored in inspection condition files and on a database . input operation can be performed simply by selecting appropriate inspection condition files and entering the identifiers of the files , according to the scope of inspection . in step 203 , automatic inspection gets started . in step 204 , initially , the wafer 9 that has been set is loaded from a sample exchange chamber 62 into the inspection system . the wafer handling unit can accommodate wafers 9 with different diameters and different wafer shapes such as an orientation flat wafer or a notched wafer by using a wafer holder for supporting a wafer 9 appropriate for wafer size and shape . the wafer 9 is removed from the wafer cassette and mounted on the holder by a wafer loading / unloading unit including an arm , an auxiliary vacuum chamber , etc . the wafer supported by the holder is degassed and evacuated in the wafer loading / unloading unit and carried into the chamber for inspection 2 which has already been evacuated by a vacuum unit . after the wafer is loaded , in step 205 , electron beam irradiation conditions are set on the components by the control unit 6 , based on the entered conditions for inspection . the stage 32 is moved so that a first beam calibration pattern on the wafer holder is positioned under the electron optics . a voltage contrast image of the beam calibration pattern is obtained and focusing and astigmatism adjustments are performed , according to the voltage contrast image . after a move to a predetermined place on the wafer 9 to be inspected , a voltage contrast image of the wafer 9 is obtained and contrast adjustment is performed . if it is necessary to change the electron beam irradiation conditions or the like , beam calibration can be performed again . a correlation between height information obtained by the optical height sensor 35 and the electron beam focusing condition may be obtained . subsequently , automatic adjustment to an optimal focusing condition in accordance with the wafer height detected can be performed without executing focusing each time a voltage contrast image is obtained . in step 206 , the wafer 9 that has been set is moved by the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 in order that a first coordinate for alignment is observed by the optical microscopy unit 4 . an optical microscopy image of an alignment pattern formed on the wafer 9 is observed on the monitor 50 , it is compared with the corresponding pattern image stored in advance , and a position correction value for the first coordinate is calculated . after a move to a second coordinate on which a circuit pattern similar to the pattern on the first coordinate exists , apart from the first coordinate by a given distance , an optical microscopy image of the circuit pattern is observed in a similar manner and compared with the corresponding circuit pattern image stored for alignment and a position correction value for the second coordinate and rotational displacement of the second coordinate from the first coordinate are calculated . after preparatory work including predetermined corrections with the optical microscopy unit 4 , inspection area setting , etc . is completed as above , the wafer 9 is moved to under the electron optics 3 by the movements of the x - and y - direction stages 31 and 32 . when the wafer 9 is positioned under the electron optics 3 , the same alignment work as performed with the optical microscopy unit 4 is performed for a voltage contrast image . obtaining an voltage contrast image is performed in the following way . based on the corrected coordinate values in the alignment operation with the optical microscopy unit , which have been stored , the electron beam 19 is applied to the same circuit pattern as observed by the optical microscopy unit 4 and scanned in two dimensions in the x and y directions by the scanning deflectors 15 . with this two - dimensional scanning of the electron beam , secondary electrons and back scattering electrons 51 emitted from a wafer portion to be observed are detected by the structures and actions of the above components for emission electron detection and a voltage contrast image is obtained . because , with the optical microscopy unit 4 , inspection position check and alignment and position adjustment have been performed and rotational correction also performed beforehand , alignment , position correction , and rotational correction can be performed at higher resolution , larger magnification , and higher accuracy than with optical images . when the electron beam 19 is applied to the wafer 9 , the irradiation portion of the wafer is charged . to avoid the effect of this charging when the wafer is inspected , in the preparatory work before inspection including position and rotational correction , inspection area setting , etc ., a circuit pattern to be irradiated with the electron beam 19 which exists out of the area to be inspected should be selected beforehand or arrangement is made such that the corresponding circuit pattern on a chip other than the chip to be inspected can be selected from the control unit 6 automatically . the result of the alignment thus performed is transferred to each control unit . when the wafer is inspected , rotation and the position coordinates are corrected by each control unit . in step 207 , the wafer is moved to the specified area . then , an optimal condition for inspection is determined , according to a flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( steps 208 to 220 ), as is illustrated in fig2 b . by way of example , one condition for inspection , voltage of the charging voltage control electrodes 65 is discussed below ; the same principle applies to other conditions such as electron beam energy and retarding voltage . first , in step 208 , a minimum voltage of vcc , v 1 , a maximum voltage v 2 , and an increment / decrement unit δv in which the voltage is changed are input . in step 210 , vcc = v 1 is input as an initial condition . in step 211 , an image is obtained . when the image is obtained , auto brightness and contrast control of signal values is not performed . in step 213 , a histogram of the image is calculated and the histogram is fit to the gaussian functions , according to equation 1 . in step 214 , it is determined whether separate peaks appear , based on equation 2 . if it is impossible to obtain separate peaks , the vcc value is changed in step 215 . by the decision made in step 216 , if the changed value of vcc falls within the range specified in step 208 , an image is obtained again in step 211 and the above steps 211 to 216 are repeated . if the changed value of vcc falls outside the range specified in step 208 by the decision made in step 216 , a range must be input again in step 208 . in this way , a condition for inspection is determined in step 220 . the result of actual execution of these steps is discussed below . first , in step 208 , v 1 was set at − 8530 v , v 2 at − 8420 v , and δv at 10 v . images 801 to 803 obtained and a histogram 804 are shown in fig8 . these histograms are fit to equation 1 and the averages μ 1 and μ 2 and standard deviations σ 1 and σ 2 , of the gaussian functions are obtained . variance of \| μ 1 − μ 2 \|/( σ 1 + σ 2 ) depending on vcc which is altered , which is shown in fig9 , was obtained . from this result , it was able to find vcc =− 8460 v satisfying the condition for ideal separate peaks , ε 1 = 1 and ε 2 = 3 in equation 2 ( a shaded zone in fig9 ). next , in step 221 , beam calibration is performed again in the same way as in step 205 . after the beam calibration is completed , calibration is performed in step 222 . move to a second calibration pattern mounted on the sample holder occurs . the second calibration pattern is to match signal intensity levels with signal values in a voltage contrast image which is obtained during inspection . this pattern has contact holes with a sufficiently low resistance ( 10 3 ω or below ) and contact holes with a sufficiently high resistance ( 10 20 ω or above ) patterned . using the voltage contrast image of this pattern , the signal values of sufficiently low resistance areas and sufficiently high resistance areas are calibrated . for the sufficiently high resistance areas , insulation areas without patterns may be used . in light of the result of this calibration , after a move to the wafer 9 , a voltage contrast image of the pattern areas on the wafer is obtained and calibration is performed . in step 223 , inspection gets started . an image for defect detection is obtained in step 224 and saved in step 225 . after inspection is completed , the wafer is unloaded in step 226 and the procedure terminates in step 227 . according to the above - described inspection method , problems with conventional sem inspection such as a repeatability problem and a decrease in sensitivity of detecting a defect can be solved and well - repeatable and high sensitivity inspection can be performed . while the embodiment wherein the voltage of the charging voltage control electrodes 65 is automatically set has been described , settings for other conditions such as electron beam current , electron beam energy , and retarding voltage can be performed in a similar manner . while gaussian functions are used as the functions to which histograms should be fit in this embodiment , a function with an isolated peak such as a lorentz function may be used besides these functions . when a condition for inspection is optimized , each time the condition is changed , image acquisition is performed , but the effect of charging and contamination under the previous condition may be unignorable . in this case , to eliminate such effect , ultraviolet light irradiation may be performed . alternatively , a wafer area from where an image is obtained may be shifted from one area to another whenever the condition for inspection is changed . if an image has shading , it is preferable to carry out the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 after shading correction is performed . in a second embodiment , an instance where electron beam energy e 0 is optimized by using the same method as for the first embodiment is discussed . through consideration of wafer damage , a maximum value of e 0 is set at 1 . 5 kev . in the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( fig2 b ), e 0 replaces vcc and 0 kev , 1 . 5 kev , and 0 . 25 kev replace v 1 , v 2 , and δv , respectively . as a result , variance of \| μ 1 − μ 2 \|/( σ 1 + σ 2 ) depending on e 0 which is altered was obtained , as is shown in fig1 . from this result , it was able to find e 0 = 1 . 0 kev satisfying the condition for ideal separate peaks , ε 1 = 1 and ε 2 = 3 in equation 2 . in a third embodiment , an instance where electron beam current ip is optimized by using the same method as for the first embodiment is discussed . in the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( fig2 b ), ip replaces vcc and 0 na , 300 na , and 50 na replace v 1 , v 2 , and δv , respectively . as a result , variance of \| μ 1 − μ 2 \|/( σ 1 + σ 2 ) depending on ip which is altered was obtained , as is shown in fig1 . from this result , it was able to find ip = 100 , 150 , and 200 na satisfying the condition for ideal separate peaks , ε 1 = 1 and ε 2 = 3 in equation 2 . for a wafer with a sparse pattern density denoted by reference numeral 1101 in fig1 , a good contrast appears to be obtained , but it was realized that , in a histogram drawn , a peak produced by a pattern area is merged into signals produced from silicon oxide areas , as shown in fig1 . therefore , it was impossible to determine an optimal condition by the method described in the first embodiment section . as is shown in a view at upper right in fig1 , extracting a pattern area 1102 and setting a region 1103 with the same area as the area - set pattern in the middle of a line from the pattern area 1102 to the nearest pattern are performed . extracting the area 1102 corresponds to a range 1105 within the half width of a peak in a signal profile 1104 shown at lower right in fig1 . after extracting an image ( signal extraction ) in this way , a histogram is drawn again ; as a result , the histogram which is shown in fig1 was obtained , wherein two separate peaks could be observed . before signal extraction , shading may be removed from the image . a flow of inspection condition optimization 300 in which the foregoing is carried out is shown in fig3 . in step 208 , a minimum voltage of vcc , v 1 , a maximum voltage v 2 , and an increment / decrement unit δv in which the voltage is changed are input . in step 209 , a numeric value n is set to 0 ; this value is used to determine whether to proceed to eliminating the shading effect and signal extraction at a later step . in step 210 , v 1 is input as an initial condition of vcc . in step 211 , an image is obtained . when the image is obtained , auto brightness and contrast control of signal values is not performed . in step 212 , a decision is made subject to the n value . if n = 0 , an image histogram is calculated and gaussian fitting according to equation 1 is performed in step 21 . in step 214 , it is determined whether separate peaks appear , based on equation 2 . if it is impossible to obtain separate peaks , the vcc value is changed in step 215 . by the decision made in step 216 , if the changed value of vcc falls within the range specified in step 208 , an image is obtained again in step 211 and the above steps 211 to 216 are repeated . if the changed value of vcc falls outside the range specified in step 208 by the decision made in step 216 , 1 is added to n in step 217 . after it is determined whether n = 1 in step 218 , the procedure proceeds to steps 210 , 211 , and 212 . because n = 0 is not true in step 212 , the procedure proceeds to step 219 . in step 219 , eliminating the shading effect and signal extraction are performed . using the result of signal extraction , step 213 is executed and it is determined whether separate peaks appear in step 214 . if separate peaks are not present , the procedure proceeds to step 215 . if separate peaks are present , a condition for inspection is determined in step 220 . in this way , in the inspection procedure of fig2 a and 2b , this flow of inspection condition optimization 300 is applied instead of the flow of the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ; thereby , a condition for inspection could be optimized . in a fifth embodiment , an instance of defect classification using review sem is discussed . fig1 shows an example of a review sem system configuration . this system comprises electron optics 321 , a stage mechanism unit 322 , a wafer handling unit 323 , a vacuum unit 324 , an optical microscopy 325 , a control unit 326 , and an operation unit 327 . the electron optics 321 comprise a cathode 328 , condenser lenses 329 , objective lenses 330 , first detectors 331 , a second detector 332 , deflectors 335 , converter electrodes 336 , and wafer height detectors 337 . reflected electrons 353 and secondary electrons 354 emitted when an electron beam 352 is applied to a wafer 351 are detected by the first detectors 331 and the second detector 332 , respectively . the stage mechanism unit 322 comprises an xy stage 338 , a holder 339 on which a wafer is mounted as a sample , and a retarding power supply 340 for applying a negative voltage to the holder 339 and the wafer 351 . a position detector by laser length measurement is attached to the xy stage 338 . the wafer handling unit 323 comprises a wafer cassette setting position 341 and a wafer loading / unloading unit 342 . the holder 339 on which the wafer 351 is mounted is moved from the wafer loading / unloading unit 342 to the xy stage 338 and vice versa . the control unit 326 comprises a signal detection control unit 343 , a beam deflection correction control unit 344 , an electron optics control unit 345 , a detector unit of wafer height sensor 346 , and a stage and other mechanics control unit 347 . the operation unit 327 comprises a operation monitor and operation unit 348 , an image processing unit 349 , and an image and inspection data storing unit 350 . a charging voltage control unit comprises charging voltage control electrodes 364 installed facing toward the stage , a charging voltage control electrode control unit 365 , and a charging voltage control electrode power supply 366 . next , the operation of the components shown in fig1 will be described with a flowchart shown in fig1 . first , in step 1501 , set a wafer 351 in an arbitrary shelf in a wafer cassette and set the wafer cassette in the wafer cassette setting position 341 in the wafer handing unit 323 . next , in step 1502 , to specify the wafer 351 to be reviewed , specify the in - cassette number of the shelf in which the wafer has been set via the operation monitor 348 . in review , inspection of another inspection system was performed for the wafer and , based on inspection result information including information about the location a defect or the like , an electron beam image is generated for close observation . thus , select an inspection result file via the operation monitor and operation unit 348 . for this selection , an inspection result file obtained through communication over a network or the like may be read into the system or an inspection result file can be read from a recording medium into the system . in either case , by specifying the identifier of an inspection result file , the inspection result data is read into a data input unit 356 and may be converted into a data format and a coordinate system for use in the review sem system by a data converter 357 . furthermore , enter a review condition file identifier via the operation monitor and operation unit 348 . this review condition file consists of combinations of parameters for determining details of review . after entering conditions required for review execution is completed , an automatic review sequence gets started in step 1503 . when the review gets started in step 1503 , first , the wafer 351 that has been set is carried into the review system . the wafer handling unit 323 can accommodate wafers with different diameters under inspection and different wafer shapes such as an orientation flat wafer or a notched wafer by using a holder 339 for supporting the wafer 351 appropriate for wafer size and shape . the wafer under inspection is removed from the wafer cassette and mounted on the holder 339 by the wafer loading / unloading unit 342 including an arm , an auxiliary vacuum chamber , etc . the wafer supported by the holder is carried into the chamber for inspection . after the wafer 35 is loaded in step 1504 , electron beam irradiation conditions are set on the components by the electron optics control unit 345 , based on the entered conditions for review , in step 1505 . an electron beam image of a specific area on the wafer 351 is obtained and focusing and astigmatism adjustments are performed , according to the image . at the same time , the wafer 351 height is obtained by the wafer height detector 337 and a correlation between the height information and the electron beam focusing condition is obtained . subsequently , automatic adjustment to an optimal focusing condition in accordance with the wafer height detected will be performed without executing focusing each time an electron beam image is obtained . thereby , electron beam images can be obtained continuously at a high speed . after electron beam irradiation condition setting and focusing and astigmatism adjustments are completed , alignment for two points on the wafer is performed in step 1506 . then , after a move to a pattern on the wafer in step 1507 , the procedure following the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( fig2 b ) or 300 ( fig3 ) is performed as is the case for the first and fourth embodiments . then , beam calibration 1508 is performed again . in step 1509 , rotational and coordinate corrections are performed , based on the result of alignment , and a move to the location of a defect to be reviewed occurs , based on information from the inspection result file that has been read beforehand . after the move to the defect location , beam irradiation is performed in step 1510 and an image is obtained in step 1511 . in step 1512 , the large magnification image obtained is stored if necessary into the image and data storing unit 350 . it is possible to set a review condition file to be stored or not to be stored in advance and to store a plurality of types of images obtained by a plurality of detectors simultaneously , if necessary , according to the setting . for example , an image generated by secondary electrons detected by the second detector 332 and an image generated by reflected electrons detected by the first detectors 331 can be stored together . simultaneously with storing an image or images in step 1512 , the image processing unit 349 extracts defect features from the image information and automatically classifies the defect . the classification result is coded in numbers , for example , 0 to 255 and the code number is written into a field for defect classification code in the inspection result file . the above defect reviewing operation is repeated at step 1516 . upon completion of the above series of actions for all defects specified to be reviewed on one wafer , the inspection result file ( into which classification results have been written ) for the wafer is automatically saved and the file is output to a destination specified . then , the wafer is unloaded in step 1514 and review terminates in step 1515 . by using this method , defects detected by inspection sem can be reviewed completely and classified . while gaussian functions are used as the functions to which histograms should be fit in the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 or 300 in this embodiment , a function with an isolated peak such as a lorentz function may be used besides these functions . if an image has shading , it is preferable to carry out the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 or 300 after shading correction is performed . alternatively , it may also preferable to specify an area where no shading occurs and carry out the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 or 300 . when a condition for inspection is optimized , each time the condition is changed , image acquisition is performed , but the effect of charging and contamination under the previous condition may be unignorable . in this case , to eliminate such effect , ultraviolet light irradiation may be performed . alternatively , a wafer area from where an image is obtained may be shifted from one area to another whenever the condition for inspection is changed . in the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( fig2 b ) or 300 ( fig3 ) of the first to fifth embodiments , an instance where , when the condition for inspection is changed , faster condition setting can be performed by changing the increment / decrement unit in which the condition is changed multiple times is discussed . in the sixth embodiment , among the conditions for inspection , the vcc value of the charging voltage control electrode power supply 67 ( inspection sem ) or 366 ( review sem ) is optimized . initially , with the increment / decrement unit δv of 40 v for the vcc , the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 or 300 was performed . image histograms are fit to equation 1 and variance of \| μ 1 − μ 2 \|/( σ 1 + σ 2 ) depending on vcc which is altered , which is shown in fig1 , was obtained . because the increment / decrement unit δv is large , it was unable to determine vcc satisfying the condition for ideal separate peaks , ε 1 = 1 and ε 2 = 3 in equation 2 . however , it was able to find vcc values 2002 and 2001 near to the range of the above condition . then , between these vcc voltages , the unit δv was set to a smaller value of 10 v and the flow of inspection condition optimization was performed again . as a result , it was able to find vcc values 2101 and 2102 satisfying equation 2 . if two ore more vcc values satisfying the condition are found , a average of th vcc values is regarded as an optimal condition . this method allows for faster inspection condition optimization than when a smaller value is initially used as the unit δv . if a plurality of types of patterns are present on a wafer , it may occur that an optimal condition for inspection is not fixed to one . in the seventh embodiment , a method of determining a condition for setting in that case is discussed . a wafer 1901 shown in fig2 has regions 1903 and 1904 and patterns 1905 and 1906 are formed respectively in these regions . in the procedure following the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 or 300 , the vcc voltage of the charging voltage control electrode power supply 67 was optimized as a condition for inspection . as a result , it was found that the condition differs , depending on the patterns . for the pattern 1905 , vcc =− 8460 v is an optimal condition , whereas , for the pattern 1906 , vcc =− 8440 v is an optimal condition . in this case , ( 1 ) a method of using an average of these vcc values or ( 2 ) a method of executing inspection for each pattern with a different vcc optimal for the pattern can be selected as required . a merit of the method ( 1 ) is shorter inspection time , because scanning the entire wafer surface under the same vcc condition , though the condition somewhat differs from the optimal value . a merit of the method ( 2 ) is that inspection can be performed at higher sensitivity , because an optimal condition for inspection is applied for each pattern , though the inspection procedure must be repeated twice and takes longer . from data acquired by inspection condition optimization carried out as in the first to seventh embodiments , conditions for inspection can be stored on a database , which allows for faster inspection condition setting . an example of such database is shown in fig2 and 22 . fig2 shows a cross sectional view of pattern , where reference numeral 1601 denotes a silicon substrate , 1602 pn junction , 1603 a plug embedded in a contact hole , 1604 contact hole , and 1605 silicon oxide . as the result of classification by typical items that characterize a pattern : with or without the plug 1603 pattern , aspect ratio ( of the contact hole 1604 ), and with or without pn junction 1602 , the conditions for inspection can be arranged as in fig2 . the conditions for inspection are possible in three ways ( 1 ) to ( 3 ) below : ( 1 ) vac =− 10 kv , vr =− 9 . 5 kv , vcc =− 5 kv ( 2 ) vac =− 10 kv , vr =− 8 . 5 kv , vcc =− 8 . 7 kv ( 3 ) vac =− 10 kv , vr =− 8 . 5 kv , vcc =− 8 . 8 kv where vac is voltage of the cathode 10 , vr is voltage of the retarding power supply 36 , and vcc is voltage of the charging voltage control electrodes 65 . next , using this database , wafer inspection was performed . fig2 shows a cross section structure of the wafer inspected . by fitting to the database in fig2 , because the pattern is not plugged and has a low aspect ratio and pn junction , the condition for inspection ( 1 ) was selected . under this condition , inspection was performed and it was able to detect disconnected failure at high sensitivity . because a condition for inspection is selected using the database , faster inspection condition optimization can be performed than when the flow of inspection condition optimization 200 ( fig2 b ) or 300 ( fig3 ) is applied . while the foregoing embodiments relate to inspection sem , condition setting can be performed in the same method for other sems ( e . g ., review sem , cd - sem ). while the inspection system examples using an electron beam have been described in detail , the basic concept of the present invention can be applied to an inspection system using an ion beam or the like , not limited to the electron beam . as fully described above , according to the present invention , in inspecting partially finished circuit boards such as semiconductor devices with circuit patterns , problems with conventional sem inspection including lack of repeatability of defect detection results and impossibility of setting conditions for high sensitivity inspection due to relying on the operator &# 39 ; s experience can be solved . by automatically setting conditions for inspection , time to set the conditions can be shortened . moreover , the inspection system is capable of setting well - repeatable optimal conditions with high accuracy and has improved sensitivity of detecting defects ; consequently , semiconductor products can be monitored with high sensitivity .	7
fig1 shows a schematic view of a climate control system 1 . climate control system 1 has in its interior , by way of example , an evaporator 2 and a heater 3 , which are disposed in an air flow section 8 . furthermore , a valve 4 , which can close an air outlet opening 5 , is disposed in the interior of climate control system 1 . to this end , valve 4 is mounted rotatable at housing 9 of the climate control system . housing 9 furthermore has an air inlet opening 10 and two air outlet openings 6 , 7 . a partition wall 11 , which guides the air flow in the top part of housing 9 , is disposed in the air flow direction downstream of heater 3 . the illustrated components in climate control system 1 are only exemplary . more or fewer heat exchangers , valves , air inlet openings , or air outlet openings can also be provided in alternative embodiments . likewise , the number and arrangement of the partition walls in the interior of climate control system 1 can vary . as a result , further air flow sections and flow paths can be formed in the interior of the housing . housing 9 has first regions 12 , 13 , 14 , and 15 , which have a much greater wall thickness than the other regions 16 to 20 . evaporator 2 is accommodated between first regions 12 and 13 . furthermore , first region 12 has a mounting point 21 , which is used for connecting housing 9 to structures ( not shown here ) in the vehicle . first region 14 is arranged adjacent to air outlet opening 5 and in the interior has connecting point 22 for valve 4 . valve 4 is mounted rotatable around said connecting point 22 . a further first region 15 is used for accommodating heater 3 . first regions 12 to 15 are included in the bearing structures of housing 9 , forming connecting points for components 2 , 3 , 4 , disposed in housing 9 , and / or functioning as outer connecting points 21 for structures surrounding housing 9 . during operation , the mechanical stresses at these regions are greater than , for example , in second regions 16 to 20 , which further form housing 9 . first regions 12 to 15 in fig1 have a convex curvature outward . this design is exemplary . in alternative embodiments , concave courses can also be provided or wall regions running parallel to one another . the second regions 16 to 20 are primarily formed with thin walls and take over mainly the air - guiding tasks in climate control system 1 shown in fig1 . in other words , they form air flow section 8 primarily in the interior of housing 9 . the second regions 16 to 20 therefore advantageously have an especially thin - walled design in order to keep the weight of housing 9 as minimal as possible . housing 9 is preferably made of multiple parts so that easy assembly is possible . housing 9 is advantageously made of plastic , fabric , a film , or metal . coated walls can be used which , for example , provide fabric - surrounded honeycomb structures . alternatively , foams can also be used to produce a stable and the lightest housing 9 possible . the elements forming housing 9 can be formed similar to the “ tailored blanks ” method , already known from metalworking . this means that the wall thickness of housing 9 at each location is tailored to the mechanical stresses actually arising during later operation . this allows for a smooth transition between first regions 12 to 15 with a thicker wall thickness and second regions 16 to 20 with a smaller wall thickness . partition wall 11 that has only an air - guiding function , can be formed from a supporting framework , for example , which is surrounded by a fabric and / or film . an especially light yet stable partition wall 11 can be produced in this way . the supporting framework can include advantageously one or more profile elements are joined together to form a frame or another supporting structure . in an alternative embodiment , the first regions can also be produced with an increased material thickness in which a suitable reinforcing component is applied to a thin - walled housing . to this end , for example , fabric structures or films can be glued onto the housing . alternatively , the housing can be surrounded by a fabric and / or film at appropriate locations . the description for fig3 contains further embodiments in this regard . fig2 shows by way of example a rectangular supporting framework 30 , made of a plurality of profile elements 31 . in this case , profile elements 31 are advantageously glued , screwed , or soldered together or , for example , connected to one another by plug connections . any supporting framework geometries can be produced by suitable dimensioning of profile elements 31 and a suitable positioning to one another . supporting framework 30 in fig2 is covered , at least on the surface facing the viewer , with a material 32 . material 32 here can be , for example , a film and / or fabric , as has already been described further above . an at least partially or completely closed supporting framework 30 can be produced in this way , which forms , for example , an air flow section in the interior . in an alternative embodiment , the supporting framework can also be covered or surrounded partially as in fig2 and covered partially with a wall made of a plastic or a metallic material . the structure closing the housing outwardly , as well as sections of the housing , disposed in the interior of the housing , such as , for example , air channels , can be formed over a supporting framework 30 . fig3 shows a partial view of a housing 40 , whereby two second regions 45 , 46 and two first regions 41 , 43 are shown . the left first region 41 is formed by a reinforcing component 42 , which was applied to thin - walled housing 40 . reinforcing component 42 is preferably glued to housing 40 or housing 40 is back - injected with reinforcing component 42 . alternatively , such a first region with a greater wall thickness can also be achieved by the selective influencing of an injection molding tool . the right first region 43 is formed by reinforcing component 44 , which is disposed on both sides of housing 40 . housing 40 is thus surrounded both on the upward facing surface and on the downward facing surface by reinforcing component 44 . reinforcing component 42 and 44 , as already described , could be formed by films , fabric structures , or also by a thermoplastic . housing 40 can be made of a plastic or , for example , be a part produced in aluminum die casting or magnesium die casting . fig4 shows a partial view of a housing 50 , which is produced in a sandwich - like construction . in this case , both outer layers 51 , 52 are each formed by a fabric layer . middle layer 53 in fig4 is either formed by a honeycomb structure 54 , as shown on the right , or by a foam layer 55 , as shown on the left . fig4 is an exemplary illustration . advantageously , either a honeycomb - like structure 54 or a foam layer 55 is provided . in an alternative embodiment , however , a mixed structure of honeycomb 54 and foam 55 can also be provided . in further alternative embodiments , a layer 51 or 52 can also be applied only on one side to honeycomb - like structure 54 , foam layer 55 , or the mixed structure . layer 51 , 52 can be disposed both on the outwardly facing surface of the housing and on the inwardly facing surface of the housing . the features of the exemplary embodiments of fig1 to 4 can be combined with one another . the shown fig1 to 4 do not suggest any limiting effect . the figures are used to clarify the inventive concept and are not limiting particularly with respect to their geometry , material selection , and dimensioning . the invention being thus described , it will be 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 invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims .	1
fig1 shows a secure communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention , in which two analog - digital mixed chaotic systems 1 and 2 are separated from each other . the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 includes a digital chaotic system 11 , a continuous chaotic system 12 , a timing / counting module 13 , a controlling module 14 , a synchronization coupling module 15 , a disturbance coupling module 16 , an analog to digital ( a / d ) converting module 17 , encoding modules 18 and 19 , a multiplexing switch 110 , data buffering modules 111 and 112 , and a encrypting / decrypting module 113 , and the like . the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 2 includes a digital chaotic system 21 , a continuous chaotic system 22 , a timing / counting module 23 , a controlling module 24 , a synchronization coupling module 25 , a disturbance coupling module 26 , an a / d converting module 27 , encoding modules 28 and 29 , a multiplexing switch 210 , data buffering modules 211 and 212 , and a encrypting / decrypting module 213 , and the like . here , the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 may be represented by a difference equation of a continuous chaotic system with finite precision , or a discrete chaotic system with other finite precision . the dynamics characteristics of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 may be expressed as the following equation ( 1 ): x j ( i + 1 )= g ( x j ( i )) i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ; j = 1 , 2 ( 1 ) where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 respectively , x j ( i ) denotes a m - dimensional state variable of the digital chaotic system , in which x 1 ( 0 ) and x 2 ( 0 ) represent the initial conditions of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively , and x 1 ( 0 )= x 2 ( 0 ). the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 generate an output every time after δ 5 ′ times of iterations are completed . it is assumed that t 1 and t 2 are the respective time required for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to execute one iteration . for simplicity , given that t 1 & lt ; t 2 without losing universality , the transmitting and receiving parties may take t 2 as the time required for each of digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to execute one iteration . since the initial conditions and system parameters of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are identical to each other , the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 can be completely synchronized . here , in order to ensure that the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 can be synchronized even in the case that a data transmission delay occurs and the respective time required for one iteration of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 is inconsistent , the operating states of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 may be classified into a running state ( i . e . iterative computing state ) and a holding state . the dynamics characteristics of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 may be expressed by the following equation ( 2 ): where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 respectively , { tilde over ( x )} j ( t ) is a n - dimensional state variable of the continuous chaotic system , in which { tilde over ( x )} 1 ( 0 ) and x 2 ( 0 ) are initial conditions of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , respectively , φ : r n → r n is a function for describing the nonlinear component of the continuous chaotic system . also , in order to ensure that the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 may be synchronized even in the case that a data transmission delay occurs and the respective time required for one iteration of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 is inconsistent , the operating states of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 may be classified into a running state and a holding state as well . the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 of fig1 have the following functions : firstly , the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 may record the times of iterations of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively . by reference to fig2 and 3 , three counters are provided in each of the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 , i . e . c 11 , c 12 , c 13 and c 21 , c 22 and c 23 . the counters c 11 and c 21 provide the respective local controlling modules 14 and 24 with control signals for controlling the output of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively . the counters c 12 and c 22 provide the respective local controlling modules 14 and 24 with control signals for controlling the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to output state values to the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 , respectively . the counters c 13 and c 23 provide the respective local controlling modules 14 and 24 with control signals for controlling the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to disturb the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively . secondly , the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 may record the durations for which the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 stay in the continuous running state ( i . e . running time of the continuous chaotic system ) respectively . by reference to fig2 and 3 , two timers are provided in each of the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 , i . e ., timers t 11 , t 12 and t 21 , t 22 . the timers t 11 and t 21 provide the respective local controlling modules 14 and 24 with control signals for controlling the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 to output synchronized impulses , respectively . the timers t 12 and t 22 provide the respective local controlling modules 14 and 24 with control signals for controlling the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to sample the continuous chaotic systems . it should be clarified that : the timers may record the running time of the continuous chaotic system , that is , the timers in the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 suspend when the continuous chaotic systems stay in a holding state . therefore , with regard to the running time , the duration for which the above - mentioned synchronizing impulse is applied to the continuous chaotic system is δ 1 , and the period of the sampling control signal is δ 2 . the controlling modules 14 and 24 of fig1 have the following functions : firstly , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to initiate each key generation process , and control respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to complete each key generation process , according to the states of the respective local data buffering modules 111 , 112 or 211 , 212 and the signals from the counters c 11 and c 21 in the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 . secondly , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control the output of the respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to the respective local synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 , according to the signals from the counters c 12 and c 22 in the respective local timing / counting modules 13 and 23 . thirdly , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control the time at which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signals , according to the signals from the timers t 11 and t 21 in the respective local timing / counting modules 13 and 23 , so that the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 may realize stable chaotic synchronization , without transmitting the synchronizing impulse signals . fourthly , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control the time at which the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 sample the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , according to the signals from the timers t 11 and t 21 in the respective local timing / counting modules 13 and 23 . fifthly , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control the time at which the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 output the disturbing signals , according to the signals from the counters c 13 and c 23 in the respective local timing / counting modules 13 and 23 , so that the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 can overcome the problem of characteristic degradation . it can be seen from the above , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control the operating states of respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 and the operating states of respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , according to the signals from all the counters and timers in the respective local timing / counting modules 13 and 23 . further , the controlling modules 14 and 24 may control data rate of the dataflow inputted into the data buffers , according to the states of respective local data buffers . under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 of fig1 , the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 generate synchronizing impulse signals , according to the state values inputted by the respective local digital chaotic systems and current state values of the respective local continuous chaotic systems , and control the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 synchronously according to the synchronizing impulse signal , so that a stable chaotic synchronization may be achieved between the separated continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 without transmitting the synchronizing impulse signals . the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 may be adapted to realize the synchronization between the separated continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 according to the following mathematical model ( 3 ): δ { tilde over ( x )} j \| t = t k =− b ·( w ( c ( x j ( n k )))− { tilde over ( x )} j ( t k )), k = 1 , 2 , . . . , ( 3 ) where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 respectively ; t k denotes the time at which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signal , and t k = k · δ 1 ; { tilde over ( x )} j ( t k ) denotes state values of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 at the time t = t k ; n k denotes the times of iterations when the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 output state values to the respective local synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 ; x j ( n k ) denotes state values of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 at i = n k ; c (•) is a function for converting binary state values of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 into decimal state values ( i . e . to realize digital to analog conversion ), and w (•) is function for mapping an independent variable from an m - dimension space to a n - dimension space . at the transmitting and receiving parties , it is required to construct , according to a criterion for keeping stable synchronization between the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , a matrix b for adjusting the error magnitude between w ( c ( x j ( n k ))) and { tilde over ( x )} j ( t k ). further , it is required to determine the time t k at which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signal , and to synchronously control the respective local continuous chaotic systems . in this way , a stable chaotic synchronization can be achieved between the separated continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , without transmitting the synchronizing impulse signals therebetween . under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 of fig1 , the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 respectively sample the states of the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , and output the sampled states to the respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 after a conversion of a disturbance coupling function , so as to prevent characteristic degradation of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively . the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 may prevent characteristic degradation of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 12 according to the following mathematical model ( 4 ): where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 respectively ; { tilde over ( x )} j ( τ k ) ( j = 1 , 2 ) indicates state value of each the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 at the time of t = τ k ( i . e . the sample value obtained by sampling the individual local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 at the time of t = τ k by each of the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 , where τ k = k · δ 2 ); d (•) is a function for converting a decimal sample value into a binary sample value with finite precision , δ 3 ′ indicates a predetermined number of times of iterations , and h (•) is a disturbance coupling function , which disturbs the digital chaotic systems every time that δ 3 ′ times of iterations are completed in the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . at the transmitting and receiving parties , it is required to construct the disturbance coupling function h (•) according to the characteristics of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 and the characteristic degradation property of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . further , it is required to determine the time t k ( i . e . sampling clock period δ 2 ) at which the continuous chaotic systems is to be sampled , and the times of iterations δ 3 ′ for disturbing the respective local digital chaotic systems , so that the statistical characteristic of the disturbance coupling function h (•) may approach to a probability distribution that truncation error of a digital chaotic system follows , with probability 1 in a certain precision . therefore , the characteristic degradation caused by the finite precision effect may be overcome in the digital chaotic systems affected by the disturbed signal . the a / d converting modules 17 and 27 of fig1 convert the continuous chaotic signals generated by the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 into digital chaotic sequences . the encoding modules 18 , 19 and 28 , 29 of fig1 encode the respective local digital chaotic sequences . the multiplexing switches 110 and 210 of fig1 select one of the following sequences : the digital chaotic sequences generated by from the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , the continuous ( analog ) chaotic signals generated by the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , and the digital chaotic sequences obtained by a / d converting the output of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , as the output of the analog - digital mixed chaotic system . the digital chaotic sequence generated by the system may be adapted to encode the data as either a pseudorandom number sequence or a key stream . the continuous ( analog ) chaotic signals generated by the system can be adapted to design a chaotic synchronization based secure communication system . the data buffering modules 111 , 112 and 211 , 212 of fig1 are adapted to buffer the respective local plaintext and cipher text , respectively . the encrypting / decrypting modules 113 and 213 of fig1 are adapted to encrypt / decrypt the data inputted into the respective local data buffers . the encrypting / decrypting modules may encrypt / decrypt digital signals by using the encoded digital chaotic sequences , or may realize chaotic synchronization based secure communication by using the continuous ( analog ) chaotic signals generated by the continuous chaotic systems . in the analog - digital mixed chaotic systems 1 and 2 , the controlling modules 14 and 24 control the respective local digital chaotic systems , the continuous chaotic systems , the synchronization coupling modules , the disturbance coupling module and the data buffers , according to the various clock signals and control signals provided by the timing / counting modules 13 and 23 . next , the main timing for running the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 will be illustrated by taking an example in which the system 1 encrypts a data signal . in fig4 , 5 and 6 , signals i 1 , 1 , d 1 , 1 , d 1 , 2 , c 1 , 0 , c 1 , 1 , c 1 , 2 , c 1 , 3 , c 1 , 4 , c 1 , 5 , c 1 , 6 , c 1 , 7 , c 1 , 8 , c 1 , 9 respectively indicate the following meanings : ( 1 ) i 1 , 1 indicates the input data stream , where each impulse indicates that one bit of data is inputted into the data buffering module 112 of the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 . ( 2 ) d 1 , 1 and d 1 , 2 indicate whether data in the two buffers b 11 and b 12 of the data buffering module 112 is ready , respectively . if data in a buffer is ready , a state flag of the buffer is set to “ 1 ”, otherwise , the state flag of the buffer is set to “ 0 ”. if a state flag of a buffer is “ 1 ”, new data is prohibited to be inputted into this buffer , and if the state flag is “ 0 ”, new data is allowed to be inputted into this buffer . moreover , when data within the above buffer is encrypted / decrypted , the corresponding state flag will be set to “ 0 ”. ( 3 ) c 1 , 0 indicates the data of which buffers will be processed by the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 . data in the buffer b 11 will be processed by the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 if c 1 , 0 is “ 1 ”, and data in the buffer b 12 will be processed if c 1 , 0 is ( 4 ) c 1 , 1 indicates that the digital chaotic system 11 starts a process of generating one element of a chaotic sequence . ( 5 ) c 1 , 2 indicates that the digital chaotic system 11 ends a process of generating one element of the chaotic sequence . if data in the buffer is not ready , the digital chaotic system 11 suspends the process of generating the next element of the chaotic sequence , and if data in the buffer is ready , the digital chaotic system 11 starts the process of generating the next element of the chaotic sequence automatically . ( 6 ) c 1 , 3 indicates that all of the data in the buffer has been processed . ( 7 ) each impulse of c 1 , 4 corresponds to the completion of one iteration in the digital chaotic system 11 . ( 8 ) c 1 , 5 indicates that the digital chaotic system 11 outputs a state value to the synchronization coupling module 15 every time after δ 4 ′ times of iterations are completed . ( 9 ) c 1 , 6 indicates the output of the synchronization coupling module 15 . with respect to the definition of running time , the duration for which the synchronization coupling module 15 output the synchronizing impulse is δ 1 . ( 10 ) c 1 , 7 indicates the output of the continuous chaotic system 12 . ( 11 ) c 1 , 8 indicates the control to the digital chaotic system 11 . the digital chaotic system 11 executes δ ′ 3 times of iterations within two adjacent impulses . ( 12 ) c 1 , 9 indicates that the disturbance coupling module 16 samples the continuous chaotic system 12 . the period for the disturbance coupling module 16 to sample the continuous chaotic system 12 is δ 2 , with respect to the definition of running time . the running timing of the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 is shown as follows : in fig4 , when signal c 1 , 0 is “ 1 ”, the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 processes the data in buffer b 11 . the input data i 1 , 1 continually arrive at the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 . when the data in the buffer b 11 are ready , the state signal d 1 changes from “ 0 ” to “ 1 ”. at the rising edge of the state signal d 1 , the starting signal c 1 , 1 of the digital chaotic system 11 is generated , and thereby the digital chaotic system 11 starts to execute iteration with the signal c 1 , 0 changing from “ 1 ” to “ 0 ”. under the trigger of the rising edge of the state signal d 1 , the timers t 11 , t 12 and the counters c 11 , c 12 , c 13 in the timing / counting module 13 begin timing and counting . when the timer c 11 records that the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 5 ′ times of iterations , the counter c 11 generates a completion signal ( shown as c 1 , 2 in fig4 ), and the counter c 11 is reset . under the trigger of the rising edge of the signal c 1 , 2 , the digital chaotic system 11 outputs a key for encryption . the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 processes the data in the buffer b 11 with the encryption key generated by the digital chaotic system 11 . when all of the data in the buffer b 11 has been processed , a completion signal ( shown as c 1 , 3 in fig4 ) is generated , and the state signal d 1 of buffer b 11 is set to 0 . at this time , the buffer b 11 enters a data preparation period . when signal c 1 , 0 is “ 0 ”, the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 processes the data in buffer b 12 . if the state signal d 2 ( shown as d 2 in fig2 ( a )) of the buffer b 12 is “ 1 ”, the starting signal restarts the digital chaotic system 11 when the counter c 11 generates the completion signal , the counter c 11 resumes counting , and thereby the digital chaotic system 11 enters a process of generating the next key , meanwhile the signal c 1 , 0 changes from “ 0 ” to “ 1 ”. the timers t 11 , t 12 and the counters c 12 , c 13 continues timing and counting . if the state signal d 2 of the buffer b 12 is “ 0 ”, the digital chaotic system 11 and the continuous chaotic system 12 stay in a holding state when the counter c 11 generates a completion signal , and meanwhile , the timers t 11 , t 12 and the counters c 12 , c 13 stop timing and counting . in fig5 , it is assumed that , in normal conditions , the time required for the digital chaotic system 11 to complete an iterative computation is t 2 . in this case , when the counter c 12 records that the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 4 ′ times of iterations , the running time δ 1 of the continuous chaotic system recorded by the timer t 11 is just t 2 · δ 4 ′ ( shown as segment i in fig4 ). at this time , the digital chaotic system 11 outputs a state value to the synchronization coupling module 15 under control of the controlling module 14 , the synchronization coupling module 15 outputs and applies a synchronizing impulse to the continuous chaotic system 12 under control of the controlling module 14 , and the counter c 12 and the timer t 11 are reset . in actual situation , because of the effect of outer conditions such as running environment on the digital chaotic system 11 , the time required for executing each iteration may be not t 2 . therefore , when the counter c 12 records that the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 4 ′ times of iterations , the running time δ 1 of the continuous chaotic system 12 may be less than t 2 · δ 4 ′ ( shown as segment ii in fig5 ), and thus the digital chaotic system 11 is required to stay in the holding state after the δ 4 ′ times of iterations , until the running time δ 1 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 4 ′. once the running time δ 1 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 4 ′, the digital chaotic system 11 leaves the holding state , the synchronization coupling module 15 outputs and applies the synchronizing impulse to the continuous chaotic system 12 , and then the counter c 12 and the timer t 11 are reset . when the running time δ 1 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 4 ′, the digital chaotic system 11 has not completed the δ ′ times of iterations ( shown as segment iii in fig5 ). in this case , the continuous chaotic system 12 is required to stay in the holding state after the running time δ 1 arrives t 2 · δ 4 ′, until the digital chaotic system 11 completes the δ 4 ′ times of iterations . when the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 4 ′ times of iterations , the continuous chaotic system 12 leaves the holding state , the synchronization coupling module 15 outputs and applies the synchronizing impulse to the continuous chaotic system 12 to synchronously control the continuous chaotic system , and then the counter c 12 and the timer t 11 are reset . in fig6 , it is assumed that , in normal conditions , the time required for executing one iteration is t 2 . when the counter c 13 records that the digital chaotic system 11 has completed a ′ times of iterations , the running time δ 2 of the continuous chaotic system 12 recorded by the timer t 12 is just t 2 δ 3 ′ ( shown as segment i in fig6 ). at this time , the disturbance coupling module 15 samples the continuous chaotic system 12 ( shown as c 1 , 9 in fig6 ) and converts the sampled values , under control of the controlling module 14 , and outputs a disturbing signal to the digital chaotic system 11 to disturb the digital chaotic system 11 , and then the counter c 13 and the timer t 12 are reset . in actual situation , because of the effect of outer conditions such as running environment on the digital chaotic system 11 , the time required for executing each iteration may be not t 2 . therefore , when the running time δ 2 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 3 ′, the digital chaotic system 11 has not completed δ 3 ′ times of iterations ( shown as segment ii in fig6 ). in this case , continuous chaotic system 12 should stay in the holding state after the running time δ 2 arrives t 2 · δ 3 ′, until the digital chaotic system 11 completed δ 3 ′ times of iterations . when the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 3 ′ times of iterations , the continuous chaotic system 12 leaves the holding state , the disturbance coupling module 15 samples the continuous chaotic system 12 ( shown as c 1 , 9 in fig6 ) and converts the sampled values under control of the controlling module 14 , and outputs a disturbing signal to the digital chaotic system 11 to disturb the digital chaotic system 11 , and then the counter c 13 and the timer t 12 are reset . when the counter c 13 records that the digital chaotic system 11 has completed δ 3 ′ times of iterations , the running time δ 2 of the continuous chaotic system 12 is less than t 2 · δ 3 ′ ( shown as segment iii in fig6 ). in this case , the digital chaotic system 11 should stay in the holding state after completing δ 3 ′ times of iterations , until the running time δ 2 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 3 ′. when the running time δ 2 of the continuous chaotic system 12 arrives t 2 · δ 3 ′, the digital chaotic system 11 leaves the holding state , the disturbance coupling module 15 samples the continuous chaotic system 12 ( shown as c 1 , 9 in fig6 ) and converts the sampled values under control of the controlling module 14 , and outputs a disturbing signal to the digital chaotic system 11 to disturb the digital chaotic system 11 , and then the counter c 13 and the timer t 12 are reset . a criterion for holding a stable synchronization between the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 is illustrated as below . ( 1 ) given that b is a diagonal matrix of order n , i is an identity matrix of order n , d is the largest eigenvalue of matrix ( i + b ) t ·( i + b ), q is the largest eigenvalue of ( a + a t ), and l is a local lipschitz constant of the nonlinear mapping φ in equation ( 2 ). the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 output their state values to the respective local synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 every time that δ 4 ′ times of iterations are completed . when the duration δ 1 for which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signal meets the criterion of : ( q + 2 l )· δ 1 ≦− 1 n ( ξ · d ) ξ & gt ; 1 , d & lt ; 1 ( 6a ), a stable chaotic synchronization may be achieved between the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 without transmission of the synchronizing impulse . ( 2 ) the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 disturbs the respective local digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 every time after δ 3 ′ times of iterations are completed in the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . the sampling clock period δ 2 and the times of iterations δ 3 ′ should meet the following relation : ( 3 ) if the digital chaotic system is a difference equation of a continuous chaotic system with finite word length , which is identical to the equation ( 2 ), the digital chaotic system may be expressed as equation ( 7 ) x j ( i + 1 )=( i + τ · a )· x j ( i )+ τ · φ ( x j ( i )) ( 7 ) λ 1 is assumed to be the largest eigenvalue of ( i + τ · a ) t ( i + τ · a ). the duration δ 1 for which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signals should further satisfy the equation ( 8a ), in addition to satisfying equation ( 5 ). and δ 4 ′ should meet equation ( 8b ), in addition to satisfying equation ( 6a ). at this time , a chaotic synchronization may be achieved between the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . on the other hand , the errors between the digital chaotic system and local continuous chaotic system may not approach to zero , that is , the continuous chaotic system and the local digital chaotic system may not be completely synchronized , so that the continuous chaotic system may provide a disturbance to overcome the characteristic degradation . it should be noted that all the time in the above criterions is present by taking the running time of the continuous chaotic system as a reference time . in this embodiment , the analog - digital mixed chaotic system is designed by using the lorenz chaotic system . the operation precision of the digital chaotic system is 19 bits , which 7 bits are adapted to indicate the integer component of a variable in the digital chaotic system , 11 bits are adapted to indicate the decimal component of the variable in the digital chaotic system , and the remaining 1 bit is adapted to indicate the sign of the variable in the digital chaotic system . it is assumed that the digital lorenz chaotic systems 11 and 21 are where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively , where d () is an a / d conversion function , and in this embodiment , the output of the continuous chaotic system is converted into a digital value of 19 bits , the disturbance coupling intensities are η 1 = 0 . 5 , η 2 = 0 . 5 , η 3 = 0 . 5 . it is assumed that the continuous lorenz chaotic systems 12 and 22 are where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the continuous lorenz chaotic systems 12 and 22 , respectively ; the parameters are σ = 10 , r = 28 , β = 2 . 66 , b 1 =− 0 . 2 , b 2 =− 0 . 6 , b 3 =− 0 . 6 ; lipschiz index l of the continuous lorenz chaotic system is about 50 . the workflow of the analog - digital mixed chaotic cipher system is shown as follows . ( 1 ) two communication parties appoint the following parameters according to equation ( 9 ) for the digital chaotic system , equation ( 11 ) for the continuous chaotic system and equations ( 5 ), ( 6a ), ( 6b ), ( 8a ) and ( 8b ) for the synchronization conditions : the time t 2 = 0 . 35 ms for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to execute one iteration ; the period δ 4 ′= 10 for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to output signals to the individual synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 ; the duration δ 1 = 3 . 5 ms for which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output synchronization impulses ; the period δ 3 ′= 1000 for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to output disturbance signals to the individual digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 ; the period δ 2 = 0 . 35 s for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to sample the respective continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . the initial conditions of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are x 1 ( 0 )= x 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 454 , y 1 ( 0 )= y 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 5236 , z 1 ( 0 )= z 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 55878 ; the times of iterations when the digital chaotic systems output the encryption / decryption key is δ 1 ′= 1 , and the output signal selected by the multiplexing switch is the digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . ( 3 ) the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are initialized by using the appointed initial conditions , and the initial states of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 are randomly generated . ( 4 ) under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signals for applying to the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . fig7 is a phase diagram of the digital chaotic system 11 , fig8 is a phase diagram of the continuous lorenz chaotic system 12 , and both of them illustrate that the attractors of the analog - digital mixed chaotic system still have the same level complexity as those of the lorenz chaotic system . fig9 shows the errors between the state variables of the continuous lorenz chaotic systems 12 and 22 , where e x ( t )={ tilde over ( x )} 1 ( t )−{ tilde over ( x )} 2 ( t ), e y ( t )={ tilde over ( y )} 1 ( t )−{ tilde over ( y )} 2 ( t ), and e z ( t )={ tilde over ( z )} 1 ( t )−{ tilde over ( z )} 2 ( t ). it can be seen from fig9 that errors between the state variables of the two continuous chaotic systems converge to zero , that is , the continuous chaotic system 1 and the continuous chaotic system 2 are synchronized . ( 5 ) the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 sample , quantize and convert the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , and obtain the disturbance signal for disturbing the digital chaotic systems . ( 6 ) after the digital chaotic system has completed 1000 times of initial iterations , the analog - digital mixed chaotic system begins to output a key . a digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 is first amplitude converted in the encoding modules 19 and 29 to get v j ( 2 · i )= 500 ·( x j ( i + 1000 )+ 25 ), v j ( 2 · i + 1 )= 500 ·( y j ( i + 1000 )+ 35 ), i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . , j = 1 , 2 . the amplitude converted sequence is encoded with an encoding function of s ( v )= v mod 256 . finally , a key stream of the analog - digital mixed systems 1 , 2 is obtained after a nonlinear conversion on the encoded sequence . in this embodiment , the encoded sequences v 1 ( i ) and v 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) are converted with the nonlinear conversion f (•) ( shown as table 1 ), and key sequences k 1 ( i ) and k 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) are obtained . fig1 is the statistical distribution diagram for the 2 , 000 , 000 keys k 1 ( i ) ( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . , 2 , 000 , 000 ) generated by the analog - digital mixed chaotic system 1 . as shown in fig1 , it is illustrated that the distribution of the key sequences generated by an analog - digital mixed chaotic system is relatively uniform . at last , a cipher text ( or a plaintext ) can be obtained by xor of the key and a plaintext ( or a cipher text ). in this embodiment , the analog - digital mixed chaotic system is designed by using the chen chaotic system . the operation precision of the digital chaotic system is 19 bits , which 7 bits are adapted to indicate the integer component of a variable in the digital chaotic system , 11 bits are adapted to indicate the decimal component of the variable in the digital chaotic system , and the remaining 1 bit is adapted to indicate the sign of the variable value in the digital chaotic system . it is assumed that the digital chen chaotic systems 11 and 21 are where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 , respectively ; where d () is an a / d conversion function , and in this embodiment , the output of the continuous chaotic system is converted into a digital amount of 19 bits ; the disturbance coupling intensities are η 1 = 0 . 01 , η 2 = 0 . 01 , η 3 = 0 . 01 . it is assumed that the continuous chen chaotic systems 12 and 22 are where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the continuous chen chaotic systems 12 and 22 respectively , the parameters are a = 35 , b = 3 , c = 28 , b 1 =− 0 . 8 , b 2 =− 0 . 8 , b 3 =− 0 . 8 ; the workflow of the analog - digital mixed chaotic cipher system is as follows . ( 1 ) two communication parties appoint the following parameters according to equation ( 9 ) for the digital chaotic system , equation ( 11 ) for the continuous chaotic system and equations ( 5 ), ( 6a ), ( 6b ), ( 8a ) and ( 8b ) for the synchronization conditions : the time t 2 = 0 . 33 ms for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to execute one iteration ; the period δ 4 ′= 30 for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to output signals to the respective synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 ; the duration δ 1 = 10 ms of the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 outputting synchronization impulses ; the period δ 3 ′= 1000 for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to output disturbance signals to the respective digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 ; the period δ 2 = 0 . 33 s for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to sample the respective continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . the initial conditions of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are x 1 ( 0 )= x 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 454 , y 1 ( 0 )= y 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 5236 , z 1 ( 0 )= z 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 55878 , the times of iterations when the digital chaotic systems to output the encryption / decryption key is δ 5 ′= 1 , and the output signal selected by the multiplexing switch is the digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . ( 3 ) the two communication parties initiate the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 by using the appointed initial conditions , and randomly generate the initial states of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . ( 4 ) under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signals to be applied to the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . ( 5 ) also under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 sample , quantize and convert the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , and obtain the disturbance signal for disturbing the digital chaotic systems . ( 6 ) the digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 is amplitude converted in the encoding modules 19 and 29 to get vj ( 3 · i )= 1000 ( xj ( i + 3000 )+ 30 ), vj ( 3 · i + 1 )= 1000 ·( yj ( i + 3000 )+ 40 ), vj ( 3 · i + 2 )= 500 · zj ( i + 3000 ), i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . , j = 1 , 2 . the amplitude converted sequence is encoded with the encoding function of s ( v )= v mod 256 . finally , a key stream generated by the analog - digital mixed systems 1 , 2 is obtained after a nonlinear conversion on the encoded sequence . in this embodiment , the chaotic sequences generated by the analog - digital mixed chaotic system are converted with three nonlinear conversions f (•)( j = 0 , 1 , 2 ) ( shown as table 2 ( a ), 2 ( b ) and 2 ( c )), and the conversion rule is to convert the encoded sequences v 1 ( i ) and v 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) with the nonlinear conversion f i mod 3 (•) so as to get the key sequences of k 1 ( i ) and k 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ). at last , a cipher text ( or a plaintext ) can be obtained by xor of the key and a plaintext ( or a cipher text ). in this embodiment , the analog - digital mixed chaotic system is designed by using a one - dimensional logistic chaotic system and a chen chaotic system as the digital chaotic system and the continuous chaotic system respectively . the operation precision of the digital chaotic system is 19 bits , which 18 bits are adapted to indicate the decimal component of a variable in the digital chaotic system , and the remaining 1 bit is adapted to indicate the sign of the variable in the digital chaotic system . although the transmitting and receiving parties have appointed the time required for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to perform one iteration , the actual time that the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 take to execute each operation will be a bit different . therefore , in this embodiment , the respective local digital chaotic system and continuous chaotic system are controlled by the controlling modules 14 and 24 in the analog - digital mixed chaotic systems 1 and 2 , so that a stable synchronization between the continuous chaotic systems that are separated with each other in location can be achieved and thereby the characteristic degradation may be overcome in the digital chaotic system . it is assumed that the digital logistic chaotic systems 11 and 21 are x j ( i + 1 )= 4 · x j ( i )·( 1 − x j ( i ))+ η · h ( i ,{ tilde over ( x )} j ( t )) ( 15 ) where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 respectively , h ( i ,•) is a disturbance coupling function , and where d () is an analog to digital conversion function , and in this embodiment , the output of the continuous chaotic system is converted into a digital amount of 19 bits , and the disturbance coupling intensity is q = 0 . 01 . it is assumed that the continuous chen chaotic systems 12 and 22 are where , j = 1 , 2 denotes the continuous chen chaotic systems 12 and 22 respectively ; the workflow of the analog - digital mixed chaotic cipher system is shown as follows . ( 1 ) two communication parties appoint the following parameters according to equation ( 9 ) for the digital chaotic system , equation ( 11 ) for the continuous chaotic system and equations ( 5 ), ( 6a ), ( 6b ), ( 8a ) and ( 8b ) for the synchronization conditions : the time t 2 = 1 ms for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to execute one iterative ; the period δ 4 ′= 10 for the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 to output signals to the respective synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 ; the duration δ 1 = 10 ms for which the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output synchronizing impulses ; the period δ 3 ′= 10 for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to output disturbance signals to the respective digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 ; the period δ 2 = 10 ms for the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 to sample the respective continuous chen chaotic systems 12 and 22 . the initial conditions of the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are x 1 ( 0 )= x 2 ( 0 )= 0 . 333 ; the times of iterations when the digital chaotic systems to output the encryption / decryption key is δ 5 ′= 1 , and the output signal selected by the multiplexing switch is the digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 . ( 3 ) the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 are initialized by using the appointed initial conditions , and the initial states of the continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 are randomly generated . ( 4 ) under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , the synchronization coupling modules 15 and 25 output the synchronizing impulse signals to be applied to the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 . ( 5 ) under control of the controlling modules 14 and 24 , the disturbance coupling modules 16 and 26 sample , quantize and convert the respective local continuous chaotic systems 12 and 22 , and obtain the disturbance signal for disturbing the digital chaotic systems . ( 6 ) after the digital chaotic system has completed 5000 times of initial iterations , the analog - digital mixed chaotic system begins to output a key . the digital chaotic sequence generated by the digital chaotic systems 11 and 21 is amplitude converted in the encoding modules 19 and 29 to get v j ( i )= x j ( i + 5000 )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . j = 1 , 2 ). the amplitude converted sequence is encoded with the encoding function of s ( v )=[ 256 ( 1 − ar cos v / π )], and finally a key stream of the analog - digital mixed systems 1 , 2 is obtained after a nonlinear conversion . in this embodiment , the encoded sequences v 1 ( i ) and v 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) are converted with the nonlinear conversion f (•) ( shown as table 3 ), and key sequences k 1 ( i ) and k 2 ( i )( i = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) are obtained . at last a cipher text ( or a plaintext ) can be obtained by xor of the key and a plaintext ( or a cipher text ).	7
fig3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a kit according to the invention , comprising an endoprosthesis shaft 4 which is designed as a straight shaft , the actual shaft 4 f having an essentially rectangular cross section with two narrow - side surfaces 4 c , 4 d and two broad - side surfaces 4 e . at the proximal end , the shaft 4 f has an internal thread 4 a and a cone 4 b for a joint head . the kit further comprises a fitting instrument 3 which has a connection rod 3 d on which a stamp 3 c is secured which opens into an adapter piece 3 b and an external thread 3 a . the kit further comprises a spacer element 2 which is designed as a sleeve - shaped , rectangular body 2 d , with two side wings 2 a which form an upper limit stop surface 2 b and a lower limit stop surface 2 c . the kit also comprises a proximal centering and / or sealing element 1 . the spacer element 2 is designed in such a way that it lies with its upper limit stop surface 2 b on the stamp 3 c . upon insertion of the endoprosthesis shaft 4 , the lower limit stop surface 2 c comes to lie at some time on the reference surface 1 m , 1 n of the proximal centering and / or sealing element 1 and thereby limits , in the direction of extension of the shaft , the mutual positioning of endoprosthesis shaft 4 and centering and / or sealing element 1 . since the centering and / or sealing element 1 lies with its surface 1 m , 1 n preferably flush with the resected surface of the femur during implantation , the depth of fitting of the shaft 4 f is determined by the spacer element 2 . a selection of spacer elements 2 are available to the operating surgeon , said spacer elements 2 being designed with different lengths in the proximal - distal direction c . the spacer element 2 represented in fig3 and 4 is to be regarded as only one illustrative embodiment from a large number of possible designs . the object of the spacer element 2 is to provide an upper and a lower limit stop 2 b , 2 c in order to ensure a defined depth of fitting of the shaft 4 with respect to the proximal centering and / or sealing element 1 or its reference surface 1 m , 1 n . this function can be satisfied by spacer elements 2 of widely different designs . fig4 shows an endoprosthesis shaft 4 in the inserted position , the femur not being represented . after inserting a manipulating shaft into the medullary cavity , the operating surgeon determines the depth of insertion of the shaft with respect to the resection plane . from the plurality of spacer elements , the operating surgeon selects the one which ensures the intended depth of insertion . this selected spacer element 2 is secured on the stamp 3 c of the fitting instrument 3 , and the endoprosthesis shaft 4 is then screwed onto the external thread 3 a via the internal thread 4 a . the centering and / or sealing element 1 is then pushed onto the shaft 4 f from the distal direction . the endoprosthesis shaft 4 together with the centering and / or sealing element 1 , as is represented in fig4 is then inserted into the medullary cavity until the spacer element 2 abuts the proximal centering and / or sealing element 1 and as far as the resection plane which forms a reference plane . the bone cement located in the medullary cavity is thereby compressed and forced out from the medullary cavity toward the centering and / or sealing element 1 . at least the inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c , 1 d lie on the endoprosthesis shaft 4 and exert a sealing action . as long as the endoprosthesis shaft 4 does not lie with its side surface 4 d on the inner side surface 1 e , a gap 1 p is formed between these surfaces , through which gap the bone cement can escape . an operating surgeon can cover this gap 1 p , for example with his finger , and can thus control the escape of the bone cement relatively precisely by pressing his finger against the gap 1 p or uncovering said gap . the inner side surface 1 e can also be arranged with respect to the side surface 4 d , or the shaft 4 can be pushed deep into the centering and / or sealing element 1 , in such a way that a sealing effect is achieved between these two surfaces 1 e , 4 d , so that the element 1 acts simultaneously as centering and sealing element . in a preferred embodiment , the centering and / or sealing element 1 is designed , and the bone cement selected , in such a way that said bone cement flows all round the proximal centering and / or sealing element , the bone cement being forced out between the inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c , 1 d , 1 e and the shaft 4 a and also between the outer surface of the centering and / or sealing element 1 and the femur . an illustrative embodiment of the centering and / or sealing element is described with reference to fig2 a through 2 c . the centering and / or sealing element consists of a sleeve - shaped body extending in a proximal - distal direction c , said body having two broad - side boundaries 1 q , 1 r and two narrow - side boundaries 1 f , 1 g which , as can be seen from the view according to fig2 c , enclose an essentially rectangular inner space 1 a . the inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c of the broad - side boundaries 1 q , 1 r are designed extending essentially parallel to the proximal - distal direction c and also parallel to the lateral - medial direction a . in the illustrative embodiment shown , as can be seen from fig2 c , the inner side surface 1 d of the narrow - side boundary 1 g extends parallel to the proximal - distal direction c . the broad - side inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c could also be designed extending parallel to the proximal - distal direction c , but in the illustrative embodiment shown they converge slightly in the distal direction , this having the advantage of affording an improved sealing effect between endoprosthesis shaft 4 and inner side surface 1 b , 1 c . the second narrow - side boundary 1 f has an inner side surface 1 e extending at an inclination to the inner side surface 1 d . in the illustrative embodiment shown , all the boundaries 1 q , 1 r , 1 f , 1 g have a part section 1 l which extends in the proximal - distal direction c and which forms , adjacent to the part section 1 k , a wall thickness tapering in the distal direction , as can be seen in particular from the cross section shown in fig2 b . in the proximal direction , the broad - side boundaries 1 q , 1 r end in a reference surface 1 m , 1 n . this reference surface 1 m , 1 n , extending in the medial - lateral direction a , has , as can be seen from fig2 a and 2 b , a course which is bent so as to follow the course of the broad - side boundary 1 r . in contrast to the illustrative embodiment according to fig2 a through 2 c , the otherwise identically designed body 1 shown in fig5 has two broad - side boundaries 1 r , 1 q which are rectilinear , i . e . they have no bend point . in contrast to the illustrative embodiment according to fig2 a through 2 c , the body 1 shown in fig1 has a narrow - side boundary 1 g which is designed wider in the medial - lateral direction a and which additionally has in the center a continuous gap 10 extending in the proximal - distal direction c . the femoral neck is resected . the medullary cavity is then widened using a bone rasp . the outer shape of the centering element , i . e . the outer surfaces 1 r , 1 k , preferably corresponds to the outer shape of the bone rasp . a manipulating shaft is then inserted into the widened medullary cavity and a joint head is fitted onto this manipulating shaft . the bone rasp can if necessary also be designed to receive a joint head or can comprise a joint head and can therefore be left for the time being in the medullary cavity . the position of the joint head is then checked and the leg manipulated , for example in order to examine the leg length , and the depth of fitting of the manipulating shaft or bone rasp can be adjusted in particular in the proximal - distal direction c until an optimum position has been found for the leg . the depth of fitting of the manipulating shaft or bone rasp is then read off . the manipulating shaft or bone rasp is then removed from the medullary cavity , whereupon the bone cement is filled into the medullary cavity . then , as is represented in fig6 the centering and / or sealing element 1 is pushed over the tip of the shaft 4 f , the shaft is secured on the fitting instrument 3 , if appropriate using spacer elements 2 determining the depth of fitting , as shown in fig3 or fig4 whereupon the shaft is inserted into the medullary cavity . the centering and / or sealing element 1 is likewise introduced into the medullary cavity . the tapering part section 1 l facilitates reliable and centered insertion of the centering and / or sealing element 1 into the medullary cavity . the centering and / or sealing element 1 is pressed in so that the end faces 1 m , in preferably are flush with the resected surface , whereupon the shaft is inserted further until the predetermined depth of fitting is reached . the fitting instrument 3 and the optionally used spacer element 2 are then removed . in the illustrative embodiment shown , as can be seen from fig2 c , the narrow - side inner side surface 1 d is designed extending in the proximal - distal direction c , the advantage of which is that this surface serves as a bearing and reference surface during insertion of the shaft 4 f , said surface 1 d causing no displacement of the shaft 4 f in the medial - lateral direction a . a distal centering element can also be arranged on the shaft tip 4 g . to achieve a sealing effect , it is necessary that the inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c , 1 d , 1 e of the centering and / or sealing element 1 are designed to match the geometry of the shaft 4 f , so as to achieve a sealing effect . for this reason , these inner side surfaces 1 b , 1 c , 1 d , 1 e , predetermined by the shape of the corresponding shaft 4 f , can be designed in very different configurations in such a way that a sealing effect between shaft 4 f and centering and / or sealing element 1 is achieved with at the same time mutual displaceability in the proximal - distal direction c . fig6 shows an illustrative embodiment of a kit which comprises an endoprosthesis shaft 4 , a distal centering and / or sealing element 1 and a fitting instrument 3 . markings 6 are arranged on the shaft 4 in order to indicate the depth of fitting with numbers “ 0 ”, “ 5 ” and “ 10 ”. the fitting instrument 3 also has markings 6 with the same numbers . during implantation , the optimum depth of fitting is determined with a manipulating instrument , markings and numbers being arranged on the manipulating instrument . the marking lying at the resected surface is read off . the centering and / or sealing element is then anchored with its upper edge 1 m , 1 n flush with the resected surface in the medullary cavity and the bone cement is inserted into the medullary cavity . the shaft 4 is then secured on the fitting instrument 3 and introduced into the medullary cavity . during insertion , the operating surgeon can use the markings 6 to accurately determine the depth of insertion of the shaft 4 with respect to the upper edge 1 m , 1 n of the centering and / or sealing element . fig7 shows a further illustrative embodiment of a kit which comprises an endoprosthesis shaft 4 , a distal centering and / or sealing element 1 and a fitting instrument 3 . the stamp 3 c comprises a securely connected limit stop part 3 e which has a limit stop surface 2 c for abutting the centering and spacer element 1 . stamps 3 c with limit stop parts 3 e of different lengths in direction c can be provided , so that the mutual position of centering and / or sealing element 1 and shaft 4 can be set by appropriate choice of stamp 3 c .	0
the present invention can be applied to any telecommunications network . the invention will be described below in more detail mostly by using the digital mobile communications system gsm as an example . fig1 shows the simplified structure of a gsm network as described earlier . an interested reader can find more background information about gsm system in gsm specifications and the book : “ the gsm system for mobile communications ”, m . mouly & amp ; m . pautet , palaiseau , france , 1992 , isbn : 2 - 95071900 - 7 . in the following , the first embodiment of the invention is described in more detail with reference to fig4 , and 6 . [ 0024 ] fig4 shows a flow chart of call forwarding according to the invention . at stage 41 a forwarded - to number to be used in forwarding the call is provided to the switching center msc according to prior art either by the hlr or the vlr . at stage 42 a check is made as to whether call forwarding is allowed according to prior art , based on the information about call forwarding or by comparing the call forwarding counter cfc with a maximum value , for example . if call forwarding is allowed , the call is forwarded according to prior art . if call forwarding is not allowed at stage 42 , the forwarded - to number to be used in forwarding the call is compared with a preset condition according to the invention ( stage 43 ). if the preset condition is met at stage 44 , call forwarding is allowed at stage 45 . if the condition is not met at stage 44 , the call forwarding restriction applies and the call is handled in some manner known according to prior art . the preset condition for call forwarding according to the invention can be that at least one digit in the forwarded - to number has to be equal to a preset value of this digit . for example , the first digits of the number are set to be + 358 66 123 to fulfill the condition according to the invention . in that case , number + 358 66 123123 would fulfill the condition and call forwarding would be allowed to that number , but number + 358 66 321321 would not fulfill the condition and the call would not be forwarded to that number . especially the condition for call forwarding according to the invention can be preset to allow call forwarding to a voice mail number even when call forwarding restriction according to prior art has taken place , provided that the voice mail numbers are easily distinguished from other telephone numbers , with a certain first digit or digits , for example . an example situation implementing call forwarding according to the invention would be a call made by subscriber a to subscriber b &# 39 ; s fixed network telephone number from where there is unconditional call forwarding to the mobile telephone number of subscriber b . this call forwarding is performed according to prior art . in this example , the maximum number of times for call forwarding per call is set at 1 and the preset condition for call forwarding according to the invention is set to cover voice mail numbers . when subscriber b is not accessible , i . e . does not answer or is busy at this first forwarded - to number , second call forwarding is needed to be performed to the voice mail of subscriber b &# 39 ; s mobile subscription . according to the invention the second forwarded - to number , i . e . the number of the voice mail , is compared with the preset condition . as the second number for forwarding fulfills the preset condition and is thus recognized as a voice mail number , the call is forwarded to this voice mail number . in this example , it is safe to forward the call to the voice mail , as there will be no further call forwarding from that second forwarded - to number due to the nature of voice mail service . therefore , this additional call forwarding according to the invention does not unduly load the network as voice mail only records the voice message of the calling subscriber . [ 0027 ] fig5 shows a block diagram of a switching center with the essential parts for call forwarding according to the invention . the example in fig5 uses the call forwarding counter cfc in controlling call forwarding . cf handling unit 31 receives the parameters relating to call forwarding and compares the received cfc to the maximum value retrieved from max_cf storage 33 according to prior art . the forwarded - to number to be used in call forwarding is retrieved from the hlr via the hlr request unit 35 and / or from the vlr 37 according to prior art . according to the invention the switching center includes the extra_cf control unit 52 and the extra_cf storage 54 , which contains the preset condition for call forwarding according to the invention . alternatively , extra_cf storage 54 can contain more than one preset condition to be used as a combination to form one condition for the call forwarding allowance . according to the invention extra cf control unit 52 compares the number to be used in forwarding the call with the preset condition retrieved from extra_cf storage 54 . call forwarding is allowed according to the invention when the preset condition is met . [ 0028 ] fig6 shows an example situation for call forwarding according to the invention . in the example , the call forwarding allowance examination according to prior art is carried out both in the msc and in the hlr , the maximum number of times for call forwarding is 3 , and the condition for call forwarding according to the invention is that the forwarded - to number to be used for call forwarding begins with + 358 66 123 . the call is transferred to the msc in iam - message 20 . in this message the cfc value of 3 is also transferred . the switching center msc compares the cfc to the maximum value and detects that no further call forwarding is allowed according to prior art . in order to be able to get a forwarded - to number from the hlr , the msc cheats the hlr by decreasing the cfc value by one . the msc sends this decreased value to the hlr in sri - message 62 . as the hlr detects that the cfc is below the maximum value , it sends the msc the forwarded - to number + 358 66 123123 in sri ack - message 24 . the switching center msc compares this number with the preset condition for call forwarding according to the invention . as this number fulfills the preset condition , msc forwards the call to the number . if the preset condition is not fulfilled , call forwarding is denied . when using information about previous call forwarding in controlling call forwarding , the method described above can be utilized by first setting the call forwarding counter cfc to the maximum value , for example , and then performing the steps described above . when forwarding the call after fulfilling the condition according to the invention , it is advantageous to handle the different parameters relating to the call in the following manner : 1 ) not to increase the call forwarding counter cfc to a value greater than the maximum value for call forwarding , 2 ) not to modify the original called number , 3 ) not to replace the original redirection reasons , 4 ) to replace the latest redirecting number , so as to keep the charging of the call valid and possibly to inform the voice mail service as to whose voice mail the call is directed , and / or 5 ) to update the latest redirecting reason . when applying the invention in a fixed network , the signaling between the switching center and the hlr is omitted , as the subscriber information is located within the switching center . the invention is especially advantageous when call forwarding is restricted according to prior art to only one call forwarding per call or to some other low value . the drawings and the related description are only intended to demonstrate the principles of the invention . the details of the method according to the invention can vary within the patent claims . although the invention was described above mostly in connection with gsm , the invention can also be used in other telecommunications networks , such as analog or digital mobile communications networks , e . g . umts , satellite communications networks , cordless telephone networks , e . g . dect ( digital european cordless telephone ), trunking networks , e . g . tetra ( trans - european trunked radio ), and fixed networks . the invention is also suitable for use in combined networks . the invention is not restricted for use only in connection with a call forwarding counter such as presented above , but can be applied in connection with some other call forwarding restriction parameter providing information about call forwarding or its combination with a call forwarding counter . although the functionality of the invention is described above as located in proximity to the switching center , the arrangement according to the invention can also be located in some other part / parts of the network , such as the home location register . the invention is suitable for use in connection with different conditional and unconditional call forwarding , not only with the ones mentioned above . the invention is not restricted for use only in connection with voice call presented above , but can be applied also in connection with data transmission , such as fax transmission . the call forwarding restriction can take place also in other situations than those presented above , such as restriction to forward the call to international numbers .	7
referring to fig2 the structure of an embodiment of the invention is shown . the sender &# 39 ; s station 20 is connected to a lan 21 which is connected to a wan 24 and the recipient &# 39 ; s station 23 is connected to a lan 22 which is connected to wan 24 . lan 21 and lan 22 do not require message stores because the wan 24 includes message stores , such as message stores 25 , 26 and 27 , for storing messages . wan 24 also includes virtual mailboxes , such as the recipient &# 39 ; s virtual mailbox 28 , for storing information regarding the availability and address of the recipient &# 39 ; s messages . to deposit a message into message stores in the wan , the sender at a sender station allocates storage from the wan by selecting at least one message store from those residing in storage elements integrated into the wan and fills that message store with the contents of the message . the storage location of a message may be chosen by the sender &# 39 ; s station . for example , if all messages for a given recipient are stored in one location , the sender &# 39 ; s station directly deposits the message into those message stores and , if there are multiple recipients , the sender &# 39 ; s station deposits the message to the message stores associated with each of the recipients . alternatively , if the recipients do not have locations dedicated to storage of their messages , the message is deposited in message stores in the wan selected by the sender and accessible to all of the intended recipients through multiplexed access to the message stores , effectively consolidating the storage required . consolidated storage is especially advantageous because it provides for administrative simplicity , more efficient use of storage resources and , as explained more fully below , open - ended sets of recipient to facilitate group communications and electronic publishing . to signal the intended recipients , the recipients are notified of the message &# 39 ; s availability and its address on the wan . the signaling process begins with the determination of the addresses of the recipients . the sender may know the addresses of the intended recipients or may need to refer to network - based interactive directories . once the recipients &# 39 ; addresses are determined , the sender at a sender station instructs the wan to notify the recipients of the availability and address of the message via the signaling mechanisms of the wan . in addition , the sender may store access authorization information for the message with the message in the message store . the access authorization information may be the list of intended recipients , unlimited in the case of publically available information or specified by identifiable characteristics of a group , for example security clearance , organizational affiliation or subscribers to a service . the access authorization information for a message can be different than the persons signaled of the availability of message . for example , a group may be authorized to access a message , such as being signaled of its availability , such as the members of a particular project . the sender need not signal all of the recipients at the same time . for instance , if the sender were to think of an additional recipient a day after sending the message , resending it would require only signaling the additional recipient and , perhaps , notifying the message store to add the additional recipient to the list of persons authorized to access the message . in many messaging applications , the recipients are not explicitly enumerated by the sender , but are determined instead through processes such as self - selection , third - party reference or guided searching . in such cases , the signaling process may be absent . for example , a recipient can select a message by browsing through accessible message stores , by receiving a reference to it from a friend , co - worker or from another message or by searching through messages on the basis of keywords or other identifier provided by the sender . in such situations the new recipient must be authorized to access the message . the access authorization information may be broad enough to already include the new recipient or a recipient may be allowed to extend the access authorization to include a new recipient . the message stores have the following characteristics . the message stores are located in storage elements integrated into the wan . this functional integration is independent from questions of ownership or physical location . the message stores and the messages stored therein have a logical identity in the wan , independent of their physical realization at any given moment . this enables greater reliability and efficiency by , for example , distributing the storage of a given message across multiple message stores . the message stores are uniformly accessible from throughout the wan . this means that they offer the same functionality independent of their physical location or that of the person accessing the message . as different recipients access a given message store from arbitrary locations , the functionality available to each recipient from the message store varies only with the characteristics of the recipient station used by the recipient to access the message store and its connection to the wan ( e . g . bandwidth ). access to message stores can be multiplexed , allowing concurrent access by multiple senders and recipients . thus , the senders and recipients are unlikely to be blocked when sending or receiving messages as can be the case with storage elements having more limited connectivity to the wan . the message stores control access to the messages they contain in accordance with the access authorization information provided by the sender . message reception is provided for via &# 34 ; virtual mailboxes .&# 34 ; a virtual mailbox resides in storage elements in the wan , but does not store the content of the recipient &# 39 ; s messages . instead , a virtual mailbox serves as an aggregation and storage point for signaling information that notifies a recipient of the availability and address of a message on the wan . the recipient &# 39 ; s station makes use of this signaling information to alert the recipient of the existence and availability of the message and to retrieve the message under the recipient &# 39 ; s direction . because a recipient &# 39 ; s messages can reside in multiple message stores spread throughout the network , the essence of the signaling information contained in the virtual mailbox is the reference to messages available to the recipient . because of uniform accessibility to the message stores , the recipient &# 39 ; s station can make use of those references to retrieve the recipient &# 39 ; s messages . through the use of the information stored in the virtual mailbox , the recipient can access his messages residing in multiple message stores in the wan as if all of his messages were stored in a single mailbox . the messages referenced in the virtual mailbox may include any type of information , from any medium . for example , a virtual mailbox could hold references to a text message on one lan server , an audio message on another lan server , another audio message on a voice - mail adjunct to a pbx or an audio / video message in another lan server . referring to fig3 a flow diagram illustrating the process of messaging in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown . to send a message , the sender instructs his sender station 20 to initiate wan messaging ( step 100 ). lan 21 connects sender station 20 to wan 24 ( step 101 ). the sender station 20 allocates storage from wan 24 by selecting message stores , e . g . message stores 25 , 26 and 27 , from available message stores in wan 24 ( step 102 ). the sender station deposits the message into the selected message stores in the wan and the message is stored in the selected message stores ( step 104 ). the sender identifies the intended recipients of the message ( step 106 ). if the sender would like to provide access to additional persons of a specified class , the sender may provide message access authorization information such that additional persons falling within the specified class of authorized persons can access to the message ( steps 108 , 110 ). in response to deposit of the message and identification of intended recipients by the sender , sender &# 39 ; s station 20 is disconnected from wan 24 and the wan signals the intended recipient of the availability and address of the message in the message stores in the wan by placing a reference to the message in the recipient &# 39 ; s virtual mailbox 28 ( step 112 ). to receive the message , the recipient instructs the recipient station 23 to access his virtual mailbox 28 ( step 116 ). lan 22 connects recipient station 23 to wan 24 ( step 117 ). the virtual mailbox 28 contains a reference notifying the recipient of the availability and address of the message ( step 118 ). the recipient instructs the recipient station 23 to access the message ( step 120 ). using the message address stored in virtual mailbox , the recipient station accesses and provides the recipient with interactive access to the message stored in message stores in the wan ( step 121 ). after access to the message is complete the recipient station is disconnected from the wan 24 ( step 122 ). if the sender has made the message accessible to additional persons of a specified class , the wan also makes the message available to persons satisfying the access authorization information ( steps 123 , 124 ). once such a person identifies the address of the message through , for example , the means referred above ( step 125 ) using the address information , he can instruct his user station to access the message ( step 126 ). when such a person attempts to access the message , the message store 26 verifies that the person satisfies the access authorization information ( step 128 ). if the access authorization information is satisfied , interactive access to the message is provided ( step 130 ). if the access authorization information is not satisfied , access to the message is denied ( step 132 ). thereafter , the recipient &# 39 ; s station is disconnected from the wan 24 ( step 133 ). after the message has been accessed by the recipient and / or additional persons of the specified class , the message remains stored in the message stores in the wan for access by additional intended recipients and other persons satisfying the access authorization information ( step 134 ). it is to be understood that the above description is only of one preferred embodiment of the invention . numerous other arrangements may be devised by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . the invention is thus limited only as defined in the accompanying claims .	7
in the following , preferred embodiments of the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge and the control method of the present invention are described in detail referring to the accompanying drawings , and prior to that , the basic principles of operation of the present invention are described . the imbalance due to the mismatch between the center of rotation and the center of gravity for a rotating body not only causes vibration but also degrades the performance of a rotating body system , and the dynamic balancing of a rotating body is to coincide the center of rotation with the center of gravity so as to remove the vibration owing to the imbalance of a rotating body . the dynamic balancing method can be classified as the influence coefficient method , modal balancing method and merging method , and so forth , or can be divided into single - plane balancing , dual - plane balancing and multi - plane balancing according to the number of planes for measurement and compensation . for the dynamic balancing , sensors to measure the amplitude and phase for displacement , velocity or acceleration are required . the influence coefficient method is relatively simple among the balancing schemes for a rotating body and is generally accepted over the wide range of applications . the balancing method using the influence coefficient method is to attach / remove compensating mass to / from the rotating body system after finding imbalance state from several numbers of trial runs using trial mass . here , ‘ influence coefficient ’ represents the dynamic characteristics of a system as a function of indicating the variation of the vibration response of the system , and is a function of rotational velocity . major features of the influence coefficient method may be such that it is most widely used for balancing , and it is applicable for both a rigid body rotor and an elastic body rotor , for both field and measurement equipments for balancing , and for both single - plane balancing and multi - plane balancing . the basic principle of the influence coefficient method is that the amplitude of the vibration is proportional to the imbalance amount as the following equation ( 1 ) below . where , g is given by measuring the vibration . a is the influence coefficient representing the characteristics of the system , that is , the vibration proportional constant , and u is the imbalance vector . all variables can be expressed in complex number because they have information for the amplitude and the phase . fig1 is a vector diagram explaining the principles of the influence coefficient method . considering the relation that the imbalance amount ( added mass * distance ) { right arrow over ( u added )} generated by added mass is proportional to the vibration amount vector { right arrow over ( g added )} by a trial mass , the vibration proportional constant can be obtained and in fig1 { right arrow over ( g initial )} represents the vibration amount vector according to an initial run , { right arrow over ( g trial )} represents the vibration amount vector measured after adding a trial mass to an arbitrary location . this is addressed in more detail below . step 1 : measure the amplitude and phase of the vibration amount of according to the initial run and denote it as { right arrow over ( g initial )}. assuming that the relationship between the vibration amount and the imbalance amount is linear at a particular rotation , the equation ( 2 ) may be obtained . { right arrow over ( g )} initial = g initial exp ( jφ initial )= a { right arrow over ( u )} initial ( 2 ) where , { right arrow over ( u )} initial is the imbalance vector and a is the vibration proportional constant . step 2 : adhere a trial mass to a particular location , measure the vibration amount , and denote it as { right arrow over ( g )} trial . then , the total imbalance amount { right arrow over ( u )} trail replaced the { right arrow over ( u )} initial with { right arrow over ( u )} initial +{ right arrow over ( u )} added as in the equation ( 3 ) shown below . { right arrow over ( g )} trial = a { right arrow over ( u )} trial = a ( { right arrow over ( u )} initial +{ right arrow over ( u )} added ) ( 3 ) step 3 : subtract the equation ( 2 ) from the equation ( 3 ) and arrange for a , then the equation ( 4 ) is deduced . α = g -& gt ; trial - g -& gt ; initial u -& gt ; added ( 4 ) where , { right arrow over ( g )} trail , { right arrow over ( g )} initial and { right arrow over ( u )} added are already known and the vibration proportional constant a can be obtained from the equation ( 4 ). step 4 : accordingly , the imbalance amount { right arrow over ( u )} initial can be obtained as the equation ( 5 ) substituting the equation ( 2 ) for the equation ( 4 ). step 5 : finally , the compensation amount and the compensation direction can be obtained from the equation 6 as follows . as described in the above , the vibration proportional constant used in the influence coefficient method is a function of rotational velocity , therefore , the amplitude and the direction of the imbalance may be obtained if the vibration proportional constant for each rotational velocity of the system is known from the prior trial in advance . by following the predetermined procedure , the vibration proportional constant for each rotational velocity , namely , the relationship between the vibration amount and the imbalance amount is obtained and stored in the basic database . then , after measuring the vibration amount in the initial trial run , the amplitude and the location of the imbalance is automatically calculated by utilizing the vibration proportional constant stored in the basic database and the amplitude and phase of the measured vibration , if the amplitude of the vibration is greater than the allowed value . here , the amount to compensate is equal to the imbalance amount while its phase is opposite to the imbalance amount , and the balance is maintained in centrifuging by transferring the balance weight in accordance with the amount of compensation obtained from a predetermined compensating algorithm the relationship between the vibration amount and the imbalance amount may be linear as the following equation ( 7 ), where , { right arrow over ( g )} is the vibration amount vector , { right arrow over ( u )} is the imbalance amount vector , and a is the proportional constant with amplitude and direction . in the above equation ( 7 ), if the proportional constant a is known and the vibration amount { right arrow over ( g )} is also known by measuring , the imbalance amount may be obtained by the following equation ( 8 ). fig2 is a plane view showing an outline of an automatic balance adjusting centrifuge according to one embodiment of the present invention , and fig3 is a cross - sectional view sectioned along the line a - a in fig2 . as shown in fig2 and fig3 , in the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge of the present invention , the centrifuging motor 20 is located at the center of the bottom of a casing 10 , of which a shaft faces to the top of the casing 10 , and the centrifuging motor 20 is supported on the base 30 as being floated . furthermore , an anti - vibration member 40 such as anti - vibration rubber is stuffed between the centrifuging motor 20 and the base 30 to absorb the vibration during centrifuging . the shaft 22 of the centrifuging motor 20 is combined with a rotor 50 by shaft coupling , and the rotor 50 comprises , for example , three rotating arms which have the same radial length from the shaft 22 , are disposed around the shaft with equal angles , say , 120 ° degrees between each other . the spaces between the rotating arms are occupied by buckets 60 , which contain samples , supported by the rotating arms . a balance weight 70 installed to be movable along the radial direction and to compensate for the imbalance generated by the centrifugal force during centrifuging process and a balance weight transfer mechanism ( not illustrated ), which transfers each balance weight 70 along the radial direction of the rotating arm , are equipped in each rotating arms . a vibration sensor 80 for measuring the amount of vibration during the centrifuging process is attached to the proper place of the centrifuge , for example , the body of the centrifuging motor 20 or the bracket mounted on the body and extended externally . fig4 explains the transfer direction of the balance weight in the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge illustrated in fig2 and fig5 explains the method of transferring the balance weight in accordance with the location of the compensation amount . in fig4 and 5 , the relationship of angles between three balance weights is determined with respect to the first balance weight ( m cw1 ) as in the following equation ( 9 ). meanwhile , the moment generated by the transfer of the balance weight 70 is determined as following equation ( 10 ). m cw1 δ { right arrow over ( r cw1 )}+ m cw2 δ { right arrow over ( r cw2 )}+ m cw3 δ { right arrow over ( r cw3 )}={ right arrow over ( u cw )} ( 10 ) in the above equation ( 10 ), m cw1 , m cw2 and m cw3 represent the mass of each balance weight , δ { right arrow over ( r cw1 )}, δ { right arrow over ( r cw2 )} and δ { right arrow over ( r cw3 )} represent the position vector indicating the transfer distance of each balance weight , and { right arrow over ( u cw )} represents the imbalance amount vector of the total balance weights . accordingly , to make a balance , as the following equation ( 11 ), the compensation amount should be equal to the moment generated by the balance weights . { right arrow over ( u c )}={ right arrow over ( u cw , )} u c exp ( jθ c )= u cw exp ( jθ cw ) ( 11 ) in other words , the sum of moment vectors due to balance weights is equal to the moment vector due to the compensation amount . accordingly , the compensation amount may be decomposed in each direction of balance weights , that is , 0 °, 120 ° and − 120 ° radial direction . furthermore , the decomposition of the compensation amount may be achieved by moving only one or two balance weight ( s ) in the direction of the compensation amount without moving all three balance weights . that is , as shown in fig5 , the compensation amount is decomposed by using two balance weights adjacent to the direction of the compensation amount . for example , if the compensation amount corresponds to the i region , then the first balance weight ( m cw1 ) and the second balance weight ( m cw2 ) are used for the decomposition , if the compensation amount corresponds to the ii region , then the second balance weight ( m cw2 ) and the third balance weight ( m cw3 ) are used for the decomposition , and if the compensation amount corresponds to the iii region , the third balance weight ( m cw3 ) and the first balance weight ( m cw1 ) are used for the decomposition . accordingly , if the amplitude and phase of the vibration amount measured after loading buckets are denoted as g and φ respectively , then the transfer distances for automatic balancing δ { right arrow over ( r cw1 )}, δ { right arrow over ( r cw2 )} and δ { right arrow over ( r cw3 )} may be obtained with ease by expressing them as a function of g , φ and the proportional constant a . fig6 shows a block diagram of the electrical part in the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge of the present invention . as shown in fig6 , the electrical configuration of the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge of the present invention comprises : a key input unit 110 that receives or sets up all kinds of information required to operate the centrifuge ; a vibration detection unit 120 to detect the dynamic state , namely , the vibration in rotation , of the centrifuge ; a centrifuging motor 145 to rotate the rotor and a driving unit 140 thereof ; a rotational velocity detection unit 130 to detect the rotational velocity of the rotor ; an alarm unit 160 to give an alarm for the occurrence of the malfunction or the over - vibration of the centrifuge ; a display unit 170 to display all kinds of information generated during the operation of the centrifuge ; an imbalance compensating unit 150 for compensating the weight imbalance in the centrifuge ; and a microcontroller unit 100 to control the overall operation of the centrifuge generally . in the above described configuration of the centrifuge , the centrifuging motor 145 may be , for example , a brushless dc motor . the vibration detection unit 120 , for example , may be implemented by , for example , an acceleration sensor , a velocity sensor or a displacement sensor , and when implemented with an acceleration sensor , it may be implemented by an acceleration sensor , which detects one or more axes . the rotational velocity detection unit 130 may be implemented by the encoder type detector . the imbalance compensating unit 150 may be implemented , for example , by transferring of the balance weights as shown in fig3 or by moving directly the rotor lever as disclosed in the preceding inventions . finally , the microcontroller unit 100 may comprise a microprocessor and attached memories , and the programs whose flow follows the flowchart of fig7 , functions for converting the transfer distance , proportional constants , maximum values described later and a set of allowed values are stored in the attached memories . fig7 is the flowchart explaining the control method for the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge of the present invention . in advance , the vibration proportional constants , which are obtained for rotational velocities divided by a constant step for measurement , should be piled as a database , and the maximum value ( over the compensation rage or abnormal vibration ) of rotational velocities for measurement and the allowed values corresponding to compensation resolution should be set up . in this process , for the regions in which the rotational velocity is not measured , the linear interpolation method may be used . as shown in fig7 , in the step s 10 , the centrifuging motor 145 is driven so that the rotor may be accelerated to the predetermined rotational velocity of the first round for measurement , for example , 500 rpm . next , in the step s 12 , according to the vibration amount sensed by the vibration detection unit 120 at this velocity , the magnitude , namely , the amplitude and phase is measured , and then in the step s 14 , it is determined whether the measured amplitude may be greater than the predetermined maximum value above which the centrifuge may not sustain or the compensation limit is exceeded . if the measured value is greater than the predetermined maximum value , it means that the over - vibration occurs or the compensation limit is exceeded , and then the flow goes to the step s 36 to stop the rotor immediately and to issue relevant alarm or message . meanwhile , according to the determination in the step s 14 , if the measured amplitude is less than the maximum value , then the flow advances to the step s 16 and it is determined whether the amplitude is greater than the allowed value corresponding to the rotational velocity of the round , wherein the allowed value may be set up higher as the rotational velocity is lower . if the determination in the step s 16 turns out to be that the amplitude is greater than the allowed value then it means that the compensation for the imbalance is required , and then the flow advances to the step s 18 to stop the rotor and goes to the step s 20 to compensate for the imbalance , and then returns to the step s 10 . meanwhile , if the determination in the step s 16 turns out to be that the amplitude is less than the allowed value , then the flow advances to the step s 22 and it is determined whether the rotational velocity of the next round for measurement , that is , the request for measuring the vibration amount above the rotational velocity of the first round for measurement exists . the reason for the above processes is that most cases of imbalance of a rotating body may be created by the structure of the rotating body or various factors , or that the imbalance state of rotating body is likely to vary near the critical velocity ( dangerous velocity ). thus , it is necessary to adjust adequately by accommodating the above reason . therefore , there is no reason to have the step s 22 , if there is no critical velocity , at which imbalance of rotating body is apt to vary , until the rotational velocity for measurement reaches working velocity for centrifuging . moreover , the maximum rotational velocity may be determined to be lower than the working velocity for centrifuging . if the determination in step s 22 turns out to be that there is no need to measure the vibration amount in the next round , it means that the imbalance has been compensated in the current state and then the rotor is accelerated to the working velocity for centrifuging to perform the centrifugal separation process in the step s 34 . on the other hand , if there is a request for measuring the vibration amount in the next round , the flow advance to the step s 24 to accelerate the rotor to the rotational velocity for measurement of the next round , for example , 1 , 000 rpm and then in the step s 26 , the amplitude and phase is measured from the vibration amount sensed by the vibration detection unit 120 at this velocity . next , in the step s 28 , the flow determines whether the amplitude measured is greater than the allowed value and if the amplitude is greater than the allowed value , it means that the adjustment for the unbalance is required so that unbalance is adjusted performing the steps of s 30 - s 32 while the rotor is in stop and then return to the step of s 22 . meanwhile , if the amplitude is less than the allowed value , it means that the adjustment for the unbalance is not possible and return to the step of s 22 . following the flow , in the step s 22 , if there is no request of the next round for measuring the vibration amount , the step s 34 is performed . here , the allowed value is relatively lower as the rotational velocity is higher . the automatic balance adjusting centrifuge and the control method thereof of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and it should be understood that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , in the above embodiments , the imbalance is compensated while the rotor is stopped , however , the imbalance may be compensated while the rotor rotates . furthermore , by sensing the vibration amount in real time even during centrifuging , if the amplitude comes to be greater than the maximum value , the rotor may be stopped immediately . the vibration sensor may be located on any fixed place of the body of the centrifuge motor or of the bracket attached to the motor body and extended to the outside , however , it is desirable to locate the vibration sensor as far as possible from the rotational axis of the rotor so as to detect big vibration .	1
as shown in fig2 , an inventive integrated circuit ( ic ) module 20 includes ic dice 22 having function circuits , such as input buffers 24 , selectively receiving a test mode initiate signal , such as a supply voltage v cc , through a module terminal 26 , a switching circuit 28 , and test mode enable bond pads 30 ( e . g ., output enable ( oe ) bond pads ). it will be understood by those having skill in the field of this invention that the ic module 20 may be any electronic structure having at least one die accessed externally through terminals , including , for example , any multi - chip module ( mcm ), such as a single in - line memory module ( simm ), a dual in - line memory module ( dimm ), a random access memory ( ram ) card , a flash read - only - memory ( rom ) module or card , a synchronous dynamic ram ( sdram ) module or card , and a rambus ram module or card . it will also be understood that the dice 22 may be any dice for purposes of this invention , including , for example , dram dice , static random access memory ( sram ) dice , synchronous graphics random access memory ( sgram ) dice , rom dice , and processor dice . also , it will be understood that the function circuits may be any circuitry on a die for initiating a test mode in the die , the test mode initiate signal may be any signal for initiating a test mode in a die , the module terminal 26 may be any terminal including , for example , an mcm pin ( e . g ., a simm , dimm , ram card , ram module , rom card , or rom module pin ), the switching circuit 28 may be , for example , a fuse or a transistor or any other device for selectively isolating the function circuits from the module terminal 26 , and the test mode enable bond pads 30 may be any bond pads connectable to a function circuit for enabling a test mode in a die . further , it should be understood that although the switching circuit 28 is shown in fig2 as being a single circuit coupled to the module terminal 26 , it may instead comprise a plurality of circuits , each one coupled to the module terminal 26 and one of the dice 22 . in response to receiving the test mode initiate signal , the input buffers 24 initiate a test mode in the dice 22 . in this mode , various test signals may be provided to the dice 22 in a well known manner to test the circuitry thereon , and the dice 22 then output various response signals indicating the presence of any failing circuitry . while the test mode initiate signal , such as the supply voltage v cc , is being provided to the test mode enable bond pads 30 and the input buffers 24 , an impedance circuit 32 , such as , for example , a resistor , resistance - connected mos transistor , or anti - fuse , supports a difference in voltages between the test mode initiate signal at the test mode enable bond pads 30 and an operational mode enable signal , such as a reference voltage v ss , at a reference terminal 34 , such as , for example , an mcm pin ( e . g ., a simm , dimm , ram card , ram module , rom card , or rom module pin ). it will be understood that although the impedance circuit 32 is shown in fig2 as being a single circuit coupled to the reference terminal 34 , it may instead comprise a plurality of circuits , each one coupled to the reference terminal 34 and one of the dice 22 . once testing of the dice 22 is complete , the switching circuit 28 isolates the input buffers 24 from the module terminal 26 to disable the test mode , and the impedance circuit 32 conducts the operational mode signal , such as the reference voltage v ss , to the input buffers 24 . in response , the input buffers 24 initiate an operational mode in the dice 22 in which the dice 22 operate in accordance with their intended normal function . thus , for example , if the dice 22 are drams , they would perform normal memory operations in their operational mode . thus , the dice 22 in the ic module 20 are fully testable even after being packaged , and yet their test mode can be disabled as necessary so the ic module 20 can be used by end users in the field . as will be described in more detail below with respect to fig6 and 9 , one or both of the switching circuit 28 and the impedance circuit 32 may be incorporated into the dice 22 instead of being provided on a substrate 36 of the ic module 20 as shown in fig2 . also , as will be described in more detail below with respect to fig9 , one or both of the test mode initiate signal and the operational mode signal may be generated on the dice 22 rather than being provided by external circuitry . as shown in fig3 a , 3 b , and 3 c , the switching circuit 28 of fig2 can be , for example , a fuse 38 that is blown once testing is complete , or an nmos transistor 40 or pmos transistor 42 that is de - activated once testing is complete . also , as shown in fig4 a , 4 b and 4 c , the impedance circuit 32 of fig2 can be , for example , a resistor 44 , an anti - fuse 46 that is blown once testing is complete , or an nmos transistor 48 that is activated once testing is complete . further , as shown in fig5 , the nmos transistor 40 of fig3 b and the nmos transistor 48 of fig4 c , for example , may be controlled by an anti - fuse isolate logic circuit 50 that outputs a high voltage during a test mode and is then programmed to output a low voltage once testing is complete . the high voltage during the test mode activates the nmos transistor 40 and de - activates the nmos transistor 48 through an inverter 52 , and the low voltage after programming de - activates the nmos transistor 40 and activates the nmos transistor 48 through the inverter 52 . of course , a wide variety of other combinations are well within the scope of this invention . as shown in fig6 a , in another embodiment this invention comprises an electronic system 60 , such as a computer system , including an input device 62 , an output device 64 , a processor device 66 , such as a state machine , and a memory device , such as an ic module 68 . although this embodiment will be described with respect to the memory device comprising the ic module 68 , it will be understood that the ic module 68 could comprise all or any portion of the input device 62 , the output device 64 , the processor device 66 , and the memory device . also , although the electronic system 60 will be described with respect to a particular ic module 68 , it will be understood that this invention includes any of the inventive ic modules described herein as incorporated into an electronic system . further , as discussed above , it will be understood that the ic module 68 may comprise any electronic structure having at least one die externally accessible through terminals , including , for example , an mcm , such as a simm , dimm , ram card , ram module , rom card , or rom module . the ic module 68 includes a terminal 70 , such as an mcm pin as discussed above , receiving a test mode initiate signal ( e . g . the supply voltage v cc ) from the processor device 66 . the terminal 70 conducts the test mode initiate signal to a bond pad 72 of an ic die 74 . as discussed above , it will be understood that the ic die 74 may be any die , including , for example , a dram die , sram die , sgram die , processor die , flash rom die , sdram die , or rambus ram die . to initiate a test mode in the die 74 , a switching circuit 76 conducts the test mode initiate signal from the bond pad 72 to a function circuit 78 ( e . g ., an oe input buffer ). in response , the function circuit 78 initiates a test mode in the die 74 as described above . while the test mode initiate signal is being conducted to the function circuit 78 , an impedance circuit 80 supports a difference in voltages between the test mode initiate signal at the function circuit 78 and an operational mode signal , such as a reference voltage v ss , supplied by an operational mode voltage circuit 82 . it should be understood that the switching circuit 76 may , for example , comprise a fuse , a mos transistor , or a flash memory cell , the function circuit 78 may comprise any circuit which enables or initiates a test mode in response to a test mode initiate signal , the impedance circuit 80 may , for example , comprise an anti - fuse , a mos transistor , or a resistor , and the operational mode voltage circuit 82 may comprise any circuit for supplying an operational mode signal , such as a reference voltage v ss , on a die . when testing is over , the switching circuit 76 isolates the function circuit 78 from the bond pad 72 to disable the test mode in the die 74 by , for example , blowing a fuse or de - activating a mos transistor . the impedance circuit 80 then conducts the operational mode signal from the operational mode voltage circuit 82 to the function circuit 78 by , for example , blowing an anti - fuse or activating a mos transistor . in response to the operational mode signal , the function circuit 78 initiates an operational mode in the die 74 as described above . thus , the die 74 is fully testable even after being packaged in the ic module 68 , and yet the test mode of the die 74 can be disabled as necessary so the ic module 68 can be used by end users in the field . as shown in detail in fig6 b , the switching circuit 76 of fig6 a may include a flash memory cell 77 programmed to activate or deactivate an nmos transistor 79 . the cell 77 may be programmed , for example , to conduct the test mode initiate signal during a test mode , and to isolate the bond pad 72 ( fig6 a ) from the function circuit 78 ( fig6 a ) during normal operations of the electronic system 60 ( fig6 a ). as shown in fig7 , an inventive ic module 84 includes dice 86 having function circuits , such as input buffers 88 , selectively receiving a test mode initiate signal , such as a supply voltage v cc , through a first terminal 90 , a dedicated conductor 92 , and test mode enable bond pads 94 ( e . g ., output enable ( oe ) bond pads ). it will be understood by those having skill in the field of this invention that the ic module 84 may be any electronic structure having at least one die accessed externally through terminals , including , for example , an mcm , such as a simm , a dimm , a ram card , a ram module , a rom card , and a rom module . it will also be understood that the dice 86 may be any dice for purposes of this invention , including , for example , dram dice , sram dice , sgram dice , flash rom dice , sdram dice , rambus ram dice , and processor dice . also , it will be understood that the function circuits may be any circuitry on a die for initiating a test mode in the die , the test mode initiate signal may be any signal for initiating a test mode in a die , the first terminal 90 may be any terminal including , for example , an mcm pin , such as a simm , dimm , ram card , rom card , ram module , or rom module pin , the dedicated conductor 92 may be , for example , any conductive structure or device connected exclusively to those bond pads 94 on the dice 86 adapted to receive the test mode initiate signal or unaffected by receipt of the test mode initiate signal , and the test mode enable bond pads 94 may be any bond pads connectable to a function circuit for enabling a test mode in a die . in response to receiving the test mode initiate signal , the input buffers 88 initiate a test mode in the dice 86 in a well known manner as described above . once testing of the dice 86 is complete , an operational mode signal , such as a reference voltage v ss , is provided through the first terminal 90 and the dedicated conductor 92 to the input buffers 88 to initiate an operational mode in the dice 86 in the well known manner described above . a second terminal 96 provides the reference voltage v ss to other circuits in the dice 86 via a reference conductor 97 and reference voltage bond pads 98 . thus , the dice 86 in the ic module 84 are fully testable even after being packaged , and yet the operational mode can be enabled as necessary so the ic module 84 can be used by end users in the field . as shown in fig8 a in an isometric view of a portion of an alternative version of the ic module 84 of fig7 , a conductive via 100 through a substrate 102 of the ic module 84 couples the first terminal 90 and dedicated conductor 92 to the second terminal 96 and the reference conductor 97 through an impedance element , such as a surface mount resistor 104 . of course , the impedance element may , for example , comprise a resistance - connected mos transistor rather than the surface mount resistor 104 . during testing , a test mode initiate signal , such as the supply voltage v cc , may be supplied to the first terminal 90 to initiate a test mode as described above with respect to fig7 . at the same time , an operational mode signal , such as the reference voltage v ss , may be supplied to the second terminal 96 without interfering with the test mode , because the surface mount resistor 104 supports a difference in voltages between the test mode initiate signal at the first terminal 90 and the operational mode signal at the second terminal 96 . once testing is complete , the operational mode signal , or no signal , may be supplied to the first terminal 90 . at the same time , the surface mount resistor 104 conducts the operational mode signal from the second terminal 96 to the dedicated conductor 92 , in order to initiate the operational mode as described above with respect to fig7 . as shown in fig8 b in an isometric view of a portion of another alternative version of the ic module 84 of fig7 , a test mode initiate signal , such as the supply voltage v cc , may be supplied to the first terminal 90 during testing to initiate a test mode as described above with respect to fig7 . at the same time , an operational mode signal , such as the reference voltage v ss , may be supplied to the second terminal 96 and the reference conductor 97 without interfering with the test mode , because a removable link 106 , such as a jumper or zero ohm surface mount resistor , is not present during testing , thus isolating the second terminal 96 from the first terminal 90 . once testing is complete , the operational mode signal , or no signal , may be supplied to the first terminal 90 . at the same time , the link 106 is positioned to connect the second terminal to the dedicated conductor 92 through the conductive via 100 in the substrate 102 , thereby conducting the operational mode signal from the second terminal 96 to the dedicated conductor 92 in order to initiate the operational mode as described above with respect to fig7 . although the first and second terminals 90 and 96 are shown in fig8 a and 8b as being on opposing sides of the substrate 102 , it will be understood that the invention is not so limited . as shown in fig9 , in another embodiment , this invention comprises an ic die 108 . as discussed above , the ic die 108 may be any die including , for example , a dram die , sram die , sgram die , flash rom die , sdram die , rambus ram die , or processor die . to initiate a test mode in the die 108 , a test mode enable signal directs a test mode voltage circuit 110 in the die 108 to generate a test mode voltage v test , such as 3 . 3 volts . a switching circuit 112 then conducts the test mode voltage v test to a function circuit 114 ( e . g ., an oe input buffer ). in response , the function circuit 114 initiates a test mode in the die 108 as described above . while the test mode voltage v test is being conducted to the function circuit 114 , an impedance circuit 116 supports a difference in voltages between the test mode voltage v test at the function circuit 114 and an operational mode voltage v oper , such as 0 . 0 volts , supplied by an operational mode voltage circuit 118 . it should be understood that the switching circuit 112 may , for example , comprise a fuse or a mos transistor , the function circuit 114 may comprise any circuit which enables or initiates a test mode in response to a test mode voltage v test , the impedance circuit 116 may , for example , comprise an anti - fuse , a mos transistor , or a resistor , and the operational mode voltage circuit 118 may comprise any circuit for supplying an operational mode voltage v oper on a die . when testing is over , the switching circuit 112 isolates the function circuit 114 from the test mode voltage v test to disable the test mode in the die 108 by , for example , blowing a fuse or de - activating a mos transistor . the impedance circuit 116 then conducts the operational mode voltage v oper from the operational mode voltage circuit 118 to the function circuit 114 by , for example , blowing an anti - fuse or activating a mos transistor . in response to the operational mode voltage v oper , the function circuit 118 initiates an operational mode in the die 108 as described above . thus , the die 108 is fully testable even after being packaged , and yet the test mode of the die 108 can be disabled as necessary so the die 108 can be used by end users in the field . as shown in fig1 , a test apparatus 120 for testing an ic module 122 of this invention having an ic die 124 includes a test - apparatus - to - module interface 126 having interface terminals 128 connectable to module terminals 130 on the ic module 122 . the module terminals 130 , in turn , are in communication with the die 124 including a redundancy circuit 132 . a test mode enable circuit 134 provides a test mode initiate signal to the die 124 through the interface 126 to initiate a test mode in the die 124 in the manner described above . a test signal circuit 136 then provides test signals to the die 124 through the interface 126 to test the die 124 in the test mode . a response signal circuit 138 receives response signals from the die 124 in the test mode in response to the test signals , and an evaluator circuit 140 then evaluates the response signals to identify any failing circuitry in the die 124 . a repair enablement device 142 in the test apparatus 120 may provide repair control signals to the redundancy circuit 132 in the die 124 directing the redundancy circuit 132 to replace any failing circuitry identified by the evaluator circuit 140 with redundant elements 144 in the die 124 . the manner in which repair control signals may direct the redundancy circuit 132 to repair any failing circuitry in the die 124 is well known by those skilled in the art . as shown in fig1 in a block diagram of an alternative version of the test apparatus 120 described with respect to fig1 , a processor 146 coupled to a memory device 148 and an input / output device 150 may provide the test mode initiate signal , the test signals , and the repair control signals , and may receive and evaluate the response signals , in the manner described above with respect to fig1 . it should be understood that the memory device 148 may comprise any permanent or temporary electronic storage medium , including , for example , a dram , sram , sgram , disk , tape , memory card , memory module , or programmable logic array . as shown in still another embodiment of this invention in fig1 a and 12b , a method for testing any one of the above - described inventive ic dice or modules includes the steps of : 160 providing a test mode initiate signal to an externally accessible terminal of an ic module ; 162 conducting the test mode initiate signal exclusively to bond pads on dice in the ic module adapted to receive the signal to initiate a test mode in the dice ; 164 testing each of the dice in the test mode by providing test signals to each die through the externally accessible terminals of the ic module ; 166 receiving response signals from each die through the terminals of the ic module in response to the test signals ; 168 evaluating the response signals from each die to identify any failing elements in the dice of the ic module ; 170 providing repair control signals to a redundant circuit in each die to direct each die to replace any identified failing elements with redundant elements ; 172 re - testing each die by providing re - test signals to each die through the ic module &# 39 ; s externally accessible terminals ; 174 receiving response signals from each die through the ic module &# 39 ; s terminals in response to the re - test signals ; and 176 evaluating the response signals from each die to confirm the repair of any failing elements therein . as shown in fig1 a and 13b , the step 170 from fig1 a and 12b of providing repair control signals to a redundant circuit in each die includes , for each identified failing element , the steps of : 180 determining an address associated with the failing element ; 182 latching the failing element &# 39 ; s address into the dice ; 184 providing a programming mode enable signal , such as a super voltage column address strobe ( cas ) signal , to the dice to enable a programming mode therein ; 186 applying a fuse address of a fusebank enable anti - fuse associated with a redundant element selected to replace the failing element to the ic module &# 39 ; s terminals to identify the location of the anti - fuse ; 188 coupling to the anti - fuse ; 190 determining the anti - fuse &# 39 ; s resistance ; 192 applying a programming voltage , such as a voltage between 8 and 10 volts , to the anti - fuse to blow the anti - fuse ; 194 redetermining the anti - fuse &# 39 ; s resistance to confirm it is blown ; and , for each asserted address bit in each failing element &# 39 ; s address : 198 applying a fuse address of an address bit anti - fuse associated with the redundant element selected to replace the failing element to the ic module &# 39 ; s terminals to identify the location of the anti - fuse ; 200 coupling to the anti - fuse ; 202 determining the address bit anti - fuse &# 39 ; s resistance ; 204 applying a programming voltage , such as a voltage between 8 and 10 volts , to the anti - fuse to blow the anti - fuse ; and 206 redetermining the address bit anti - fuse &# 39 ; s resistance to confirm it is programmed . as used herein , each “ asserted ” address bit in a failing element &# 39 ; s address may be each “ 1 ” bit in the address or each “ 0 ” bit in the address . it will be understood that any or all of the steps 160 – 206 in the embodiment of fig1 a , 12 b , 13 a , and 13 b , or any portion thereof , may be implemented in hardware , software , or both , using a wide variety of well - known architectures , including , for example , a state machine and the embodiment of fig1 and 11 . it will also be understood that , although the embodiment of fig1 a , 12 b , 13 a , and 13 b has been described with respect to anti - fuses , any programmable circuit or element will work for purposes of this invention . also , it will be understood that the step 186 in fig1 a may include automatic selection of the location and type of redundant element ( e . g ., redundant row or column ) to be used to replace the failing element . finally , it will be understood that the steps 180 to 206 of fig1 a and 13b may be automated by computer or performed manually . this invention thus advantageously provides a device and method for testing and repairing ic dice already packaged in ic modules . although this invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments , the invention is not limited to these described embodiments . rather , the invention is limited only by the appended claims , which include within their scope all equivalent devices and methods that operate according to the principles of the invention as described .	7
we have examined the role of bip / grp78 in the processing and secretion of a variety of proteins , including human factor viii ( fviii ), human tissue plasminogen activator ( tpa ) and human von willebrand factor ( vwf ) in host cells such as stable chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cell lines . fviii is synthesized as a single chain precursor of about 250 kd and subsequently processed to a &# 34 ; heavy chain &# 34 ; of about 200 kd and a &# 34 ; light chain &# 34 ; doublet of about 80 kd . fviii has a plethora of potential n - linked glycosylation sites . twenty of the twenty - five sites are located within the middle one - third of the molecule which has been defined as the b domain . ( toole et al nature 1984 ) deletion of this domain to produce the &# 34 ; la &# 34 ; variant of fviii results in higher levels of fviii secretion ( toole et al proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1986 ). tpa has a molecular weight of about 68 , 000 kd and contains four potential n - linked glycosylation sites of which three are typically occupied ( pohl et al . biochem 1984 ). vwf is a large glycoprotein synthesized as an approximately 260 , 000 kd precursor which forms dimers in the endoplasmic reticulum and is subsequently processed in golgi and post - golgi compartments to approximately 100 , 000 and 220 , 000 kd forms ( bonthron et al . nature 1986 ). these processed forms undergo interdimer disulfide bond formation to form high molecular weight multimers ( wagner & amp ; marder j . cell biol 1984 ). our results indicate that the occupancy of n - linked glycosylation sites on a protein plays a role in the extent of bip association . underglycosylation of a protein results in increased bip association and retention inside the cell . this block to secretion may be dependent on expression level . we believe that bip / grp78 plays a major role in the processing and transport of secreted glycoproteins . in order to qualitatively assess the role of bip / grp78 in the secretory pathway we examined a variety of stable cho cell lines by pulse and chase experiments . the time course of association of fviii and bip was analyzed by comparing the amount of fviii which was detected by immunoprecipitation with a monoclonal antibody specific for bip against that precipitated with a monoclonal specific for fviii . following a 1 hour pulse with 35 s methionine roughly 85 % of wild - type ( wt ) fviii was detected in a complex with bip as indicated by the amount of fviii seen in the anti - bip immunoprecipitation compared to that precipitated by the anti - fviii monoclonal . only the 250 kd single chain form was found to be associated with bip . no processed 80 kd form was precipitated by the anti - bip monoclonal although it is present in the cells at this time . bip was observed to migrate slightly faster than the 80 kd doublet . at the 4 h chase time point processed heavy chain of 200 kd and the 80 kd light chain doublet can be detected in the conditioned medium . immunoprecipation of the conditioned medium detected a slight amount of bip . however there was no associated fviii observed . intracellularly the amount of fviii associated with bip had decreased to less than 50 % as the molecule transits through the cell . at the 20 h chase time point the ratio of bip - associated to unassociated fviii changed . the single chain fviii had begun to degrade as indicated by a smearing of the 250 kd band as analyzed by gel electrophoresis and roughly all of this fviii which remained in the cell after a long chase was found complexed with bip . the amount of bip had increased in the conditioned medium over this time course but an association with secreted fviii can not be detected . it is worth noting that through the 20 h chase time course the amount of grp78 inside the cells does not significantly change . it is secreted or released from damaged cells at a low rate and appears to be stable cellular protein with a half life greater than 20 h . we then examined the association of la with bip in a similar time course . la is a deleted form of fviii which has only 7 potential n - linked sites compared to 25 on wt fviii . at the 1 h pulse time point roughly 60 % of single chain la is associated with bip . single chain la appears as a doublet of approximately 150 kd . as with wt fviii no 80 kd forms are observed to be complexed with bip . during the 4 h chase period the association of la and bip significantly decreases compared to the earlier time point . single chain , processed heavy chain which migrates as a smear around 90 kd , and 80 kd light chain doublet can be detected in the 4 h conditioned medium by immunoprecipitation with anti - fviii monoclonal . also present in the medium is trace unassociated bip . at the 20 h chase time point a small amount of la remains in the cell and the proportion of la associated with bip is slight . these experiments indicated that la exhibits a transient association with bip inside the cell and , in contrast to wt fviii , is not retained intracellularly in a complex with bip . this suggested that the complexity of the wt fviii glycosylation may influence the degree of bip association since deletion of the highly glycosylated region in la produced a protein which was associated with bip to a lesser degree than wt fviii . in this regard it is noteworthy that grp78 is induced to high levels in cho cells placed under conditions which affect n - linked glycosylation such as glucose starvation or tunicamycin treatment . this observation that a population of wt fviii molecules remained inside the cell complexed with bip after long chase while la displayed a transient association prompted us to test whether disruption of the glycosylation of la would result in greater association with bip . to examine this concept , la producing cells were treated overnight with 10 ug / ml tunicamycin . this treatment inhibits n - linked glycosylation and has been reported to induce increased levels of grp78 synthesis ( munro and pelham , 1986 ). following a 1 h pulse with 35 s methionine the extracts of untreated or treated cells were immunoprecipitated with anti - fviii monoclonal or anti - bip monoclonal . in the absence of tunicamycin , only a small amount of single chain la at 150 kd was associated with bip . in the presence of tunicamycin the molecular weight of the la doublet was reduced and roughly all of this unglycosylated la was now associated with bip . thus disruption of the glycosylation of la under conditions which should induce increased levels of grp78 results in increased association with bip compared to normally glycosylated la . this suggested that improper glycosylation of fviii might influence its association with bip . of particular interest is the detection of a protein induced by tunicamycin treatment which comigrates with the protein identified as bip by immunoprecipitation with the anti - bip monoclonal . the molecular weight of bip does not change following tunicamycin treatment indicating it is not normally n - linked glycosylated . it was possible that the cho cells were deficient in some aspect of the secretory pathway and so could not properly process a complex glycoprotein . to explore this we examined the processing of vwf in a stable cho line in a pulse and chase experiment . the precursor form of vwf has 17 n - linked glycosylation sites spread along the molecule . at the 1 h pulse time point the 260 kda vwf precursor protein is observed inside cho cells . roughly 20 % of this protein is found complexed with bip . vwf is efficiently and rapidly secreted such that at the 4 h chase point approximately 90 % of the 260 kda precursor is gone from the cell extract and the conditioned medium contains the processed forms of 275 and 220 kd . these processed forms are not observed intracellularly to any significant degree , consistent with observations that this processing of the 260 kda precursor to the 275 and 220 forms occurs rapidly late in the pathway of vwf secretion . at both the 4 h chase and 20 h chase points most of the vwf has been secreted from the cells . some vwf is still associated with bip at the 4 h point but little if any bip - vwf complex is observed at the 20 h chase point . despite the fact that vwf is a complex glycosylated protein its association with bip is transient and most of the protein is efficiently secreted from cho cells . this is in contrast to the situation with wt fviii and indicates that cho cells are competent to efficiently secrete a complex glycoprotein . to further analyze the role of glycosylation on protein secretion and bip association we examined the processing of t - pa in glycosylated and unglycosylated forms in cho cells . t - pa has 4 potential n - linked glycosylation sites of which 3 are utilized . t - pa appears as a doublet or roughly 68 kd due to variability in the utilization of one of the three glycosylation sites . t - pa3x is genetically engineered mutant in which the three normally utilized n - linked glycosylation sites have been abolished by asn to gln codon changes in the canonical recognition site sequences . see international application no . pct / us87 / 00257 ( wo 87 / 04722 ). glycosylated unmodified t - pa ( i . e . wild type , &# 34 ; t - pawt &# 34 ;) was efficiently processed and secreted in a high producing cho cell line , aj19 . at the pulse time point t - pawt exhibited a slight association with bip . during the 1 h and 3 h chase periods most of the t - pawt had been secreted into the medium and little if any association with bip could be detected intracellularly at these times . thus , at high intracellular concentrations t - pawt is correctly processed and secreted without extensive detectable association with bip . we next examined the processing of t - pa3x in a low producing cell line , t - pa3x - 4 , to determine if the absence of n - linked glycosylation in t - pa3x would prevent its efficient secretion , in analogy to our observations with la . this unglycosylated form of t - pa displays little association with bip and is efficiently secreted into the medium . the time course of its transit through the cell is similar to that observed for t - pawt . the majority of the protein has left the cell by the 1 h and 3 h chase time points indicating that t - pa3x does not experience a block in the secretory pathway . thus , in the absence of glycosylation t - pa remains in a secretion competent form which displays little association with bip . however , examination of a high producing t - pa3x cell line , t - pa3x - 13 , indicated that the association of t - pa3x with bip is dependent on the expression level . t - pa3x - 13 produces roughly 200 - fold higher levels of t - pa3x that t - pa3x - 4 . at high expression levels t - pa3x displays a significant association with bip in sharp contrast to that observed for the t - pa3x - 4 line . the amount of t - pa3x associated with bip decreases slightly between the pulse time point and the 1 h chase point . however , the amount of t - pa3x found in a complex with bip remains the same between the 1 h and 3 h chase points . strikingly , the proportion of t - pa3x associated with bip increased through the time course such that at the 3 h chase point most of the t - pa3x which remained in the cell was in a complex with bip . during the time course of this experiment t - pa3x is secreted from the cell but there exists a population of the molecules which are not competent for efficient secretion and apparently enter a stable complex with bip . this situation is highly reminiscent of that observed with wt fviii described above . in the case of t - pa3x the efficient of secretion and the extent of bip association of the unglycosylated protein was influenced by the expression level . another way to examine unglycosylated forms of t - pa is to inhibit n - linked glycosylation by tunicamycin treatment . immunofluorescence analysis showed that tunicamycin treatment of t - pawt - producing cells results in accumulation of t - pa in the endoplasmic reticulum . when the aj19 cell line is treated with 10 ug / ml tunicamycin for 1 hour the association of the unglycosylated t - pa with bip is significantly increased compared to t - pawt . t - pa - bip complex is detected at the chase time point and there is some inhibition of secretion . similar treatment of the t - pa3x - 13 cell line did not produce an alteration in the amount of t - pa3x associated with bip compared to untreated cells and the protein is secreted while a fraction of the intracellular t - pa remains associated with bip . this pattern of protein processing in tunicamycin treated t - pa3x - 13 cells looks similar to the untreated time course . this indicated that the influence of tunicamycin treatment on t - pawt secretion was due to the absence of glycosylation on the molecule itself rather than an indirect effect of the tunicamycin . it is striking that the t - pawt treated with tunicamycin profile looks very much like that of t - pa3x at high expression levels . in both cases a similar proportion of the unglycosylated molecules are apparently not competent for efficient secretion and remain in an intracellular complex with bip . at lower expression levels t - pa3x shows no significant association with bip . t - pawt at lower expression levels is affected to a lesser degree by tunicamycin treatment that the high producer cell line . thus the association of unglycosylated t - pa with bip is influenced by the intracellular levels of t - pa . unglycosylated t - pa appears as doublet in these experiments . t - pa is synthesized with a 12 - 15 amino acid long propeptide at the amino terminus of the protein ( pennica et al . nature 1983 ). most probably the higher molecular weight band represents the uncleaved pro - t - pa precursor form while the lower band represents the mature form which has been processed to remove the amino terminal propeptide . since propeptide cleavage occurs in golgi and post - golgi compartments and bip has been localized to the endoplasmic reticulum , only the pro - t - pa precursor form should be present in the same compartment as bip . consistent with this interpretations is the observation that only the higher molecular weight species of the doublet is found associated with bip while only the lower molecular weight species is secreted . a cdna coding sequence for chinese hamster grp78 was placed in the expression vector pmt2 which is a derivative of p91023b and this expression vector ( pmtgrp78 ) was cotransfected into cos cells with wt fviii ( pmt2viii ) or la ( pmt2la ) expression vectors to examine the consequences of overexpression of grp78 on fviii secretion . the transient expression of fviii was monitored by assaying the conditioned medium for fviii activity . expression of grp78 was detected by immunoprecipitation with the anti - bip monoclonal . pmt2 may be obtained from pmt2 - vwf ( atcc no . 67122 ) as described in detail below . coexpression of grp78 and fviii in cos cells consistently resulted in a 6 - 10 fold reduction in the levels of fviii activity in the conditioned medium ( table 1 , below ). the effect of two different replicating vectors in the same cell is a decrease in the expression of both vectors . to compensate for this phenomenon , fviii or la vectors were always cotransfected with pcsf - 1 . pcsf - 1 is an expression vector for gm - csf which carries similar replication and transcription elements as pmt2 ( wong et al science 1985 ). coexpression of la and grp78 in cos cells resulted in a 2 - 3 fold reduction the levels of la activity in the medium . the degree of decrease of activity of la and wt fviii are consistent with the degree of association of fviii and la with bip in cho cells . the heavily glycosylated wt fviii is more affected by grp78 expression than la in the transient cos system and also displays a stronger association with bip in stable cho cell lines . this data indicates that high levels of grp78 can interfere with the secretion of fviii and is suggestive that bip and grp78 are functionally and structurally similar . the particular grp78 cdna used is a matter of choice . for example , one may use a chinese hamster cdna clone p3c5 obtained as described ( lee et al , 1983 , j . biol . chem . 258 : 597 ). alternatively a rat cdna clone may be obtained , also as described ( munro & amp ; pelham cell 1986 ). sequence analysis has shown that both of these clones encode the same protein identified as grp78 . at the amino acid level the rat and hamster proteins are 99 . 4 % homologous . cloning of a functional grp78 cdna may be effected using one or more oligonucleotides derived from the published sequence of grp78 and purely conventional techniques as described by lee et al . or munro & amp ; pelham , supra . alternatively , a cloned rat cdna may be obtained from sean munro , mrc laboratory of molecular biology , hills road , cambridge cb2 2qh , england . b . coexpression of chinese hamster grp78 cdna in monkey kidney cos cells with f ( viii ) or la . chinese hamster grp78 cdna was placed into a mammalian expression vector pmt2 . this vector is a derivative of p91023b and may be obtained by ecori digestion of pmt2 - vwf , which has been deposited with the american type culture collection under atcc no . 67122 . ecori digestion excises the cdna insert present in pmt2 - vwf , yielding pmt2 in linear form which can be ligated and used to transform e . coli hb101 or dh5 to ampicillin resistance . plasmid pmt2 dna can then be prepared by conventional methods . the 1962 nucleotide open reading frame encoding hamster grp78 was excised by psti and ecorv digestion . the vector was prepared by ecori digestion , the ecori ends were filled in using klenow fragment and then the vector was digested with psti . the fragment from the hamster clone was ligated into the prepared pmt2 vector , although as indicated previously , other eucaryotic expression vectors may also be used . the resultant plasmid pmtgrp78 contains the adenovirus - va genes , sv40 replication origin including enhancer , adenovirus major late promoter including tripartite leader and 5 &# 39 ; donor splice site , 3 &# 39 ; splice acceptor site , grp78 cdna insert , dhfr cdna insert , sv40 early polyadenylation site and pbr322 sequences . pmtgrp78 was used to cotransfect cos - 1 cells along with the fviii expression vectors pmt2viii or pmt2la ( toole et al proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1986 ) using the deae dextran procedure ( kaufman proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1985 ). conditioned medium was harvested at various times beginning 48 hours post - transfection and assayed for fviii activity as described ( toole et al nature 1984 ). the results of these experiments are summarized in table i . previous work has shown that cotransfection of two different expression vectors reduces the level of expression compared to transfection of a single vector . to compensate for this phenomenon the fviii expression vectors were contransfected with pcsf - 1 , a previously described vector which expresses gm - csf ( wong et al science 1985 ). pcsf - 1 is available from the american type culture collection in e . coli mc1061 as atcc 39754 . the results in table i show that coexpression of grp78 and fviii resulted in roughly six - ten fold reduction in the level of secreted fviii activity and coexpression of grp78 and la resulted in a roughly two - three fold reduction compared to coexpression of fviii or la with gm - csf . analysis of extracts of cos cells cotransfected with pmtla and pmtgrp78 or pmt2la and pcsf - 1 and subjected to a pulse / chase 35 s methionine label showed that in cells expressing pmtgrp78 more la remained associated with bip / grp78 following the chase than was observed in the pcsf - 1 cotransfected cells . these results indicated that overexpression of grp78 prevented the secretion of fviii by the intracellular association of fviii and grp78 and the retention of this complex in the cell . this suggested that otherwise secretion competent fviii might be trapped inside cells expressing high levels of grp78 and thus a decrease in grp78 levels would facilitate the secretion of fviii and other secretory proteins . c . coexpression of chinese hamster grp78 antisense cdna with f ( viii ) in monkey kidney cos cells . chinese hamster grp78 cdna was placed into pmt2 in the opposite orientation from that in the above - described expression vector . the 1962 nucleotide open reading frame was excised as follows . the hamster grp78 clone was digested with ecorv and a psti linker was ligated to the blunt ecorv end . the dna was then cut with psti to excise the 1962 bp open reading frame . the vector pmt2 was prepared by digestion with psti . the fragment from the hamster was ligated into the psti site of pmt2 . the resultant plasmid pmtαb2 was identified by extensive restriction digest mapping to carry the grp78 cdna sequences such that the 3 &# 39 ; end of the grp78 cdna atcc no . 40387 was closest to the adenovirus major late promoter . in this orientation transcripts expressed from the adenovirus major late promotor would contain sequence which is the complement of the grp78 coding sequence . such a rna is commonly referred to as an antisense rna . it has been reported that antisense rna can interact intracellularly with its complementary sense mrna and block the synthesis of the encoded protein ( kim and wold cell 1985 ). pmtαb2 was used to cotransfect cos - 1 cells along with the fviii expression vector pmt2viii using the deae dextran procedure . conditioned medium was harvested at various times beginning 48 hours post - transfection and assayed for fviii activity . the results of such an experiment are summarized in table ii . in this experiment coexpression of fviii and antisense grp78 sequences resulted in a 50 % increase in fviii activity in the conditioned medium compared to coexpression of fviii and gm - csf . this data indicates that the introduction of an antisense vector to decrease the intracellular level of grp78 can result in increased level of fviii secretion . table i______________________________________cotransfection of fviii and grp78 expression vectorsin cos - 1 cells chromogenic activity ( milliunits / ml ) ______________________________________no dna 0 0 0 0pmt2viii / pcsf - 1 67 93 30 30pmt2viii / pmtgrp78 10 19 0 5pmt2la / pcsf - 1 290 -- 536 436pmt2la / pmtgrp78 90 -- 240 217______________________________________ * shown are the results of four separate experiments . the plasmids indicated were cotransfected into cos1 cells and the conditioned medium removed for assay by the kabi coatest f ( viii ): c method . table ii______________________________________cotransfection of f ( viii ) and antisense grp78expression vectors in cos - 1 cells chromogenic activity ( milliunits / ml ) ______________________________________pmtviii / pcsf - 1 90pmtviii / pmtαb2 135no dna 0______________________________________ the plasmids indicated were cotransfected into cos1 cells and conditioned medium removed for an assay by the kabi coatest f ( viii ): c method . development of cho cell lines with reduced bip / grp78 levels and fusion with fviii producing cell lines chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cell lines which are dhfr deficient , cho - ( dukx - bll ), were grown in an alpha medium supplemented with 10 μg / ml each of thymidine , deoxyadenosine and adenosine . cells were cotransfected with pmtαb2 ( 20 μg ) and psv2neo ( 2 μg )( atcc no . 37149 ) by the calcium phosphate coprecipitation procedure ( kaufman et al jmb 1982 ). psv2neo codes for resistance to the antibiotic g418 ( p . southern & amp ; berg p . 1982 j . mol . appl . genet . l 327 - 341 ). forty - eight hours post - transfection the cells were plated in alpha medium supplemented with nucleosides as above and including 1 mg / ml of g418 in order to select for sv2neo expression . pmtαb2 contains an intact dhfr coding region in the 3 &# 39 ; region of the antisense grp78 transcript . thus g418 resistant transformants can be subsequently selected for dhfr expression from this mrna . growth in alpha media lacking nucleosides with 10 % dialyzed fetal calf serum resulted in dhfr + colonies . five colonies were pooled to produce the a6b line . this line was then amplified by selection for growth in the presence of the folic acid analogue methotrexate at a concentration of 0 . 02 μm . following approximately 8 passages in 0 . 02 μm methetrexate the bip / grp78 level in a6b was compared to cho dukx by immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled cell extracts with anti - bip monoclonal and analysis by sds page . a6b showed reduced levels of bip / grp78 compared to the original cho line . in addition the level of antisense grp78 rna derived from pmtαb2 in these cells was determined by northern analysis . the a6b cell line was fused with an fviii producing cell line h9 by standard polyethylene glycol procedure following treatment of a6b with depc to render them nonviable ( w . e . wright , chap 5 , the selection of heterokaryons and cell hybrids using the biochemical inhibitors iodoacetamide and diethylpyrocarbonate in techniques in somatic cell genetics , ed . j . w . shay , plenum press ). two days following cell fusion the cells were plated in 1 μm methetrexate and 1 mg / ml g418 . h9 grows in 1 μm methetrexate and g418 selects for the chromosome containing the antisense grp78 sequences derived from a6b cells . after eleven days of growth twenty - two colonies were pooled to produce the cell line designated h9xa6b - 9 . determination to the level of fviii procoagulant activity secreted into the conditioned medium by h9xa6b - 9 showed that this cell line yielded two - fold greater activity than the original h9 line . 1 . wt fviii is associated with bip and most of the fviii which is never secreted remains associated with bip . 20 out of 25 n - linked glycosylation sites are clustered in middle third of the fviii protein . 2 . la , a deleted form of fviii which has 18 of 20 clustered glycosylation sites removed , is more efficiently secreted than wt fviii exhibits a transient association with bip . 3 . the association of la with bip can be significantly increased by treatment of cells with the n - linked glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin . 4 . vwf , a complex glycoprotein which is efficiently secreted by cho cells , exhibits only a transient association with bip . the 17 glycosylation sites on vwf are spaced along the molecule rather than clustered as on wt fviii . 5 . tpa exhibits only a slight transient association with bip . however inhibition of n - linked glycosylation by tunicamycin results in the intracellular retention of some of the unglycosylated molecules in a complex with bip . 6 . tpa3x , an engineered mutant of t - pa which has had three potential n - linked glycosylation sites abolished by replacement of asn with gln exhibits only a slight association with bip at low expression levels . however , at high expression levels a fraction of the unprocessed protein displays a stable association with bip and is apparently not secreted effeciently . this behavior is similar th that observed for wt t - pa when glycosylation is inhibited . 7 . intracellular retention of unglycosylated tpa in a complex with bip is dependent on expression level . tpa3x at low expression levels is not associated with bip and is effeciently secreted . at 200 - fold higher expression levels a significant proportion of tpa3x is associated with bip . this intracellular retention is similar to that observed for the high producer wt tpa cell line , aj19 , when n - linked glycosylation is inhibited . in a low producing wt tpa cell line , h12b , the effect of inhibition of n - linked glycosylation is less pronounced than in cells such as aj19 . this suggests that unglycosylated tpa may aggregate when present at high concentrations in the er leading to its association with bip . 8 . bip may associate with improperly glycosylated or folded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum and prevent their secretion . bip probably functions to clear aggregated proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum in an analogous function to hsp70 in heat shocked nucleoli . the problem of protein aggregation or insolubility in the er may be exacerbated by the high expression levels now attainable by recombinant dna expressioin techniques and for some glycoproteins such as fviii aggregation and consequent association with bip may prove a barrier to high level secretion . 9 . the 20 clustered glycosylation sites in the middle of wt fviii may be inefficiently glycosylated resulting in aggregation of improperly folded molecules and stable assoc &# 39 ; n with bip . it is also possible that this heavily glycosylated domain assumes a conformation which bip recognizes as aberrant even if n - linked glycosylation is appropriate . in this situation secretion competent molecules may be trapped in a complex with bip and reduced levels of bip may result in higher levels of secretion . 10 . reduction of bip levels in fviii producing cell lines results in increased secretion of fviii acitvity into the conditioned medium . thsu cho cell lines with reduced levels of bip may be of utility in the expression of certain complex glycoproteins . 1 . bole , d . g ., hendershot , l . m ., and kearney j . f . ( 1986 ) postranslational association of immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein with nascent heavy chains in nonsecreting and secrating hybridomas . j . cell biol . 102 : 1558 - 1566 . 2 . lewis , m . j . and pelham h . r . b . ( 1985 ) involvement of atp in the nuclear and nucleolar functions of the 70kd heat shock protein . embo j . 4 : 3137 - 3143 . 3 . munro , s . and pelham h . r . b . ( 1986 ) an hsp70 - like protein in the er : identity with the 78 kd glucose - regulated protein and immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein . cell 46 : 291 - 300 . 4 . shiu , r . p ., pouyssegur , j ., and pasten i . ( 1977 ) glucose deprivation accounts for the induction of two transfomation - sensitive membrane proteins in rous sarcoma virus - transformed chick embryo fibfoblasts . proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 74 : 3840 - 3844 . 5 . chappel , t . g ., welch , w . j ., schlossman , d . m ., palter , k . b ., schlesinger , m . j ., and rothman , j . e . ( 1986 ) uncoating atpase is a member of the 70 - kd family of stress proteins . cell 45 : 3 - 13 . 6 . ungewickell , e . ( 1985 ) the 70 kd mammalian heat shock proteins are structurally and functionally realated to the uncoating protein that releases clathrin triskelia from coated vesicles . embo j . 4 : 3385 - 3391 . 7 . pelham , h . r . b . ( 1986 ) speculations on the functions of the major heat shock and glucose - regulated proteins . cell 46 : 959 - 961 . 8 . schlesinger , m . j . ( 1986 ) heat shock proteins : the search for functions . j . cell biol . 103 : 321 - 325 . 9 . williams d . b ., swiedler , s . j ., and hart , g . w . ( 1985 ) intracellular transport of membrane glcoproteins : two closely related histocompatibility antigens differ in their rates of transit to the cell surface . j . cell biol . 101 : 725 - 734 . 10 . lodish , h . f ., hong , n ., snider , m ., strous , g . j . ( 1983 ) hepatoma secretory proteins migrate from rough endoplasmic reticulum to golgi at characteristic rates . nature 304 : 80 - 83 . 11 . fitting , t . and kabat , d . ( 1982 ) evidence for a glycoprotein signal involved in transport between subcellular organelles . j . biol . chem . 257 : 14011 - 14017 . 12 . blobel , g . and dobberstein , b . ( 1975 ) transfer of proteins across membranes . ii reconstitution of functional rough microsomes from heterologous components . j . cell biol . 67 : 852 - 862 . 13 . farquhar , m . g . ( 1986 ) progress in unraveling pathways of golgi traffic . ann . rev . cell biol . 1 : 447 - 488 . 14 . kornfeld , r . and kornfeld , s . ( 1985 ) assembly of asparigine - linked oligosaccharides . ann . rev . biochem . 54 : 631 - 664 15 . walter , p ., gilmore , r . amd blobel , g . ( 1984 ) protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum . cell 38 : 5 - 8 . 16 . gething , m . j ., mccammon , k ., and sambrook j . ( 1986 ) expression of wild - type and mutant forms of influenza hemagglutinin : the role of folding in intracellular transport . cell 46 : 939 - 950 . 17 . sharma , s ., rogers , l ., brandsma , j ., gething , m . j ., and sambrook , j . ( 1985 ) sv40 t antigen and the exocytic pathway . embo j . 4 : 1479 - 1489 . 18 . shiu , r . p . c ., pouyssegur , r ., and pasten , i . ( 1977 ) glucose depletion accounts for the induction of two transformation - sensitive membrane proteins in rous sarcoma virus - transformed chick embryo fibroblasts . proc . nat . acad . sci . u . s . a . 74 , 3840 - 3844 . 19 . haas , i . g . and wable , m . ( 1983 ) immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein . nature 306 , 387 - 389 . 20 . olden , k ., pratt , r . m ., jawosski , c ., and yamamda , k . m . ( 1979 ) evidence for role of glycoprotein carbohydrates in membrane transport : specific inhibition by tunicamycin . proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 76 , 791 - 795 . 21 . pouyssegur , j ., shiu , r . p . c ., and pasten , i . ( 1977 ) induction of two transformation - sensitive membrane polypeptides in normal fibriblasts by a block in glycoprotein synthesis or glucose deprivation . cell 11 , 941 - 947 . 22 . wagner , d . d . and marder , v . j . ( 1984 ) biosynthesis of von willebrand protein by human endothelial cells : processing steps and their intracellular localization . j . cell biol . 99 , 2123 - 2130 . 23 . orci , l ., ravazzola , m ., amherdt , m ., madsen , o ., vassalli , j ., and perrelet , a . ( 1985 ) direct identification of prohormone conversion site in insulin - secreting cells . cell 42 , 671 - 681 . 24 . pennica , d ., holmes , w ., kohr , w ., harkins , r . n ., vehar , g . a ., ward , c . a ., bennett , w . f ., yelverton , e ., seeburg , p . h ., heyneker , h ., goeddel , d . v ., and collen , d . ( 1983 ) cloning and expression of human tissue - type plasminogen activator cdna in e . coli . nature 301 , 214 - 221 . 25 . kaufman , r . j ., wasley , l . c ., spiliotes , a . j ., gossels , s . d ., latt , s ., a ., larsen , g . r ., and kay , r . m . ( 1985 ) coamplification and coexpression of human tissue - type plasminogen activator and murine dihydrofolate reductase sequences in chinese hamster ovary cells . mol . cell biol . 5 , 1750 - 1759 . 26 . toole , j . j ., pittman , d . d ., orr , e . c ., murtha , p ., wasley , l . c ., and kaufman , r . j . ( 1986 ) a large region ( 95 kda ) of human factor viii is dispensible for in vitro procoagulant activity . proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 83 , 5939 - 5942 . 27 . laemmli , u . k . ( 1970 ) cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage t4 . nature 227 , 680 - 685 . 28 . toole , j . j ., knopf , j . l ., wozney , j . m ., sultzman , l . a ., buecker , j . l ., pittman , d . d ., kaufman , r . j ., brown , e ., shoemaker , c ., orr , e . c ., amphlett , g . w ., foster , w . b ., coe , m . l ., knutson , g . j ., fass , d . n ., and hewick , r . m . ( 1984 ) molecular cloning of a cdna encoding human antihaemophilic factor . nature 312 , 342 - 347 . 29 . gibson , r ., schlesinger , s ., and kornfeld , s . ( 1979 ) the nonglycosylated glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitus virus is temperature - sensitive and undergoes intracellular aggregation at elevated temperatures . j . biol . chem . 254 , 3600 - 3607 . 30 . gibson , r ., kornfeld , s ., and schlesinger , s . ( 1981 ) the effect of oligosaccharide chains of different sizes on the maturation and physical properties of the g protein of vesicular stomatitus virus . j . biol . chem . 256 , 456 - 462 . 31 . takasuki , a ., kohno , k ., amd tamura , g . ( 1975 ) inhibition of biosynthesis of polyisoprenol sugars in chick embryo microsomes by tunicamycin . agric . biol . chem . 39 , 2089 - 2091 . 32 . bonthron , d . t ., handin , r . i ., kaufman , r . j ., wasley , l . c ., orr , e . c ., mitsock , l . m ., ewenstein , b ., loscalzo , j ., ginsburg , d ., orkin , s . h . ( 1986 ) structure of pre - pro - von willebrand factor and its expression in heterologous cells . nature 324 , 270 - 273 . 33 . pohl , g ., kallstrom , m ., bergsdorf , n ., wallen , p ., and jornvall , h . ( 1984 ) tissue plasminogen activator : peptide analysis confirm an indirectly derived amino acid sequence , identify the active site serine residue , establish glycosylation sites , and localize variant differences . biochemistry 23 , 3701 - 3707 .	2
referring more particularly to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only , and not for the purpose of limiting same , fig1 shows the overall arrangement , in plan view , of a rotary stuffing system 10 incorporating the subject invention . broadly , the stuffing system 10 is of the general type more particularly shown and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 227 , 184 , filed feb . 17 , 1972 for &# 34 ; combined newspaper press and stuffer , and method of forming newspapers therewith .&# 34 ; it should , of course , be understood that many different stuffers having different structural arrangements could equally well have the subject invention incorporated therein . the details of the stuffer system 10 are disclosed and described in the noted application , and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference . broadly , the stuffing system 10 includes two 180 ° sectors of rotary stuffer of the type shown in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 634 , 971 , granted to schweizer on apr . 14 , 1953 . in the subject embodiment , the stuffers 10a and 10b are identical and each is provided with a series of open - bottomed hoppers 12 . each of the hoppers 12 carries a feed means 18 , as shown in fig2 ; consequently , for the purposes of this disclosure , a description of feed means 18 , as shown in fig2 is applicable to the feed means at every hopper 12 except as otherwise noted . further , each of the hoppers 12 is provided with an automatically filled hopper 12a which receives freshly printed jackets supplied from a press ( not shown ) by a conveyor 11a . the second stuffer 10b is similarly provided with an automatically filled hopper 12b supplied from the press by a conveyor 11b . during normal operation , newspaper jackets coming from the press will be deposited into both hoppers 12a and 12b . from hopper 12a , the newspaper jackets will be dropped individually into standard pockets 16 of the rotary stuffer . as disclosed in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 2 , 634 , 971 , the pockets 16 are mounted on a suitable base and travel counterclockwise ( as viewed in fig1 ) to move beneath the hoppers from which they receive the newspaper jackets and inserts to form completed newspapers which are discharged from the pockets onto the conveyors 13 and 15 . the pockets are adapted to immediately begin receipt of new newspaper jackets and sections from the next following stuffer . referring more particularly to fig2 the means for feeding individual jackets and / or sections from the hoppers to the pockets 16 will be described in some detail . in particular , each of the hoppers 12 is provided with a feed means 18 . broadly , the feed means 18 may be of a variety of constructions and may be of the type shown in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 2 , 634 , 971 . as shown herein each feed means 18 comprises a rotary extracting drum 20 which includes several disc members 22 mounted on a common shaft 24 near the outlet of the associated hopper . suitable gripper members 26 are carried on the periphery of the drum 20 between adjacent discs 22 . the gripper members 26 are arranged to receive the folded leading edge of the jacket or insert being fed from the hopper 12 to the subjacent pocket 16 . the individual jackets or sections are fed , one at a time , from the hopper 12 to the drum 20 by the interaction of a separating member 28 and a vacuum suction assembly 30 . as best shown in fig2 the separating member 28 is mounted adjacent the open bottom wall of the hopper 12 and is moved to permit the vacuum assembly to be actuated upwardly to engage and grip the section or jacket . thereafter , the vacuum assembly is actuated downwardly to pull the jacket or insert from the hopper . the timing between the actuation of the vacuum assembly and the movement of the member 28 is such that the member 28 engages under the next upper jacket or section and holds it while the lowermost jacket is engaged by the gripper 26 on the drum and pulled out of the hopper . in the embodiment under consideration , the vacuum assembly 30 comprises a pair of vacuum cup members 25 carried on a suitable pivotally mounted arm 32 . the vacuum cups are connected with a source of vacuum lines 34 , 35 . it should be understood that the member 28 and the feed drum 20 are driven in timed relationship through conventional mechanical or electrical means , not shown . similarly , the movement of the vacuum arm 32 is also controlled in timed relationship with the drum 20 . in the embodiment under consideration , the vacuum arm is controlled by a cam assembly 36 which includes a cam carried by the shaft of follower 38 which operates off the periphery of the drum 20 . the cam assembly is drivingly connected to the arm 32 through a suitable mechanical linkage , such as a crank member 40 . as shown , the feed drum 20 rotates in a counterclockwise direction ( as viewed in fig2 ) and takes the newspaper jacket or section a and deposits it in a subjacent pocket 16 . the operation of the pockets 16 is well known and shown , for example , in some detail in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 2 , 634 , 971 . as previously mentioned , a feed means 18 is associated with each of the hoppers 12 . thus , a complete newspaper or portion thereof can be assembled in the jackets and sections being suitably supplied from the hoppers to the pockets 16 as they move past the hoppers . as discussed earlier , stuffers of the general type described normally include means for sensing a miss on the part of any particular feed assembly . typically , upon sensing of a miss ( which may indicate an empty hopper or a mechanical malfunction ) the machine automatically signals and is either manually or automatically shut down until the malfunction can be corrected . in the commonly - assigned , copending application ser . no . 227 , 184 , filed feb . 17 , 1972 , for &# 34 ; combined newspaper press and stuffer , and method of forming newspapers therewith ,&# 34 ; the disclosed system includes accumulating capacity such that during a shutdown of the stuffer , the press output can be accumulated and upon correction of the malfunction of the stuffer , the stuffer restarted without requiring a press slowdown or a substantial amount of manual handling of the papers or sections . in the subject device , the stuffer is arranged such that at least two of the hoppers 12 are adapted to hold jackets . referring to fig1 it will be seen that the first two hoppers 12a and 12b of each stuffer 10a and 10b ( labeled stations 1 and 1a ) are , according to the subject invention , adapted to hold jackets . as noted earlier , in the subject embodiment , the first hopper of each stuffer 12a is automatically fed from the press and associated with the accumulator system . the second hopper 12b of each is a manually loaded hopper . the hopper 12b can also be fed by a variety of mechanical methods . in accordance with the subject invention , the first feed means at station 1 of stuffer 10a is provided with means to sense a &# 34 ; miss &# 34 ; ( failure to feed a jacket to the subjacent pocket ). the sensing means is interconnected with the vacuum feed system of the feed means 18 of the second feed means at station 1a . preferably , the feed means 18 of station 1a is continually operated except for the operation of the vacuum system 30 . the interconnection between the sensing means at station 1 and the vacuum system at station 1a is such that upon sensing of a miss , the vacuum system 30 of station 1a is actuated . consequently , station 1a is thus actuated to supply a jacket to the subjacent pocket which has been missed at station 1 . further , in the subject embodiment , the first two hoppers 12a and 12b of stuffer 10b , as shown at station 2 of fig1 are adapted to hold jackets . in the subject embodiment , station 1 is substantially identical to station 2 and station 1a is substantially identical to station 2a ; consequently , the above disclosure relating to stuffer 10a is equally applicable to stuffer 10b , except as otherwise noted . many different types of control setups , either mechanical or electrical , could be provided to carry out the noted functions . specifically , in the subject embodiment , the preferred control means comprise a sensing cam arm 42 which is suitably mounted adjacent the feed drum 20 of station 1 . the cam is interconnected with a microswitch 44 . in the setup illustrated in fig3 the cam arm is arranged so that the switch 44 is opened when a jacket is present on drum 20 . absence of a jacket allows the switch 44 to remain closed . connected in a series with switch 44 is a second switch 46 operated from a cam 48 . cam 48 is driven simultaneously with drum 20 . as shown , the cam 48 includes cutout cam portions 50 which correspond to the location of a jacket on the feed drum 20 . as shown , the cam 48 includes cutout cam portions 50 which correspond to the location of a jacket on the feed drum 20 . switch 46 is closed whenever the cam portions 50 pass the follower 52 . as can be seen , so long as a jacket is present on drum 20 , switch 44 will be opened whenever switch 46 is closed . however , if a jacket is not present on drum 20 when switch 46 is closed , then switch 44 will also be closed and a circuit will be completed through lines 54 , 56 . completion of a circuit through the noted lines opens a solenoid valve 60 which allows a vacuum to be drawn on the vacuum assembly 30 of the feed means 18 at station 1a of stuffer 10a and / or station 1a of stuffer 10b . thus , for whatever reason a jacket is not supplied from hopper 12a of station 1 , a jacket will be supplied from station 1a . this permits the stuffing operation to continue , even though the press has stopped feeding the hopper 12a or a malfunction has occurred in the accumulating system or the feeding of station 1 . another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig4 . in this embodiment , a sucker 100 moves about the axis of a shaft 101 in one direction into engagement with a signature in a hopper , grips the signature , and moves in the opposite direction to remove the signature from the hopper for gripping by a gripper , such as gripper 26 in the embodiment of fig1 . the sucker 100 is moved about the axis of the shaft 101 upon movement of an adjustable link 103 which is connected at one end to a bracket 104 . the bracket 104 is connected to the shaft 101 . the other end of the link 103 is connected to an arm of a bracket 105 . the bracket 105 has a second arm 106 extending therefrom on which a cam follower 107 is mounted . the cam follower 107 engages the periphery of a cam 108 and is moved about an axis 109 by the cam 108 . a suitable spring mechanism , generally designated 110 , engages the bracket 105 and biases the cam follower 107 into engagement with the outer periphery of the cam 108 . in addition , it should be apparent that as a high of the cam 108 engages the cam follower 107 , the sucker member 100 moves upward into engagement with a signature and as the high leaves the cam follower 107 , the sucker moves downwardly relative to the signatures in the hopper to withdraw a signature from the hopper . in accordance with the present invention , the mechanism shown in fig4 is located at the alternate jacket feed station and is constructed so as to inhibit movement of the sucker member 100 during normal operation of the mechanism . this inhibiting action is effected by a latch mechanism , generally designated 120 . the latch mechanism 120 includes a latch member 121 which is securely fastened on the bracket 105 and which has a latch surface 122 . a cooperating latch member 123 is pivoted about a pivot axis 124 and when in the latch position shown in dotted lines in fig4 has a surface 125 which engages the surface 122 of the latch member 121 . the mating engagement of the surfaces 122 , 125 prevents the bracket member 105 from moving downwardly under the action of the spring mechanism 110 and the sucker member 100 is held in an up position in which it supports the pile of signatures in the hopper . in the event of failure of the first jacket feed hopper to feed a jacket into the pocket 16 , the sensing mechanism , such as 42 in the embodiment of fig2 triggers energization of an air cylinder 125a . the air cylinder 125a is connected at 126 to the latch member 123 . the air cylinder 125a is constructed so as to effect pivoting movement of the latch member 123 about its pivot axis 124 , thereby enabling the vacuum sucker 100 to move in a downward direction to feed signatures from the adjacent or alternate jacket feed station . the shape of the surfaces 122 , 125 is such that disengagement of these surfaces cannot occur until the high of the cam 108 engages the cam follower 107 . when this occurs , the pressure of the engagement between surfaces 122 , 125 is relieved because of the fact that the high on the cam 108 tends to move the surface 122 away from the surface 125 . when the pressure is relieved , the pressure in the air cylinder is great enough to effect pivoting action of the latch member 123 to its full - line position in fig4 . until the aforementioned relief of the pressure engagement between the surfaces 122 , 125 occurs , the air pressure in the air cylinder 125 is not sufficient to overcome that engagement and pivoting of the latch member 123 does not occur . accordingly , the latch member 123 is pivoted at the time the high on the cam 102 engages the cam follower 107 . as a result , immediate downward movement of the vacuum sucker 100 occurs and immediately downward feeding of the bottommost signature in the hopper occurs . of course , the vacuum applied to the sucker member 100 is maintained at all times and not terminated as in the embodiment described above . the invention has been described in great detail sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the same . obviously , modifications and alterations of the preferred embodiment will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the specification and it is our intention to include all such modifications and alterations as part of our invention insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims .	1
referring to fig1 and 2 , is shown a pistachio nut opener , identified in general by the reference numeral 10 . the pistachio nut opener 10 has a planar handle 12 that includes a length 14 that exceeds a width 16 and the width 16 that exceeds a thickness 18 . a minimum size for the planar handle 12 includes the thickness 18 of not less than 1 / 32 of an inch , the width 16 of not less than ¼ of an inch and the length 14 of not less than 1 and ½ inches . this provides an area for advertising , identified in general by the reference numeral 20 , on a first and opposite second side of the handle 12 . the advertising will typically include any brand name that is desired . one possible use is for those who sell pistachio nuts 22 ( only the one pistachio nut 22 is shown ) to include one of the pistachio nut openers 10 in the same container ( not shown ) that contains the plurality of pistachio nuts 22 . having the pistachio nut opener 10 in the container would make it easier for consumers to open the pistachio nuts 22 . this , in turn , would make the container that includes the pistachio nut opener 10 , which is otherwise identical to a competing container , more desirable than the competing container . consumers may even be willing to pay more for the container that includes the pistachio nut opener 10 over the competing container . the pistachio nut opener 10 is preferably constructed of a hard plastic . while other materials are possible , plastic is inexpensive . accordingly , when the pistachio nut opener 10 is manufactured in sufficient quantity and is made of plastic , the cost per unit may well be only a fraction of a penny per unit . adding one to the container becomes relatively easy and inexpensive to do , especially if it can boost sales . a more durable version of the pistachio opener 10 can of course be constructed of any other preferred material , including any composite material or metal . of course , a more durable version would cost more and would likely be a retail product available for sale of its own . it is always possible that a “ high - end ” gourmet pistachio nut manufacturer , distributor , or retailer may include the more durable version with their product , as well . in any event , the advertising area 20 allows the pistachio nut manufacturer , distributor , or retailer to advertise their particular “ brand ” on the pistachio nut opener 10 . using the pistachio nut opener 10 that is supplied in the container is likely to please the consumer . every time the consumer uses the pistachio nut opener , he or she will be reminded of the source ( i . e ., the manufacturer , distributor , or retailer ) that put the opener 10 in the container . an incredibly positive environment for associating the source with a product is thereby provided . as such , the manufacturer , distributor , or retailer would likely find considerable value in including at least one of the pistachio nut openers 10 in each container . it is also possible that even a less - durable version of the pistachio nut opener 10 could last for an extended period of time beyond that necessary to open all of the pistachio nuts 22 in the container . the positive association with the source that appears on the area for advertising 20 would then occur for an extended period of time . an unexpected benefit is that the consumer would be reminded of the source , even when the consumer is opening pistachio nuts 22 that came from a competing source . a tapered blade 24 is attached where desired to the planar handle 12 . the tapered blade 24 resembles the blade portion of a flat - blade screwdriver ( not shown ). a preferred location is at one end of the handle 12 and at a slight planar angle with respect thereto . the tapered blade 24 is on the same plane as the handle 12 , just offset so that a first longitudinal axis 25 a of the tapered blade 24 is at an angle with respect to a second longitudinal axis 25 b of the handle 12 . the angle provides an ergonomically advantageous position for use . if desired , the tapered blade 24 could be eliminated and a modified tapered blade 24 a ( shown in dashed lines ) could be added in the middle of the handle 12 , or elsewhere , as desired . the length 14 of the handle 12 is important . by having the length at least 1 . 5 inches , a user is easily able to insert the tapered blade 24 into the shell of the pistachio nut 22 at the split thereof and twist the handle 12 sufficient to separate and open the shell of the pistachio nut 22 . the length of the handle 12 supplies sufficient torque to allow easy opening of the pistachio nut 22 by even a person who is frail or elderly . the invention has been shown , described , and illustrated in substantial detail with reference to the presently preferred embodiment . it will be understood by those skilled in this art that other and further changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined by the claims appended hereto .	0
referring to the figures generally and in particular to fig1 - 3 , there is illustrated a multi - tiered pillow 10 in accordance with the present invention . multitiered pillow 10 defines an elongated pillow body . in the illustrated embodiment , multitiered pillow 10 is composed of a shell 12 defining a plurality of segregated compartments 14a - e extending the transverse width of pillow 10 for containing pillow packing material 16 . shell 12 is composed of outer panels 18a - b which defines the outer limits of multitiered pillow 10 . shell 12 is also composed of inner panels 20a - c . inner panels 20a - c serve to segregate shell 12 into segregated compartments 14a - e . typically , outer panels 18a - b and inner panels 20a - c can be any suitable fabric for pillow 10 , such as cloth , for example , and can be fastened together by any suitable structure , such as by sewing , or adhesive , for example . as illustrated in fig3 shell 12 in combination with pillow packing material 16 defines a plurality of tiers , in this case an upper tier 22 , a lower tier 24 and an upper tier 26 , each extending across the transverse width of pillow 10 . upper tiers 22 and 26 are of a suitable height for supporting a person &# 39 ; s head and neck when the person is sleeping on his side and lower tier 24 is of a suitable height for supporting a person &# 39 ; s head and neck when the person is sleeping in a prostrate position , such as person p in fig1 . each of upper and lower tiers 22 , 24 and 26 define a relatively flat plateau portion relative to bottom 28 of pillow 10 . bottom 28 of pillow 10 includes longitudinal ends 30 and 32 of decreasing thickness , as shown in fig3 . longitudinal ends 30 and 32 are adjacent with the portion of upper tiers 22 and 26 that decrease in height from the substantially flat plateau portion of tiers 22 and 26 towards the longitudinal ends of pillow 10 . as a result , the longitudinal ends of pillow 10 provide an area of decreased thickness thereby providing a lower surface than the substantially flat plateau portions 22 &# 39 ; and 26 &# 39 ; of tiers 22 and 26 . thus , the longitudinal ends 34 and 36 of pillow 10 provide areas of decreased thickness yet are thicker and higher than lower tier 24 , thereby providing an especially suitable height for supporting the head and neck of a person laying in between the prostrate and side positions . because segregated compartments 14a - e are each associated either with an upper tier ( 22 or 26 ) or a lower tier ( 24 ) and such compartments extend transversely of pillow 10 as do tiers 22 - 26 , packing material 16 in a particular compartment 14a - e remains associated with that compartment thereby maintaining the integrity and shape of tiers 22 - 26 . alternatively , multitiered pillow 10 could be constructed of a unitary mass of compressible material , such as foam rubber or other suitable material . multitiered pillow 10 &# 39 ; of fig6 illustrates such an embodiment in which pillow 10 &# 39 ; is constructed of a unitary mass 38 of foam rubber formed in a desired shape which is illustrated in fig1 and 6 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 like reference numerals illustrate like shape , structure and surface contours as set forth in fig3 . referring to fig4 there is illustrated another multitiered pillow 40 in accordance with the present invention . as illustrated , multitiered pillow 40 is composed of a shell 42 and pillow packing material 44 . shell 42 defines the shape of multitiered pillow 40 and is composed of panels 46a - c . panels 46a - c also define segregated compartments 48a - b which define the multi - tiers of pillow 40 , in this case lower tier 50 , upper tier 52 and lower tier 54 . as illustrated , compartment 48a is associated only with upper tier 52 , thereby preventing pillow packing material 44 adjacent upper tier 52 from migrating to either of lower tiers 50 and 54 . as illustrated , lower tiers 50 and 54 are especially suitable for supporting the head and neck of a person p and p &# 39 ; when in the prostrate position . also , upper tier 52 is especially suitable for supporting the head and neck of a person ( not shown ) when laying sideways with the head and neck resting on upper tier 52 . referring to fig5 there is illustrated another embodiment in accordance with the invention . a multitiered pillow 60 is provided . multitiered pillow 60 is composed of a shell 62 that defines segregated compartments 64a - b that contain pillow packing material 66 . shell 62 is composed of a single piece of fabric 68 which is folded over onto itself and spaced apart as illustrated in fig5 to form compartments 64a and 64b . shell 62 thereby defines , in combination with packing material 66 an upper tier 70 and a lower tier 72 . upper tier 70 is especially suitable for supporting the head and neck of a person p laying on his side while lower tier 72 is especially suitable for supporting the head and neck portions of a person p &# 39 ; laying on his back . preferably , the uncompressed height h of upper tier 70 as measured from the bottom 74 of pillow 60 is at least about twice the uncompressed height h &# 39 ; of lower tier 72 also as measured from bottom 74 of pillow 60 . generally , the height of the upper tier may be two to three times or more the uncompressed height of the lower tier in accordance with the invention . while the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is capable of numerous rearrangements , substitutions and changes that are within the scope of the following claims and it is intended that the invention cover all such changes , rearrangements and modifications .	0
we have discovered that dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide , either alone or admixed with other organic compounds , will effectively negate the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone azeotrope and permit the separation of pure 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone from formic acid by rectification when employed as the agent in extractive distillation . table 1 lists dimethylformamide , dimethylacetamide and their mixtures in the proportions that we have found to be effective . the data in table 1 was obtained in a vapor - liquid equilibrium still . in each case , the starting material was the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope . the ratios are the parts by weight of extractive agent used per part of 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope . the relative volatilities are listed for each of the two ratios employed . the compounds which are effective when used in mixtures with dimethylformamide or dimethylacetamide are adipic acid , acetyl salicylic acid , benzoic acid , cinnamic acid , decanoic acid , heptanoic acid , neodecanoic acid , octanoic acid , pelargonic acid , cyclohexanone , benzyl benzoate , isophorone , butyl ether , butyl benzoate , adiponitrile , ethyl benzoate , acetophenone , methyl benzoate , azelaic acid , 2 - benzoyl benzoic acid , 4 - tert . butyl benzoic acid , dodecanedioic acid , glutaric acid , hexanoic acid , 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , itaconic acid , malic acid , neopentanoic acid , salicylic acid , sebacic acid , o - toluic acid , m - toluic acid , p - toluic acid , 2 - octanone , benzyl benzoate , benzyl ether , ethylene glycol butyl ether acetate , methyl salicylate , dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether , isobutyl heptyl ketone , ethylene glycol methyl ether acetate , ethylene glycol methyl ether acetate , propylene glycol dimethyl ether and hexyl acetate . the two relative volatilities shown in table 1 correspond to the two different ratios invetsigated . for example , in table 1 , one - half part of dimethylformamide plus one - half part of benzoic acid with one part of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope gives a relative volatility of 2 . 2 ; 3 / 5 parts of dmfa plus 3 / 5 parts of benzoic acid give 2 . 4 . one third parts each dimethylacetamide , benzoic acid and benzyl ether with one part of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope gives a relative volatility of 1 . 4 , with two - fifths parts , these three give 1 . 8 . in every example in table 1 , the starting material is the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope which possesses a relative volatility of 1 . 00 . table 2 shows twelve mixtures containing dimethylformamide or dimethylacetamide which might be expected to be effective extractive distillation agents for this separation but which were not . the principal difficulty encountered with these agents was that they decompose the formic acid when boiled with it in the still . two of the agents , dimethylformamide plus heptanoic acid plus methyl benzoate , and dimethylacetamide , listed in table 1 and whose relative volatility had been determined in the vapor liquid equilibrium still , were then evaluated in a glass perforated plate rectification column possessing 5 . 3 theoretical plates and the results listed in table 3 . the data in table 3 was obtained in the following manner . the charge was 200 grams of the formic acid -- 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone azeotrope and after half an hour of operation in the 5 . 3 theoretical plate column to establish equilibrium , dmfa , heptanoic acid and methyl benzoate at 95 ° c . and 20 ml / min . was pumped in . the rectification was continued with the first sampling of the overhead and bottoms after 3 / 4 hours . the analyses are shown in table 3 and were overhead 90 . 4 % 3 - me - 2 - butanone , 9 . 6 % formic acid and the bottoms was 17 . 4 % 3 - me - 2 - butanone , 82 . 6 % formic acid which gives a relative volatility of 3 - me - 2 - butanone to formic acid of 2 . 28 . this indicates that the azeotrope has been negated and separation accomplished . without the extractive agent , the overhead would have been the azeotrope composition . this proves that the extractive agent is negating the azeotrope and makes the rectification proceed as if the azeotrope no longer existed thus bringing out the more volatile 3 - me - 2 - butanone as overhead . the usefulness or utility of this invention can be demonstrated by referring to the data presented in tables 1 and 3 . all of the successful extractive distillation agents show that 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone and formic acid can be separated from their maximum azeotrope by means of distillation in a rectification column and that the ease of separation as measured by relative volatility is considerable . without these extractive distillation agents , no improvement above the azeotrope composition will occur in the rectification column . the data also show that the most attractive agents will operate at a boilup rate low enough to make this a useful and efficient method of recovering high purity 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone and formic acid from any mixture of these two including the maximum azeotrope . the stability of the compounds used and the boiling point difference is such that complete recovery and recycle is obtainable by a simple distillation and the amount required for make - up is small . fifty grams of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope and 50 grams of dimethylacetamide ( dmaa ) were charged to a vapor - liquid equilibrium still and refluxed for 12 hours . analysis by gas chromaography indicated a vapor composition of 33 . 3 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 66 . 7 % formic acid , a liquid composition of 28 . 2 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 71 . 8 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 1 . 3 . ten grams of dmaa were added and refluxing continued for another eight hours . analysis indicated a vapor composition of 43 . 5 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 56 . 5 % formic acid , a liquid composition of 35 . 1 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 64 . 9 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 1 . 4 . fifty grams of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope , 25 grams of dimethylacetamide ( dmaa ) and 25 grams of pelargonic acid were charged to the vapor - liquid equilibrium still and refluxed for 18 hours . analysis indicated a vapor composition of 55 . 9 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 44 . 1 % formic acid and a liquid composition of 31 . 8 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 68 . 2 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 2 . 7 . five grams of dmaa and five grams of pelargonic acid were added and refluxing continued for another eight hours . analysis indicated a vapor composition of 48 . 9 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 51 . 1 % formic acid and a liquid composition of 26 . 7 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 73 . 3 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 2 . 6 . fifty grams of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope , 25 grams of dimethylformamide ( dmfa ) and 25 grams of pelargonic acid were charged to the vapor - liquid equilibrium still and refluxed for 12 hours . analysis indicated a vapor composition of 19 . 8 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 80 . 2 % formic acid and a liquid composition of 6 . 5 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 93 . 5 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 3 . 5 . five grams each of dmfa and pelargonic acid were added and refluxing continued for another seven hours . analysis indicated a vapor composition of 20 . 9 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 79 . 1 % formic acid and a liquid composition of 11 . 1 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 88 . 9 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 2 . 1 . a glass perforated plate rectification column was calibrated with methyl cyclohexane and toluene which possesses a relative volatility of 1 . 46 and found to have 5 . 3 theoretical plates . a solution comprising 200 grams of the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone -- formic acid azeotrope was placed in the stillpot and heated . when refluxing began , an extractive agent comprising 33 % dimethylformamide , 33 % heptanoic acid and 33 % methyl benzoate was pumped into the column at a rate of 20 ml / min . the temperature of the extractive agent as it entered the column was 95 ° c . after establishing the feed rate of the extractive agent , the heat input to the 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone and formic acid in the stillpot was adjusted to give a total reflux rate of 50 ml / min . after 3 / 4 hours of operation , the overhead and bottoms samples of approximately two ml . were collected and analyses by gas chromatography . the overhead analysis was 90 . 4 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 9 . 6 % formic acid . the bottoms analysis was 17 . 4 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 82 . 6 % formic acid . using these compositions in the fenske equation , with the number of theoretical plates in the column being 5 . 3 , gave an average relative volatility of 2 . 28 for each theoretical plate . after 1 . 5 hours of continuous operation , the overhead analysis was 90 . 7 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 9 . 3 % formic acid , the bottoms analysis was 15 . 4 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 84 . 6 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 2 . 37 . using the same column and conditions as in example 4 , an extractive agent comprising dimethylacetamide was employed . after 3 / 4 hours of continuous operation , the overhead analysis was 90 . 1 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 9 . 9 % formic acid and the bottoms analysis was 42 . 1 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 57 . 9 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 1 . 52 . after 1 . 5 hours of continuous operation , the overhead analysis was 93 . 8 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 6 . 2 % formic acid , the bottoms analysis was 23 . 1 % 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 76 . 9 % formic acid which is a relative volatility of 2 . 42 .	2
referring now in detail to the drawings , the reference numeral 10 denotes generally an interocclusal appliance constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention . the appliance 10 includes a lower base 12 having a plan configuration in the general shape of a maxillary dental arch . molded to the base 12 is an impression preform 14 . the impression preform 14 is transformed into a maxillary dentition encasement during self - fitting of the interocclusal appliance 10 . the base 12 is substantially of uniform thickness throughout , e . g . 2 mm , and includes a generally planar occlusal face 16 , an upwardly outwardly tapered lingual side wall 18 and a buccal side wall 20 . the buccal side wall 20 slopes downwardly from the rear of the appliance toward its labial face 22 as shown in fig7 . pursuant to the invention , the impression preform 14 includes a shallow , e . g . between 2 and 2 mm deep , bight shaped centric relation pilot channel 24 configured to facilitate emplacement of the teeth of the user &# 39 ; s maxillary arch at optimal position during and throughout self fitting of the appliance . the pilot channel includes a planar face 25 . a footing having a height 26 extends from a horizontal upper surface of the base 12 to the channel face 25 . the shallow pilot channel 24 is defined by the face 25 and a pair of upwardly extending peripheral walls , i . e . a lingual peripheral wall 28 , having an upper ridge 29 , and a buccal peripheral wall 30 , having an upper ridge 31 . the buccal peripheral wall 30 includes a labial notch 32 . the height of the buccal peripheral wall 30 above the face 25 is approximately between 2 and 2 { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} mm and is substantially uniform throughout ( except at the notch 32 ). the height of the lingual peripheral wall is approximately 2 mm at the rear of the pilot channel and approximately 1 mm at a middle reduced height section 35 . it should be noted that the exterior surfaces of the lingual channel peripheral wall 28 and the buccal channel peripheral wall 30 are upwardly inwardly sloped from the top edge of the base side walls 18 , 20 . similarly , an inner face 34 of the channel peripheral wall 28 and an inner face 36 of the channel peripheral wall 30 taper or slope at a draft angle from their respective ridges 29 , 31 , to the face 25 to facilitate self placement and registration of the maxillary teeth in the shallow pilot channel 24 . the width of the channel face between the peripheral walls 28 , 30 is approximately 9 mm . at the ends of the channel and approximately 6 mm . at its center . it should be understood that the dimensions herein are merely exemplary and differently sized appliances are appropriate , depending upon the dimensions of the user &# 39 ; s dentition . it should also be noted that the lingual side wall 18 of the base tapers downwardly , toward the front of the appliance , where it meets the upper surface of the base , as can be more readily seen in fig5 and fig6 . the upper surface of the base and the opposed inner surfaces of the side walls 18 , 20 , all of which are bonded to the impression preform 14 when the preform is molded over the base , is designated by the reference numeral 38 in fig5 . the height 26 of the preform footing varies from a maximum height , shown in fig5 at the rear of the appliance , e . g . 6 to 6 { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} mm to a minimum height of approximately 4 mm at the front center of the appliance as shown in fig6 . the preform footing constitutes the primary source of impressionable material which forms around and conforms to the shape of the maxillary dentition during self - fitting . it is significant that the thermoplastic material selected for the base has a softening temperature sufficiently above that of the impression preform material such that the thickness of the base is not significantly reduced as a result of the compressive forces applied during fitting . rheological characteristics of the base thermoplastic include a vicat softening temperature ( astm d1525 ) of at least 65 ° c ., which is well above the temperatures reached during the fitting procedure , e . g . 40 ° c . to 46 ° c . the mold bond between the base and the impression preform 14 ( which is transformed into the maxillary encasement ) is required to withstand the lateral and compressive stresses encountered during bruxing or clenching events at oral cavity temperatures . in accordance with the present invention , the base 12 is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic resin having requisite characteristics into a base mold cavity . the molded base 12 is positioned in an occlusal appliance mold cavity and a thermoplastic resin having the requisite characteristics for the impression preform 14 is injected into the appliance mold cavity over the base 12 and unitarily bonds thereto . suitable resins for employment as the impression preform include an ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ) copolymer available from the du pont under the trademark elvax ® having a vinyl acetate content of at least 25 %. a preferred eva copolymer is elvax ® 150 having a 33 % vinyl acetate content by weight , a vicat softening temperature of 36 ° c . and a shore a hardness of 73 . preferred embodiments of the invention may be fabricated in accordance with the following examples : a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : the elvaloy ® 1609 ac ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer ( available from dupont ) was heated to a recommended molding temperature and injection molded into the base mold cavity . the elvaloy ® 1609 ac ema copolymer contains approximately 9 % by weight acrylate and exhibits a vicat softening temperature of 70 ° c . and a shore a hardness of 97 . the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform material : the elvax ® 150 eva was heated to a recommended molding temperature above its melting point and injection molded into an occlusal appliance mold cavity over the molded base positioned within the mold cavity . the unitary interocclusal appliance removed from the mold cavity exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and the molded over impression preform , both before and after fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 1 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removed from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . it was noted that due to the compressive forces applied during the fitting procedure , slight base deformation occurred in the nature of minor indentations in the occlusal face 16 , however , the base thickness was not compromised , such that a minimum spacing between occlusal surfaces of at least the thickness of the base , e . g . a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : elvax ® 750 eva comprises an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer available from dupont and having a 9 % vinyl acetate content by weight and pellethane ® 2103 - 80 aen comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer available from dow chemical co . equal amounts by weight of pellethane ® 2103 - 80 aen and elvax ® 750 were blended by conventional apparatus . the blend was heated to a suitable molding temperature and thereafter injection molded into the base mold cavity . the molded base 12 was positioned in an occlusal appliance mold cavity and the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform : the elvax ® 150 eva was heated to a recommended molding temperature above its melting point and injection molded into the occlusal appliance mold cavity over the molded base . the interocclusal appliance was removed from the mold cavity and exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and the impression preform before and after fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 2 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removed from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . greater base deformation occurred during fitting than in example 1 , however , the base thickness was not compromised and a minimum spacing between occlusal surfaces of at least the thickness of the base , e . g . 2 mm . was maintained . a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : ninety percent ( 90 %) by weight of elvaloy ® 1609 ac ema was blended with ten percent ( 10 %) by weight elvax ® 750 eva with conventional blending apparatus . the blend was then heated to a suitable molding temperature and thereafter injection molded into the base mold cavity . the molded base 12 exhibited a shore a hardness of 90 . the molded base 12 was then inserted into an occlusal appliance mold cavity and the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform : the elvax ® 150 eva was heated to a recommended molding temperature above its melting point and injection molded into the occlusal appliance mold cavity over the molded base . the interocclusal appliance was removed from the mold cavity and exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and the impression preform both before and after fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 3 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removed from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . slight base deformation occurred during fitting , somewhat greater than that of the base in example no . 1 , however , less than the base deformation which occurred in example no . 2 . a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : seventy five percent ( 75 %) elvaloy ® 1609 ac ema by weight is blended with 25 % by weight elvax ® 750 eva , utilizing conventional mixing apparatus . the blend was heated to a suitable molding temperature and thereafter injection molded into the base mold cavity . the molded base 12 exhibited a shore a hardness of 92 . the molded base 12 was then inserted into an occlusal appliance mold cavity and the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform : the elvax ® 150 eva preform resin was heated to a suitable molding temperature and injection molded into an occlusal mold appliance cavity after the molded base had been positioned in the cavity . the interocclusal appliance removed from the mold cavity exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and the molded over impression preform , both before and after the fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 4 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removal from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . slight base deformation occurred during fitting , e . g . approximately the same as occurred with respect to example no . 2 . the base thickness was not compromised , however , and a minimum spacing between occlusal services of at least the thickness of the base was maintained . a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : fifty percent ( 50 %) elvaloy ® 1609 ac ema by weight was blended with fifty percent ( 50 %) by weight elvax ® 750 eva , utilizing conventional mixing apparatus . the blend was heated to a suitable molding temperature and thereafter injection molded into the base mold cavity . the molded base 12 exhibited a shore a hardness of 95 . the molded base 12 was then inserted into an occlusal appliance mold cavity and the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform : the elvax ® 150 eva preform resin was heated to a suitable molding temperature and injection molded into an occlusal mold appliance cavity after the molded base had been positioned in the cavity . the interocclusal appliance removed from the mold cavity exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and molded over impression preform , both before and after the fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 5 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removed from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . some deformation of the base occurred during fitting , i . e . greater than the deformation which occurred with respect to example no . 2 . the base thickness was not compromised , however , and a minimum spacing between occlusal surfaces of at least the thickness of the base was maintained . a base 12 was injection molded utilizing the following resin formulation : ninety percent ( 90 %) elvaloy ® 1609 ac by weight is blended with ten percent ( 10 %) pellethane ® 2103 - 80 aen . the blend was heated to a suitable molding temperature and thereafter injection molded into the base mold cavity . molded base 12 exhibited a shore a hardness of 95 . the molded base 12 was then inserted into an occlusal appliance mold cavity and the following thermoplastic resin was utilized as the impression preform : the elvax ® 150 eva preform resin was heated to a suitable molding temperature and injection molded into an occlusal mold appliance cavity after the molded base had been positioned in the cavity . the interocclusal appliance removed from the mold cavity exhibited a high adhesion bond between the base and molded over impression preform , both before and after the fitting . the interocclusal appliance of example no . 6 was heated by immersion in boiling water for approximately 40 seconds , removed from the boiling water and immersed in water at or below room temperature for approximately 1 second . the appliance was then inserted into the oral cavity , with the maxillary occlusal surfaces seated in the shallow centric relation pilot channel . thereafter , biting pressure was applied and the maxillary teeth were impressed into the impression preform . the impression preform material flowed over , around and conformed to the shape of the surfaces of the maxillary dentition . upon cooling , the impression preform was transformed into a reusable flexible maxillary encasement . slight base deformation occurred during fitting , i . e . less than the deformation which occurred with respect to example no . 1 . other suitable base resin formulations comprise blends of elvaloy ® 1609 ac ema and pellethane ® 2103 - 80 aen tpu ranging between 10 % to 50 % tpu by weight . additional base resin formulations may comprise linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ), low density polyethylene ( ldpe ) or blends of elvax 750 eva and lldpe or ldpe with the lldpe or ldpe content ranging from 25 % to 90 % by weight . it should be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary and various other and alternate thermoplastic resins may be selected for use in accordance with the invention . the principal rheological and other attributes of the selected resins include a suitable softening temperature range for the impression preform resin which will not create temperature induced discomfort or damage to oral tissue , a softening temperature range and hardness of the base resin such that substantial deformation of the base does not occur during fitting and over prolonged usage . an additional and significant characteristic upon which the selection of resins is predicated is the ability to obtain a unitary molded over bond between the base and the preform / maxillary dentition encasement which is well - suited to withstand the high shear and compression forces generated during bruxing and clenching events . in this regard , it should be noted that in the foregoing examples , the surface 38 of the base over which the impression preform resin is molded may include a coating of a bonding agent or priming material or may be textured to augment the bond , all within the context of the present invention . also within the purview of the invention is the utilization of the interocclusal appliance in an inverted state , that is having the occlusal face 16 of the base in contact with maxillary occlusal surfaces and the mandibular dentition impressed in the impression preform . thus it will be seen that there is provided an interocclusal appliance which achieves the various aspects , features and considerations of the present invention and which is well - suited to meet the conditions of practical usage . since various possible embodiments might be made of the present invention and since various changes might be made in the exemplary embodiments shown herein , without departing from the spirit of the invention , it should be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	0
as shown in fig1 , on going out of the bemf comparator circuit , a digital signal is produced which indicates whether the bemf is superior or inferior with respect to a reference signal . generally , in motors with a star configuration the reference used is the star centre or “ center tap ”. in a classical brushless motor with three windings a piece of information zc is given periodically every 60 electrical degrees : obviously , according to the driving strategy , it is not necessary to “ listen ” to all zc but such an occurrence can be detected in periods of time which are its multiples ( 120 degrees , 180 , 240 and so on ). the same reasoning can be extended to motors which have a different number of windings . near the expected zc the winding of the motor in which such synchronism is to be detected is generally placed at high impedance . from that point , temporal masking is provided to give the current a way to fall to zero . the bemf comparator will start producing a notable signal which , with no noise on the line , reliably detects the zero crossing ( zc ) through the change in state of its output ( passage from “ 1 ” to “ 0 ” or vice - versa ). if just the zc information is desired , it is possible to start again driving the winding of the motor as soon as such a variation in state has been detected . in this case , the output of the bemf comparator circuit will no longer be listened to until one arrives near the next expected zc . on the other hand , with noise , such a crossing of the reference by the bemf is not univocal . in fact , near each zc there are spurious crossings pushing the bemf comparator to provide multiple transitions ‘ 1 ’-‘ 0 ’ at a single real event . it is precisely such a signal that must be processed in order to gain the real zc information . advantageously , according to the invention , a digital bi - directional n bit counter is provided , with n being a whole number as desired , capable of counting up and down (“ up / down counter ”) according to a signal which indicates its counting direction . such a counter is inserted immediately downstream of the bemf comparator circuit . according to the needs , one can decide to detect a transition from ‘ 0 ’ to ‘ 1 , for example by increasing the counter in the presence of a value ‘ 0 ’ as output of the bemf comparator and decreasing in the presence of a state ‘ 1 ’. after a certain period of time the counter will have reached a value proportional to the number of ‘ 0 ’ and ‘ 1 ’ counted . on the basis of such a value it is possible to process the signal and to get the desired information from it . it is also possible to obtain from the counter a very precise piece of information ensuring that the counting period is symmetrical (“ symmetrical window ”) around the expected zc (“ expected bemf zc ”), whose provision can be carried out according to any method of the prior art . as illustrated in fig2 , the method according to the invention can , for example , be applied to the classical 6 - stage driving , fig2 a , and to driving of the sinusoidal type fig2 b . moreover , during the processing of the method various cases can turn up , including : with no noise , at the end of the period the counter will assume zero value . in fact , the zc will really be where expected , in other words at half the counting period , and the counter will thus have counted as far up as down , as shown in fig3 a . with white noise over the bemf , at the end of the period the counter will assume zero value . in fact , zc will really be where expected , still at half of the counting period , and the noise will have influenced the bemf comparator in an almost balanced way , as much before as after the actual zc , as shown in fig3 b . with periodic “ burst ” noise , at the end of the period the counter will assume a value proportional to such a disturbance . if the disturbance comes before the expected zc , the counter will be decreased more than it has been increased , or vice - versa if the noise comes after the expected zc . obviously , if there were disturbance both before and after , the counter would reach a value proportional to the difference of the duration of the disturbances detected before and after the centre of the counting period , as shown in fig3 c . without noise , at the end of the period the counter will assume a value proportional to the acceleration ( deceleration ), thus assuming a negative or positive value . in fact , the real zc will come sooner or later the expected one and thus the counter will count more in decreasing ( increasing ) than in increasing ( decreasing ), as illustrated in fig4 a . with white noise on the bemf , at the end of the period the counter will assume a value proportional to the acceleration / deceleration , thus assuming a negative or positive value , respectively . in fact , the real zc will come sooner or later than the expected one with superposed multiple transitions of state with zero average duration , as illustrated in fig4 b . with periodic “ burst ” noise , at the end of the period the counter will - assume a value proportional both to the acceleration / deceleration and to the disturbance , as in fig4 c . in practice , the counter will measure a time period and at the end of said period it will contain the difference between the number of logic states ‘ 0 ’ and ‘ 1 ’ that have occurred during its input . the base of the times will be determined by the frequency with which the counter will be made to function and this will in turn influence the filtering action . the counter thus driven has a gain factor 2 caused by the fact that an unexpected state will push the counting to the opposite direction , but at the same time it will prevent the counter from counting towards the expected direction , in other words “ up ” before the centre of symmetry and “ down ” after such a point . if for example the temporal window lasted 100 us and the rotor accelerated at 10 us there would be , with no noise , a counting “ up ” for 40 us and “ down ” for the remaining 60 us which would result in a final value of the counter equal to − 20 us . it should be noted that the counting direction (‘ 0 ’= increase , ‘ 1 ’= decrease ) is purely arbitrary and is used only as an example : the reasoning can be reproduced in the opposite case (‘ 0 ’= decrease , ‘ 1 ’= increase ) without changing its meaning . also the fact that in the drawings reference is made just to the case of zc given by the transition ‘ 0 ’—& gt ;‘ 1 ’ is purely an example : obviously , the system operates with the same principle near a zc given by a transition ‘ 1 ’—& gt ;‘ 0 ’. calling “ count ” the value that the counter will assume at the end of the counting , it is possible to define : where delta is no other than the “ filtered ” value of the real zc position information with respect to the expected one , in other words with respect to the centre of the temporal “ window ” in which the counter is active . thus the period elapsed from the previous zc will be given by : “ period ( n − 1 )” is the result of the calculation carried out at the end of the previous window , delta is the calculation carried out at the end of the last window according to eq1 ; and , “ period ( n )” is the period that separates from the previous zc calculated at the end of the last counting window . due to the fact that in such a way a variation in speed will be noted just when a new zc is detected , such a calculation would involve the accumulation of a phase error . if , in fact , we assume that there is a decreasing speed step ( deceleration step ), the period passes from p 1 to a longer p 2 and there will be the situation represented in fig5 . during the second detection window , the real zc is late with respect to the expected one , generating a delta ( 1 ) correction equal to p 2 − p 1 : therefore the system correctly computes the new speed but this variation is introduced with the delay of one zc with respect to the real variation thus giving a phase error ( equal to delta ( 1 )). due to this offset in the subsequent counting window , delta ( 2 )( equal to delta ( 1 ) will be detected and an oscillation around the real speed will begin . to avoid such a phenomenon the period can be corrected as follows : the new period is thus obtained considering the double of delta just computed . in this way the phase error is recovered but an actual speed error would be introduced if it were not corrected by the subtraction of the delta calculated at the previous step ( delta ( n − 1 )). the signs of the previous equation are simply due to the convention that with an input ‘ 0 ’ the counter is increased and that a decrease corresponds to a ‘ 1 ’. of course , they must be studied according to the actual convention assumed in practice : this does not compromise the generality of the present treatment and the case is not treated since it is an obvious extension of the examples considered . fig6 illustrates the response to the step of this approach . from this there is an almost instant recovery of the variation in speed of the motor and a correct phase relationship . once under steady conditions , such a fast reaction could intensify the impact of possible disturbances on the bemf line . such a situation is reduced if a formula of the following type is chosen : where k1 and k2 are generic parameters whose value can be established according to the filtering needs that could also change during the various driving phases : for example a first pair of values [ 2 , 1 ] could be used during the acceleration phase of the motor and a second pair of values [ 0 . 5 , 0 . 25 ] once a steady speed has been reached . fig7 represents the response to the step of two such pairs of values for [ k1 , k2 . the functioning principle of the system is not altered if other types of filtering are combined with it . for example , one can periodically mask , and thus prevent counting , also inside the counting zone so as to mask the presence of known noise . in order to have the lowest impact upon the correct functioning of the filtering allowed by the system for counting “ up / down ”, such zones of inhibition of the counting should take place , as much as possible , in pairs , symmetrically around the expected zc . the symmetrical pairs should also be , as much as possible , of equal duration . a possible use of such an approach is represented in fig8 . it is worth noting that all the methods described up to now , constituting possible implementations of the principles of the invention , can arbitrarily be alternated with any method of the prior art . one could , for example , start by detecting the zcs with a method of the prior art up to a certain speed of rotation of the motor and only then pass to the actuation of the present method . in practice , the new method does not constrain in any way the freedom of the system in the detection of the zcs . at each zc it can be decided whether to act according to the method of the prior art or to adopt the one described here . the implementation of the equations eq3 and eq4 provides the knowledge of the value of some parameters determined by the previous zc . such values should be known also at the time in which the method is activated . since there are no previous zcs to refer to , suitable values must be established . in the case of “ delta ( n − 1 )” the zero value could be assigned , whereas for the previous period “ period ( n − 1 )” one could go back to another estimation of the speed of the rotor , or else such a value can come directly from a previous application of a method of the prior art : the moment when the new filtering under consideration is activated , one should already know the aproximate period between two consecutive zcs of the rotor . this method can be used in all applications using this type of motor : e . g ., floppy and hard disk drive , dvd , cd and tape drive . referring now to fig9 , a position detection circuit 20 is illustrated diagrammatically , according to an embodiment of the invention . a comparator 24 is configured to detect bemf in a winding of a motor 22 , as described with reference to fig1 . the comparator 24 provides a digital output signal indicating polarity of the bemf . a counter circuit 26 is configured to increment up or down , at a selected frequency , according to the value of the digital signal from the comparator 24 , and thus , in response to the polarity of the bemf . the counter circuit 26 is enabled by a timer circuit 30 that enables the counter 26 for a selected time period such that an expected zero crossing of the bemf occurs at a midpoint of the time period . based upon the value of the counter 26 at the end of the time period , together with data previously collected , the position detector circuit 28 determines the actual point of zero crossing , and updates the timer circuit 30 accordingly . it will be recognized that , while the diagram of fig9 is shown having discrete electronic circuits , the functions may be combined into other configurations , or may be wholly or partially performed by software controlled systems . all of the above u . s . patents , u . s . patent application publications , u . s . patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet , are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims .	7
this application is a divisional application of co - pending application ser . no . 829 , 679 , filed sept . 2 , 1977 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 205 , 178 , may 27 , 1980 ; which is a continuation - in - part of ser . no . 755 , 675 , filed dec . 30 , 1976 , now abandoned . the present invention relates to novel 2 - decarboxy - 2 - tetrazolyl - 6 - keto - pge 1 compounds which are useful agents for the induction of prostacyclin - like pharmacological effects . accordingly , these compounds are useful for pharmacological purposes for which prostacyclin and related substances are employed . the essential material constituting disclosure of the preparation and use of these novel compounds is incorporated here by reference from ser . no . 829 , 679 , filed sept . 2 , 1977 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 205 , 178 , issued may 27 , 1980 . the present invention particularly provides a compound of the formula ## str1 ## wherein w 1 is α -- oh : β -- h , α -- h : β -- oh , α -- h : β -- h , methylene , or α -- ch 2 oh : β -- h ; r 8 is hydrogen or alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive ; ( 1 ) -- c ( r 5 )( r 6 )-- c g h 2g -- ch 3 wherein c g h 2g is alkylene of one to 9 carbon atoms , inclusive , with one to 5 carbon atoms , inclusive , in the chain between -- cr 5 r 6 -- and terminal methyl , wherein r 5 and r 6 are hydrogen , alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive , or fluoro , being the same or different , with the proviso that one of r 5 and r 6 is fluoro only when the other is hydrogen or fluoro and the further proviso that neither r 5 nor r 6 is fluoro when z is oxa (-- o --); wherein z represents an oxa atom (-- o --) or c j h 2j is a valence bond or alkylene of one to 9 carbon atoms , inclusive , with one to 6 carbon atoms , inclusive between cr 5 r 6 -- and the ( ph ); wherein ( ph ) is phenyl or phenyl , substituted by ( t ) s , t is alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive , fluoro , chloro , trifluoromethyl , or -- or 7 -- wherein r 7 is alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive ; and s is zero , one , 2 or 3 , with the proviso that not more than two t &# 39 ; s are other than alkyl and when s is 2 or 3 the t &# 39 ; s are either the same or different ; wherein d is zero to 5 , r 2 is hydrogen , methyl , or fluoro , being the same or different with the proviso that one r 2 is not methyl when the other is fluoro , and y is a valence bond , -- ch 2 -- or --( ch 2 ) 2 --, wherein r 9 is hydrogen , methyl or ethyl and r 28 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive , aralkyl of 7 to 12 carbon atoms , inclusive , phenyl , or phenyl substituted with alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms , inclusive ; and with regard to the divalent substituents described above , e . g ., q and w 1 , these divalent radicals are defined as α -- r i : r j , where r i represents a substituent of the divalent moiety of the alpha configuration with respect to the cyclopentane rings and r j represents a substituent of the divalent moiety of the beta configuration with respect to the cyclopentane ring . accordingly , when q is defined as α -- oh : β -- r 8 , the hydroxy of the q moiety is in the alpha configuration , i . e . as in prostacyclin , and the r 8 substituent is in the beta configuration . not all carbon atoms to which such divalent moieties are attached represent asymmetric centers . for example , when both valence bonds are to hydrogen ( e . g ., w 1 or q is α -- h : β -- h ), then no asymmetric center is present .	2
next , the invention is further stated by integrating the preferred embodiments . we shall understand that the embodiments are only used for explaining the invention but not restricting the scope of the invention . the experiment methods of which the specific conditions are not indicated in the following embodiments usually test under conventional conditions or conditions suggested by the manufacturers , and the reagent is specially used for culturing cells . reagent and instruments : improved rpmi - 1640 cell culturing medium ( hyclone ), new - born calf serum ( gibco ), penicillin - streptomycin , trypsin - edta solution ( hangzhou sijiqing ), cell culture incubator ( thermo ), gc / ms ( qp - 2010e , shimadzu ), 75 cm 2 sealed cell culture bottles ( qcbio science & amp ; technologies co ., ltd ); 57330u manual sample introduction handle , 75 μm car / pdms spme ( supelco ); humanized gastric cancer cell mgc - 803 and gastric mucosal cell ges - 1 are from the cell bank of chinese academy of sciences . experimental steps : the humanized gastric cancer cell mgc - 803 and gastric mucosal cell ges - 1 which are cultured adherently are passed into the 75 cm 3 sealed cell culture bottles by the density of 1 * 10 6 / ml after trypsinization , centrifugation , collection and blood counting ; 40 ml of improved rpmi - 1640 cell culture medium containing 5 % of new - born calf serum is added in ; and bottle caps are tightened , the cells are cultured in 5 % of co 2 for 18 h to 24 h at the constant temperature of 37 ° c ., and the cell vitality is maintained to be about 90 %. 6 ml of culture medium in which the gastric cancer cell mgc - 803 to grow , 6 ml of culture medium in which the gastric cancer cell ges - 1 grows and 6 ml of culture medium in which no cell grows and is cultured under the same conditions are respectively collected and put into the 20 ml top empty bottle . the samples are respectively extracted and concentrated by hs - spme ( 75 μm car / pdms ), stirred at the speed of 1200 rpm / min in water bath at 37 ° c ., and extracted for 40 min . pyrolysis and adsorption are carried out for 2 min at the gas chromatography sample inlets at 280 ° c ., in such a manner that the target molecules are thoroughly desorbed , samples are introduced in the non - shunt mode , the shunt valve is opened 1 min later , and the split ratio is 1 : 20 . separation is carried out through the capillary - column chromatography rxi - 5 ms ( 30 m * 0 . 22 mm * 0 . 25 μm ). programmed temperature rise conditions are as follows : the initial temperature 40 ° c . is maintained for 5 min ; and then the temperature rises to 260 ° c . at the speed of 10 ° c ./ min , and maintained for 10 min . the chromatograph scans 42 - 400 amu in a full range , the electron impact energy is 70 ev , the quadrupole chromatogram ion source temperature is 200 ° c ., the carrier gas is high - purity helium , and the flow rate is 44 . 2 cm / s . the detected substances are initially qualified by the nist08 gallery of the chromatogram , and substances with the similarity of above 75 % are quantified by relative peak area . the gas chromatogram of volatile organic substances in gastric mucosal cell strain ges - 1 , gastric cancer cell strain mgc - 803 and the blank culture medium are as shown in fig1 . from fig1 , we can see that the volatile organic substances in the headspace of ges - 1 cell and in the headspace of mgc - 803 cell metabolite are qualitative different . the volatile organic metabolite in the headspace of gastric cancer cell mgc - 803 has characteristic peaks : 3 - octanone ( peak 2 ), 2 - butanone ( peak 8 ), peak 10 ( substance to be qualified ). apart from that , three volatile substances , i . e . 4 - isopropoxylbutanol ( peak 5 ), nonanal ( peak 6 ) and 4 - butoxybutano ( peak 9 ) were detected both in the headspace of gastric cancer cell mgc - 803 and normal gastric mucosal cell ges - 1 with different concentration ( as shown in fig2 ). the ratio of concentration is as follows : 4 - isopropoxylbutanol [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 31 , nonanal [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 36 , 4 - butoxybutano [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 40 . the reference value of the concentration is that the ratio of mass to volume of the substances in the normal gastric mucosal cell is 100 %. generally , the ratio of mass to volume of the three substances in the headspace of normal gastric mucosal cell ges - 1 is : 4 - isopropoxylbutanol , 0 . 05 %; nonanal , 0 . 06 %; and 4 - butoxybutano , 0 . 23 %. through the different concentration and features of the volatile substances , the “ fingerprint atlas - spectrum ” model of the volatile metabolites of the gastric cancer cell is established , which is used for distinguishing gastric cancer cells from normal gastric mucosal cells , and provides new bases for the screening of early gastric cancer . what needs to be pointed out is that the technicians in the field totally can convert the analysis and experiment critical points of all target molecules identified by relative peak area in the invention into other units by common sense , but not limited to the analysis and experiment critical points identified by ng / ml and pg / ml . as shown in fig3 , the cell to be tested is taken out ; the concentration of 4 - isopropoxylbutanol ( peak 5 ), nonanal ( peak 6 ) and 4 - butoxybutano ( peak 9 ) in the volatile metabolite of the cell is tested ; and the test results are compared with the fingerprint atlas - spectrum model of the organic compounds : 4 - isopropoxylbutanol [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 31 , nonanal [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 36 , 4 - butoxybutano [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 40 , and early gastric cancer is initially screened . as shown in fig4 , the cell to be tested of the subject is prepared ; the volatile metabolite in the cell is tested ; the test result is compared with the fingerprint atlas - spectrum model of the organic compounds , and analysis is conducted according to the flowchart in the model : 4 - isopropoxylbutanol [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 31 , nonanal [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 36 , 4 - butoxybutano [ gastric cancer cells ]/[ normal gastric mucosal cells ]≦ 0 . 40 , and early gastric cancer is initially screened . the further test shows that the volatile organic metabolite has characteristic peaks : 3 - octanone ( peak2 ) and 2 - butanone ( peak8 ). then the effect of prompting the early gastric cancer can be further strengthened . according to the invention , the warning of the early gastric cancer is carried out at the cell level through the model . the detection rate of the fingerprint atlas - spectrum to the gastric cancer cells reaches 98 % in the testing of various cancer cells , including melanoma cancer , lung cancer , gastric cancer and control group cells . one skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . its embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . therefore , this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims .	6
the present invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the following examples . however , these examples are merely illustrative of the present invention , the scope of which shall not be construed to be limited by the following examples . in the present invention , the term “ small bias ” is defined within a range of − 2 to − 10v , and the term “ large bias ” is defined within a range of − 10 to − 20v . fig1 shows a schematic diagram of the method for preparing a nano - sheet array structure of a group v - vi semiconductor according to the present invention . in this example , an electrolytic solution 4 of hydrochloric acid was provided , and diluted with deionized water to a ph value of about 1 . 25 . an auxiliary electrode 1 and a working electrode 2 were disposed in the electrolyte solution 4 , wherein the auxiliary electrode 1 was a platinum electrode and the working electrode 2 was a bismuth telluride semiconductor bulk . in addition , a redox reaction bias of − 20v was applied to the auxiliary electrode 1 and the working electrode 2 for 30 seconds , and the redox reaction bias produced a reduction peak potential to thereby conduct an electrochemical reaction between the bismuth telluride bulk and the electrolyte to form a nano - sheet array structure . the nano - sheet array structure formed on the surface of the bismuth telluride had a length of 100 to 300 μm and a width of 100 to 300 μm . the plurality of recesses formed on the surface of bismuth telluride had a depth of 10 to 90 μm . in addition , a tellurium nanowire byproduct was produced in example 1 . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the electrolyte was sulfuric acid . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 100 to 300 μm and a width of 100 to 300 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 10 to 90 μm . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the electrolyte was nitric acid . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 100 to 300 μm and a width of 100 to 300 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 10 to 90 μm . it can be known from the nano - sheet array structure obtained in examples 1 , 2 and 3 that the method of the present invention only needs the electrolyte to have the hydrogen ion ( i . e . an acid solution ), that is , a common acid solution can be used to form a large - surface area nano - sheet array structure on the surface of bismuth telluride . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the redox reaction bias was − 15 v and applied for 45 seconds . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 600 to 900 μm and a width of 600 to 900 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 30 to 500 μm . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the redox reaction bias was − 10 v and applied for 60 seconds . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 650 to 800 μm and a width of 650 to 800 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 100 to 500 μm . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the redox reaction bias was − 5 v and applied for 120 seconds . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 800 to 900 μm and a width of 800 to 900 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 200 to 600 μm . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the redox reaction bias was − 2 v and applied for 300 seconds . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 850 to 990 μm and a width of 850 to 990 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 300 to 650 μm . it can be known from the above - described examples 1 and 4 - 7 that the depth of the nano - sheet array structure may be regulated by the intensity and time period of the applied redox reaction bias . by fixing the total number of passing charges , the relationship between the nano - sheet array structure and the intensity of the applied bias was observed . the nano - sheet array structure having a depth of 2 nm to 900 μm can be formed on the surface of bismuth telluride within a few minutes under a small bias and within a few seconds under a large bias , so that the method of the invention has the advantage of fast processing . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that the bulk 4 of bismuth telluride was replaced by the bulk of antimony telluride , bismuth selenide , and bismuth antimony telluride , respectively . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 400 to 900 μm and a width of 400 to 900 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 200 to 650 μm . the formed byproducts were the tellurium nanowire and the selenide nanowire . various byproducts generated in this example for a wide range of applications . the steps were substantially the same as in example 1 , except that a reference electrode 3 of hg / hg 2 cl 2 ( saturated kcl ) was introduced . the reference electrode 3 was a calomel electrode . the nano - sheet array structure formed in this example had a length of 600 to 900 μm and a width of 600 to 900 μm , and the recesses formed on the surface had a depth of 300 to 500 μm . the formed byproduct was the tellurium nanowire . it can be known from the above - described examples 1 and 8 that the method of the invention only requires a two - electrode system for realizing commercial mass production of the nano - sheet array structures , thus having the advantage of cost saving . as compared with the epitaxial growth and lithography processes commonly used in the art , the method for preparing a nano - sheet array structure according to the present invention is featured by a simple preparation for the electrolyte , a simple electrochemical device , and convenient , and fast processing , thereby reducing the production cost and being suitable for mass production , such that the thermoelectric materials made by the nano - sheet structure can be widely used in various industries . furthermore , the present invention has short reaction time for the nano - sheet array structure and is applicable for a wide variety of materials , both of which cannot be achieved by the conventional art . thermoelectric materials made of the nano - sheet array structure of a v - vi semiconductor can be widely used in various industries , for example in the energy conversion system or a cooling system . therefore , the method of the present invention processes industrial applicability . although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred example , it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed .	7
the present invention provides a compact , efficient , and predictable electrostatic comb drive that is easily reset to a default position and can be latched in either of two switch positions . the latching is achieved using mechanical means and hence the state of the switch can be maintained without the continuous application of electrical power or voltage . efficiency is achieved with bi - directional pulling from either state with shaped comb fingers . the drive may be reset to a known state by applying an electric voltage between the movable and fixed fingers of the comb drive to hold the drive in the position of minimum electric potential , and then removing the voltage to release the comb drive to a default position . [ 0045 ] fig1 a is a simplified top view of a mems device with an exemplary mechanical latching spring system . the mems device has a base 12 or body and a movable element 14 attached to the base with latching spring arms 16 . a comb drive actuator 18 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a set of fixed fingers fixed to the body and a set of movable fingers fixed to the movable element 14 and interdigitated with the fixed fingers . the fingers are not shown in this figure for simplicity of illustration . the terms “ fixed ” and “ movable ” relate to the operation of the fingers in relation to the base of the mems device . a single comb drive or actuator is shown , but a mems device may have two or more comb drives . the latching spring arms 16 include flexible hinges 20 , 22 and a fairly rigid beam portion 24 . the flexible hinges are offset by a distance , d , in the as - fabricated condition . the movable element includes a box section 26 with relatively thin walls that deform slightly and then spring back when the movable element 14 switches states . the movable element includes a mirror 28 or other switching element on one end of the center beam . when operated as an optical switch , the mirror is moved into and out of an optical beam ( s ). the light signals are generally carried to the switching element on waveguides , such as optical fibers . such an optical switching device is described in co - pending , co - assigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 517 , 649 entitled bi - stable micro switch by hichwa et al ., filed mar . 3 , 2000 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes . electrostatic comb drives according to embodiments of the present invention generally include at least one set of movable fingers and one set of fixed fingers , the two sets being interdigitated . when a voltage is applied between the two sets of fingers , the movable fingers will be pulled toward the fixed fingers by electrostatic attraction to lower the potential energy of the system according to equation 1 : f es ( x )− 0 . 5 d ( c ( x ) v 2 )/ dx ( eq . 1 ) where c ( x ) is the total capacitance between the static and moving fingers at the displacement of x and v is the applied voltage . if we neglect the damping of air , the total energy gained from the electrostatic field is shown in equation 2 : e total = ½δ c ( x ) v 2 ( eq . 2 ) the total ( electrostatic plus mechanical ) energy is only dependent on the position of x , if the voltage is held constant . [ 0050 ] fig1 b is a simplified graph of the predicted ( modeled ) force versus displacement for a movable portion of a latching mems switch with latching spring arms as it moves from the as - fabricated position , “ 0 ”, over a force maximum to a zero - force point 32 and then negative force to a force minimum point 34 . fig1 c is a simplified graph of potential energy versus displacement of the latching mems switch of fig1 b . note that the displacement in fig1 c is offset slightly to show the potential energy well at 0 displacement . [ 0051 ] fig2 a is a simplified diagram of predicted energy versus displacement of a latching spring system and conventional electrostatic comb drive with straight fingers that illustrates ringing after a single actuating pulse is applied . the potential energy of the system ( arising from the spring forces ) 40 is shown with the total energy 42 , which is a combination of the potential energy , the kinetic energy of the movable portion of the device , and the electrostatic energy . the potential energy is at a minimum , or zero , 44 typically in the as - fabricated condition . movement of the movable portion of the device in either direction will increase the potential energy of the system . with straight fingers ( i . e . constant or nearly constant width ), the electrostatic force is almost constant in the range of travel when the voltage is on , and the total energy is almost a linear function with displacement . to switch from the initial position , “ 0 ”, to the switched position 46 ( which occurs at a local potential energy minimum ), the moving part must gain enough energy to overcome the potential energy barrier δ e . however , if the voltage is simply turned off when the movable part gains enough energy at the local potential energy maximum 48 , the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy from the spring arms and other spring energy in the system as the device moves from the local maximum 48 to the local minimum 50 will result in a high velocity that causes the mirror to overshoot its intended position and oscillate about it until the residual energy is dissipated by air damping or other dissipative mechanisms . in some instances , the actuator might overshoot with sufficient energy to overcome the potential energy barrier δ e ′ and latch back into its original position . such ringing can reduce the useful area of the mirror if the mirror is reflecting an optical beam while the device is ringing . alternatively , the ringing will increase cycling ( switching ) time if one must wait for the device to settle before switching the optical beam . in some instances a compromise might be struck where both the useful area of the mirror and the switching time are diminished . thus , ringing is not desirable in switch operation and should be reduced if possible . passive damping is small in air or other gases , and immersing the device in a fluid , such as oil , is generally undesirable or even unacceptable in commercial applications . a braking pulse can be used to slow the motion of the movable member after it has passed the local energy maximum , but must be appropriately timed to provide braking without compromising switch operation . the braking pulse is usually a second pulse applied to the opposing set of comb fingers on a conventional . variations between individual mems devices may require that the actuating and braking pulses be determined on a chip - by - chip basis , which is undesirable for volume manufacturing . [ 0055 ] fig2 b is a simplified diagram illustrating predicted energy versus displacement with reduced ringing in a mems switching device with an electrostatic comb drive according to an embodiment of the present invention . in order to reduce the ringing , the kinetic energy is quickly removed from the system by electrostatic attraction . the electrostatic comb drive structure is designed so that the total energy curve 42 ′ closely matches the potential energy curve 40 ′ of the latching spring . the total energy curve consists of a “ rising ” portion ( acceleration ) 54 and a “ falling ” portion ( deceleration ) 56 . if the total energy equals the potential energy at the target mechanical equilibrium position 50 ′ when the driving voltage is turned off the mirror will stay in the target position without ringing . the comb fingers are shaped to achieve acceleration and deceleration during a single “ drive ” pulse . therefore , a single set of fingers can provide both a push and a pull action , the designations of which are arbitrary . when the electronic pulse states , the finger sets are drawn towards each . the fingers have a wide portion and a narrow portion . the electrostatic energy is at a minimum when the wide portions of the movable fingers are aligned with the wide portions of the fixed fingers and applying an electric potential between the fingers causes the movable element to accelerate toward this position . however , the momentum and spring forces carry the movable element past the point where the wide portions of the fingers are aligned . if the electric potential between the fingers is still present , it will decelerate the movable portion because the electrostatic forces will be opposite to the direction of motion , i . e . in the direction to pull the wide portions of the fingers back together . thus , a single complementary set of fingers can provide both a “ pull ” and “ push ” function during a single drive pulse . [ 0058 ] fig3 a is a simplified top view of a portion of an electrostatic comb drive 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first switch position or state . the comb drive includes fixed fingers 62 , 64 and movable fingers 66 , only one of which is shown for simplicity of illustration . comb drives typically have dozens , if not hundreds , of interdigitated fingers , and are often formed in thin films of silicon using photolithography and anisotropic etching techniques . in this embodiment , each finger has a wide section 68 , 70 and a narrow section 72 , 74 attaching the wide section to the base 76 or movable element 78 , respectively . the wide sections increase the inter - finger capacitance when they are aligned to overlap , thus decreasing the electrostatic potential . in a particular embodiment the narrow sections were about 3 microns wide and the wide sections were at least 7 microns wide . the gap between the fingers when the wide sections are overlapped is about 1 - 2 microns . in another embodiment , the narrow sections were about 3 microns wide and the wide sections were about 13 microns wide . it is generally desirable that the wide sections be at least three times wider than the narrow section to facilitate bi - directional operation of the electrostatic comb drive . when a voltage is applied between the fixed and moving electrodes , the moving part experiences an attractive force to pull it toward the fixed part so that the thick portions are aligned and the gap between the fingers is the least . although the wider sections are illustrated as rectangular blocks , other shapes may be fabricated to achieve desired electrostatic drive performance . for example , the wider sections could be wider near the tip to facilitate more rapid initial acceleration of the movable portion , tapering to a narrower width near the narrow section to reduce the total electrostatic force - time product . similarly , it is not necessary that the wider sections on the fixed fingers be the same or even similar to the wider sections on the movable fingers . [ 0061 ] fig3 b is a simplified top view of the comb drive shown in fig3 a in a second position . the movable fingers 66 have been attracted to the fixed fingers 62 , 64 by applying a voltage pulse between the two halves of the comb drive . the voltage pulse was maintained long enough to accelerate the movable portion of the drive to a sufficient energy to reach the second position . the voltage pulse can be maintained after the wide portions of the two sets of fingers pass each other to slow the movable portion before it reaches the second position . spring arms or other motive elements can contribute to the movement of the movable portion . a latching technique holds the movable portion in the second position . another feature is that once the movable element reaches the target position , voltage of the same polarity can be used to switch the movable element back to the initial position , also with deceleration . thus the same or very similar electric pulse can be used to toggle the switch between states . [ 0062 ] fig3 c shows the comb drive of fig3 a when the voltage has been maintained for a sufficient period to hold the fixed and movable fingers in the lowest electrostatic potential state ( assuming no momentum ). spring forces might offset the movable fingers in an actual device , i . e . the wide sections might not be exactly aligned , but the movable element would find the lowest energy position . in this configuration the electrostatic force acting on the movable fingers is balanced with the spring force . in some devices , the spring force might be small enough relative to the electrostatic force to ignore for purposes of modeling . [ 0063 ] fig3 d is a simplified flow chart of a process 0 for resetting or presetting ( initializing ) a mems device according to an embodiment of the present invention . in an electrostatic comb drive in which the force on a movable portion of the mems device is zero when a portion of a movable finger overlaps a portion of a fixed finger between a potential energy maximum and a potential energy minimum , a voltage between the movable finger and the fixed finger is applied ( step 2 ) and held ( step 4 ) for a period sufficiently long for the device to achieve a total energy less than the potential energy maximum and removing the voltage ( step 6 ) so that the movable portion of the device assumes a selected position at the potential energy minimum . in a particular embodiment , the selected position is essentially the as - fabricated position . although the fixed and movable fingers are illustrated as having essentially the same shape , this is not required . similarly , it is not required that each finger in a set ( i . e . movable or fixed ) have the same or even similar shape . in alternative embodiments , electrostatic , magnetic , or other mechanical latching means may be used . the latching spring arm avoids the need to time latching or release signals , as are sometimes used with electrostatic and magnetic latching techniques . for purposes of modeling , a standard latching spring arm and deformable center beam was defined . each hinge has a width of about 1 . 8 microns with a length of about 150 microns , and a total length of the spring arm of about 800 microns . the deformable portion of the beam has a width of 6 . 8 microns and a length of 200 microns . the offset between hinges is 18 microns . [ 0066 ] fig3 e is a simplified cut - away perspective view of a portion of an electrostatic comb drive 70 according to another embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , relatively narrow ( e . g . 2 - 3 microns ) fingers 72 , 74 have been processed to have a tall section 76 near the end of the finger and a short section 78 attaching the tall section to the center beam 80 . a fixed finger 74 similarly has a tall section 82 and a short section 84 attaching the finger to the base 86 . in some embodiments the fixed fingers do not have to be freed from the underlying substrate 88 but may remain attached to the underlying substrate though the bonding layer 90 . the fingers are formed in the superstrate 92 , which is typically a thin film of silicon about 40 - 80 microns thick . rie techniques are used to form the fingers , typically in a two - step etch process . it is generally desirable that the tall section of the fingers is at least about three times as high as the short section of the finger to facilitate bi - directional electrostatic action . [ 0068 ] fig3 f is a simplified flow chart of a process 310 for fabricating an electrostatic comb drive according to an embodiment of the present invention . the substrate is masked using photolithographic techniques to expose a first portion , which will become the thin section of a fixed finger , and to expose a second portion , which will become the thin section of a movable finger ( step 312 ). the superstrate is partially removed from the exposed portions ( step 314 ), leaving a desired thickness of the superstrate . the substrate is masked using photolithographic techniques to cover the first portion and associated fixed finger area and to cover the second portion and associated movable finger area ( step 316 ), and the device is etched to form the movable finger and the fixed finger ( step 318 ) in the superstrate . the photolithographic and etch steps may be reversed in order , i . e . the thinning could be done after the finger is patterned , if desired . the bonding layer is then removed from beneath at least the movable finger ( step 320 ) to free the movable portion of the electrostatic comb drive from the substrate ; however , the bonding layer does not necessarily have to be removed from beneath the fixed fingers . [ 0070 ] fig4 a is a simplified top view of a portion of an electrostatic comb drive 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention used to model the energy of the drive . the comb drive has two sets of fixed fingers 102 , 104 attached to the base 106 and two sets of opposed movable fingers 108 , 1 attached to a center beam 112 of the movable element . a voltage supply 99 is connected between the fixed and movable sets of fingers with two wires 101 , 103 . one wire 103 is flexible to accommodate the motion of the movable element . when an actuating voltage is applied between the movable fingers and the fixed fingers , the first set of fixed fingers 102 attracts the first set of movable fingers 108 , and the second set of fixed fingers 104 attracts the second set of movable fingers 110 . the voltage supply can toggle the device in either direction by applying a simple square - wave pulse , i . e ., a pulse that provides an essentially constant voltage between its start and stop points . [ 0071 ] fig4 b is a simplified top view of a portion of an electrostatic comb drive 100 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the fixed fingers 102 ′, 104 ′ are opposed to each other and are attached to a single fixed transverse beam 105 attached to the base 106 ′. the movable fingers 108 ′, 110 ′ are attached to two movable transverse beams 107 , 109 that are attached to a movable center beam 14 ′. [ 0072 ] fig4 c shows the modeled energy 114 of the spring system and comb drive for the finger design illustrated in fig4 a and the potential energy 40 versus displacement . the energy scale is arbitrary units and is provided for purposes of illustration . a desirable switching energy for mems devices might typically be in the range of mj to nj , although more or less energy might be desirable in certain situations . for example , a device with a heavier movable element might require more energy than a device with a lighter movable element . similarly , a device that is designed to withstand high impact or acceleration forces might require more energy to operate than a device with a low g - force rating . it was assumed that the comb drive had 150 fingers on each set and an actuating voltage of 35 v was chosen for modeling purposes . it was assumed that the hinges would not buckle during operation . the maximum stress should be well below 2 gpa to insure the assumed silicon material would not rupture . the maximum constraint spring force at maximum allowable displacement ( maximum 20 microns further than the equilibrium position ) should be larger than 500 * g * m , where g is the gravitational acceleration constant and m is the total mass of the moving parts f the comb drive ( estimated to be about 50 micro - grams ), to survive a g - force (“ drop ”) test . further limitations might be imposed by other design criteria , such as allowable die size for the mems device . it is generally desirable that the width of the smallest feature should be as big as practical to cope with variations in the fabrication process . the energy barrier should be as low as possible while being high enough to prevent incidental toggling . the design of the finger shape for a comb drive is based on the latching spring system shown above in fig1 a . the design strategy optimizes the finger shape to achieve a total energy curve ( ref . eq . 2 ) that closely matches the potential energy curve of the system . the use of two sets of opposed movable fingers 108 , 110 as shown in fig4 a enables a design strategy wherein the fingers 108 , 110 may have different shapes to optimize the match between the total energy and the potential energy curves . it is desirable that the fingers are designed so that the two energy curves intersect at the two potential energy minima , and that the total energy curve closely matches the potential energy curve . it is further desirable that the slopes of the total energy curve and the potential energy curve be close near the intersections of the curves . this relationship between the total and potential energy curves provides a lower speed of the mirror as it approaches the target ( stopped ) position . this allows a greater tolerance in the duration of the driving / decelerating pulse . high excess kinetic energy between the two potential energy minima is desirable to achieve fast switching . fig5 a - 5 d are simplified top views of two types of comb fingers designed according to the present invention . fig5 a shows a simplified top view of a portion of a comb drive 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention having “ push - pull ” configuration having two sets of fixed fingers 122 , 124 and two sets of movable fingers 126 , 128 extending in opposite directions from a center beam 130 toward each of the sets of fixed fingers in a first , e . g . as - fabricated , position . fig5 b shows the comb drive of fig5 a in the other stable ( switched ) position . [ 0077 ] fig5 c is a simplified top view of a portion of an electrostatic comb drive 120 ′ similar to that shown in fig5 a with the addition of smaller extension elements 132 on the end of the fingers in a first stable position . the extension elements increase the initial electrostatic force between fingers . the extension elements are illustrated on the first set of fixed fingers 122 ′, but could be on the movable fingers 126 ′ or on several sets of fingers . [ 0078 ] fig5 d shows the portion of the electrostatic comb drive 120 ′ illustrated in fig5 c in another stable ( switched ) position . note the overlap 134 between the extension element 132 and the end of the movable finger 136 . some degree of undercutting typically occurs during fabrication , and closely overlapping the sets of fingers may be undesirable . the extension features , which are generally more narrow than the wide portions 138 of the fingers , allows initial overlap in the as - fabricated state on one or both complimentary pair sets of fingers . the initial attractive force when an actuating signal is applied is obtained through fringe capacitance between the extension element 132 and the wide portion of the complimentary finger ( s ). these extension elements increase the electrostatic force an average of about 60 %. referring to fig3 a - 3 c and 5 a - 5 d , when moving the fingers from one position to another the total capacitance ( c ( x )) changes with the distance of travel ( x ). for purposes of illustration , we will define x = 0 at the first position and x = 2 ( d ) where d is the offset of the latching spring system at the other stable ( latching ) position . at x = d , the wider portions of both sets of fingers are aligned . if a constant voltage is applied between the fingers , the total energy gained by the movable portion of the comb drive is proportional to the change in capacitance c ( d )- c ( 0 ). therefore , in order to have a decelerating force at d & lt ; x & lt ; 2d , c ( x ) must decrease with x in that range such that the total energy , e tot , should intersect the potential energy curve minimum of the latching spring . [ 0080 ] fig5 e is a simplified graph illustrating the predicted total energy versus displacement for an electrostatic comb drive fabricated with fingers according embodiments of the present invention under various conditions . comparing curve 142 with curve 139 illustrates the difference in energy arising from slight differences in the finger shape , such as between fingers according to fig5 c and 5a , each being driven with 35 v . other parameters of the model are constant . a partial curve of the predicted total energy 144 versus displacement for a comb drive fabricated with fingers as - shown in fig5 a at a drive voltage of 45 v is also shown , thus illustrating the effect drive voltage can have on electrostatic comb drives . without the smaller features on the fingers associated with curve 142 , a 10 v higher drive voltage is required to achieve the same acceleration in the region of the rising energy potential 146 , i . e . to achieve a similar switching time . this graph also illustrates that suitable devices might operate at less than 40 v . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modeled curves are shown for purposes of comparison to illustrate how changes in the finger shape and drive voltage can affect response . in other words , many details of the modeled device contribute to the predicted response , such as movable mass , spring forces , finger shape , number of comb finger pairs , drive voltage , and thickness of the superstrate , to name a few , and that the same or a very similar response characteristic ( s ) might be obtained for several different physical designs . [ 0083 ] fig6 a is a simplified graph illustrating predicted transition time as a function of driving voltage for a comb drive with fingers according to an embodiment of the present invention . the same modeling parameters were used that generated curve 144 in fig5 e , but the choice of this model is somewhat arbitrary as any number of other models could be used to illustrate the same concept . while it is generally desirable to have as short a transition time as possible , it is desirable in some applications to keep the drive voltage below 40 v . many applications use voltage doubling circuits to step up the voltage , for example , 5 - 10 - 20 - 40 v . each doubling process consumes power and introduces conversion losses ; hence generating higher voltages becomes less and less efficient . other electronic components in the device might be susceptible to damage from voltages exceeding 40 v . of course , damage might also occur at lower voltages , but generally speaking , the higher the maximum on - chip voltage , the greater the risk of damage . in order to obtain voltages over 40 v , the fabrication process might have to be modified . for example , the thickness of a dielectric layer might need to be increased to avoid dielectric breakdown in the device . the mechanical transition time is defined for purposes of these graphs as the duration from the as - fabricated position to the target intersection position . the intersection position changes with voltage for a given design ; therefore , the intersection point will be coincident with the position of the target minimum on the potential energy curve only at certain driving voltages . several finger designs were modeled for transition time . the transition times were all between 300 - 700 microseconds within the driving voltage range of 35 - 50 v . the comb drive with fingers modeled in accordance with trace 144 of fig5 e has the shortest transition time because it has the highest excess ( kinetic ) energy . [ 0085 ] fig6 b is a simplified graph showing the predicted range of maximum ringing as a function of driving voltage for a comb drive according to an embodiment of the present invention . generally , comb drives with the shorter transition times have the greater ringing ranges ( excursions ). for each design there is an optimum voltage under which the residual ringing will be zero , given a pulse of the proper duration . fortunately , comb drives with fingers according to embodiments of the present invention provide automatic deceleration if the driving pulse is maintained after the movable element passes the potential energy maximum between the two switch states . at this optimum voltage , the duration of the driving pulse should match the transition time as nearly as possible to maximize the braking effect of the pulse . [ 0087 ] fig7 is a simplified top view of a portion of a comb drive 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention . two sets of fixed fingers 172 , 174 operate in conjunction with fingers 176 , 178 on the movable portion 180 of the comb drive . the mass of the fingers on the movable portion of the comb drive has been reduced by removing a center portion of the wide portions 182 , 184 of the movable fingers . in one instance , an enclosed center portion 186 has been removed . reducing the mass of the movable element can improve the transition time and reduce the tendency for the device to ring , given a damping function . removing portions of the wide portion of the fingers also facilitates release from the underlying oxide layer . some of the fingers have notches 190 , 192 on the corners of the wide portions to improve fabrication of overlapping regions 194 of the fingers by facilitating the removal of material by anisotropic etching while retaining the inter - finger clearance ( actuation gap or closest approach ), which is usually on the order or 1 - 3 microns . alternatively , the corners could be beveled . overlap of the fingers is desirable to improve the initial electrostatic attraction of the fingers , and hence transition time , and in this embodiment some portion of at least one set of complimentary features is overlapping in both switch positions . in a conventional mems fabrication process , devices in a relatively thin ( e . g . 20 - 80 micron ) layer of silicon are patterned using photolithography techniques . the thin film of silicon is bonded to the underlying substrate with a layer of silicon dioxide or other material . a deep reactive ion etching technique removes the thin film of silicon where it is not protected by the photolithographic mask to expose the underlying silicon dioxide . a wet chemical or other etch that is highly selective for silicon dioxide over silicon , such as a hydro - fluoric acid wash , removes the exposed silicon dioxide and undercuts the silicon dioxide . if the overlying silicon feature is relatively wide , it remains bonded to the underlying substrate . if the overlying silicon feature is relatively narrow , the hf wash undercuts from both sides to free the feature from the substrate . [ 0091 ] fig8 a is a simplified graph of pulse width versus driving voltage illustrating the actuation window of a comb drive modeled according to an embodiment of the present invention with zero critical dimension (“ cd ”) variation . the cd variation is usually a table of values defining the maximum and minimum dimensions for various critical elements of the device , such as hinge width , finger width , and the width of the gap between fingers . the four curves represent the maximum allowable forward travel 200 the maximum allowable forward ringing 202 , which in this instance was chosen as 5 microns , the maximum allowable back travel 204 , and the maximum allowable backward ringing 206 , also defined as 5 microns . zero ringing , represented by the “+” sign 207 , would occur with an actuating pulse having the associated driving voltage 208 and pulse width 210 . the desired actuating pulse should have a duration and voltage falling within the actuation window 212 that lies within all four curves , represented by the dashed line 214 . [ 0092 ] fig8 b is a simplified graph of pulse width versus driving voltage illustrating the actuation window of a comb drive modeled according to an embodiment of the present invention with a cd variation of 0 . 2 microns . note that the scales are slightly different from fig8 a for purposes of illustration . the four curves represent the maximum allowable forward travel 200 ′ the maximum allowable forward ringing 202 ′, which in this instance was defined as 5 microns , the maximum allowable back travel 206 ′, and the maximum allowable backward ringing 208 ′ also defined as microns . zero ringing , represented by the “+” sign 207 ′ would occur with an actuating pulse having the associated driving voltage 208 ′ and pulse width 210 ′. again , a desired actuation pulse for this device would have a pulse duration and voltage falling within the actuation window 212 ′ of all four curves , represented by the dashed line 214 ′. if fig8 a and 8b were scaled and superimposed , the resulting congruent area of the actuation windows would be the actuation window appropriate for all devices having a cd variation up to 0 . 2 microns . fig8 c is a simplified graph of pulse duration versus driving voltage showing the resultant actuation window 200 obtained from the subset of the actuation windows of fig8 a and fig8 b , and the pulse that would produce no ringing for the zero cd variation 222 and 0 . 2 micron cd variation 224 devices . thus , the actuation window not only accommodates for fabrication variation up to 0 . 2 microns , it also provides ranges of pulse duration and voltage . the pulse duration could be expressed as a function of voltage , for example , having tolerance limits about a line tending generally through the center of the resultant actuation window within driving voltage limits . alternatively , a drive voltage could be selected ( set ) or measured , and the pulse duration set accordingly , or vice versa , or could be provided according to a look - up table defining the resultant actuation window . [ 0094 ] fig8 d is a simplified flow chart for a process 800 of designing an electrostatic comb drive to accommodate variations in the fabrication offset and in the actuation pulse . the actuation window for an electrostatic comb drive of pulse duration versus drive voltage for the lowest allowed cd limit is determined ( step 802 ), by measuring or modeling . the actuation window for the comb drive with a maximum allowable cd limit is determined ( step 804 ). the order of these steps is arbitrary . then , the two actuation windows are compared to find the common actuation widow ( step 806 ). in a further embodiment , a drive voltage is selected ( step 808 ) and the pulse duration tolerance is chosen ( step 810 ) according to the common actuation window . in an alternative embodiment , a pulse duration is selected ( step 812 ) and the driving voltage tolerance is chosen ( step 814 ) according to the common actuation window . in either case , the actuation pulse is the product of the pulse voltage and pulse duration and falls within the common actuation window . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail , it should be apparent that modifications , adaptations , and equivalents to the described embodiments might occur to one skilled in the art . for example , the movable fingers could have thin and thick regions and the fixed fingers have narrow and wide regions , or vice versa . similarly , although specific embodiments show a linear drive , rotary drives , such as using a hinge flexure may also be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims .	7
in fig1 aluminum strips have been applied to a commercially available highly porous paper for wrapping cigarette filters ( papierfabrik wattens gmbh , qno 27400 ), with an air permeability of 6000 cu , by performing a hot foil process . a width of the porous paper was 26 . 5 mm and a width of each aluminum strip was 1 mm . a spacing between the strips was 1 mm . filter rods for cigarettes were produced in a per se known manner from a usual industrial acetate cable measuring about 1000 m in length . fig1 shows a structure of such a filter rod comprising acetate cable 1 , wrapping paper 2 and tip layer 3 , while reference 4 denotes the aluminum strips according to the invention . cigarettes are produced by machine , using these filter rods . for comparison purposes , cigarettes were produced on a basis of the same composition in terms of filter , cigarette paper and tobacco blend , but without previous zone - wise coating of a filter wrapping paper . the cigarettes produced were smoked under standardized conditions in a smoking laboratory . with regard to cigarettes of the invention , smoke constituents of a main smoke flow had a selectively and significantly lower carbon monoxide content , as shown in table 1 . fig2 shows another embodiment according to the invention . here , with a structure of the filter rod otherwise being the same with regard to acetate cable 1 and tip layer 3 , filter wrapping paper 2 was coated with aluminum in a finely distributed form , but here aluminum layer 5 was highly porous . this kind of aluminum coating ensures that air permeability of the filter wrapping paper is sufficiently maintained so that , as also with the embodiment of fig1 sufficient air can pass laterally into the cigarette filter . for comparison purposes and to demonstrate action of the highly porous aluminum layer 5 , besides the embodiment according to the invention as shown in fig2 otherwise identical cigarette filters were produced without aluminum coating 5 on wrapping paper 2 . these filter rods were used to produce , by machine , otherwise equivalent cigarettes with and without the coating 5 . the cigarettes produced therefore differ only with regard to presence of the coating 5 . the cigarettes produced in that way , as in the case of the embodiment of fig1 were also smoked under standardized conditions in a smoking laboratory . measured smoke constituents of a main smoke flow of cigarettes of this embodiment also have a selectively and significantly lower carbon monoxide content , and therefore , have a similar effect as with the first embodiment . table 2 shows results of measurement of the same parameters as in table 1 , but in a comparison between cigarettes with a standard filter wrapping paper , and cigarettes with filter wrapping paper 2 according to the second embodiment of the invention , which is coated with a finely distributed highly porous aluminum layer 5 . clearly , the invention combines a known advantage of filter venting with an effect which is to be attributed to a metal coating . in this respect , the two embodiments show that an effect can be demonstrated , irrespective of a nature of the metal coating , as long as combination of air permeability of filter wrapping paper and metal coating of the filter wrapping paper is guaranteed . this makes it clear that the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments , but includes all possible combinations of the embodiments shown herein and other embodiments in accordance with combining a porous filter wrapping paper and a metal coating . a physical or chemical mechanism to which this effect is to be attributed still remains to be investigated . a possible explanation would be adsorption of carbon monoxide by the metal coating , whereas a purely catalytic action , because of a low temperature in the filter , is improbable .	0
embodiments of the present invention will next be described with reference to drawings . however , the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments . [ 0047 ] fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the structure of a semiconductor production apparatus 100 according to one specific embodiment of the present invention . fig1 shows a schematic view of the structure , without showing the presence of joint portions and details thereof . details of a portion for placing a substrate for performing epitaxial growth are shown in fig2 . in the semiconductor production apparatus 100 shown in fig1 an epitaxial growth system 101 and an etching system 102 are brought into communication with each other before placement of a substrate 10 , and are isolated from each other by placement of the substrate 10 . a completely airtight state is not required between these two systems . the semiconductor production apparatus 100 comprises a quartz - made reactor 110 having an upper chamber and a lower chamber ; a substrate holder 120 ; an etching gas conduit 130 ; a group v element conduit 140 ; and a group iii element chloride feeder 150 . the group iii element chloride feeder 150 comprises a hydrogen chloride conduit 151 , a group iii element boat 152 , and a group iii element chloride conduit 153 . the epitaxial growth system 101 — the lower chamber — has an arrangement of typical vpe . specifically , metallic gallium or metallic indium is placed in the group iii element boat 152 ; hydrogen chloride ( hcl ) is fed from the hydrogen chloride conduit 151 ; gacl is fed from the group iii element chloride conduit 153 to the substrate 10 ; and ammonia is fed from the group v element conduit 140 . these materials may be diluted with a carrier gas so as to be fed through the group v element conduit 140 or the group iii element chloride feeder 150 . in the etching system 102 — the upper chamber — the etching gas conduit 130 is connected to a hole 21 provided in the center of a heat retaining plate 20 . fig2 shows details of the etching system 102 in a cross - sectional view . a circular - ring substrate holder 120 having a step is provided in the quartz - made reactor 110 having a circular hole for accommodating a substrate . the substrate 10 is placed from the top in the circular - ring substrate holder 120 . the substrate 10 and the circular - ring substrate holder 120 separate the quartz - made reactor 110 into the epitaxial growth system 101 and the etching system 102 . the circular - ring substrate holder 120 has a cross - section ( radial direction ) of z shape or s shape . the bottom of the holder having a narrow opening sustains the substrate 10 , and the peripheral portion of the lower face 10 a of the substrate 10 is in contact with the circular - ring substrate holder 120 . the top of the circular - ring substrate holder 120 , having the largest radius , is suspended by the circular hole for accommodating a substrate provided in the quartz - made reactor 110 . thus , one face ( lower face ) 10 a of the substrate 10 faces the epitaxial growth system 101 , whereas the other face ( upper face ) 10 b of the substrate 10 faces the etching system 102 . on the upper face 10 b of the substrate 10 there is provided a pedestal - shape heat retaining plate 20 having the hole 21 in the center and four legs 22 on the bottom . by virtue of its weight , the heat retaining plate 20 prevents the substrate 10 and the substrate holder 120 from being released from the hole of the quartz - made reactor 110 for accommodating a substrate . in addition , the heat retaining plate 20 stores heat supplied from a heat source outside the quartz - made reactor 110 , to thereby maintain the substrate 10 at a desired reaction temperature . the heat retaining plate 20 is made of carbon and has resistance to etching gas . the etching gas fed from the hole 21 is released onto the upper face 10 b of the substrate 10 , to thereby etch the upper face 10 b of the substrate 10 . the gas generated during etching reaction is released via the spaces between the four legs 22 of the heat retaining plate 20 into the etching system 102 in the quartz - made reactor 110 , and discharged out to a treatment system . the general procedure for simultaneously performing etching of the backside of a substrate and epitaxial growth by use of the semiconductor production apparatus 100 will next be described . the feature of simultaneously etching the backside of a silicon ( si ) substrate serving as the substrate 10 by use of hydrogen chloride and epitaxially growing gallium nitride ( gan ) will next be described with reference to fig3 . through heating by means of an external heat source , the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 and the heat retaining plate 20 are maintained at 1 , 000 ° c . ( fig3 a ). when ammonia ( nh 3 ) and gallium chloride ( gacl ) are supplied to the epitaxial growth system 101 , epitaxial growth of gallium nitride ( gan ) 30 on the face 10 a of the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 is initiated ( fig3 b ) . then , hydrogen chloride ( hcl ) is supplied through the hole 21 of the heat retaining plate 20 and reacts with silicon at the face 10 b of the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 , to thereby form chlorosilanes ( e . g ., h x sicl 4 - x , h x si 2 cl 6 - x ) and hydrogen ( h 2 ) . these gases are discharged via the spaces between the four legs 22 of the heat retaining plate 20 into the etching system 102 , and further discharged to a discharge gas treatment system ( not illustrated ) provided outside the quartz - made reactor 110 . in this way , the side of the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 facing the etching system 102 is etched , and the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 is reduced in thickness in the center portion 10 c ( fig3 c ). by continuing epitaxial growth and etching for a desired period of time , portions of the silicon ( si ) substrate 10 other than portions in contact with the four legs 22 of the heat retaining plate 20 are almost completely thinned through etching , or are completely removed , to thereby develop the backside of the , gallium nitride ( gan ) 30 ( fig3 d ). although in the present embodiment the reactor is made of quartz , the present invention is applicable to production apparatus made of arbitrary material . in the above embodiment , an epitaxial growth procedure realized through halide vpe has been described . however , the method of expitaxial growth is selected arbitrarily . other than the silicon ( si ) substrate , the present invention is applicable to any etchable substrates . in this case , any etching gases can be used in accordance with material of the substrate and production apparatus employed or other factors . [ 0056 ] fig4 shows production steps ( layer - thinning steps ) of a substrate having a thinned portion . a generally disk - shaped silicon ( si ) substrate 301 having a diameter of 2 . 5 - 5 cm ( 1 - 2 inches ) and a thickness of 100 μm to 300 μm and a first holder 302 made of sapphire and including a groove having a depth of 5 - 50 μm for accommodating the substrate are provided . a thin - film adhesive layer 303 is formed on the groove ( depth : 5 - 50 μm ) of the sapphire - made first holder 302 , and the silicon ( si ) substrate 301 having a thickness of 100 μm to 300 μm is bonded thereon ( fig4 a ). in this state , chemical polishing is carried out . while the thickness of the thin - film adhesive layer 303 is taken into account , the silicon ( si ) substrate 301 is thinned through chemical polishing such that the thickness of the substrate is made equal to the depth of the groove of the sapphire - made first holder 302 . by removing the thin - film adhesive layer 303 by use of an organic solvent or a similar agent , the thinned substrate ( silicon ( si ) substrate ) 310 whose thickness is made equal to the depth of the groove of the sapphire - made first holder 302 ( fig4 b ) is placed directly on the groove of the sapphire - made first holder 302 ( fig4 c ). subsequently , a second circular - ring holder 304 made of quartz and having a hole in the center is assembled with the sapphire - made first holder 302 and the thinned silicon ( si ) substrate 310 . through the above integration process , the upper face ( other than the groove ) of the sapphire - made first holder 302 and the periphery of the thinned silicon ( si ) substrate 310 are covered with the quartz - made second holder 304 , and the thinned silicon ( si ) substrate 310 is held by the sapphire - made first holder 302 and the quartz - made second holder 304 . since one face of the thus - held thinned silicon ( si ) substrate 310 is developed partially by the center hole of the quartz - made second holder 304 , a group iii element can be supplied to the developed face ( represented by “ epi ” in fig4 d ) through a halide transportation method ( chloride method ), thereby performing epitaxial growth ( fig4 d ). although in the above embodiment a silicon ( si ) substrate is employed as the substrate , the substrate of the present invention is not limited to a silicon ( si ) substrate , and the method of the invention can be applied to any substrate , so long as at least a portion of the substrate can be thinned . the thickness of the substrate is adjusted to 50 μm or less , preferably approximately 10 - 20 μm . the thickness of the epitaxial growth layer of a group iii nitride compound semiconductor formed on the substrate is adjusted to 50 μm or more , preferably approximately 100 - 200 μm . this is because , when an epitaxial growth layer having a thickness not less than that of the substrate is formed , mechanical and thermal characteristics of the epitaxial growth layer predominate over characteristics of the substrate , thereby relaxing strain ( e . g ., warpage ) of the epitaxial growth layer and preventing generation of cracks in the epitaxial growth layer . although in the above embodiment thinning is carried out through chemical polishing , no particular limitation is imposed on the thinning method , and any thinning method , such as physical - mechanical polishing , or thinning by any chemical reaction , can be employed in accordance with the material of the substrate . in the above embodiment , the holder employed in the thinning step also serves as the holder for use in epitaxial growth . however , these two holders may be different from each other . in the above embodiment , the thinned substrate is secured by the first and second holders for carrying out epitaxial growth . however , the holder for use in epitaxial growth may be a monolithic type . the material of the holder may be selected arbitrarily so long as the material does not affect the desired reaction or operation in each step . still another embodiment of the present invention will next be described . [ 0060 ] fig5 a is a cross - sectional view showing the structure of a substrate 500 having a thinned portion t according to the following specific embodiment of the present invention , and fig5 b is a backside view showing the same . the substrate 500 having a thinned portion t is a generally disk - shape substrate having a diameter of 2 . 5 - 5 cm and a thickness of 100 - 300 μm , and the thinned portion t , having a thickness of 5 - 50 μm , is provided in the center of the substrate . the disk - shape substrate has a thick rim portion ( periphery ) having a thickness of 100 - 300 μm and a width of 5 - 10 μm . [ 0061 ] fig6 a to 6 d are views showing production steps ( thinning steps ) of a substrate 500 having a thinned portion t shown in fig5 . while a silicon ( si ) substrate is taken as an example , the substrate production steps will next be described . a generally disk - shape silicon ( si ) substrate 510 having a thickness of 100 - 300 μm is provided ( fig6 a ). the upper face 510 a and the rim ( periphery ) 510 b ( other than a portion 510 c of the lower face to be etched ) are covered with a resist 520 ( fig6 b ) . the portion 510 c of the lower face not covered with the resist 520 is wet - etched by use of a fluoric acid buffer ( fig6 c ). after completion of etching , the silicon ( si ) substrate 500 provided , in the center , with a thinned portion t having a thickness of 5 - 50 μm can be formed by removing the resist 520 ( fig6 d ). when a desired group iii nitride compound semiconductor 530 such as gan is formed on a substrate such as the silicon ( si ) substrate 500 having a thinned portion t , no cracks are generated in the group iii nitride compound semiconductor 530 formed on the thinned portion t during a process of lowering the epitaxial growth temperature by approximately 1 , 000 ° c . ( k ) to room temperature . thus , a thick - film group iii nitride compound semiconductor crystal having a thickness of 100 μm to some mm can be produced without generating cracks ( fig6 e ). the group iii nitride compound semiconductor 530 formed on the silicon ( si ) substrate 500 having a thinned portion t ( fig6 e ) may be separated by dicing , to thereby remove exclusively a portion formed on the thinned potion t ( fig6 f ); i . e ., to form a thick - film group iii nitride compound semiconductor crystal 530 having a silicon ( si ) thin film on the back face . alternatively , the thinned portion t may optionally be etched , to thereby remove silicon ( si ) 500 of the etched portion , or silicon ( si ) 500 of the back side of the group iii nitride compound semiconductor crystal 530 may be completely removed ( fig6 g ). upon etching , through employment of an appropriately assembled apparatus , the backside silicon ( si ) 500 may be etched while a thick group iii nitride compound semiconductor 530 is grown epitaxially . the thick portion of the substrate 500 is not necessarily a continuous rim as shown in fig5 and the substrate 600 may have legs l as shown in fig7 a ( cross - sectional view ) and fig7 b ( backside view ) . although a thick portion having four legs is shown in fig7 a and 7b , the number of the legs l of the substrate 600 is determined arbitrarily . the hatched portion shown in fig7 a denotes a cross - section , whereas the hatched portion shown in fig7 b denotes a region corresponding to the thinned portion t and does not denote a cross - section . in fig5 and 7 , substrates 500 and 600 having a thinned portion of approximately uniform thickness are shown . however , the thinned portion is not limited to uniform thickness , and the thickness may be modified arbitrarily , so long as the thickness does not cause thermal - stress - induced cracks in a thick group iii nitride compound semiconductor formed on the corresponding thinned portion . furthermore , a slightly thick portion may be provided in the form of stripes , a checkerboard pattern , a cross , etc . in order to enhance mechanical strength of the thinned portion . in fig5 and 7 , generally disk - shape silicon substrates are shown as typically employed silicon substrates . however , the shape of the substrate to be thinned is not limited to a circular shape , and any shapes are acceptable so long as a substrate of uniform thickness is employed for thinning . in the above embodiment , a silicon ( si ) substrate is employed as the substrate . however , the present invention is also applicable to any thinnable substrate other than the silicon ( si ) substrate . also , thinning is carried out through etching . however , no particular limitation is imposed on the thinning method , and any thinning method , such as physical - mechanical polishing or thinning by any chemical reaction , can be employed in accordance with the material of the substrate . the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments serving as most practical and appropriate examples . however , the present invention is not limited to these embodiments , and appropriate modifications and applications can be made without deviating from the scope of the present invention .	2
in accordance with the present invention , a method and apparatus are provided for attaining a close size - controlled microsphere population by sol - gel procedures in which a significant percentage of microspheres are formed within a preselected and relatively narrow size range . the gel microsphere population is attained by subjecting aqueous dispersions of a sol , or solution that forms a sol , the dispersion containing at least one metal value , within a water - immiscible organic liquid to a highly uniform zone of mechanically induced turbulence . higher yields and a more precisely controlled variability of size - ranges can thus be attained by providing a more homogeneous and isotropic regime of turbulent flow within the microsphere - forming apparatus . this is accomplished in the present invention by incorporating within said apparatus a microsphere - forming column that contains one or more flow diverting structures which provide a zone of uniform , mechanically induced turbulence . this zone extends not only over the cross section of the column but along its entire length . the combination of flow - diverting structures and hydraulic turbulence in the gel microsphere - forming column subjects the dispersed fluid to more uniform forces of formation than previously provided by former devices . our discovery that a marked improvement in the turbulent flow field of the formation device can thus be had is an important factor in limiting size - range variabilities of the microspheres produced by our invention to desired and relatively narrow variations of diameters of about 300 microns or below . typically , populations of these microspheres will have a significant percentage of the population ( sometimes as high as 90 %) within a preselected and relatively narrow size - range . similar populations could also be provided by a modified column having an internal construction of different mechanical means or flow - diverting structures such as tortuous passageways , rotating couettes , and like devices or their combinations . these variations are thus considered equivalents of this disclosure . referring to the figure in the accompanying drawing , the practice of our method utilizes a sol - gel microsphere - forming device 10 which is shown comprising a reactant feed nozzle 12 , a microsphere - forming column 14 , a gelation column 16 , and a settling chamber 18 . the aqueous feed of metal values into the nozzle 12 through conduit 20 may be a solution containing a dissolved metal salt , a suspension of fine metal oxide particles , or an aquasol of metal salt or oxide derived from conventional sources of such materials . preferably , the aqueous feed contains at least one metal value and is admixed with sol - forming agents such as urea and hexamethylene - tetramine ( hmta ) in sufficient proportions to effect gelation when exposed to heated media . the water - immiscible organic liquid feed shown generally at 22 may be any organic liquid , such as trichloroethylene ( tce ), 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexanol ( 2eh ), iso - amyl alcohol ( iaa ). or like higher alcohols having a capacity for converting the droplets of the aqueous dispersion into an acceptable gelled product . preferably . the organic liquid should be a dehydrating agent , maintained essentially free of water , and having a high affinity for removing water from the droplet product without a deleterious effect on gelation of the droplets . in short , the liquid utilized in the subject method should stabilize the droplet during the gelation process into a solid form without destruction of the physical or mechanical integrity of the droplet . hydrocarbons and other organic liquids with low water solubilities and higher boiling points cannot impart the requisite properties to the droplet product . tce can provide some dehydration , but some precautions must be taken in the drying portion of the process . the temperature of the entering solvent stream 22 may vary between 50 ° c . to 90 ° c . depending upon the sphere size , length of column 14 , and other process parameters such as flow rate , number of flow diverting structures , column diameter , and composition of the aqueous dispersion . for purposes of conducting the present invention , an acceptable product has been easily obtained by utilizing 2eh at a temperature in the range of about 45 ° c . to 55 ° c . temperatures much below about 45 ° c . are insufficient for practical decomposition of the gelation agent . temperatures much above about 55 ° c . tend to produce gel properties unacceptable in subsequent steps such as washing . while the angle of intersection 30 of the respective feeds 20 and 22 is depicted at right angles to one another in the drawing , such an angle is not essential and other sol - gel feed arrangements may be satisfactorily utilized . in the practice of our invention , we have used several different sizes and types of static mixers of varying length and pitch manufactured by kenics corporation of andover , mass . to provide the mechanically induced means for generating a turbulent zone 34 within the column 14 . basically . these mixers comprise a stainless - steel mixing element consisting of a staggered series of right - handed and left - handed helical elements joined together at right angles to one another and mechanically affixed to the inner walls of a rigid column . fouling of feed material flow and surface wear are not a problem in the present invention since no small - diameter restrictions , moving parts , or inferior materials are utilized for producing our narrowly size - controlled microspheres . gelation of the feed materials is initiated as the dispersion is formed into droplets in column 14 , continues in gelation column 16 , and is completed in settler 18 . following aging for sufficient time to complete gelation which is usually in the range of about 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 hour , the spheroidal product 24 is removed from settler 18 through line 26 and separated from the liquid by conventional means such as filtration or screen collection . the water - contaminated liquid is drawn off through line 28 . this stream is preferably recycled to feed stream 22 through a conventional azeotropic distillation process to remove water , but alternate means of disposal may also be utilized . additional 2eh unsaturated with water may be added to the liquid feed as necessary to provide a liquid essentially free of water and characterized by a marked affinity for water extraction . recovered spheroids are subjected to such additional treatment as required for their ultimate use . typical treatment may constitute washing and drying to remove impurities or volatile constituents followed by confinement within a reducing atmosphere and firing to elevated temperature under controlled conditions to reduce the metal values to a sintered and highly dense metal oxide product . other treatment procedures known within the sol - gel art are possible and could be adapted to the subject method by application of only limited skill . exacting control and tedious monitoring procedures are not required in the practice of the present invention . spheroids of different nominal sizes can be formed within the microsphere - forming column 14 of the present invention simply by selectively varying liquid properties or flow conditions such as flowrates , interfacial tension or density of feed materials , or process parameters like the dimensions of the turbulent mixing zone . as mentioned hereinbefore , droplet sizes are flowrate controlled with increasing velocities in our microsphere - forming apparatus producing smaller spheroids . in addition to the example given below wherein approximately 90 % of the sintered microspheres resided with the narrow size range of 15 to 45 microns , we have obtained similar results by using larger diameter columns 14 . customarily , the larger diameter spheres do not attain as great a degree of size - range control as that given for the example below , but populations of larger spheres still have a significant percentage of sintered spheroids within a relatively narrow range as compared to former sol - gel processes . for instance , in a run to produce such spheroids of a nominal 200 micron diameter , about 90 % of the microspheres were found to be within the size range of 90 to 225 microns while in a similar run to produce a population of nominal 400 micron spheroids , about 85 % of the microspheres were within the size range of 200 to 400 microns . thus , the formation device of the present invention preferably is applied when making microsphere populations below about 300 micron spheroid diameters . larger sizes are possible , but at the expense of diminished control over size - range variability . subsequent experimentation has revealed that spheroidal sizes of about 1000 microns nominal diameter are limiting for the present invention . for spheroids above this size , typical sol - gel methods are just as competitive as the present invention for size - range control . the following example is presented to illustrate an operable mode for carrying out the subject invention . process conditions disclosed therein have not necessarily been optimized and are presented for the sole purpose of illustration of the invention in preparing close size - controlled microsphere populations having a significant percentage of said population within a preselected and relatively narrow size range . an aqueous dispersion for a sol - gel forming operation was prepared by combination of an acid deficient uranyl nitrate solution containing 2 . 6m u + 6 and 4 . 0m n0 3 - with a 3 . 3m aqueous urea solution . a metered amount of the resultant mixture was introduced to a chilled tank and agitated for uniformity . the tank was maintained at about 0 ° c . to prevent premature gelling . a 3 . 1m hexamethylene tetramine ( hmta ) solution was added to the tank with continued agitation and cooling at about 0 ° c . the final fluid dispersion had an hmta to u + 6 molar ratio of 1 . 2 . again referring to the drawing , this final fluid was injected at 25 ml / min . through line 20 of nozzle 12 where it was dispersed within a 300 ml / min . organic liquid stream of 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexanol ( 2eh ) introduced through line 22 . the 2eh was admixed with a minute amount ( about 0 . 1 wt . %) of span - 80 , a surfactant product of atlas powder co ., wilmington , del ., and heated to a temperature of about 50 ° to 55 ° c . lines 20 and 22 are interconnected by an internal passageway 29 . feeds of fluid dispersion and organic liquid are first contacted at point 30 whereby globules 32 are transported into the microsphere forming column 14 which contains a mechanically induced turbulent zone or region 34 . a kenics static mixer , model 37 - 03 - 062 3 / 16 inches i . d . by 6 inches long was utilized to provide said zone . the alternating right - handed and left - handed helical elements of the mixing element of this device exposed the globules to a tortuous passage within column 14 . droplet sizes within this passageway are flowrate controlled and are found to follow the general equation . ## equ1 ## where : d s = droplet diameter from the above equation , appropriate operating conditions can be selected for other sol - gel dispersions in a flowing , continuous phase of organic liquid . good agreement with the above equation may be expected across the range of about 5 to 1000 microns utilizing a kenics static mixer . homogeneous and uniform partially gelled droplets , the majority ( about 90 %) of which are in a size range of about 50 to 180 microns in diameter , exit the turbulent zone through opening 36 and enter the gelation column 16 where gelation is completed . these gelled droplets then flow into the settler 18 through opening 38 where they were aged for about 0 . 1 hour to complete gelation . while the aging process may be conducted in a location remote from the sol - gel forming apparatus , the aging process under the specified conditions has been found to ameliorate the clustering and caking problems frequently experienced in making spheroids below about 300 microns . completely gelled spheroids were recovered through line 26 by conventional techniques and were washed in about 10 volumes of 0 . 5 m nh 4 oh followed by an isopropanol rinse . the spheres were then dried by confinement within an air environment and heating to about 250 ° c . the resultant free - flowing uo 3 - bearing spheroids were reduced to uo 2 - bearing spheroids of 99 % theoretical density by confinement in a hydrogen environment and firing to about 1 , 600 ° c . examination of the ultimate product revealed that greater than 90 % of the microspheres were of the nominal size range of 15 to 45 microns in diameter . they appeared to be uniform in structure and appearance while possessing a high degree of regularity . surface defects , cracks , and other anomolies were not detected in their smooth surfaces . spheroids of this precision , quality , and regularity are suitable for direct loading into fbr and lwr fuel columns as the finer portion of vibratory - packed fuels described above . in subsequent testing , a production rate equivalent of up to about 550 g uo 2 / hr was attained without any observable adverse effect on spheroid quality or size - control . continuous recycle of 2eh was accomplished therein by azeotropic distillation of the organic liquid to effect water removal prior to use in a subsequent cycle of the subject process . it is expected that the present invention can be scaled to even larger capacities without detrimental effect to achieve the aforementioned efficient production of commercial quantities .	1
referring now to fig1 and 2 , the roofing of the present invention is shown in detail and generally includes three layers , 10 , 12 , and 14 . layer 10 is a base layer and consists of a single - ply membrane roofing material made of a composite of layers of thermo plastic , elastomeric , or modified bituminous roofing membrane together with fiber reinforcing . the central layer 12 includes a plurality of solar collection cells 16 and is laid over the base layer 10 . the solar collection cells can be a plurality of discrete cells or a distributed system made by electroplating and are encapsulated and sealed in a plastic pottant material for protection and support . layer 14 consists of a protective cover which is laid over the layer 12 and consists of a transparent , weatherproof plastic . the layers are fused together to form a unitary structure . each of these layers has to serve a number of functions , as will be explained and is therefore , made of a specifically and specially selected material to achieve all of the properties needed to cooperate with the other layers as well to form a unitary and flexible structure while encapsulating the photovoltaic cells . a range of materials suitable for each of the layers will now be described after which examples will be given with particular reference to preferred materials of construction of the individual layers . examples will also be given of composite constructions together with a description of the methods of making such constructions . in each case it is important that the materials be selected for cooperation so that they can be laminated together into a permanent composite and unitary roofing material which will be resistant to the elements and to delamination . pvf 2 is polyvinylidene fluoride , a thermoplastic cover layer material ; epdm is ethyl propylene diene ( monomer ) terpolymer , and serves either as an elastomeric base material or pottant ; si is a silicon base material of a crystalline type used for photovoltaic cells ; a - si is amorphous silicon , a solar cell material ; as are the following : in accordance with the present invention , the reinforced single - ply membrane can be any of the standard flexible single - ply roofing materials currently receiving widespread use . in general there are three broad classes of such materials which are suitable for application of the present invention , all of which include some form of reinforcement in the form of fibrous material incorporated into the structure . these single - ply roofing materials are generally known as thermoplastic roofing membranes , elastomeric roofing membranes , and reinforced modified bituminous roofing membranes . they may or may not be reinforced . one example of thermoplastic single - ply roofing membrane is a flexible pvc material having upper and lower layers 10a , and 10b bonding fiber reinforcement 11 between them into a sandwich . the lower layer 10a is pvc filled with carbon black while the upper layer 10b is usually colored grey to reflect heat or possibly light blue , also to reflect heat and for aesthetic appearance . the reinforcing fibers 11 are commonly fiberglass and may be woven or non - woven . the reinforcing fibers provide the dimensional stability over a wide range of temperatures . an example of such a membrane is that sold under the brand name sucoflex ™, available from pms / sucoflex of torrance , calif . another example of a thermoplastic membrane is that sold under the brand name rhenofol - c available from barra corporation of america , west caldwell , n . j . an example of an elastomeric membrane in layer 10 is edpm reinforced membrane sold under the name hydroseal , available from american hydrotech inc . of chicago , ill . an example of a suitable modified bituminous material is the reinforced sheet , sold under the mark tri - ply - 4 available from tri - ply inc ., of madison heights , mich . 48071 . for more examples see below . the selection of roofing materials for use in a given situation is a complex subject but is the same for the base layer 10 of the present invention as for roofing in general . a summary of the essential considerations and of the properties of thermoplastic , elastomeric and modified bituminous single - ply membranes is set forth in the paper by h . o . laaly and o . dutt entitled single - ply roofing membranes , canadian building digest , cbd 235 issued on february 1985 , and a paper presented by h . o . laaly entitled &# 34 ; a basis for selecting roofing membranes &# 34 ;, presented at the second international symposium on roofing technology , 1985 , organized by nrca , nbs , rilem , library of congress catalog card 85 - 072090 isbn 0 - 934 - 80900 - 3 . the breadth of the possible selections of single - ply roofing membranes can be obtained from the roofing materials guide , published semi - annually by national roofing contractors association and the documents cited therein particularly : 2 . astm standard for vulcanized rubber sheets used in single - ply roofing membranes , and 3 . astm d4434 - 85 standard specifications for poly ( vinyl chloride ) sheet roofing . a large number of photovoltaic cell materials are available and suitable for use in the present invention . these include both those materials which are themselves flexible or , if rigid , can be subdivided and organized in a segmented way so that they can be incorporated in a multi - layer construction of materials as disclosed herein which is , at least , sequentially flexible and , after manufacture , can be bent between segments so as to be rolled up for transport without damage to the cells . crystalline silicon solar cells are an example of a suitable rigid material and will be disclosed in example i herein . these cells are typically 450 to 500 microns thick . other suitable materials include amorphous silicon or cuinse 2 . the latter is 4 to 5 microns thick , it is flexible , and it can be electroplated on certain types of the materials disclosed . additional materials include gaas , cdte and hgznte and the cascade constructions cdte / cds and cuinse 2 / cds . a discussion of solar cell technology and these materials is given in the referenced article by k . zweibel in chemical & amp ; engineering news , july 7 , 1986 , pages 34 - 48 . in general , the selection of the above materials is made on the basis of cost and efficiency and it is not critical in the present invention which of the foregoing materials is incorporated subject to the constructional constraints for flexibility . the cells are interconnected by conductors in a known manner to produce suitble voltage and current . in the example shown , if of 4 rows , the conductors connect elements of each row in series , with the inner rows ( 22 , shown ) being connected to the outer rows by the bus bars 24 , 26 at one end , and with the other ends terminating in parallel connection bus bars 28 , 30 which serves to supply plus and minus polarities , as indicated . the solar cells 16 are laid out in a suitable pattern and are encapsulated in pottant 12 which provides permanent fixation of cells in specific positions , but allows some slight displacement of each cell while providing each cell with cushioned support . the pottant serves to encapsulate the cells and seal them from the effects of the elements , particularly moisture and environmental pollutants . in general , the pottant should possess good structural properties at both high summer temperature extremes and cold winter temperature extremes to accommodate expansion and contraction of the cell and adjacent material in the composite roofing membrane without allowing delamination of any of the layers . thus , it is desirable that the pottant match the thermal coefficient of expansion of the adjacent materials over a wide range . in addition , the pottant has to be transparent so that it doesn &# 39 ; t absorb solar radiation in a significant amount . examples of suitable pottants include eva , and the elastomeric pottants epdm and polyurethane ( clear cast , solvent dispersed ). of the above mentioned materials , eva is most suitable , having a favorable melting / softening temperature of about 140 ° c . and is capable of encapsulating and bonding the solar cell layer into the structure without air bubbles to form a consolidated bubble - free structure . the material of cover layer 14 is selected primarily to provide for durability upon exposure to the elements . in general , the cover has to be flexible and transparent , being over 90 % transmissive to solar radiation and also does not absorb solar radiation . by durable is meant that it is capable of resisting the elements for 20 to 30 years . this implies that it must be highly weatherproof , moistureproof , impact resistant , reasonably thin and usable in the automated fabrication procedures for assembly of the combination roofing . examples of such materials include tedlar , a pvf , which is very dirt resistant , has excellent weather resistance properties and is impervious to moisture . another material includes kynar , a poly - vinylidene fluoride having low dirt affinity and also excellent weather resistance . these materials typically have a melting point in excess of 300 ° c ., and are strong enough that they need not be made thick , but can be formed as an independent coating layer and placed over the intermediate layer 12 of potting . additional material suitable for the cover layer 14 include the flexible plexiglasses dr - 61k and v - 811 from rohn & amp ; haas . a base layer 10 was formed of flexible single - ply roofing membrane pvc sold under the trade designation sucoflex by pms / sucoflex of torrance , calif . this membrane is a fused sandwich of carbon black filled pvc as a base layer with a grey pvc cover layer between which is disposed a non - woven fiberglass reinforcing layer . the intermediate layer 12 is eva : the cover layer 14 is pvf ( tedlar ). layers 10 , 12 , and 14 will be fused together to form a unitary membrane . the solar cell construction is shown in particular in fig1 and 2 and consists of a plurality of crystalline silicon cells which are arranged in an ordered array having rows 22a , 22b , 22c , and columns 23a , 23b , 23c with spaces 32 , 34 across the width of the structure so that it can be flexed in the spaces . additionally , the spaces are provided with a pair of depression grooves 32a , 34a which further facilitates bending ( see fig2 and 3 ). for practical reasons the pottant layer can comprise two individual layers between which is laid the photovoltaic solar cell construction after which the cover layer is placed on top . the eva plastic has a lower thermoplastic softening point than either the base layer or the cover layer so that it will soften / melt and adhere to these layers and form a lamination with them with suitable processing . typically processing incudes an autoclave heating of the assembled elements to a temperature above the softening point , i . e . slightly above 140 ° c . for eva for a period of about 30 minutes so that full bonding and lamination between the layers can take place . the lamination can be vacuum debulked prior to autoclaving to assure the elimination of bubbles . in one example of this construction , the thicknesses of the layers were as follows : pvc base layer 10 , 47 mil ; eva layer 12 , 10 mil each ; photovoltaic cell , 450 to 500 microns ; and cover layer 14 , 4 mils . a continuous run of roofing material of the type given in this example could be made to an arbitrary length in the same manner as is done in the continuous web manufacture of nylon sheet . thin film photovoltaic cells are formed on a flexible substrate , e . g . metal foil , and then laminated onto a flexible pvc base layer . the cells are selected from one of the materials a - si , cdte / cds , and cuinse 2 / cds . the following is an availability table for exemplar roofing membranes of each class of materials suitable for use in the present invention . fig4 shows a current / voltage plot for a roofing constructed in accordance with the invention based on the following particulars : ______________________________________a . modified bitumenous______________________________________1 barrett company product name : 901 washington st . ram 2000 - cariphalte wilmington , de 198012 flex - shield international product name : p . o . box 1790 flex shield mark 686 west commerce gilbert , az 852843 villas roofing systems product name : riverbridge industrial centra villaplast front and lloyd streets villaflex chester , pa 19013______________________________________b . thermoplastic______________________________________1 duro - last roofing product name : duro - last copolymer2 alkor company product name : 1 blue hill plaza alkorplex pvc pearl river , ny 109653 sarnafil , inc . product name : 100 dan road sarnafil pvc canton , ma 02021______________________________________c . elastomeric ( rubber and rubber - like ) ______________________________________1 carlisle syntec systems product name : p . o . box 7000 surseal mars carlisle , pa 17013 ( epdm ) vulcanized2 diversitech general product name : building systems division genseal p . o . box 875vulcanized toledo , oh 43696 - 08753 goodyear tire & amp ; rubber co . product name : 1144 east market street versigard akron , oh 44316vulcanized______________________________________d . non - vulcanized elastomers______________________________________1 dunlop construction product name : toronto , canada dunseal ( cspe ) non - vulcanized2 bond cote system product name : west point , georgia bond grey 35 ( nbp ) non - vulcanizedacrylonitrite butadiene polymer3 j . p . stevens product name : easthampton , massachusetts hi - tuff ( cspe ) ______________________________________	7
the following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention . the description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . in respect of the process disclosed and the flow diagrams illustrated , the steps presented are exemplary in nature , and thus , the order of the steps is not necessary or critical . fig1 depicts a lost foam pattern die 10 according to an embodiment of the invention . the die 10 includes a pattern forming cavity 12 formed therein . the cavity 12 has a shape substantially the same as a desired cast part ( not shown ). a cylinder 14 is formed in the die 10 and is in communication with the cavity 12 . cylinder as used herein is meant to mean a through - hole , cavity or other chamber adapted to have a sliding member disposed therein . a squeeze pin 16 is slidably disposed in the cylinder 14 . as used herein , pin is meant to include a piston , plug , or other member which is slidable within the cylinder 14 . a hydraulic cylinder 18 is adapted to apply a pressure or force to the pin 16 to cause the sliding of the pin 16 within the cylinder 14 . it is understood that other means for applying a force can be used such as a rack and pinion gear set , pressurized air , and a spring , for example . the position and orientation of the pin 16 illustrated in fig1 creates a pocket 22 in the cylinder 14 in communication with the cavity 12 and facilitates a filling of the cavity 12 and the pocket 22 with foam beads 20 . the foam beads 20 may be an expandable polystyrene plastic , for example . as used herein , pocket is meant to include a cavity , a chamber , or other volume which can be filled with the foam beads 20 . a heat source ( not shown ) is adapted to apply heat to the die 10 . in order to form a foam pattern 24 , the beads 20 are blown or otherwise conveyed or caused to enter the cavity 12 until the cavity 12 is substantially filled with the beads 20 . heat is applied to the die 10 by the heat source , thereby causing the beads 20 to expand and “ melt ” together to form the foam pattern 24 as shown in fig2 . although foam has been used herein to form the pattern for exemplary purposes , it is understood that other materials having similar properties can be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . after the foam pattern 24 has been formed , the pin 16 is caused to slide within the cylinder 14 in the direction shown in fig2 . the movement of the pin 16 causes a local compression of the portion of the foam pattern 24 disposed in the pocket 22 . as a result , a locally densified portion 26 is created in the foam pattern 24 . it is understood that the foam beads 20 can also be compressed prior to the heating step to result in formation of the locally densified portion 26 . once the foam pattern 24 has been formed , the foam pattern 24 is removed from the die 10 and coated with a gas - permeable refractory skin ( not shown ) such as mica , silica , alumina , or alumina - silicate , for example . the coated foam pattern 24 is embedded in compacted , unbonded sand 28 as shown in fig3 . the foam pattern 24 forms a mold cavity 30 within the sand 28 . molten metal 32 is then introduced into the mold cavity 30 to melt , pyrolyze , and displace the foam pattern 24 with the molten metal 32 . gaseous and liquid decomposition or pyrolysis products ( not shown ) are permitted to escape through the gas - permeable refractory skin and into the foam pattern 24 . the decomposition products then pass through the sand 28 . interstices between the unbonded particles of sand 28 permit the decomposition products to pass therethrough . the rate at which the molten metal 32 enters and travels though the mold cavity 30 is limited by the rate the front of advancing molten metal 32 can displace the foam pattern 24 from the mold cavity 30 . thus , when the molten metal 32 reaches the densified portion 26 as shown in fig4 , the advancement of the molten metal 32 through the remainder of the mold cavity 30 is delayed , impeded , or slowed . the slowed advancement of the molten metal 32 through the remainder of the mold cavity 30 results in and facilitates the diversion of molten metal 32 throughout the mold cavity 30 and to all areas or sections of the mold cavity 30 upstream of the densified portion 26 . thus , complete filling of the mold cavity 30 is promoted . once the molten metal 32 melts , pyrolyzes , and displaces the densified portion 26 , the molten metal 32 is permitted to travel normally though the mold cavity 30 , as illustrated in fig5 . it is understood that a plurality of densified portions 26 can be used as desired to promote complete filling of the mold cavity 30 . computer simulation programs can be used to determine locations of the densified portions 26 in an attempt to optimize flow patterns of the molten metal 32 through the mold cavity 30 . it is understood that other methods of local densification of the foam pattern 24 can be used . one such method involves producing a plurality of foam patterns 24 of different densities . the plurality of foam patterns 24 are then bonded together to form a single foam pattern 24 representing a desired final shape and configuration of the casting . the plurality of foam patterns can be bonded together using any conventional means such as gluing , heat welding , or other bonding method as desired , for example . the foam pattern 24 is embedded in sand 28 . numerous advantages result from the method and apparatus of the invention described herein . the advantages include a minimization of casting defects such as backfill . additionally , voids in the resultant casting are minimized , since complete filling of the mold cavity 30 including runners and the like is promoted . these advantages , and others , result in an overall reduction in scrap produced . from the foregoing description , one ordinarily 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 to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions .	1
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . however , the present invention is not limited to the following description and it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that the mode and details can be variously changed . moreover , the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments below . in this embodiment , an example of an electronic device 1030 including a display area 1032 in which an image is displayed using external light will be described with reference to fig1 a and 1b . the display area 1032 in the electronic device 1030 has a touch - input function for which photo sensors are used . a plurality of keyboard buttons 1031 is displayed on a display area region 1033 as illustrated in fig1 a . the display area 1032 indicates the entire display region and includes the display area region 1033 . a user inputs information by touching desired keyboard buttons , so that the input information is displayed on the display area 1032 . an example of the usage of the electronic device 1030 will be described . for example , characters are input by either the user &# 39 ; s fingers successively touching keyboard buttons displayed on the display area region 1033 or noncontact , and the resulting text is displayed on a region other than the display area region 1033 . after a set period of time during which no output signal of the photosensor is detected has passed from when the user removes his finger from the keyboard on the screen , the keyboard displayed on the display area region 1033 is erased automatically and the input text is displayed also on the display area region 1033 , so that the user can see the input text with the whole screen . in the case where input is performed again , the keyboard buttons can be displayed on the display area region 1033 again and character input can also be performed by forcing the device to detect an output signal of a photosensor by either the user &# 39 ; s fingers successively touching the display area 1032 or noncontact . alternatively , an image without the keyboard can be displayed on the display area 1032 not automatically but by the user pushing a switch 1034 , as illustrated in fig1 b . the keyboard can be displayed and also made ready for touch input by pushing a keyboard display switch 1036 . in addition , the switch 1034 , a power supply switch 1035 , and the keyboard display switch 1036 may be displayed on the display area 1032 as switch buttons . each operation may be performed by a touch on the displayed switch button . the electronic device 1030 includes at least a battery , and preferably includes a memory for storing data ( e . g ., a flash memory circuit , an sram circuit , or a dram circuit ), a central processing unit ( cpu ), or a logic circuit . with a cpu or a memory , the device can install various kinds of software and thus can realize part or all of the functions of a personal computer . in addition , when a gradient detector such as a gyroscope or a triaxial acceleration sensor is provided in the electronic device 1030 , a function used in the electronic device 1030 , particularly a function relating to display and input performed on the display area can be switched by an arithmetic circuit in response to a signal from the gradient detector . therefore , unlike an electronic device with an input key whose type , size , or location is predetermined , such as a built - in operation key , the electronic device 1030 can improve the user &# 39 ; s convenience . next , an example of a display panel included in the display area 1032 will be described with reference to fig2 . a display panel 100 includes a pixel circuit 101 , a display element control circuit , and a photosensor control circuit . the pixel circuit 101 includes a plurality of pixels 103 , 104 , 113 , and 114 and a plurality of photosensors 106 which are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns . each of the pixels 103 , 104 , 113 , and 114 includes one display element . in this embodiment , one photosensor 106 is placed between the pixel 103 and the pixel 104 and between the pixel 113 and the pixel 114 . in other words , this embodiment employs a pixel layout structure in which one photosensor is used for four pixels . the pixels 103 , 104 , 113 , and 114 each include a liquid crystal element including a transistor , a storage capacitor , and a liquid crystal layer . the transistors are electrically connected to pixel electrodes 105 , 115 , 125 , and 135 . the transistor has a function of controlling injection or ejection of charge to / from the storage capacitor . the storage capacitor has a function of retaining charge corresponding to a voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer . taking advantage of changes in polarization direction due to a voltage application to the liquid crystal layer , contrast of light passing through the liquid crystal layer ( gray scale ) is made , so that image display is realized . external light ( sunlight or illumination light ) which enters from the outside of a liquid crystal display device is used as the light passing through the liquid crystal layer . there is no particular limitation on the liquid crystal layer , and a known liquid crystal material ( typically , a nematic liquid crystal material or a cholesteric liquid crystal material ) may be used . for example , polymer dispersed liquid crystal ( pdlc ) or polymer network liquid crystal ( pnlc ) may be used for the liquid crystal layer so that a white image ( a bright image ) is displayed using scattered light by liquid crystal . further , the display element control circuit is a circuit configured to control the pixels 103 , 104 , 113 , and 114 and includes a display element driver circuit 107 which inputs a signal to the pixel electrodes 105 , 115 , 125 , and 135 through the transistor via a signal line ( also referred to as a source signal line ) such as a video data signal line , and a display element driver circuit 108 which inputs a signal to the gate electrode of the transistor placed in each pixel via a scan line ( also referred to as a gate signal line ). for example , the display element driver circuit 108 connected to the scan lines has a function of selecting the display elements included in the pixels placed in a particular row . the display element driver circuit 107 connected to the signal lines has a function of applying a predetermined potential to the display elements included in the pixels placed in the selected row . note that in the display element to which the display element driver circuit 108 connected to the scan lines applies high potential , the transistor is in a conduction state , so that the display element is supplied with charge from the display element driver circuit 107 connected to the scan lines . the photosensor 106 includes a transistor and a light - receiving element which has a function of generating an electrical signal when receiving light , such as a photodiode . the photosensor control circuit is a circuit configured to control the photosensors 106 and includes a photosensor reading circuit 109 connected to signal lines such as photosensor output signal lines and photosensor reference signal lines , and a photosensor driver circuit 110 connected to the scan lines . the photosensor driver circuit 110 connected to the scan lines has a function of performing reset operation and selecting operation , which will be described later , on the photosensors 106 included in the pixels placed in a particular row . further , the photosensor reading circuit 109 connected to the signal lines has a function of taking out output signals of the photosensors 106 included in the pixels in the selected row . a circuit diagram of the pixel 103 and the photosensor 106 will be described in this embodiment with reference to fig3 . a pixel 301 includes a transistor 330 , a storage capacitor 331 , and a liquid crystal element 332 . a photosensor 302 includes a photodiode 351 , a transistor 352 , a transistor 353 , and a transistor 354 . a gate of the transistor 330 is electrically connected to a gate signal line 310 , one of a source and a drain of the transistor 330 is electrically connected to a video data signal line 311 , and the other of the source and the drain of the transistor 330 is electrically connected to one electrode of the storage capacitor 331 and one of the electrodes of the liquid crystal element 332 . the other electrode of the storage capacitor 331 is electrically connected to a capacitor line 312 and held at a fixed potential . the other electrode of the liquid crystal element 332 is held at a fixed potential . the liquid crystal element 332 is an element including a pair of electrodes and a liquid crystal layer provided between the pair of electrodes . when “ h ” ( high - level potential ) is applied to the gate signal line 310 , the transistor 330 applies the potential of the video data signal line 311 to the storage capacitor 331 and the liquid crystal element 332 . the storage capacitor 331 holds the applied potential . the light transmittance of the liquid crystal element 332 is changed in accordance with the applied potential . one electrode of the photodiode 351 is electrically connected to a photodiode reset signal line 341 ( also referred to as a pr line ), and the other electrode is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the transistor 352 . the other of the source and the drain of the transistor 352 is an fd ( node ). the transistor 352 has a function of controlling and holding the voltage of the fd ( node ). the gate of the transistor 352 is connected to a photosensor charge transmit signal line 342 ( also referred to as a tx line ). the signal line 342 has a function of controlling the switching of the transistor 352 . a gate of the transistor 354 is the fd ( node ). one of a source and a drain of the transistor 354 is electrically connected to a power source line 344 . further , one of the source and the drain of the transistor 354 is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the transistor 353 . a gate of the transistor 353 is electrically connected to a photosensor reference signal line 345 ( an se line ). the other of the source and the drain of the transistor 353 is electrically connected to a photosensor output signal line 343 ( also referred to as an out line ). next , an example of a structure of the photosensor reading circuit 109 will be described with reference to fig4 . as an example , the display area includes pixels provided in 1024 rows and 768 columns . one display element is provided in each pixel in the rows and columns and one photosensor is provided to pixels in two rows and two columns . in other words , the display elements are provided in 1024 rows and 768 columns , and the photosensors are provided in 512 rows and 384 columns . in addition , this embodiment shows the case where a signal is output to the outside of the display device under the condition that photosensor output signal lines in two columns are regarded as one pair . in other words , one output is obtained from two photosensors provided between four pixels in two rows and two columns . fig3 illustrates a circuit configuration of pixels showing four pixels and one photosensor provided in two rows and two columns . one display element is provided for each pixel and one photosensor is provided for four pixels . fig4 illustrates a circuit configuration of the photosensor reading circuit 109 , in which some photosensors are illustrated for explanation . transistors each having a channel formation region including an oxide semiconductor can be used as transistors shown in fig3 . as an example , the case where a driving method in which , as illustrated in fig4 , a scan line driver circuit for photosensors drives pixels for four rows ( that is , photosensors for two rows ) simultaneously and shifts selected rows by one row including photosensors corresponding to pixels for two rows will be given . here , photosensors in each row are continually selected in a period in which the scan line driver circuit shifts selected rows twice . such a driving method facilitates improvement in frame frequency at the time of imaging by a photosensor . in particular , it is advantageous in the case of a large - sized display device . note that outputs of photosensors in two rows are superimposed on the photosensor output signal line 343 at one time . all of the photosensors can be driven by repeating shift of selected rows 512 times . as illustrated in fig4 , in the photosensor reading circuit 109 , one selector is provided per pixels for 24 rows . the selector selects 1 pair from 12 pairs of photosensor output signal lines 343 ( 1 pair corresponds to photosensor output signal lines 211 for two columns ) in the display area and obtains an output . in other words , the photosensor reading circuit 109 includes 32 selectors in total and obtains 32 outputs at one time . selection is performed on all of the 12 pairs in each selector , whereby 384 outputs which correspond to one row of photosensors can be obtained in total . the selector selects 1 pair from the 12 pairs every time selected rows are shifted by the scan line driver circuit of photosensors , whereby outputs from all of the photosensors can be obtained . in this embodiment , the structure in which , as illustrated in fig4 , the photosensor reading circuit 109 connected to the signal lines takes out outputs of photosensors , which are analog signals , to the outside of the display device and the outputs are amplified with the use of an amplifier provided outside the display device and converted to digital signals with the use of an ad converter will be given . needless to say , the following structure may also be employed : the ad converter is mounted on a substrate over which the display device is provided , and the outputs of photosensors are converted to digital signals and then the digital signals are taken out to the outside of the display device . a method for driving the photosensor circuit shown in fig3 will be described with a timing diagram of fig6 . in the case shown in fig6 , a binary signal is applied to a tx 910 , a pr 911 , and an se 912 for convenience . hereinafter , a high potential of the tx 910 is referred to as “ high - tx ”; a low potential of the tx 910 , “ low - tx ”; a high potential of the pr 911 , “ high - pr ”; a low potential of the pr 911 , “ low - pr ”; a high potential of the se 912 , “ high - se ”; and a low potential of the se 912 , “ low - se ”. note that each potential is actually an analog signal , so that each potential does not necessarily have two values and may have any number of values depending on conditions . first , at a time 901 , the tx 910 is brought “ high - tx ”. next , at a time 902 , the pr 911 is brought “ high - pr ”. then , an fd potential 913 becomes “ high - pr ” which is the same as the potential of the pr 911 . this is called a reset operation . when the pr 911 is brought “ low - pr ” at a time 903 , the fd potential 913 remains “ high - pr ”, which makes a pin photodiode reverse - biased ( the start of a storage operation ). at the same time , light enters an i - type layer in the pin photodiode and a flow of reverse current is produced , so that the amount of charge stored on the fd changes according to the amount of light . when the tx 910 is brought “ low - tx ” at a time 904 , movement of charge from the fd to the pin photodiode stops , and the amount of charge stored on the fd is determined ( the end of the storage operation ). when the se 912 is brought “ high - se ” at a time 905 , charge is supplied from the power source line to the out line in accordance with the fd potential 913 ( the start of a reading operation ). when the se 912 is brought “ low - se ” at a time 906 , supply of charge from the power source line to the out line is stopped , so that the out 914 is determined ( the end of the reading operation ). the use of the out 914 can reproduce a captured image . after that , the operation at the time 901 is performed and the same operations as those described above are repeated . in this embodiment , when the reset operation , the storage operation , and the reading operation are performed on the photosensors , a partial shadow of external light can be detected . in addition , when image processing or the like is performed on the detected shadow appropriately , a position where a finger , a pen , or the like touches the display device can be recognized . operation corresponding to the position where the display device is touched , for example , as for input of characters , kinds of characters are regulated in advance , so that desired characters can be input . note that in the display device in this embodiment , the partial shadow of external light is detected by the photosensors . therefore , even if a finger , a pen , or the like does not touch the display device physically , when the finger , the pen , or the like gets close to the display device without contact and a shadow is formed , detection of the shadow is possible . hereinafter , “ a finger , a pen , or the like touches the display device ” includes the case where the finger , the pen , or the like is close to the display device without contact . with the above structure , the display area 1032 can have a touch - input function . in this embodiment , the configuration of a circuit which is partly different from the circuit shown in fig3 is shown in fig5 , and an example of a pixel layout is shown in fig7 . the pixel circuit includes a display circuit 3501 and a sensor circuit 3502 . the display circuit includes a transistor 3530 , a liquid crystal element 3532 , and a capacitor 3531 . a gate of the transistor 3530 is connected to a signal line 3510 . one of a source and a drain of the transistor 3530 is connected to a signal line 3511 , and the other is connected to one electrode of the capacitor 3531 and one electrode of the liquid crystal element 3532 . the other electrode of the capacitor 3531 is connected to a signal line 3512 . the other electrode of the liquid crystal element 3532 corresponds to a common electrode . the sensor circuit includes a pin photodiode 3551 , a fet - t 3552 , a fet - amp 3554 , and a fet - s 3553 . a gate of the fet - t 3552 is connected to tx lines 3542 and 3547 . one of a source and a drain of the fet - t 3552 is connected to a cathode of the pin photodiode 3551 , and the other is connected to a gate of the fet - amp 3554 . a source of the fet - amp 3554 is connected to a power source line 3544 , and a drain of the fet - amp 3554 is connected to a source of the fet - s 3553 . a gate of the fet - s 3553 is connected to a se line 3545 , and a source of the fet - s 3553 is connected to an out line 3543 . an anode of the pin photodiode 3551 is connected to pr lines 3541 and 3546 . transistors each having a channel formation region including an oxide semiconductor can be used as transistors shown in fig5 . fig7 illustrates an example of a plan view of a pixel layout corresponding to the circuit diagram of fig5 . the pixel layout includes layouts of four display circuits 3610 a , 3610 b , 3610 c , and 3610 d , and a layout of a sensor circuit 3620 . the layouts of the display circuits 3610 a , 3610 b , 3610 c , and 3610 d each include a selection fet 3603 , a cs line 3601 , a video data line 3602 , a selection line 3600 , and a com line 3604 . the layout of the sensor circuit 3620 includes a pin photodiode 3630 , a fet - t including a semiconductor layer 3637 , a fet - amp including a semiconductor layer 3638 , a fet - t including a semiconductor layer 3636 , an fd 3641 , a vertical tx line 3632 , a horizontal tx line 3640 , a vertical pr line 3631 , a horizontal pr line 3639 , an se line 3635 , an out line 3633 , and a vdd line 3634 . there is no particular limitation on a material for the semiconductor layers 3636 , 3637 , and 3638 . for example , a polycrystalline semiconductor film ( e . g ., a polysilicon film ), a microcrystalline semiconductor film , or an oxide semiconductor film represented by the chemical formula inmo 3 ( zno ) m ( m & gt ; 0 ) can be used . here , m represents one or more metal elements selected from ga , al , mn , and co . for example , m can be ga , ga and al , ga and mn , ga and co , or the like . in addition , the above oxide semiconductor film may contain sio 2 . the pixel layout includes the following layers : semiconductor layers 3636 , 3637 , and 3638 , a gate line layer 3651 , an sd line layer 3652 , a si layer 3653 , and an ito electrode layer 3654 . the vertical tx line 3632 and the vertical pr line 3631 are formed utilizing the sd line layer 3652 . the horizontal tx line 3640 and the horizontal pr line 3639 are formed utilizing the gate line layer 3651 . horizontal lines and vertical lines have contacts with each other , thereby forming a mesh layout . in the pixel layout , the cs line 3601 serving as a shielding wire is present between the fd 3641 and either the video data line 3602 or a signal line for the adjacent pixel . therefore , parasitic capacitance between the fd 3641 and the plurality of signal lines is reduced , or changes in the potentials of neighbor elements due to the changes in the voltages of the signal lines are prevented , thereby avoiding changes in the potential of the fd . a feature of the pixel layout is the fact that the fd 3641 has a sufficient distance from the pr line , the se line , and the out line for the pixel in which the fd 3641 is provided and for the adjacent pixel . thus , changes in the potential of the fd 3641 can be suppressed and a display device with an imaging function that causes less noise in an output signal of a photosensor can be provided . fig8 a is an enlarged view of a part of fig7 , and fig8 b is an example of a cross - sectional structure thereof . note that portions shown in fig8 a and fig8 b that are common to those in fig7 use the same reference numerals as those in fig7 . in fig8 b , the gate line layer 3651 included in the transistor electrically connected to the photodiode , and the horizontal pr line 3639 which are formed using the same material and in the same process are formed over a substrate 500 . further , a gate insulating layer 502 covering the gate line layer 3651 and the horizontal pr line 3639 is formed , and the semiconductor layer 3637 is formed over the gate insulating layer 502 so as to overlap with the gate line layer 3651 . moreover , the sd line 3652 that partly overlaps with the semiconductor layer 3637 is formed , and the first interlayer insulating layer 505 covering the sd line 3652 is formed . the pin photodiode 3630 is a photoelectric conversion layer which is a stack of a silicon layer 3653 p containing a p - type impurity element , an i - type amorphous silicon layer 3653 i , and a silicon layer 3653 n containing an n - type impurity element . further , a second interlayer insulating layer 509 covering the pin photodiode 3630 and the first interlayer insulating layer 505 is formed , and the ito electrode 3654 using a transparent conductive film is formed over the second interlayer insulating layer 509 . the ito electrode 3654 serves as a contact electrode for connecting the sd line 3652 for the transistor including the semiconductor layer 3637 to the pin photodiode 3630 . note that the pixel electrode which is formed using the same material and in the same process as the ito electrode 3654 is formed in the display region . the case where the transistor electrically connected to the pin photodiode 3630 is a bottom - gate transistor has been shown in fig8 b ; however , there is no particular limitation on the structure of the transistor . the transistor may have another bottom - gate structure or a top - gate structure instead . in this embodiment , an example of an electronic device including a display area ( a touch panel ) having the touch - input function that has been described in the above embodiments will be described . fig9 a illustrates an information terminal that can include housings 9630 , a display area 9631 , operation keys 9632 , a solar battery 9633 , and a charge and discharge control circuit 9634 . the information terminal is provided with the solar battery 9633 and a touch panel so that the solar battery 9633 and the touch panel can be opened and closed freely . note that in fig9 a , a structure of the information terminal including a battery 9635 and a dcdc converter ( hereinafter abbreviated as a converter 9636 ) is illustrated as an example of the charge and discharge control circuit 9634 . note that a structure in which the solar battery 9633 is provided on each of a surface and a rear surface of the housing 9630 is preferable in order to charge the battery 9635 efficiently . the use of a lithium ion battery as the battery 9635 produces an advantage such as downsizing . the structure and the operation of the charge and discharge control circuit 9634 illustrated in fig9 a are described with reference to a block diagram in fig9 b . the solar battery 9633 , the battery 9635 , the converter 9636 , a converter 9637 , switches sw 1 to sw 3 , and the display area 9631 are illustrated in fig9 b , and the battery 9635 , the converter 9636 , the converter 9637 , and the switches sw 1 to sw 3 correspond to the charge and discharge control circuit 9634 . first , an example of the operation in the case where power is generated by the solar battery 9633 using external light will be described . the voltage of power generated by the solar battery is raised or lowered by the converter 9636 so that the power has a voltage for charging the battery 9635 . then , when the power from the solar battery 9633 is used for the operation of the display area 9631 , the switch sw 1 is turned on and the voltage of the power is raised or lowered by the converter 9637 so as to be a voltage needed for the display area 9631 . in addition , when an image is not displayed on the display area 9631 , the switch sw 1 is turned off and the switch sw 2 is turned on so that charge of the battery 9635 may be performed . note that although the solar battery 9633 is described as an example of a charging method , the battery 9635 may be charged with another method . in addition , a combination of the solar battery 9633 and another charging method may be used . needless to say , one embodiment of the present invention is not necessarily the electronic device shown in fig9 a and 9b as long as it includes a display area ( a touch panel ) having the touch - input function that has been described in the above embodiments . this embodiment can be implemented in appropriate combination with any structure described in the other embodiments . this application is based on japanese patent application serial no . 2010 - 198928 filed with japan patent office on sep . 6 , 2010 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference .	7
a portion of a toner fixing station for nonmechanical printers or copiers is illustration in fig1 . since the design of the fixing station is known , for example , from u . s . pat . no . 3 , 324 , 791 the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference , remaining portions of the fixing station are not herein explained since they form no part of this invention . as shown in the drawing , the fixing station includes a fixer roller fw which may be heated . the fixer roller rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow therein . a fuser oil application device utilizing a wick system is provided to moisten the surface of the fixing roll fw with a fuser oil which may , for example , be a silicon oil . a housing gh is provided having at least one chamber k therein for receipt of the fuser oil . the fuser oil is fed to the chamber k by means of a tube ro . the housing gh extends over the axial length of the roller fw . affixed to the housing gh is a mounting hl which receives a main or first wick hd . the wick may be made of felt . between the chamber k and the main wick hd , chamber openings are provided through which fuser oil can be fed from the chamber to the wick hd . whenever fuser oil is present in the chamber k the wick hd will suck up oil to the extent of saturation of the wick . a movable second wick vd which may be of felt is positioned between the first wick hd and the surface of the fixing roller fw . the second wick is in contact both with the main wick and the roller surface . by means of this contact the fuser oil in the main wick can pass to the second wick vd and thence to the surface of the fixing roll fw . to insure that the second wick vd will be applied against the surface of the roller , guide members fb are provided attached to the housing gh . the guides may be reverse bend arcuate spring fingers or the like with the second wick vd running over the guides and being pressed against the surface of the roller fw substantially as illustrated . it is preferred to provide the second wick as a web which is supplied from a supply reel vr to a take - up reel ar . the reel ar may be driven by a motor am . in a preferred embodiment the motor am may be rotated at a constant speed during operation of the fixing device k to draw the second wick vd off of the supply reel vr and past the surface of the fixing roller fw . in the process of contacting and moving past the fixing roller , the second wick vd will carry off any accummulation of dirt or toner from the surface of the fixing roller and transport such debris to the take - up reel ar . in this , the second wick vd protects the wick hw and prevents it from becoming soiled . since the supply of the second wick vd can be quite generous in comparison to the main wick , frequent changing of even the second wick vd will not be necessary . preferably the direction of movement of the second wick vd will be opposite to the direction of rotation of the fixing roller fw at the point of contact of the second wick and fixing roller . this will insure that dirt which arrives at the second wick by rotation of the fixing roller arrives at that portion of the second wick which will shortly thereafter be removed from contact with the fixing roller . in order to maintain adequate contact between the fuser oil application device and the fixing roller , a force p acting in the direction of the arrow can urge the housing gh in the direction of the fixing roller . reference is again made to u . s . pat . no . 3 , 324 , 791 for a disclosure relative to the application of the force p . fig2 illustrates a horizontal section through the housing gh and also shows a portion of the fixing roller fw . from this view it can be seen that the housing gh , the first wick hd and the second wick vd all extend over the full axial length of the roller fw . further , preferably the first wick hd has a greater cross - section thickness than the second wick vd thus insuring an adequate supply fuser oil to the second wick vd and the surface of the fixing roll fw . as also shown in fig2 the chamber k can be subdivided into more than one chamber along the length of the fixing roller fw . for example , fig2 illustrates 4 such chambers positioned next to one another and separated from one another by dividing walls . each chamber k1 to k4 can be supplied with fuser oil from separate supply lines ro1 to ro4 . by providing for control of the lines ro1 to ro4 , it is possible for fuser oil to be supplied only to designated chambers according to the width of the recording carrier being used . for example , when a narrow recording carrier is being used , fuser oil may be fed only to chambers k2 and k3 . this positioning of adjacent aligned independent chambers thus makes it possible to provide fuser oil only to those areas of the length of the fixing roll where it is required . the fuser oil can be supplied to the chambers k in a known manner . for example the connectors ro can be linked to a pump pm through valves v . the pump pm can then draw fuser oil from a storage container be and pump it to the chambers k1 through k4 . the supply of fuser oil to the individual subchambers can be controlled by individual valves v for each of the supply lines ro1 through ro4 . since the construction of the pump and fuser oil storage forms no part of this invention , it is only diagrammatically illustrated in fig2 . it is to be noted that each of the chambers k1 through k4 has its own exit apertures to the first wick hd such that substantially only the axial portion of the wick hd which overlies the chambers k1 through k4 will be wetted when the individual chambers are activated and adjacent chambers are deactivated . it can therefore be seen from the above that this invention provides a new fuser oil application device for use in connection with fixing stations of electrostatic copiers and printers . the fuser oil application device includes a main wick and a second wick with the second wick formed as a moving web and interposed between the main wick and the fixing roller such that contaminants removed from the fixing roller surface by the second wick will be moved away from the fixing roll to a web take - up . further the invention provides for wetting of only selected portions of the axial length of the fixer roll . although the teachings of our invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific theories and embodiments , it is to be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish to utilize our invention in different designs or applications .	6
referring to the figure , in parallel to input terminals 1 and 2 , there are connected a serial combination of a first charging diode 3 , a first charging capacitor 4 , a second charging capacitor 5 , a second charging diode 6 , and a first complementary pair of transistors 10 and 11 , the emitters of which being connected to the input terminals 1 , 2 , respectively , and the collectors of which being connected to a common point b of the first and second charging capacitors 4 and 5 . the bases of the first complementary pair of transistors 10 , 11 are connected , through respective feeding resistors 13 , 14 , to a common point a , to which the collectors of a second complementary pair of transistors 15 and 16 are respectively connected . the emitters of the second complementary pair of transistors 15 , 16 are respectively connected , through diode gates 7 and 8 and the charging diodes 3 , 6 , shunted by first and second smoothing condensers 9 and 12 , to the input terminals 1 , 2 . the bases of the second complementary pair of transistors 15 , 16 are mutually connected by means of a shunting charging resistor 17 , and by means of respective coupling condensers 18 and 19 , which in turn are connected to the common point b of the first and second charging capacitors 4 , 5 and the collectors of the first complementary pair of transistors 10 , 11 . after connecting the source of supply voltage to terminals 1 and 2 , one of the transistors 15 or 16 starts opening more quickly than the other . let us assume that it is transistor 15 . so , in the common point a of the collectors of transistors 15 and 16 , a positive voltage of the source appears . voltage drops in the semiconductor junctions may be neglected for making the case simpler . the positive voltage in the common point a causes the closing of the transistor 10 and the opening of the transistor 11 . in this way the common point b of the collectors of transistors 10 and 11 and the charging capacitors 4 and 5 is connected to the zero potential terminal 2 of the supply voltage , and the capacitor 4 is charged to the full voltage of the source through the charging diode 3 . as the coupling condensers 18 and 19 are also connected to the common point b , which is now connected to the zero potential terminal 2 , the coupling condenser 18 will be charged by the base - emitter path of the transistor 15 , and , through the charging resistor 17 , the coupling condenser 19 will be charged as well . the positive voltage across the bases of the transistors 15 and 16 causes a change of their conductivity . the transistor 15 closes while the transistor 16 opens and , in this way , connects the common point a of the collectors of the transistors 15 and 16 to the zero potential terminal 2 of the supply voltage source . this fact causes the opening of the transistor 10 and the closing of the transistor 11 . the common point b of the collectors of the transistors 10 and 11 and of the charging capacitors 4 and 5 has now the same potential as the positive terminal 1 of the source . as the charging capacitor 4 was charged in advance , the voltage between the positive end of capacitor 4 and the zero potential terminal 2 is doubled with respect to the voltage of the source . the smoothing condenser 9 is fed with this voltage through the diode gate 7 . simultaneously , the capacitor 5 is charged through the charging diode 6 and the coupling condenser 19 is discharged through the base - emitter path of the transistor 16 ; through the resistor 17 , there is discharged the coupling condenser 18 . the discharging of the coupling condensers 18 and 19 causes again a change of conductivity of the transistors . the transistors 15 and 11 open , the transistors 16 and 10 close . at the common point a , the potential is identical with the potential of the positive end of the smoothing condenser 9 , viz . it is higher than the voltage of the supply source . the common point b is connected again to the zero potential terminal 2 . the charging capacitor 4 is charged again through the diode 3 to the voltage of the source . the charging capacitor 5 is discharged through the diode gate 8 into the smoothing condenser 12 . simultaneously , the coupling condenser 18 is charged through the base - emitter path of transistor 15 and the coupling condenser 19 through the charging resistor 17 . the charging of these condensers causes again the change of conductivity of the transistors 15 and 16 and the process repeats in the described way . the smoothing condensers 9 and 12 are charged continuously up to the full voltage of the source . at the positive end of the smoothing condenser 9 , the voltage is doubled with respect to the zero potential terminal , and at the negative end of the smoothing condenser 12 , there is the same voltage , but of the opposite polarity than the voltage of the supply source . across the mentioned ends , the voltage is tripled with respect to the supply source . between the common points a and b , rectangular voltage pulses arise . if one marks the supply voltage u and if one neglects the voltage drops in the semiconductor junctions , then in case of conductivity of transistors 15 and 11 , at the common point a , a voltage of + 2u takes place , and at the common point b there is zero voltage . in case of conductivity of the transistors 16 and 10 , a voltage - u takes place at the common point a , and a voltage + u at the common point b . the change of these pulses is determined by the time constant of the coupling condensers 18 and 19 and the charging resistor 17 . the wiring may be carried out even with an opposite polarity of semiconductor elements , condensers and supply voltage . the invention may be applied for portable battery instruments , where one needs voltage pulses , the amplitude of which is a multiple of the feeding voltage of ordinary batteries , e . g . portable embodiments of instruments for electric acupuncture . although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof , it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment , but it is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims .	0
the following methods and instruments were used to obtain physical measurements on the examples disclosed above . infrared spectra were recorded on a beckman 1100 ft ir spectrometer of the range 4000 - 400 cm - 1 ; while x - ray photoelectron spectra binding energies were obtained on a gca mcpherson esca 36 photoelectron spectrometer using al ( k ) ( e = 1486 . 6 ev ) as the x - ray source . microanalyses of carbon , hydrogen , and nitrogen were done by desert analytics , tucson , ariz . infrared analysis of the purchased ptencl 2 ! revealed the typical spectrum of complexed ethylenediamine with n -- h bands at 1565 cm - 1 , 1290 cm - 1 80 cm - 1 and at 770 cm - 1 . synthesis of pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 !, having a proposed structure as shown in fig2 using no 2 as oxidant a mixture of ptencl 2 ! ( 0 . 3316 dispersed in 25 ml of d . i . water ) was magnetically stirred while being treated with no 2 gas for 45 minutes at about the rate of one bubble of gas per second . this gave a blue solution which when concentrated at 50 ° c . to 3 ml on a hot plate precipitated yellow crystals . the crystals were broken up in 95 % ethanol and filtered off to yield 0 . 1585 g of product ( 37 . 8 % yield ). this infrared spectrum of the product exhibited no 2 bands at 1480 cm - 1 , 1325 cm - 1 , 600 cm - 1 and an exceeding sharp band at 827 cm - 1 indicating a coordinated nitro ligand . the n -- h rocking mode , present at 770 cm - 1 in the ptencl 2 ! starting material was missing , indicating that the new compound was a platinum ( iv ) complex . this was confirmed by xps spectra . anal : calculated for pt ( n 2 c 2 h 2 ) no 2 cl 3 ! ( fw 407 . 55 ): c , 5 . 89 ; h , 1 . 98 ; n , 10 . 31 . found : c , 5 . 91 ; h , 2 . 03 ; n , 10 . 66 . synthesis of pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 !, having a proposed structure as shown in fig2 using no / hno 3 as oxidant a solution of ptencl 2 ! ( 0 . 3166 g dissolved in 20 ml deionized water and 3 ml of 16m nitric acid ) was treated with reagent grade no gas for 7 minutes . during the first 30 seconds , the suspension turned yellow - green which gradually deepened to green and blue - green in 2 minutes . after 7 minutes , no solid remained and color of the solution was deep blue - green ; however , after several hours the solution color had faded to yellow . upon evaporation at room temperature in an air - stream decciator , fine bright yellow crystals of pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 ! were obtained that contained a sharp ir band at 827 cm - 1 , characteristic of an n - coordinated nitro ligand . an n -- h rocking band at 770 cm - 1 was not detected . anal : calculated for pt ( n 2 c 2 h 2 ) no 2 cl 3 ! ( fw 407 . 55 ): c , 5 . 89 ; h , 1 . 98 ; n , 10 . 31 ; cl , 26 . 10 . found : c , 6 . 01 ; h , 1 . 94 ; n , 10 . 07 ; cl , 26 . 87 . synthesis of pten ( no 2 ) 3 cl ! !, having a proposed structure as shown in fig3 using no 2 as oxidant the filtrate obtained in the preparation of pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 ! by using no 2 as an oxidant was evaporated to dryness at 50 ° c . to remove ethanol and then redissolved in 15 ml h 2 o . a no 2 gas stream was introduced into the solution ( 25 ° c .) for 1 hour at a rate of about 1 bubble per second . the solution became apple green in color and was filtered to give a yellow solution . this filtrate was concentrated on a hot plate at 50 ° c . to a volume of 1 ml and allowed to stand for three weeks at ambient conditions . a gummy yellowish colored solid , resulted , whose ir spectrum contained a split band at 1480 cm - 1 and 1455 cm - 1 as well as an asymmetrical , moderately sharp band at 825 cm - 1 ( broader than pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 !, indicating two types of coordinated nitro ( no 2 ) ligands and a short , broad band at 970 cm - 1 showing that a small percentage of nitro ligands were present . no n -- h rocking mode at 770 cm - 1 was detected , indicating a pt ( iv ) complex . we formulated this complex , ii , as predominantly pten ( no 2 ) 3 cl ! based primarily on infrared evidence . synthesis of ptenno 2 ( ono ) 2 cl ! !, having a proposed structure as shown in fig4 using no / hno 3 as oxidant a solution of ptencl 2 ! ( 0 . 9245 g , 2 . 83 m mole dissolved in 20 ml h 2 o and 3 ml of 16m hno 3 ) was treated with a stream of no gas at a rate of about 1 bubble per second . a green color appeared almost at once which became a deep blue color at 10 minutes . in another 25 minutes , the blue color began dissipating and a small amount of solids began precipitating ; therefore , the no flow as stopped . after standing for three days the solids were removed by filtration , washed and dried in a desiccator giving 0 . 2649 g of a light yellow product . ir analysis showed the spectrum to be identical to pten ( no 2 ) cl 3 !. the filtrate ( 38 ml was allowed to evaporate at ambient conditions to a 10 ml volume and a small amount ( 0 . 0148 g ) of yellow needles were removed by filtration . the second filtrate ( yellow color ) was evaporated further using a rotovac first at 55 ° c . and then at 73 ° c . and 6 kpa vacuum to give 0 . 8337 g of a yellowish - brown material . the infrared spectrum of this product contained a characteristic sharp band at 827 cm - 1 , indicating coordinated nitro ligands , bands at 1525 cm - 1 , 1280 cm - 1 , and a large broad band at 975 cm - 1 indicating coordinated nitrito ligands , and a small band at 1720 cm - 1 , suggesting an n ═ o group . the n -- h rocking mode at 770 cm - 1 characteristic of the ptencl 2 ! starting material was not present . anal : calculated for ptenno 2 ( ono ) 2 cl ! ( fw 428 . 62 ): c , 5 . 60 ; h , 1 . 87 ; n , 16 . 34 . found : c , 5 . 96 ; h , 2 . 00 ; n , 11 . 29 . further drying at 73 ° c . and 6 kpa vacuum gave a product whose infrared spectrum contained a larger , more asymmetrical nitro band at 825 cm - 1 , a smaller , more asymmetrical nitrito band at 965 cm - 1 , and a much larger , sharp band at 1720 cm - 1 , possibly indicated a n ═ o group . analysis found : c , 7 . 08 ; h , 2 . 01 ; n , 8 . 98 . these analyses indicate continued loss of no from the product during drying . synthesis of pten ( no 2 ) 3 ( ono )! !, having a proposed structure as shown in fig5 using no 2 as oxidant a solution of ptencl 2 ! 0 . 3336 g , 1 . 022 × 10 . sup .× 3 mol dissolved in 15 ml of water ) was added to a solution of silver nitrate ( 0 . 3478 g , 2 . 044 × 10 - 3 mol ) to remove the chlorides . the slurry was allowed to react for 6 . 5 hours at 50 ° c ., and cooled overnight at 10 ° c . it then was heated to 50 ° c . and filtered . a 0 . 2908 g ( 2 . 29 × 10 - 3 mol ) amount of silver chloride was obtained . the filtrate was treated with a no 2 gas stream ( about 1 bubble per second ) for 45 minutes at 25 ° c . the solution first turned an intense blue color , which after heating for 4 . 5 hours at 40 ° c ., was colored yellow , orange and finally brownish , from which solution brown , needle - like crystals appeared . the solution was concentrated to a final volume of 4 ml , cooled to 10 ° c . and these crystals filtered off yielding 0 . 1104 g . the infrared spectrum of this product contained a sharp band at 830 cm - 1 indicating coordinated nitro ligands ; however , it also contained a sharp nh band at 777 cm - 1 indicating a pt ( ii ) oxidation state that was confirmed by xps analysis . anal : calculated for pten ( no 2 ) 2 ( fw 347 . 39 : c , 6 . 91 ; h , 2 . 33 ; n , 16 . 13 . found : c , 6 . 97 ; h , 2 . 32 ; n , 15 . 74 . the filtrate was concentrated to less than 1 ml at 40 ° c . and allowed to evaporate to dryness . a yellow , gummy product resulted whose infrared spectrum contained split , moderately sharp bands at 821 cm - 1 and a shorter one at 839 cm - 1 , indicating two types of coordinated nitro ligands , a broad nitrito band at 970 cm - 1 , and a very small band at 1720 cm - 1 , possibly indicating a n ═ o group . no nh band was observed at 770 cm - 1 indicating a platinum ( iv ) oxidation state . this infrared spectrum suggest a complex with a probable formula of pten ( no 2 ) 3 ono !. synthesis of pten ( no 2 )( ono ) 3 ! ! having a proposed structure as shown in fig6 using no / hno 3 as oxidant a slurry of diiodoethylenediamineplatinum ( ii ) pteni 2 ! ( 1 . 2639 g , 2 . 5 × 10 - 3 mol dispersed in 60 ml of water ) was treated with a solution of agno 3 ( 0 . 8441 g , 5 . 0 × 10 - 3 mol ) to precipitate the iodide as agi . the slurry was allowed to react with stirring for 3 hours at 55 ° c ., and cooled overnight at 25 ° c . and filtered . a 1 . 1489 g ( 4 . 894 mmol ) amount of dry silver iodide was obtained . the filtrate was concentrated at 55 ° c . to a 30 ml volume and treated with a no gas stream ( about 1 bubble / second ) for 45 minutes at 25 ° c . no color change was noted until 4 . 5 ml of concentrated nitric acid ( 16m ) was added and the no gas stream resumed , then it immediately turned a blue color . at the end of the no addition , the color remained a deep blue which after 4 hours of standing exposed to air , turned green and by the following morning turned pale yellow . the treatment was repeated twice more with no gas for 15 minutes and the mixture was allowed to stand over night each time . the solution was then transferred to a rotovac unit and evaporated to dryness at a maximum temperature of 73 ° c . and a vacuum reading of 5 kpa to yield 0 . 9786 g of a brownish product . its infrared spectrum contained the characteristic sharp nitro band at 827 cm - 1 , and a large asymmetrical , broad nitrito band at 970 cm - 1 . no nh band was present at 7790 cm - 1 indicating a pt ( iv ) oxidation state . anal : calculated for ptenno 2 ( ono ) 3 ! ( fw 439 . 25 ): c , 5 . 47 ; h , 1 . 84 ; n , 19 . 14 . found : c , 5 . 31 ; h , 1 . 69 ; n , 13 . 53 . further drying at 73 ° c . and 6 kpa gave a product whose infrared spectrum exhibited larger nitro bands at 1495 cm - 1 , 1320 cm - 1 , 480 cm - 1 and an asymmetrical one at 827 cm - 1 with a shoulder at 835 cm - 1 , smaller nitrito bands at 1550 cm - 1 , 1280 cm - 1 , 1280 cm - 1 and 960 cm - 1 and a much larger band at 1725 cm - 1 , possibly indicating the presence of n ═ o groups . anal . found : c , 9 . 35 ; h , 2 . 01 ; n , 7 . 90 . these analyses indicate continued loss of no from the product during drying . many other variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the described structures and examples of their syntheses are , therefore , intended to be merely exemplary , and all such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	2
with reference to fig1 - 3 , there is shown a case 12 which constitutes the main body of a multiplication study device 11 . the case 12 has a substantially flat shape with a large area , and is provided with a handle grip 13 . on a surface 12a of case 12 are arranged in substantially equi - spaced relation eighty - one push - buttons 14 , arranged in nine vertical columns and nine horizontal rows . each of the push - buttons 14 has substantially the same configuration , i . e ., each push - button 14 is substantially hollow and includes an opening on the rear thereof . as shown in fig2 each push - button 14 has a stepped upper surface 14a , including an upper raised portion 15 and a lower depressed portion 16 . the depressed portion 16 forms a semi - transparent see - through surface through which the operator can find the answer to a particular multiplication problem . the depressed see - through surface 16 of push - button 14 is substantially thin and semi - transparent , and is preferably made of a milky - pure synthetic resin material . the raised portion 15 has a multiplication problem 17 ( fig1 ) marked on the upper surface thereof , with an answer to the problem 17 appearing through the see - through surface 16 during operation of the device . the surface 12a of case 12 is provided with eighty - one holes 18 extending therethrough and arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows which are substantially regularly - spaced . the case 12 is also provided with eighty - one projecting members 19 rigidly mounted therein . each of the projecting members 19 is secured in the interior of case 12 and is adapted to face the corresponding hole 18 . the top portion 19a of the projecting member 19 has displayed thereon the answer 20 to the multiplication problem , as shown in fig1 . the projecting member 19 is slightly smaller than the interior chamber of the push - button 14 to permit the push - button to be slidably received by the projecting member 19 . the projecting member 19 is thus slidably supported and vertically guided by the push - button 14 . the answer 20 is marked on that part of the top portion 19a of projecting member 19 which faces the see - through surface 16 of push - button 14 . the case 12 is formed into a flat box with the back 12a thereof opened and is provided with a rear member 21 fitted into the back 12b , as shown in fig2 . the rear member 21 is provided with eighty - one projecting members 19 formed integrally therewith , such that the projecting members 19 project toward the surface of case 12 . the rear member 21 can be mounted to the case 12 by pressing into a cylinder 12c of case 12 a projection 21a formed substantially at the end of the rear member 21 , such that all the projecting members 19 are rigidly secured within case 12 . arranged on the surface 21b of rear member 21 is a resilient member 22 which imparts a resilient upward force to the push - button 14 slidably engaging with the outer surface of the projecting member 19 . in this manner , the push - button 14 is slidable in the hole of the case 12 and the upper surface 14 a thereof is urged by the resilient member 22 to project from the surface 12a of case 12 . when the push - button 14 is projected , the upper surface 14a of the push - button 14 moves away from the top portion 19a of the projecting member 19 with a predetermined gap therebetween , such that the answer 20 indicated on the top portion 19a cannot be seen through the semi - transparent see - through surface 16 . fig4 shows in detail the construction of the resilient member 22 which is formed of a foamed flexible urethane plate material . the urethane plate 22 is of substantially constant thickness and has a large area equal to that of the surface 12a of the case 12 . the urethane plate 22 is provided with holes 22a penetrating therethrough at locations corresponding to the locations of the projecting members 19 , and the number of holes 22a is equal to the number of projecting members 19 . the projecting members 19 are inserted into the respective holes 22a , and the urethane plate 22 is bonded to the surface 21b of the rear member 21 with a suitable bonding agent . as a result , the urethane plate 22 is interposed between the surface 21b of the rear member 21 and the push - button 14 , and the lower ends 14b of push - buttons 14 contact the surface 22b of urethane plate 22 . in this manner , a single sheet of urethane plate material serves as a common resilient member for all of the push - buttons 14 . in operation , when a student studies multiplication problems on the study device , the push - button 14 is depressed by the student &# 39 ; s finger 23 , as shown in fig3 . in this manner , the push - button 14 is moved down along the projecting member 19 against the resilient force of urethane plate 22 so as to bring the upper surface 14a closer to the top portion 19a of projecting member 19 and finally into contact with same . as a result , as shown in fig6 the answer 20 displayed on the top portion 19a of projecting member 19 appears through the see - through surface 16 such that the student will be informed of the correct answer to the multiplication problem or equation 17 marked on the upper surface 14a of push - button 14 . when the student &# 39 ; s finger 23 is released from the push - button 14 , the push - button 14 is moved upwardly along the projecting member 19 by the force of the compressed urethane plate 22 , returning the push - button 14 to the original position thereof such that the answer 20 disappears from the see - through surface 16 . as shown in fig7 question equation 117 need not necessarily be marked on the push - button , and alternatively may be indicated on the surface 112a of case 112 for each push - button 114 . in the embodiment of fig7 the whole area of the upper surface 114a of the push - button 114 is formed as a semi - transparent see - through surface 116 , such that the answer marked on the top portion of the projecting member can be seen through the see - through surface 116 by depressing the push - button 114 , in much the same manner as described hereinabove . although there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description .	6
reference is now made in detail to specific embodiments of the present invention that illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for practicing the invention . fig2 is a flow diagram describing the movement of a selected wafer or wafers through all the processes in a methodology of manufacturing semiconductor wafers in accordance with the present invention . as is known in the semiconductor manufacturing art , a production lot of wafers can be any selected number of wafers . as is also known in the semiconductor manufacturing art , it is not practical to scan each wafer for defects because inspecting each wafer is extremely time consuming , manpower intensive and equipment intensive . therefore , a small number of wafers are selected from each production lot to be representative of that production lot . in some cases , only one wafer from a production lot is selected to be tested . this wafer is scanned for defects after each manufacturing process that has been designated to be a process that will be tested . it is also noted that the wafer is not scanned after each process because this would also be time consuming , manpower and equipment intensive . it has also been shown that good results can be obtained by scanning the selected wafer only after certain designated processes . the start of the process is indicated at 200 . all wafers in the production lot are sent through the first manufacturing process as indicated at 202 . after the first process is complete , the selected wafer ( or wafers ) is ( are ) examined for defects at 204 . the wafers are examined for defects at 204 by one of several scan tools that send defect information to an automatic defect classification system 206 that classifies the defects as described above . the defect information and classification information are sent to a defect management system 208 that stores the information for further use . the automatic defect classification system 206 compares the defect information to data from previous lots and makes a statistical judgment based on scan results from the previous lots not only from this production lot but previous production lots of the same layer / device / technology etc . the automatic defect classification system 206 determines if it is necessary for further wafers to be scanned in order to accurately determine the defectivity of the production lot . if it is determined at 210 that more wafers need to be scanned , an additional wafer or additional wafers at 212 are scanned and it is determined at 214 if the additional wafers are acceptable or not acceptable . if it is determined at 214 that the additional scanned wafers are not acceptable , the production lot is put on hold as indicated at 216 . if it is determined at 214 that the additional scanned wafers are acceptable , it is determined at 218 if the layer just processed is the last layer . if it is determined at 218 that the layer just processed is not the last layer , the next layer is processed at 220 and the selected wafers are scanned at 204 . if it is determined at 218 that the layer just processed is the last layer , the production lot is finished as indicated at 222 . fig4 as discussed above , illustrates a situation in which the number of defects per lot steadily increases until the number of defects per lot is slightly below the preset limit , however , the number of defects is approaching a critical limit and as known in the semiconductor art , the fairly large number of defects cause the yield to be at or near a critical limit . the present invention avoids this situation because the previous lot data is compared to the present lot data and the automatic defect classification system 206 will cause additional wafers to be scanned and if the additional wafers are not acceptable , the production lot will be put on hold until the manufacturing problem is resolved . the present invention provides an engine as part of the automatic defect classification system that communicates directly with the scan tool during wafer processing . this engine makes statistical judgments based on scan results from previous lots at the current layer and compares it with the current scan data . since the defects can be classified “ in situ ” it is possible to eliminate the nuisance defects and make a determination based on actual defects of interest , such as killer defects , or defects that point to a particular process problem . for example , when trigger levels of a certain defect type are reached an increase in the sample plan can be implemented automatically . 1 . the ability to change the lot level sampling plan on the fly . in summary , the present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art and fulfills the need for a method of obtaining the most accurate defect data for the production lot . the foregoing description of the embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled .	7
in fig1 transmission line 101 has a characteristic impedance of one - half times z 0 . this may also be written as z 0 / 2 . z 0 is an arbitrary characteristic impedance value that may be chosen with great latitude by the designer of the board or system by adjusting various board design parameters such as trace width , trace spacing , board layer thickness , etc ., to fit a variety of constraints such as manufacturability , space , cost , or similarity to other impedances such as a driver impedance or termination impedance . likewise , creating a transmission line with an impedance of z 0 / 2 can be done by adjusting various board design parameters such as trace width , trace spacing , board layer thickness , etc . another way to create a transmission line of z 0 / 2 is two connect two transmission lines with characteristic impedance of z 0 in parallel . transmission line 101 ends at interface node 130 on one end and interface node 131 on the other . transmission line 101 may also be referred to as the central transmission line . connected to transmission line 101 at interface node 130 is transmission line 102 and transmission line 103 . transmission lines 102 and 103 both have a characteristic impedance of z 0 . the other end of transmission line 102 , node 150 , is connected to termination impedance 110 and receiver 120 . the other end of transmission line 103 , node 151 , is connected to termination impedance 111 and receiver 121 . the other terminal of termination impedance 110 and 111 are shown connected to drivers 140 and 141 , respectively . connected to transmission line 101 at interface node 131 is transmission line 104 and transmission line 105 . transmission lines 104 and 105 both have a characteristic impedance of z 0 . the other end of transmission line 104 , node 152 , is connected to termination impedance 112 and receiver 122 . the other end of transmission line 105 , node 153 , is connected to termination impedance 113 and receiver 123 . the other terminal of termination impedance 112 and 113 are shown connected to drivers 142 and 143 , respectively . alternatively , drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 may , in any combination , be replaced by a low impedance voltage source such as a power supply voltage or a termination supply voltage . also , drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 may be controlled to always be driving a low impedance voltage or may themselves be controlled impedance drivers . in the case where drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 are controlled impedance drivers , termination impedances 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 may not be needed . transmission lines 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 may be of different and arbitrary lengths or delays . assuming that drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 have sufficiently low impedance , termination impedances 110 , 111 , 112 , and 113 are preferably chosen to match the characteristic impedance z 0 . if drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 are controlled impedance drivers , the controlled impedance of these drivers would preferably be chosen to match the characteristic impedance z 0 . using the four - drop bus shown in fig1 will result in reflections that are the same independent of which driver 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 is driving and which receiver 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 is receiving . for example , if driver 140 drives a low impedance step voltage from zero to v in , all the termination resistors have an impedance of z 0 , and drivers 141 , 142 , 143 are at a low impedance state to a termination supply , then the voltage at node 150 is a step from zero to v in / 2 . this step waveform propagates through transmission line 102 until it reaches interface node 130 . at interface node 130 , the load seen by transmission line 102 is equivalent to the characteristic impedance of transmission line 101 in parallel with transmission line 103 . this equivalent impedance is z 0 / 3 . calculating the reflection coefficient for this equivalent load yields : γ = 1 3  z 0 - z 0 1 3  z 0 + z 0 = - 1 2 therefore , a step of − v in / 4 will be reflected back down transmission line 102 toward node 150 and a step of v in / 4 will be transmitted down transmission lines 103 and 101 . the wave reflected back down transmission line 102 is absorbed by the matched termination impedance 110 so this wave is not reflected at node 150 . accordingly , node 150 has a final voltage of v in / 4 . likewise , the v in / 4 wave propagated down transmission line 103 is absorbed by the matched termination impedance 111 so this wave is not reflected at node 151 . accordingly , node 151 has a final voltage of v in / 4 . the v in / 4 wave propagated down transmission line 101 eventually reaches interface node 131 . at interface node 131 , the load seen by transmission line 101 is equivalent to the characteristic impedance of transmission line 104 in parallel with transmission line 105 . this equivalent impedance is z 0 / 2 . calculating the reflection coefficient for this equivalent load yields : accordingly , there is no reflection at interface node 131 and step waves of v in / 4 are propagated down transmission lines 104 and 105 . the v in / 4 waves propagated down transmission lines 104 and 105 are absorbed by the matched termination impedances 112 and 113 , respectively , so these waves are not reflected at nodes 152 or 153 . accordingly , nodes 152 and 153 both have a final voltages of v in / 4 . note that even though the voltage at each node is not the full swing voltage of v in , the voltage at each receiver node is the same and no reflections are observed at the receivers . this reduces the complexity of the system design and bus timing . also note that this exercise could be conducted by driving the input waveform from any of the drivers 140 , 141 , 142 , or 143 and the outcome of a final voltage of v in / 4 at each of nodes 150 , 151 , 152 , or 153 would result . finally , note that due to design constraints or manufacturing process issues , the characteristic impedances of the transmission lines 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 the termination impedances 110 , 111 , 112 , and 113 may not be their exactly specified values of z 0 or z 0 / 2 . however , it should be sufficient that these impedances be approximately their specified values . a range of plus or minus 10 % should be sufficiently approximate to satisfy most bus design requirements and still have sufficiently small reflections and final voltages that are sufficiently close to v in / 4 for most applications .	7
in the following , first and second embodiments 100 and 200 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which the first embodiment 100 is an override type door latch device and the second embodiment 200 is a child proof type door latch device . for ease of understanding , various directional terms , such as , right , left , upper , lower , rightward and the like are used in the following description . however , such terms are to be understood with respect to only a drawing or drawings on which a corresponding part or portion is shown . throughout the specification , substantially same parts are denoted by the same numerals . referring to fig1 to 24 of the drawings , there is shown an override type automotive door latch device 100 which is a first embodiment of the present invention . the door latch device 100 is of a type mounted on a left - front door of an associated motor vehicle . more specifically , the door latch device 100 is mounted on a rear ( or free ) end portion of the left - front door of which front end is hinged to a vehicle body . as is seen from fig2 , the door latch device 100 generally comprises a striker “ st ” that is secured to a vehicle body ( not shown ), a latch assembly 102 that is secured by bolts or the like to the rear part of an associated door and an actuating assembly 103 that actuates the latch assembly 102 . the latch assembly 102 is of a commonly applicable type , and comprises as is seen from fig1 , a plastic case 4 , a latch unit 5 installed in the case 4 and engageable with the striker “ st ” upon closing of the door . it is to be noted that for showing the interior of the case 4 , a cover plate 16 ( see fig1 ) that covers an open side of the case 4 is not shown in fig1 . as is seen from fig1 , the latch unit 5 comprises a latch plate 7 that is pivotally installed in the case 4 through a pivot shaft 6 and engageable with the striker “ st ” through an engaging recess 7 a thereof , and a locking plate 9 that is pivotally installed in the case 4 through a pivot shaft 8 and engageable with pawl portions 7 b and 7 c formed on the latch plate 7 . upon engagement with the pawl portions 7 b and 7 c , pivoting of the latch plate 7 in an open direction , that is , in a counterclockwise direction in fig1 is suppressed . the latch plate 7 is biased to turn in a counterclockwise direction in fig1 by a coil spring 12 ( see fig1 ) that is disposed about the pivot shaft 6 . when the door is kept closed , the latch plate 7 is in a close position as shown in fig1 wherein the striker “ st ” is caught by the engaging recess 7 a of the latch plate 7 . while , when the door is kept opened , the latch plate 7 is in an open position that is away from the close position by about 90 degrees in angle in a counterclockwise direction thereby releasing the striker “ st ”. upon closing of the door , the striker “ st ” is led into the engaging recess 7 a of the latch plate 7 turning the latch plate 7 to the close position and finally the latch plate 7 is locked at the close position by the locking plate 9 , as will be clarified from the following . during turning of the latch plate 7 from the open position to the close position , the locking plate 9 is turned counterclockwise from the position ( viz ., close position ) of fig1 at first against a force of a biasing spring 13 and thereafter , that is , when the latch plate 7 is sufficiently turned toward the close position , the locking plate 9 is turned back in a clockwise direction due to the force of the biasing spring 13 and brought into engagement with one of the two pawl portions 7 b and 7 c of the latch plate 7 . upon this , the turning of the latch plate 7 toward the open position is suppressed . that is , when the locking plate 9 is in engagement with the pawl portion 7 b , as shown in fig1 , the latch plate 7 is fully locked by the locking plate 9 thereby assuming a full - locked position , and when the locking plate 9 is in engagement with the other pawl portion 7 c , the latch plate 7 is half or incompletely locked by the locking plate 9 thereby assuming a half - locked position . when , due to manipulation of an outside door handle ( not shown ) mounted on an outside surface of the door , an after - mentioned open lever 11 is pivoted to its unlocking position , the locking plate 9 is turned counterclockwise in fig1 separating from the pawl portion 7 b or 7 c thereby releasing the latch plate 7 . with this , the latch plate 7 is permitted to release the striker “ st ”, and thus permit opening the door when the door is pulled outward with a certain force . as is seen from fig1 , near the locking plate 9 , there is located a stopper 14 of rubber that is fixed to the case 4 for stopping excessive pivoting of the locking plate 9 . as is seen from fig2 to 24 , the stopper 14 is generally in a cubic shape and comprises a base portion 14 a that is press - fitted in a generally u - shaped catch portion 4 a provided by the case 4 . the base portion 14 a is formed with a corrugated upper surface 14 c against which a right arm portion of the locking plate 9 is able to abut . as is seen from fig2 , the stopper 14 is integrally formed with a lip portion 14 b that extends obliquely upward from a left wall of the base portion 14 a . as is seen from this drawing , the lip portion 14 b has a hammer like head portion 14 d and at a middle portion thereof a downward projection 14 e . that is , when , upon movement of the latch plate 7 from the open position to the close position , the locking plate 9 is turned from the unlocking position ( viz ., the position shown in fig2 ) the locking position due to the force of the biasing spring 13 , a lower surface 9 a of the right arm portion of the locking plate 9 is brought into abutment with an upper part of the hammer like head portion 14 d , and thus , the lip portion 14 b is elastically bent downward having the downward projection 14 e held by a supporting portion 4 b provided by the case 4 . when , thereafter , the lip portion 14 b is bent by a predetermined degree , the head portion 14 d and the downward projection 14 e are elastically compressed against the supporting portion 4 b . with this , as is seen from fig2 , the locking plate 9 is stopped at its locking position having the lower surface 9 a thereof pressed against both the corrugated upper surface 14 c of the base portion 14 a and the hammer like head portion 14 d of the lip portion 14 b that is kept biased upward . that is , undesired shock that would be produced when the right arm portion of the locking plate 9 is brought into contact with the stopper 14 is softly absorbed or damped by the lip portion 14 b . fig2 and 21 show a front view of the latch assembly 102 . as will be understood from these drawings and fig1 , to a front surface side of the case 4 , there is secured a metallic base plate 15 . as is seen from fig2 , to the metallic base plate 15 , there is pivotally connected the open lever 11 through the pivot shaft 8 , and thus the open lever 11 and the locking plate 9 are pivotal together like a single unit . furthermore , to the metallic base plate 15 , there are mounted a locking / unlocking lever 17 that is pivotally connected thereto through its shaft portion 17 a and constitutes part of a locking / unlocking means , an outside lever 19 that is pivotally connected thereto through a shaft 18 and linked to an outside door handle ( not shown ), and a sub - lever unit 20 that is arranged between the locking / unlocking lever 17 and the outside lever 19 and constitute the other part of the locking / unlocking means . the locking / unlocking lever 17 is actuated by a lock knob ( not shown ) mounted on an inside surface of the door , an after - mentioned electric motor 33 installed in the actuating assembly 103 and / or a key cylinder ( not shown ) arranged on an outside surface of the door . that is , upon actuation , the locking / unlocking lever 17 is forced to pivot about the axis of the shaft portion 17 a between a locking position as shown in fig2 and an unlocking position as shown in fig2 . as will be understood when comparing these two drawings , viz ., fig2 and 21 , the unlocking position of fig2 is an angular position away from the locking position of fig2 by a predetermined angle in a counterclockwise direction . due to a force of a coil spring 25 ( see fig1 ) arranged between the locking / unlocking lever 17 and the base plate 15 , the locking / unlocking lever 17 can be pivoted to the locking or unlocking position in a snap action manner and held in such position . as is seen from fig2 , the locking / unlocking lever 17 is formed with a projection 17 b that projects in this side in the drawing . as will be described in detail hereinafter , once the actuating assembly 103 is properly mounted to the latch assembly 102 , the projection 17 b is brought into engagement with an after - mentioned transmission lever 46 of the actuating assembly 103 to achieve a synchronous movement therebetween . as is seen from fig1 , the sub - lever unit 20 comprises a first lever member 21 and a second lever member 22 which are separate members . as is seen from fig2 , the first lever member 21 has a lower end that is pivotally connected through a connecting shaft 21 a to a free end portion of the outside lever 19 , and has an upper end that has a bent slot 21 b slidably engaged with a projection 17 c provided on a lower end portion of the locking / unlocking lever 17 . the second lever member 22 has a lower end portion that is pivotally connected through the connecting shaft 21 a to the lower end of the first lever member 21 . due to a force of a coil spring 23 arranged between the first and second lever members 21 and 22 , the second lever member 22 is biased in a clockwise direction about the connecting shaft 21 a in fig2 and 21 . it is to be noted that as is seen from fig2 and 21 , due to the biasing force of the coil spring 23 , the first and second lever members 21 and 22 can move together like a single unit keeping their relative positioning . when the locking / unlocking lever 17 is in the locking position , the sub - lever unit 20 ( viz ., first and second lever members 21 and 22 ) is in its locking position as shown in fig2 , while when the locking / unlocking lever 17 is pivoted from the locking position to the unlocking position , the sub - lever unit 20 is pivoted in a clockwise direction to its unlocking position about the connecting shaft 21 a . in the illustrated embodiment , the locking / unlocking means is constructed to have the locking / unlocking lever 17 and the sub - lever unit 20 . however , in the present invention , the locking / unlocking means is not limited to such construction . that is , for example , the sub - lever unit 20 may comprise first and second lever members 21 and 22 which are integral to each other . in the following , a basic operation of the door latch device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings . it is to be noted that the locking condition of the locking / unlocking means is a condition wherein the locking / unlocking lever 17 and the sub - lever unit 20 assume their locking positions , while , the unlocking condition of the locking / unlocking means is a condition wherein the locking / unlocking lever 17 and the sub - lever unit 20 assume their unlocking positions . for ease of understanding , the following description on the basing operation will be commenced with respect to a condition wherein the locking / unlocking means is in the unlocking condition . when now the outside door handle ( not shown ) is manipulated for the purpose of opening the associated door , the outside lever 19 ( see fig2 ) is pivoted from its standby position of fig2 to an unlocking position of fig2 against a force of a biasing coil spring 24 thereby to move the sub - lever unit 20 downward . upon this , a canceling portion 22 a of the second lever member 22 is brought into contact with a first engaging portion 11 a of the open lever 11 thereby to turn the open lever 11 toward its unlocking position . upon this , the locking plate 9 is pivoted toward the unlocking position together with the open lever 11 against the force of the spring 13 thereby to be released from the pawl portion 7 b ( or 7 c ) of the latch plate 7 . with this , the latch unit 5 becomes free and thus , the door is permitted to open when the door is pulled outward with a certain force . while , when , as is seen from fig2 , the locking / unlocking means is kept in its locking condition , manipulation of the outside door handle for the purpose of opening the door does not permit opening of the door for the reason that will be described in the following . that is , when , due to the manipulation of the outside door handle , the sub - lever unit 20 is moved downward , the canceling portion 22 a of the second lever member 22 strikes air against the first engaging portion 11 a , and thus , the locking plate 9 is not turned toward the unlocking position . in the following , the actuating assembly 103 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . as is seen from fig2 to 6 , the actuating assembly 103 is mounted to the latch assembly 102 and is a commonly applicable type , and comprises a plastic housing 31 to which after - mentioned basic elements that are commonly used in the above - mentioned latch assembly 102 are mounted and a plastic cover 32 that is connected to the housing 31 and has after - mentioned selected elements mounted thereto . the basic elements are the elements that are employed in a normal type door latch device that is free of an override function and a child proof function . the basic elements are for example a knob lever 35 that is linked to the lock knob mounted on the inside surface of the door , an inside lever 45 that is linked to an inside door handle ( not shown ) and the transmission lever 46 that transmits the movement of the knob lever 35 to the locking / unlocking means of the latch assembly 102 . in the actuating assembly 103 for the door latch device 100 mounted on the left front door of the vehicle , a key lever 36 that is linked to the key cylinder mounted on the outside surface of the door is added as one of the basic elements . in the electric type that actuates the locking / unlocking means with an aid of an electric power , the electric motor 33 , a worm wheel 34 , a motor shaft 33 a , a worm 33 b that constitutes part of a speed reduction mechanism and a rotary switch 47 that senses operation of the key cylinder are added as the basic elements . in the override type , an override lever 41 is added as one of the basic elements , that is able to cancel the engaged condition of the latch unit 5 in synchronization with an operation of the basic element based on a manipulation of the inside door handle . while , as will be described in detail hereinafter , in the child proof type that is the second embodiment 200 of the present invention , a child proof lever 70 is added as one of the basic elements , that makes the operation of the inside lever 45 ( which is induced by the operation of the inside door handle ) inoperative thereby to make cancellation of the engaged condition of the latch unit 5 inoperative . referring back to the override type door latch device 100 of the first embodiment , the door latch device 100 is of a type that is to be mounted on a left - front door and has both an override function and electric power function . thus , the key lever 36 , the electric motor 33 , the worm wheel 34 and the rotary switch 47 are added as the basic elements . while , the override lever 41 is added as the selected element . as is understood from fig1 and 3 , the plastic housing 31 is arranged generally perpendicular to a front surface of the latch assembly 102 and has a part containing recess 31 a in which the above - mentioned basic elements are installed . as is seen from fig1 and 3 , from a rear end of the part containing recess 31 a , there extends a cover portion 31 x that faces the front surface of the latch assembly 102 and covers the locking / unlocking means . as is seen from fig1 and 7 , the knob lever 35 is pivotally held by a shaft portion 31 f formed in the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 . the knob lever 35 is connected through a cable 37 ( see fig6 ) to the lock knob ( not shown ) mounted on the inside surface of the door . that is , in accordance with an operation of the lock knob , the knob lever 35 is pivoted between a locking position ( as shown in fig7 and 11 ) that corresponds to the locking condition of the locking / unlocking means and an unlocking position ( as shown in fig1 ) that is positioned away from the locking position of fig1 by an angle of about 45 degrees in a counterclockwise direction . the transmission lever 46 is received in the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 and vertically slidable between a locking position ( as shown in fig7 and 11 ) that corresponds to the locking condition of the locking / unlocking means and an unlocking portion ( as shown in fig1 ) that corresponds to the unlocking condition of the locking / unlocking means . as shown in fig1 , the transmission lever 46 is formed at its upper portion with an opening 46 f into which the above - mentioned projection 17 b of the locking / unlocking lever 17 is inserted to provide a pivotal connection therebetween . as shown in the same drawing , the transmission lever 46 is formed at its upper right side with teeth 46 a , 46 b and 46 c which are meshed with teeth 34 a , 34 b and 34 c formed on a hollow shaft portion of the worm wheel 34 . furthermore , the transmission lever 46 is formed at its middle portion with an opening 46 d into which an end portion 35 a of the knob lever 35 is inserted to provide a pivotal connection therebetween . as is understood from the above description , in synchronization with the movement of the knob lever 35 to the locking or unlocking position that is induced by a locking / unlocking operation of the lock knob ( not shown ), the locking / unlocking means of the latch assembly 102 is switched via the transmission lever 46 to the locking condition or the unlocking condition . as is seen from fig1 , 7 and 10 , the inside lever 45 is pivotally held by a shaft portion 31 g provided in the part containing recess 31 a of the plastic housing 31 . the inside lever 45 is connected through a cable 38 ( see fig6 ) to the inside door handle ( not shown ) that is mounted on the inside surface of the door . that is , when the inside door handle is manipulated for the purpose of opening the door , the inside lever 45 is turned about the shaft portion 31 g in a counterclockwise direction in fig7 . as is seen from fig7 , the electric motor 33 is neatly and tightly received in a motor receiving recess 31 e provided in the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 . although not shown in the drawings , upon manipulation of a remote control switch and the like , the motor 33 is energized to run in a desired direction . the worm wheel 34 is received in a worm wheel receiving recess 31 d formed near the motor receiving recess 31 e and rotatably held by a shaft 43 provided in the worm wheel receiving recess 31 d . as has been mentioned hereinabove , the teeth 34 a , 34 b and 34 c formed on the hollow shaft portion of the worm wheel 34 are meshed with the teeth 46 a , 46 b and 46 c of the transmission lever 46 . thus , when , upon rotation of the motor 33 , the worm wheel 34 is turned in a counterclockwise direction in fig7 , the transmission lever 46 is moved downward , and when the worm wheel 34 is turned in a clockwise direction , the transmission lever 46 is moved upward , resulting in that the locking / unlocking means is switched through the transmission lever 46 to the unlocking condition or the locking condition . when the transmission lever 46 is moved to the lower or upper predetermined position , a limit switch 48 stops the energization of the motor 33 . upon this , the worm wheel 34 is returned to its neutral position due to the biasing force of a biasing coil spring 44 ( see fig1 and 18 ). the limit switch 48 is received in the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 . as is seen from fig1 , 12 and 17 , the key lever 36 pivotally received in a cylindrical key lever receiving bore 31 b formed in the housing 31 . the key lever 36 has a shaft portion 36 a that projects outward through a through bore 31 j ( see fig1 ) formed in an end portion of the key lever receiving bore 31 b . as is seen from fig1 and 17 , to the projected end of the shaft portion 36 a , there is secured a connecting lever 36 f that is connected to the key cylinder ( not shown ) mounted on the outer surface side of the door . as is seen from fig7 , the key lever 36 is formed therearound with teeth 36 b . as shown , one of the teeth 36 b that is positioned at the uppermost part has a larger size , that is denoted by numeral 36 c . as will be described hereinafter , the teeth 36 b and the larger tooth 36 c are arranged to face the rotary switch 47 . as will be seen from fig1 and 17 , between an outer surface of the shaft portion 36 a of the key lever 36 and an inner surface of the key lever receiving bore 31 b , there is arranged an annular sealing member 49 . with this sealing member 49 , undesired phenomenon wherein rain water entering the interior of the door enters the part containing recess 31 a through the key lever receiving bore 31 b is suppressed . when , with the locking / unlocking means assuming the locking condition , the key cylinder is turned by a key ( not shown ) for the purpose of unlocking the door , the key lever 36 ( see fig7 and 8 ) is turned in a clockwise direction by a certain angle from its neutral position of the drawings , so that an upper pawl portion 36 d ( see fig1 ) formed on the key lever 36 is moved down and brought into contact with a projection 46 e of the transmission lever 46 . with this , the transmission lever 46 is moved from the locking position to the unlocking position thereby to induce the unlocking condition of the locking / unlocking means . while , when , with the locking / unlocking means assuming the unlocking condition , the key cylinder is turned in a reversed direction by the key for the purpose of locking the door , the key lever 36 is turned in a counterclockwise direction by a certain angle from the neutral position as shown in fig1 , so that a lower pawl portion 36 e formed on the key lever 36 is moved up and brought into contact with the projection 46 e of the transmission lever 46 . with this , the transmission lever 46 is moved from the unlocking position to the locking position thereby to induce the locking condition of the locking / unlocking means . as is seen from fig1 , 8 and 12 , the rotary switch 47 is snugly and tightly received in a switch receiving wall portion 31 c positioned near the key lever receiving bore 31 b . as is best shown in fig1 , the rotary switch 47 is formed , at a part facing the teeth 36 b of the key lever 36 , with teeth 47 a that are meshed with the teeth 36 b of the key lever 36 . as shown , in the toothed part of the rotary switch 47 , there is formed a larger notch 47 b with which the above - mentioned larger tooth 36 c of the key lever 36 is engaged . more specifically , the engagement between the larger notch 47 b and the larger tooth 36 c is established only when the rotary switch 47 and the key lever 36 take proper positions relative to each other upon assembly . as is seen from fig1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 13 and 15 , at a lower portion of the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 , there are formed two tube fixing portions 60 and 61 that are used for fixing ends 39 a and 40 a of two tubes 39 and 40 ( see fig6 ) through which the above - mentioned cables 37 and 38 pass . as is seen from fig6 and 7 , particularly fig7 , the two tube fixing portions 60 and 61 spaced from each other by a given distance . as shown , at mutually facing wall portions of these two fixing portions 60 and 61 , there are provided respective first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a that project into respective groove portions 60 b and 61 b of the fixing portions 60 and 61 . these first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a are resiliently flexible . in the groove portions 60 b and 61 b , there are formed respective second pawl portions 60 c and 61 c at positions facing the first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a . the second pawl portions 60 c and 61 c are relatively rigid as compared with the first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a . as is seen from fig7 , between the two fixing portions 60 and 61 of the housing 31 , there is formed a generally rectangular opening 31 h . as is seen from fig1 , the opening 31 h is formed at its front end portion with an inclined lip portion 31 i that projects toward the inside surface of the door . as is seen from fig7 , 13 , 14 and 17 , below the key lever receiving bore 31 b of the housing 31 , there is defined a rain water guide passage 31 k through which rain water is guided toward the cover portion 31 x ( see fig8 ) and discharged to the outside of the door latch device . due to provision of the rain water guide passage 31 k , the various electric elements , such as the motor 33 , the rotary switch 47 , the limit switch 48 and the like , are protected from water ( viz ., rain water ) that might enter the key lever receiving bore 31 b from the through bore 31 j irrespective of provision of the sealing member 49 . as is seen from fig1 , 13 , 14 and 18 , the cover portion 31 x of the housing 31 is formed with three mating openings 31 q with which three pawl portions 15 a provided by the metallic base plate 15 are respectively engaged . that is , by properly engaging the pawl portions 15 a with the mating openings 31 q , the housing 31 becomes fixed to a front side of the latch assembly 102 . it is to be noted that the uppermost one of the three mating openings 31 q , that is positioned near the key lever receiving bore 31 b , is communicated with the water guide passage 31 k as is seen from fig8 . accordingly , the water led to the water guide passage 31 k is charged toward the cover portion 31 x of the housing 31 from the uppermost mating opening 31 q . as is best seen from fig9 , the plastic cover 32 is formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a plurality of catching lugs 32 a . as is understood from fig8 , in assembly , such catching lugs 32 d are resiliently engaged with a plurality of projections 31 m formed on a peripheral portion of the housing 31 . with this , upon assembly , the plastic cover 32 is fixed to the housing 31 in a manner to cover the part containing recess 31 a . as is seen from fig9 , in an inside surface of the cover 32 ( viz ., the surface that faces the housing 31 ), there is provided a pivot bore 32 a that serves as a common pivot part . to this pivot bore 32 a , there is pivotally connected the override lever 41 that is a selected element . furthermore , to this pivot bore 32 a , there can be also pivotally connected the child proof lever 70 in case wherein the door latch device is of the child proof type . that is , the override lever 41 and the child proof lever 70 , which are both selected elements , are selectively connected to the pivot bore 32 a . of course , in place of the pivot bore 32 a , a pivot shaft portion may be used . as is seen from fig9 , the override lever 41 is integrally formed with a shaft portion 41 a that is rotatably received in the pivot bore 32 a . with this , override lever 41 is pivotally supported by the inside surface of the cover 32 . upon fixing of the cover 32 to the housing 31 , the override lever 41 becomes aligned with both the transmission lever 46 and the knob lever 35 , and a projection 45 b formed on the inside lever 45 becomes engaged with an elongate opening 41 c formed in an arm portion 41 b of the override lever 41 , as will be understood from fig1 . when , upon manipulation of the inside door handle , the inside lever 45 is turned from the stand - by position ( viz ., the is position as shown in fig7 and 11 ) to the unlocking position ( viz ., the position as shown in fig1 ), the override lever 41 is turned from a stand - by position as shown by the two - dot chain line in fig1 to an unlocking position as shown by the two - dot chain line in fig1 , so that an actuating portion 41 d of the override lever 41 is brought into contact with a second engaging portion 11 b ( see fig2 ) of the open lever 11 thereby turning the open lever 11 toward the unlocking position . with this , irrespective of the condition of the locking / unlocking means , the engaged condition of the latch unit 5 can be released and thus the door can be opened . at the same time , an actuating portion 45 a formed on an end of the inside lever 45 ( see fig1 ) is brought into contact with a bent portion 19 a formed on an end of the outside lever 19 , thereby turning the outside lever 19 toward the unlocking position . as is seen from fig9 , on the inside surface of the cover 32 , there are formed two annular portions 32 b and 32 c that are snugly mated with ends of the shaft portions 31 f and 31 g of the housing 31 . with such mating , the knob lever 35 ( see fig1 ) and the inside lever 45 can be smoothly held by the shaft portions 31 f and 31 g respectively . as is seen from fig2 and 9 , at a lower portion of the cover 32 , there are provided upper and lower connecting arms 32 h . as is best seen from fig2 , at leading ends of the connecting arms 32 h , there is provided a holding portion 65 by which the ends 39 a and 40 a of the two tubes 39 and 40 are tightly connected to the tube fixing portions 60 and 61 of the housing 31 . as is seen from fig9 , the holding portion 65 is formed with two resiliently deformable pawls 65 a that are engageable with the generally rectangular opening 31 h of the housing 31 . when it is intended to couple the cover 32 with the housing 31 , the two pawls 65 a of the holding portion 65 are brought into engagement with the rectangular opening 31 h . with this , the holding portion 65 is stably held between the two tube fixing portions 60 and 61 . as is seen from fig1 , both ends of the holding portion 65 are pressed against back sides of the first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a of the fixed portions 60 and 61 , so that the first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a are pressed toward the interior of the groove portions 60 b and 61 b . thus , the leading ends of the resilient first pawl portions 60 a and 61 a are strongly pressed against the fixing ends 39 a and 40 a of the two tubes 39 and 40 that are received in the groove portions 60 b and 61 b , and thus , the fixed ends 39 a and 40 a are tightly fixed in the groove portions 60 b and 61 b . upon engagement of the two resilient pawls 65 a with the rectangular opening 31 h , the leading end of the pawls 65 a are brought into contact with the inclined lip portion 31 i of the housing 31 to be guided toward the opening 31 h . thus , the engagement of the pawls 65 a with the opening 31 h is easily and assuredly carried out . as is seen from fig1 , 3 , 5 and 6 , particularly fig2 , from upper surfaces of the housing 31 and the cover 32 to the two tube fixing portions 60 and 61 , there extends a generally j - shaped plastic top cover 50 for suppressing rain water invasion into the part containing recess 31 a of the housing 31 . as is seen from fig1 , the top cover 50 is formed with a plurality of coupling openings 50 a with which a plurality of projections 31 n and 32 f formed on the housing 31 and the cover 32 are engaged , so that the top cover 50 are fixed to both the housing 31 and the cover 32 in such a manner that opposed walls of the top cover 50 receive therebetween peripheral portions of both the housing 31 and the cover 32 . in the following , a child proof type door latch device 200 which is a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 to 28 . since a latch assembly employed in the door latch device 200 of the second embodiment is the same as the latch assembly 102 employed in the above - mentioned override type door latch device 100 of the first embodiment , explanation of the latch assembly will be omitted from the following description . furthermore , since , in the second embodiment 200 , a housing ( 31 ), cover ( 32 ) and basic elements mounted in the housing ( 31 ) are substantially same as those employed in the first embodiment 100 , detailed description of such parts will be omitted from the following . that is , in the following , only parts or portions that are different from those of the first embodiment 100 will be described . as is seen from fig2 , in the child proof type door latch device 200 of the second embodiment of the present invention , the child proof lever 70 is used in place of the override lever 41 used in the first embodiment 100 . that is , as is seen from the drawing , the child proof lever 70 is pivotally connected to the pivot bore 32 a . furthermore , in place of the inside lever 45 in the first embodiment 100 , a child proof inside lever 71 is used which is pivotally connected to the shaft portion 31 g of the housing 31 . furthermore , a switch lever 72 is employed which is slidably held on the child proof inside lever 71 . as is seen from fig2 , the child proof lever 70 has a shaft portion 70 a rotatably received in the pivot bore 32 a of the cover 32 , and has a pin portion 70 b that projects outward through an opening 32 g formed in the cover 32 . that is , when the pin portion 70 b is actuated , the child proof lever 70 is pivoted between a locking position as shown by the two - dot chain line in fig2 and an unlocking position as shown by the two - dot chain line in fig2 . when the cover 32 is properly fixed to the housing 31 , an elongate slot 70 c formed in the child proof lever 70 puts thereinto a projection 72 b formed on the switch lever 72 . thus , in accordance with a pivotal movement of the child proof lever 70 , the switch lever 72 is moved between an unlocking position as shown in fig2 wherein an actuating end 72 a of the switch lever 72 is contactable with the bent portion 19 a of the outside lever 19 ( see fig1 ) and a locking position as shown in fig2 wherein the actuating end 72 a is not contactable with the bent portion 19 a ( see fig1 ). when , with the child proof lever 70 and the switch lever 72 assuming their unlocking positions and with the locking / unlocking means assuming its unlocking condition , the inside door handle is manipulated , the child proof inside lever 71 is operated to carry out a canceling operation . that is , upon this , the switch lever 72 and the child proof inside lever 71 are operated to carry out their canceling operation thereby to cancel the engaged condition of the latch unit 5 . while , when , with the child proof lever 70 and the switch lever 72 assuming their locking positions , the inside door handle is manipulated , the switch lever 72 strikes air against the bent portion 19 a of the outside lever 19 irrespective of the condition of the locking / unlocking means . thus , in this case , the outside lever 19 can not be turned toward the unlocking position , and thus , the engaged condition of the latch unit 5 can not be cancelled . in general , the child proof type door latch device is applied to rear doors that are not provided with a key cylinder . thus , in this second embodiment 200 , there are no members that correspond to the key lever ( 36 ) and the rotary switch ( 47 ) that are used in the above - mentioned first embodiment 100 . accordingly , in this second embodiment 200 , the key lever receiving bore 31 b ( see fig2 ) and the through bore 31 j of the housing 31 are inoperative , that is , plugged with a plastic screen . plugging the through bore 31 j is easily achieved by putting a suitable insert into a cavity of a die assembly in the injection molding of the housing 31 . the entire contents of japanese patent application 2004 - 218567 filed jul . 27 , 2004 are incorporated herein by reference . although the invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited to such embodiments as described above . various modifications and variations of such embodiments may be carried out by those skilled in the art , in light of the above description .	8
the present invention relates to semiconductor memories and more particularly , to an apparatus for testing memory devices using a programmable on chip data pattern generator . the data pattern generator is preferably designed and built as part of the memory chip . the data pattern generator stores an arbitrary data pattern either supplied by a external tester or hard coded directly into the pattern generator . the on chip data pattern generator in accordance with the present invention provides a faster and more efficient method of testing semiconductor memory chips / devices since the data pattern is stored close to the memory cells prior to testing . referring now in specific detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements throughout the several views , and initially to fig2 a semiconductor memory device / chip 100 is shown . semiconductor memory device 100 includes a memory array 102 including a plurality of memory banks 104 . memory banks 104 include memory cells 106 which are accessed using wordlines wl and bitlines bl and bl bar . a pattern generator 108 is included on chip to provide a testing pattern for testing memory cells 106 . pattern generator 108 may be controlled off chip by an . external tester 110 which may be coupled to pattern generator 108 by , for example a serial interface 112 . the pattern generator 108 may be activated / deactivated by setting or resetting a test mode of operation . this may be performed using an enable switch or enable signal supplied on enable line . enable permits pattern generator 108 to output data patterns , such as those shown in fig1 to be transmitted to memory array 102 through data out lines . data out lines are coupled to input / output ( i / o ) pins or dqs of memory chip 100 . data - in and program lines permit direct access to memory 114 of pattern generator 108 . pattern generator 108 may include read only memory or erasable memory or both . data - in permits pattern data to be input and stored in memory 114 until it is transmitted into memory array 102 for testing memory cells 106 . program permits programming operations to write or rewrite to memory 114 . pattern address lines permit specific patterns to be entered and programed into pattern generator 108 . pattern address is employed to select a pattern in which to write data to memory cells 106 . memory address lines 120 include row address lines and column address lines . memory address lines 120 supply locations within memory 114 of memory cells to be written from by pattern generator 108 to memory cells 106 of array 102 . pattern generator 108 manages the address information to write pattern data to memory cells 106 in accordance with the pattern specified , for example , a physical pattern ( see fig1 a and 1c ) or a logical pattern ( see fig1 b ), and the pattern data . the pattern topology ( physical data scrambling or arrangement of data within memory array 102 ) is controlled by a subset of row and column addresses supplied to pattern generator 108 through row lines and column lines of memory address lines 120 . in one embodiment , only a single bit ( 1 or 0 ) is needed on row lines of memory address lines 120 to provide row address data scrambling as illustrated in fig1 . two or three bits ( 1s and / or 0s ) may be needed on column lines of memory address lines 120 to provide column address data scrambling as illustrated in fig1 . the actual number of bits for row / column data scrambling may be varied according to the chip architecture . referring to fig3 on chip pattern generator 108 is shown schematically in greater detail . memory 114 of pattern generator 108 includes a plurality of memory banks 115 , each of which includes information on a specific pattern , i . e . pattern & lt ; 0 & gt ;, pattern & lt ; 1 & gt ;, . . . or pattern & lt ; k & gt ;, an x address & lt ; x & gt ; for row information , all y addresses y & lt ; 0 : n − 1 & gt ; for column information and all data to be input / output to memory array 102 by dq & lt ; 0 : j & gt ;. a pattern address is input to a pattern decoder 122 to select a specific pattern i . e . pattern & lt ; 0 & gt ;, pattern & lt ; 1 & gt ;, . . . or pattern & lt ; k & gt ;. banks 115 are labeled in fig3 according to the following convention : a bank is identified by a pattern ( 0 − k ) and a y address ( 0 − n ). for example , bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; n & gt ; designates a pattern k , which may include a physical pattern or any other desired pattern , and a column n . referring to fig4 a single bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 & gt ; is shown to illustrate banks 115 in greater detail . bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 & gt ; receives an input signal , data pattern & lt ; k & gt ;, from pattern decoder 122 ( fig3 ), to enable bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 & gt ;. bank & lt ; k & gt ;& lt ; 0 & gt ; stores information for data pattern & lt ; k & gt ; to be transmitted to memory array 102 ( fig2 ). bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 & gt ; includes data to be output from bank & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 & gt ; through data - out for all data lines dq & lt ; 0 : j & gt ; for a single x address ( row address ) and the entire y address ( column address ) space . other storage arrangements are contemplated , for example , each bank 115 may include information for all data lines dq & lt ; 0 : j & gt ; for a single y address ( column address ) and the entire x address ( row address ) space . for example , j may be equal to 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , 64 or multiples thereof . referring to fig5 banks & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 : n & gt ; are shown to further illustrate the arrangement of on chip pattern generator 108 in accordance with the present invention . a set of banks & lt ; k & gt ; & lt ; 0 : n & gt ; includes information for a complete data pattern for the entire address space i . e ., x - address & lt ; 0 : m − 1 & gt ; and y - address & lt ; 0 : n − 1 & gt ; where m and n are the number of bits needed for the pattern in the x and y direction , respectively . referring again to fig2 banks 115 may include storage space sufficient to store enough data for a complete pattern for a smallest repeatable pattern to be transmitted to memory array 102 . likewise , banks 115 may include storage space sufficient to store enough data for a complete pattern for an arbitrarily sized pattern to be transmitted to memory array 102 . it is possible to fabricate pattern generator memory 114 in a similar way as memory array 102 . for example , memory 114 includes sense amplifiers sa , bitlines bl ( bl bar ) and wordlines wl as shown in fig1 . in this way , y - addresses are employed to activate memory cells in memory 114 corresponding to wordlines while x - addresses are employed to activate sense amplifiers sa . the pattern generator 108 has structures , such as , sense amplifiers sa , bitlines bl ( bl bar ) and wordlines wl , formed simultaneously with the corresponding structures of memory array 102 . pattern address signals may be generated on the chip or by external tester 110 . the more patterns stored in memory 114 the more pattern address lines are needed . for example , if 8 different data patterns are to be stored then 3 different address bits are needed . further , address signals on memory address lines 120 may be generated on or off chip . memory 114 may include read only memory having preprogrammed patterns stored therein for use . to implement a test employing pattern generator 108 in accordance with the present invention , a pattern is selected to by choosing a test mode to be used for the test . this is input as a pattern address to pattern decoder 122 which selects memory banks 115 having the data corresponding to the selected pattern therein . the x - address which may be generated on or off chip is used to select a single bank and the y - address determined the data set to provide to the pattern generator output . to conserve chip area , circuitry for pattern generator may be reduced to a single , programmable data pattern . each time a new pattern is needed it is downloaded into memory 114 of pattern generator 108 . in other embodiments , pattern data may be mixed , i . e ., several patterns used for a single test , for example a checkerboard pattern and a ripple pattern may be used at arbitrarily selected locations to provide the test pattern for the memory array 102 . the following example illustratively describes a pattern generator in accordance with the present invention for a 16 bit dram chip . for a 16 bit chip dqs 0 - 15 are included . for this example , memory architecture permits a pattern with 2 column bits , i . e ., n = 2 , and 4 bits in the row direction , i . e ., m = 4 . also , 8 patterns are desired to be stored in the patten generator memory , then k = 7 ( 0 - 7 is 8 patterns ). ( wls are decoded from the row address , m ) m and n are related to the smallest repeatable structure in the array in terms of topology . it is desired to write a checkerboard pattern ( see fig1 c ). the pattern generator has to provide the 0 &# 39 ; s and 1 &# 39 ; s of the pattern . referring to fig1 c , in the case of activating sense amp sa & lt ; 0 & gt ;, the y - address would be 0 , and x - address ( wl ) is also 0 , and a 1 is applied to the bitline bl . now , if the x - address is changed from 0 to 1 ( to wl & lt ; 1 & gt ;), a 0 is needed at the output of the pattern generator . from wl & lt ; 0 & gt ; to wl & lt ; 1 & gt ; 1 , the same y - address is used . for the pattern of fig1 c , the information that the pattern generator has to write , includes a 1 , 0 , 0 , 1 pattern . in this case , for a fixed y - address 4 bits in the x - direction are needed . then , the pattern repeats itself . these four 4 bits are stored in the memory of pattern generator already . 2 bits are needed for the y - direction because the pattern for sa & lt ; 0 & gt ; is different from the pattern of sa & lt ; 1 & gt ;. m and n ( 4 × 2 ) is the smallest unique pattern in this example . advantageously , pattern generator stores this smallest repeatable pattern which is repeated by simply changing the address to read / write the pattern in memory cells of the dram chip . in the example described above , an external tester can handle 1024 i / o channels and 130 channels are needed to test one chip , therefore 7 chips can be tested in parallel in the prior art . by incorporating a pattern generator in accordance with the present invention , channels normally used for pattern generation become available . for example , about 31 channels are available per chip . this means the tester may now test 10 chips in parallel thereby increasing throughput for acceptance testing of memory chips . having described preferred embodiments for on chip programmable data pattern generator for semiconductor memories ( which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting ), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims . having thus described the invention with the details and particularity required by the patent laws , what is claimed and desired protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims .	6
fig2 is a graph showing a typical operating curve of a laser diode , such as a vertical cavity surface emitting laser ( vcsel ). voltage bias is referred here to the control of the laser diode through a voltage controlled current source , illustrated by component , 104 , in fig1 . this approach is used for ease of reference within this document . given measurements of mean received optical output power p m1 and p m2 that result from two mean voltages v m1 and v m2 respectively applied to the laser diode , the laser diode threshold voltage v th , can be calculated directly as follows : further assuming the received mean power levels may be designed in as a fixed ratio , for example : and setting p m1 to 1 and applying this ratio to equation 1 , we may derive the following : v th = v m1 − 8 ( v m2 − v m1 ) ( equation 2 ) given a desired extinction ratio , k ( expressed in linear terms ), the high and low voltage levels v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 , respectively , needed to produce the desired received mean power p m1 can be shown to be : fig1 shows a system according to one embodiment of the present invention . an optical transmitter 127 drives a laser diode 102 , such as a vcsel , which in turn sends an optical signal down optical fiber 101 . a photo diode 103 receives the optical signal and provides a current proportional to the received power into the optical receiver 128 , which converts it back to an electrical signal to recover the input signal to transmitter 127 . a feed back link 126 provides a signal back from receiver 128 to transmitter 127 . feed back link 126 is presented here as copper , although other materials may be used . the signal fed back to transmitter 127 from receiver 128 though feed back link 126 is preferably a measure of the mean received power in the receiver 128 . this measure may be in either an analog or digital representation ; an implementation using an analog measure is described herein . through the use of this feed back the received mean power may be compared to a predetermined desired level which is designed into the system and kept within a desired range . in the illustrated system of fig1 , the mean received power is fed back in the form of a current mirrored from a direct current restore loop ( dcr ) contained in the receiver 128 . this mean received current is compared to the reference currents i m1 and i m2 , provided by current sources 115 and 116 respectively , as discussed below . reference will now be made in detail to the present described embodiment of the invention , an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying figures . it is assumed that the transmitter 127 contains a processor 119 , such as a digital processor or microprocessor , which is capable of performing the calculations defined by equations 2 through 6 above . in the illustrated embodiment , the invention has two modes of operation , static calibration and dynamic calibration . during these calibration operations the threshold of the laser diode 102 is measured . before explaining the calibration functions it is first appropriate to explain two circuit functions used within the described implementation . the first function is the direct current restore loop implemented in the optical receiver 128 . as previously mentioned this is a function commonly implemented in optical receivers . the second function is a current integrator used for comparing the feedback current from the optical receiver 128 , using the copper link 126 to the optical transmitter 127 with the reference currents 115 and 116 as selected using the multiplexor ( mux ) 114 . the direct current ( dc ) restore loop is implemented using amplifier 111 , which monitors the voltage across the trans - impedance resistor 108 . in the absence of a dc restore loop the incoming current signal would result in an ac coupled voltage signal around 0 v at the output of the trans - impedance amplifier ( tia ) 107 . a voltage signal of these characteristics is not useful for the subsequent circuits . as such the dc restore loop sinks a dc current at the input of the tia 107 using the variable current source 105 , until the dc voltage across the resistor 108 is zero . thus , when this loop is settled the resultant current flowing through 105 is equal to the mean current . for traditional applications using optical receivers it is advantageous for the dc restore loop to operate at a very low frequency in order to keep low frequency jitter — commonly known as base line wander — to an acceptable level . the low frequency function of this loop is represented by the low pass filters 109 . with respect to the current integrator , during closed loop control a current i fb is fed back on the copper link 126 using the current source 106 , which is a scaled copied version of current source 105 . therefore the feedback current is proportional to the mean received current at the input of the optical receiver 128 . this feedback current is in turn summed with the reference currents 115 or 116 depending on the selection of the mux 114 . any mismatch between the feed back current and the selected reference current is integrated by the capacitor 113 into a voltage which may be used to control the drive current provided by current source 104 either through the digital loop or direct analog control loop as explained in the following sections . for static calibration this is achieved by first setting the multiplexors 105 , 110 , 117 and 125 to position ‘ 0 ’. this forms an analog closed loop . given that there is no data present during this calibration sequence , but only dc levels , the dc restore filters 109 maybe switched out by setting mux 110 to the ‘ 0 ’ position . this allows the dc restore loop to settle quickly , supporting a fast calibration time . the sources for current references i m1 and i m2 , 115 and 116 respectively , are alternately selected using multiplexor 114 . after a given settling period which is dependant upon the designed loop characteristics , the respective voltages v m1 and v m2 are measured directly from the voltage present at the input to the voltage controlled current source 104 . adopting an analog loop offers very fast measurement of the voltages v m1 and v m2 , dependant only upon the designed loop settling time , and thus is appropriate for fast link initialization . a digitally operated system with speeds comparable to those that may be achieved with this configuration would have much larger area , power overheads and require high speed clocks on what can be a highly noise sensitive integrated chip . having measured and recorded v m1 and v m2 , the processor 119 may , by using equations 3 and 4 , calculate both the exact value of v th and the modulation voltages v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 that are required to keep the output power within a desired range of operation that corresponds to a desired bit error rate . the values of these voltages are then stored , and the system is then prepared to transmit data . to transmit data , the multiplexors 105 , 110 , 117 and 125 are set in position ‘ 1 ’. in the illustrated embodiment , the values of voltages v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 are stored in registers in the control dacs 120 and 121 . in an alternative embodiment , the voltages v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 may be stored on capacitors ; however , in this embodiment , the voltage values must be updated periodically since capacitors will leak over time and the capacitive stored voltage values will drop . while the control dacs 120 and 121 have the advantage that they do not leak and thus the stored values of v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 do not change , they are more complex and require more layout area than a capacitor - based solution . once the system has been calibrated in the static fashion and is operating as described above , there may be a need to recalibrate to compensate for any changes in the link characteristics . the most likely reasons that this may be necessary are for temperature changes and aging of the laser diode , with temperature being the primary focus given the relatively short bursts of data versus the timeframes of component aging . it is desirable to perform recalibration without interrupting data transmission to allow for a static calibration . this type of calibration is referred to here as dynamic calibration . in essence , this is done by shifting the dc portion of the laser diode drive current delivered by the voltage controlled current source 104 between two reference points , ultimately defined by the current references 115 and 116 , allowing the new points on the curve , as shown in fig2 , to be determined . the receiver has an inherent low pass characteristic by virtue of the dc restore loop , so that the dc shift may be controlled to be slow enough that any effects are removed from the data signal forward of the tia 107 . as for the static calibration , the feedback current i fb represents the dc level of the incoming signal at the input to the receiver 128 allowing the dcc to record two new values and the slope of the laser diode &# 39 ; s voltage bias to be recalculated . upon initially beginning a dynamic calibration it is likely that a small error exists between the mean received photo current and the reference current i m due to changes in the laser diode threshold since the prior calibration . this error must therefore be trimmed out by adjusting the register values in dacs 120 and 121 as discussed above before measuring v m . once trimming has been carried out multiplexors 105 , 110 , 117 and 125 are again set in position ‘ 1 ’, forming a digital closed loop . the levels v m1 and v m2 may now be measured from the output of the control dacs 120 and 121 , using the filtered resistive divider comprised of resistors 123 and capacitor 124 . dynamic calibration starts with the assumption that the last calculated v th is a reasonable approximation of the present v th . using equations 5 and 6 the processor 119 calculates the required laser diode modulation levels v 0 m2 and v 1 m2 which will yield a mean received power substantially equal to p m2 , which corresponds to a drive current of i m2 from current source 116 . the register values of control dacs 120 and 121 are slowly adjusted until they match v 0 m2 and v 1 m2 . these values are respectively the minimum and maximum swing levels , and thus moving them at the same rate maintains the voltage swing applied to current source 104 while varying the dc level . in the receiver 128 , a voltage will appear across resistor 108 due to the change in dc level applied by dacs 120 and 121 . low pass filters 109 pass the low frequency , i . e ., dc , component of this signal , and the dc restore function will reduce this resultant dc voltage to zero by increasing the current from current source 105 . the result is that an average current flows through current source 105 and is then mirrored in current source 106 and fed back to the transmitter as above . as before , any error between the feedback current and the reference current is integrated on capacitor 113 . if the voltage on capacitor 113 is too high , i . e ., the reference current i m1 is higher than the feedback current i fb , then the processor 119 increases the average current to provide more power to the laser diode , resulting in more light to the receiver , more restored current , and therefore more feedback current until the voltage on capacitor 113 drops . the opposite will occur if the voltage on capacitor 113 is too low . the change in the variation of this dc level by the transmitter 127 during dynamic calibration is preferably kept to a minimum to save power and limit the dc restore that must be performed by the receiver 128 ; however , this in turn increases the need for accuracy in the ability of the receiver to remove the dc signal . one of skill in the art will appreciate the tradeoff necessary to select a compromise between power consumption in the transmitter and accuracy in the receiver . by alternating between the current source references 115 and 116 , two points on a curve are again obtained for the updated values of v m1 and v m2 ; these may be used in equation 1 to calculate an updated value for v th and , using this in equations 3 and 4 the processor 119 may again calculate the required laser modulation levels v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 which will yield a mean received power substantially equal to p m1 as defined by current i m1 from current source 115 . the register values in the control dacs 120 and 121 are then slowly adjusted until they match the newly calculated values for v 0 m1 and v 1 m1 . three main factors can materially affect the calculated v th value : temperature change , laser diode ageing effects , or fiber displacement . temperature change is detected by periodically measuring temperature and comparing it with the recorded temperature at the last calibration , and providing an indication that a maximum allowable temperature deviation , t delmax , has been exceeded , by , for example , the setting of a flag . the ageing effect is dealt with by a simple timer which is set for an appropriate long period t delmax . fiber displacement can be handled by detecting a gross change in the feedback current and generating an interrupt to force a recalibration . a flag from any of these would then result in a dynamic calibration . thus , as shown in fig3 , the operation of an optical link system according to one embodiment of the invention includes the following steps : at step 301 , power is provided to the system . at step 302 , static calibration is performed as described above . at step 303 a calibration interval timer is started , and the initial temperature is measured at step 304 . next , the transmitter begins signal modulation at step 305 . in the preferred application there are three triggers for a dynamic calibration ; whether an interval timer exceeds a predetermined period , step 306 , or a defined delta temperature is exceeded , step 307 , or a large change in feedback current , step 308 . if any of these conditions are detected then the drive values are trimmed at step 309 , followed by a dynamic calibration at step 310 . upon the completion of a dynamic calibration the interval timer is set to 0 at step 311 , and a new temperature reference measure is made and stored for future comparison at step 312 . it will be seen that the present invention may have a number of desirable effects . use of the invention can result in a minimum consumption of power , as the launch power may be controlled to be sufficient for a specified bit error rate but no more . similarly , optimum longevity of the laser diode may be obtained , as the laser diode is run at the lowest possible power level to achieve the specified bit error rate . the link is self - monitoring , providing improvement on link losses and a corresponding reduction in power consumption . additionally , the bit error rate is guaranteed by a well controlled and accurate signal to noise ratio . the system inherently compensates for temperature effects on every component in the system , as well as for laser diode degradation over its life time . use of the present invention may also result in reduced silicon area by obviating the requirement for non - volatile memory and associated i2c hardware utilized in open loop driver control . finally , the requirement for costly in - circuit programming operation is completely avoided . the invention has been explained above with reference to several embodiments . other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure . the present invention may readily be implemented using configurations other than those described in the embodiments above , or in conjunction with systems other than the embodiments described above . for example , in place of a copper link , any communication means may be used to carry the feedback signal , including , for example , a radio or optical connection , etc . in place of a digital processor , an analog controller could also be implemented . in place of an optical fiber any form of optical transmission medium may easily be substituted . finally , where the terms laser diode and photo diode are used it is accepted that any form of optical emitter and optical detector could be readily substituted . for example , instead of a fabry - perot laser diode a vcsel could easily be utilized . these and other variations upon the embodiments are intended to be covered by the present invention , which is limited only by the appended claims .	7
the embodiments of this invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings in which the construction and the arrangement of members are roughly shown just for understanding the present invention . moreover , the construction ( material ), various numerical values and the like described in the explanation are only the examples preferably used for this invention . therefore , this invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned below , but can be applied to a variety of forms based on the claims . fig1 is a schematic sectional view explaining one example of the capacitive pressure sensor on this invention , and fig2 is an exploded view of the sensor . as shown in the drawings , the pressure sensor chip of this embodiment is composed of three substrates , that is , a glass substrate 10 with a fixed electrode 13 ( first substrate ), a silicon substrate ( for example , boron - doped silicon ) 11 with a diaphragm ( electrode ) 15 of which thickness is several microns to dozens of microns ( second substrate ) and a glass substrate 12 with a pressure inlet 18 ( third substrate ). the multi - structure is formed by bonding these three substrates . the glass substrate 12 is larger than both the glass substrate 10 and the silicon substrate 11 , and the peripheral region of glass substrate 12 is protruded from the endfaces of other substrates 10 , 11 . the electrical signal of the fixed electrode 13 is taken out through lead wire 14 which runs through glass substrate 10 , and the signal of diaphragm electrode 15 is taken out through lead wire 14 ′ which is connected to the silicon substrate 11 . the sealed ( vacuum ) chamber 16 is formed between the glass substrate 10 and the silicon substrate 11 , and the inside of it is always maintained at low pressure by a non - evaporable getter 17 which absorbs residual gas . if there is pressure difference between space 4 to be measured and the sealed chamber 16 , the diaphragm 15 deflects depending on . the magnitude of pressure difference , and results in the change in the electrostatic capacitance between the fixed electrode 13 and the diaphragm electrode 15 . therefore , the pressure of the space 4 can be obtained from the measured values of electrostatic capacitance and the relationship between pressure and electrostatic capacitance . furthermore , the methods for forming diaphragm and bonding substrates are described in , for example , jp2002 - 43585a . next , the method for mounting the sensor chip 1 onto the base adaptor 3 is explained below . a groove 31 is formed on the base adaptor 3 to insert o - ring therein . the depth of the groove is determined so that the o - ring 31 inserted therein will be in contact with the peripheral region of glass substrate 12 , i . e ., the region which protrudes from the endfaces of the glass substrate 10 and the silicon substrate 11 . moreover , an aperture 21 is formed in the central portion of the press plate 2 so that the glass substrate 10 and the silicon substrate 11 fit into the aperture 21 , when the sensor chip 1 is mounted onto the base adaptor 3 with the press plate 2 . with such a configuration , the force is not exerted onto the silicon substrate 11 , but only onto the glass substrate 12 , even when the sensor chip 1 is pressed with a strong force to secure the vacuum seal or when the screw was tightened nonuniformly . consequently , the sensor chip 1 is securely mounted onto the base adaptor 3 without strain on the diaphragm 15 . as a result , the electrostatic capacitance is obtained as is designed , this makes it possible to carry out accurate measurements . then , it has been analyzed how the sensor chips shown in fig1 and 8 are deformed by the stress which relates to o - ring . this analysis was carried out by calculating the degree of deformation when the force of 24n , at which the o - ring becomes compressed . 20 %, is applied to the contact surface between the o - ring and the sensor chip . the substrates 10 and 11 are 11 . 6 × 11 . 6 × 0 . 4 mm and 11 . 6 × 11 . 6 × 0 . 8 mm , respectively . the diaphragm is 4 . 2 × 4 . 2 mm × 7 μm . the substrates 12 of the sensors shown in fig1 and 8 are 20 × 20 × 2 . 0 mm and 11 . 6 × 11 . 6 × 2 . 0 mm , respectively . as the materials for the sensor chip , pyrex 7740 glass ( corning ) was used for the substrates 10 and 12 , and p - type silicon substrate was used for the substrate 11 with a diaphragm electrode . the characteristics of the materials are shown in table 1 . the analytical results on the sensors shown in fig1 and 8 are shown in fig3 and 4 , respectively . in the drawings , the black region ( the darkest region ) and the white region ( the brightest region ) show the regions where the degree of displacement are 7 × 10 − 13 m or more and 3 . 5 × 10 − 13 m or less , respectively . the gray parts show the region where the degree of displacement is intermediate between them . in other words , the degree of displacement increases with the darkness in fig3 and 4 . as is apparent from these two figures , only a limited part of the glass substrate 12 , which is in contact with o - ring 30 , suffers from the stress , and the rest is free from any stresses in the sensor chip 1 of this embodiment , while the diaphragm of the conventional sensor configuration ( fig8 ) suffers from a large amount of stress which would result in diaphragm deformation . that is , even if the sensor chip 1 is pressed down by the press plate 2 with rather strong force in order to secure the vacuum seal , the diaphragm 15 of the silicon substrate 11 does not become deformed , and this makes it possible to measure pressure with accuracy and reproducibility . next , another example of the present invention is shown in fig5 . fig5 is a sectional view of a pressure sensor where a guide member 32 is equipped around the sensor chip 1 . by the equipment of the guide member 32 , excessive force is not exerted onto the glass substrate 12 , and it helps to avoid the destruction of the glass substrate and makes the mounting operation easy and safe . as mentioned above , the pressure sensors of embodiments 1 and 2 reduce the strain of the sensor chip which is attributed to the mounting condition , and therefore can suppress the variation and the scatter in the electrostatic capacitance . in contrast , it was found that the output signal from these sensor chips changes with the ambient temperature although the degree of change itself is very small as compared with the conventional sensors . from the experimental investigation , it was also found that temperature dependence of electrostatic capacitance increases with the deviation from the designed capacitance when the sensor chip is mounted on the base adaptor . this may be explained as follows . since the press plate and the base adaptor are usually made of stainless steel whose thermal expansion coefficient is larger than those of silicon and pyrex glass , it is likely that when the sensor chip is directly pressed and fixed by the press plate , the difference in thermal expansion may cause the strain between them and then the change in electrostatic capacitance . furthermore , if the strain is large by some reason when the sensor chip is mounted on the base adaptor , the temperature dependence of electrostatic capacitance increases . then , a variety of sensor configurations were examined in order to decrease the strain induced by mounting the sensor chip . thus , a pressure sensor with a small temperature dependence of output signal has been invented . an embodiment of it is shown in fig6 . the pressure sensor of this embodiment shown in fig6 has nearly the same configuration as the pressure sensor of embodiment 1 , except that an o - ring ( a buffer member ) is placed between the glass substrate 12 and the press plate 2 . the pressure sensors of this embodiment and embodiment 1 were installed onto a vacuum chamber to evaluate the temperature dependence of electrostatic capacitance . the typical characteristics of them are shown in fig7 . here , the ordinate denotes the variation in the electrostatic capacitance against the ambient temperature under a constant pressure . as is apparent from fig7 , the variation in the electrostatic capacitance can be drastically reduced by applying the sensor configuration of this embodiment . moreover , although not shown in fig7 , it was also found that the temperature dependence of electrostatic capacitance ( i . e ., the inclination of the graph ) increases and scatters in the wide range of 10 - 30 ff /° c . depending on the condition of screw tightening in the case of embodiment 1 , while the temperature dependence of electrostatic capacitance decreases to 1 - 2 ff /° c . and its scatter is hardly observed in embodiment 3 . the same o - rings are used for both the buffer member 33 and the sealing member 30 in this embodiment . however , any material or shape can be employed as the buffer member so long as it may reduce the strain of the third substrate caused by the difference in thermal expansion between the press plate and the third substrate . therefore , in addition to elastic materials such as rubber , even rigid materials such as fluorine - contained resins may be employed so long as they have a small friction coefficient . moreover , the buffer member may be placed in fragments between the glass substrate and the press plate . however , the buffer member which has the same shape and material as the sealing member is preferably placed at the symmetrical position on the opposite surface of the glass substrate to the sealing member . this configuration makes it possible to realize a pressure sensor which has less strain and less variation in output signal . in addition , the groove for o - ring may be formed on the press plate in the same shape as that on the base adaptor . as has been mentioned , the substrate with a pressure inlet which is larger than the substrate with a fixed electrode and the substrate with a diaphragm electrode is employed to protrude the peripheral region from the two substrates . then , a sealing member such as o - ring is placed on the protruded peripheral region to secure vacuum seal , and only the region for sealing with o - ring is pressed by a press plate . thus , unexpected stress can be prevented from exerting onto the silicon substrate which is a critical member for pressure measurement , and this makes it possible to measure pressure with accuracy and reproducibility . furthermore , the substrate strain due to the difference in thermal expansions is reduced by placing the buffer member between the press plate and the glass substrate , which makes it possible to carry out reliable , accurate pressure measurements even in the case where the temperature around the sensor chip changes . although only preferred embodiments are specifically illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention .	6
a cross sectional schematic diagram of a typical conventional schottky barrier gate modfet structure is shown in fig1 with its band and field diagrams given in fig2 . the schottky barrier height φ b is responsible for the partial depletion of the n - algaas layer of thickness d t . the two - dimensional electron gas ( 2 - deg ) is supplied by the fractional thickness d m , and d s is the spacer layer thickness intended to maintain donor - carrier separation for high electron mobility . the electric field diagram illustrates the situation of complete depletion of the n - algaas layer with zero applied gate voltage . the maximum n - algaas layer thickness should not exceed d tmax corresponding to the situation that yields the maximum sheet carrier concentration ( n so ) in the 2 - deg at zero applied voltage . as d t is reduced below d tmax , the threshold voltage ( v th ), at which the device channel conductance vanishes , becomes less and less negative and even positive as graphically illustrated in fig3 . the maximum positive threshold voltage for a given doping concentration , n d , in the n - algaas layer corresponds to its minimum value d m and slightly increases with the space layer thickness . in submicron gate - length millimeter - wave modfets if a high power gain is desired the aspect ratio determined by the gate - length - to - gate depletion depth must be very high ( see m . d . das &# 34 ; a high aspect ratio design approach for millimeter - wave hemt structures &# 34 ; ieee trans . on electron devices , vol . ed - 32 , no . 1 , p . 11 , january , 1985 .) thus it is apparent that use of the conventional schottky - barrier gate in high aspect ratio modfets would result in enhancement - mode devices , whereas for analog applications it is preferable that these devices operate in the depletion - mode . the design to achieve the depletion - mode operation for the modfet &# 39 ; s is illustrated in fig4 . a semi - insulating gaas substrate 12 is used , on which there is gaas buffer layer 14 , an n - algaas layer 16 , a n - gaas layer 18 , a thin n - algaas layer 20 , and another n - gaas layer 22 . an additionl undoped algaas or alas spacer layer ( not shown ) may be placed between layers 14 and 16 to reduce the electronic scattering by donors in layer 16 . the use of alas will increase the heterostructure barrier potential . this could be desirable to reduce leakage current in the ohmic - gate and heterostructure gate fets . a mesa is first etched in the layers from 22 through 14 down to the substrate 12 . the layer 22 is further etched to leave an area for the gate . a metal contact 24 is formed at the top of the gate . metal contacts 26 and 28 are also formed for the source and drain . the structure in fig4 realizes electrical isolation between the gate 24 and drain 28 , and the gate and source 26 terminals , through the use of free - surface potential depletion and the gate itself is formed by the ohmic contact process . the thick n - gaas topmost layer 22 is retained in the gate region and removed from its source and the drain regions by etching using the ultra thin algaas layer 20 (& lt ; 50 å ) as the etch - stop layer . because of the additional thick n - gaas top - layer 22 under the gate metal 24 the ohmic contact penetration after alloying can be expected to be much less under the gate compared to that under the drain and the source metallization . by a proper selection of alloying time and / or composition of au / ge / ni or other metals the ohmic contact penetration under the gate can be controlled either to the depth where n - algaas begins ( shown as line b in fig4 ) or where n - gaas layer , below the ultra thin algaas layer , begins ( as shown by line a under the gate ). the doping and the thickness of the n - gaas layer 18 and that of the n - algaas layer 16 should be selected to realize the formation of the depletion regions as indicated by the dotted lines . the region 1 on both sides of the gate are due to the free - surface potential and the region 2 is due to the transfer of electrons to the 2 - deg . typical values of doping and thickness of the n - algaas layer 16 are 2 × 10 18 cm - 3 and 140 å , respectively , whereas those for the n - gaas layer 18 immediately above the n - algaas are 4 × 10 17 cm - 3 and 300 å , respectively . the total depletion depth under the gate , when the ohmic contact penetration is up to the depth indicated by the line b , would be equal to the depth of region 2 including any spacer layer thickness (˜ 30 å ) ( if present ) plus the effective thickness of the 2 - deg (˜ 80å ). altogether this can be as low as 200 å , providing an aspect ratio of 12 . 5 for a 0 . 25 μm length gate . this device will operate well at zero gate bias voltage with nearly full channel conduction and limited extent of reverse or forward bias can be applied either to deplete or enhance the channel conduction with excessive gate leakage current flow due to tunneling or carrier injection processes as illustrated schematically in fig5 a , 5b , and 5c . at liquid nitrogen temperature , the leakage current components will be negligible and the device will operate under both forward and reverse gate bias conditions . an important advantage is realized in this structure due to the elimination of the schottky gate contact , i . e . the transconductance should be high ( by a factor of 1 . 75 - 2 . 55 ) due to the absence of the voltage drop across the schottky depletion region with comparable increases in the power gain and stability margin . the device behavior becomes quite different when the ohmic contact penetration under the gate electrode is up to the line a ( see fig4 ). in this case there is a second hetero - junction between the n - gaas and n - algaas with the transfer of 2 - deg into the n - gaas as shown schematically in fig6 a , including two spacer layers . it is not necessary to have the spacer layer between the n - algaas and the n - gaas layer , however . the device has two back - to - back hetero - junctions as considered above . the total minimum depletion depth that can be realized in this structure , with the full 2 - deg for the channel region , would be greater than 250 å . however , a device with depletion depth of 200 å or less can be forward biased to enhance the electron concentration in the 2 - deg . in addition , there will be increased transconductance over the conventional schottky gate devices , although not to the degree found in the single hetero - junction device described previously . however , this configuration would have the advantage of reduced gate leakage currents as a result of the additional heterojunction barrier . the operational details in terms of the band and the field diagrams are depicted in fig6 b and 6c for the double hetero - junction structure for the reverse and forward biased conditions of operations , respectively . the ohmic gate single and double hetero - junction modfet structures proposed above would provide depletion - mode operation and they can be built with high gate - length to gate depletion depth aspect ratio as required for the realization of stable high power gain . these devices will operate primarily under zero gate bias conditions at 296 k with limited positive and negative gate bias voltages . at liquid nitrogen temperature , operation at the full range of bias voltage changes should be possible . it has been shown that a 0 . 25 μm length gate modfet with 210 å depletion depth and schottky barrier gate would provide a power gain greater than 6 db at 92 ghz ( see m . b . das &# 34 ; a high aspect ratio design approach for millimeter - wave hemt structures &# 34 ; ieee trans . on electron devices , vol . ed - 32 , no . 1 , p . 11 , january 1985 ). the ohmic - gate device structures according to the present invention should be better than this predicted performance under depletion - mode operation and hence would be attractive for millimeter - wave integrated circuit analog amplifying system applications , as there will be no need to have an additional power supply for the gate electrode . it is understood that certain modifications to the invention as described may be made , as might occur to one with skill in the field of this invention , within the scope of the appended claims . therefore , all embodiments contemplated hereunder which achieve the objects of the present invention have not been shown in complete detail . other embodiments may be developed without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims .	7
in the following , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 to 4 are explanatory views schematically showing a first embodiment of the present invention . in more detail , fig1 is an external perspective view schematically showing an entire structure of an ink - jet recording apparatus formed according to the first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a cross - sectional view schematically showing a transporting section of the ink - jet recording apparatus , illustrating a condition in which a relatively thin recording medium such as a plain paper is being transported . fig3 is another cross - sectional view schematically showing the transporting section of the ink - jet recording apparatus , illustrating a condition in which a relatively thick recording medium , such as a post card or an envelope , is being transported . referring to fig1 and 2 , a plurality of recording sheets s mounted on an automatic paper feeder 1 are separated one by one through the rotation of a section within the recording apparatus . once the front end of each recording sheet s transported by the feeding / sending roller 11 comes into contact with a pe sensor lever 51 and thus causes the pe sensor lever to have a pivotal movement , a pe sensor 52 will operate to detect the position of the front end of the recording sheet s . reference numeral 21 represents a transporting roller which comes into contact with the back surface of the recording sheet so as to transport the recording sheet , in an area upstream of a recording head 32 relative to the sheet transporting direction . reference numeral 22 represents a pinch roller which is driven by the transporting roller 21 , and is caused to come into contact with the recording surface of the recording sheet ( with itself being rotated ). in this way , once the front end of the recording sheet s is detected , the recording sheet s will be moved by a predetermined amount . at this time , by bringing the recording sheet s into a nip position between the transporting roller 21 and the pinch roller 22 , it is possible to effect a registration on the recording sheet . further , reference numeral 24 represents a pinch roller holder for rotatably holding the pinch roller 22 . reference numeral 25 represents a pinch roller spring constantly urging the pinch roller holder 24 . by virtue of such an urging force , the pinch roller 22 will be exactly pressed against the transporting roller 21 . reference numeral 26 represents a changeover plate , which can move the pinch roller holder 24 in an upward / downward direction and which can be moved by a lever ( not shown ). after the registration has been effected on the recording sheet s , the recording sheet s is transported to a position opposite to the recording head on a platen 23 , by virtue of rotation of the transporting roller 21 and the pinch roller 22 . then , on the recording sheet s , which has been transported to the position opposite to the recording head 32 , a recording operation is performed by means of the recording head 32 mounted on a carriage 31 . after the recording operation is finished , the recording sheet s is discharged out of the recording apparatus by being pinched between a paper discharge roller 41 and a driven roller 42 ( which is driven by the discharge roller 41 ) and forwardly conveyed . the carriage 31 is guided by a guide shaft 54 as well as a guide rail 55 , and driven by a driving force produced by a carriage motor 56 and transmitted through a timing belt 57 . however , if the recording sheet s to be transported is a relatively thin recording medium such as a plain paper , the changeover plate 26 is moved to its lower position and the pinch roller 22 will be offset by a deviation x with respect to the transporting roller 21 in the recording sheet transporting direction , as shown in fig2 . in this way , it is possible to inhibit deformation of the recording sheet ( such deformation being caused by absorption of ink , for example ), thereby maintaining a constant distance or gap between the recording sheet s and the recording head 32 . on the other hand , if the recording sheet s to be transported is a relatively thick recording medium such as a post card or an envelope , the changeover plate 26 is moved to its upper position and the pinch roller 22 will not be offset with respect to the transporting roller 21 in the recording sheet transporting direction , as shown in fig3 . in this way , it is possible to ensure that the recording sheet can be properly nipped at the nip position between the transporting roller 21 and the pinch roller 22 . accordingly , whenever the position of the pinch roller 22 is changed over by moving the changeover plate 26 , a pressing force of the pinch roller 22 acting on the transporting roller 21 will also be changed . fig4 a and 4b are explanatory views schematically showing a pressing force produced by the pinch roller and acting on the transporting roller . in more detail , fig4 a shows a condition in which the pinch roller 22 has been offset in the transporting direction with respect to the transporting roller 21 , while fig4 b shows a condition in which the pinch roller 22 has not been offset in the transporting direction with respect to the transporting roller 21 . here , if fa is a pressing force when the pinch roller 22 has been offset , fb is a pressing force when the pinch roller 22 has not been offset , and k is a spring constant of the pinch roller spring 25 , the following equations are established : here , since θa 1 & gt ; θb 1 and cos θa 2 & gt ; cos θb 2 , the result will be fa & gt ; fb . for this reason , when a relatively thick recording medium is being transported , the pinch roller 22 has only a relatively weak pressing force , thereby ensuring an improved pinching force which is appropriate for pinching a relatively thick recording medium between the pinch roller and the transporting roller . according to the above - described arrangement , since a pressing position of the pinch roller pressing the transporting roller can be changed corresponding to the kind of a recording medium , it is possible to provide an improved recording apparatus which enables each recording medium to have an improved registerability as well as an improved transportability , using only a simplified structure , thereby making it possible to record various high quality images . the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to fig5 . in contrast to the above - described first embodiment in which a pressing position of the pinch roller 22 is changed - over by a lever corresponding to the kind of a recording sheet , the second embodiment is directed to an arrangement in which the pressing position of the pinch roller is automatically changed - over , and such changeover is effected when transporting each one sheet of recording medium . namely , the position of the changeover plate 26 is automatically changed by a driving system including a motor and a plunger ( not shown ), so that when the registration and recording are performed on the recording sheet and when the rear end of the recording sheet is about to exit the nip position between the pinch roller and the transporting roller , the pressing position of the pinch roller will be properly changed over . for instance , when a recording sheet such as a plain paper is being transported and when the registration is effected on the recording sheet , the recording sheet will be in a position shown in fig4 b , thereby improving the registration effect on the recording sheet . then , during the recording , the recording sheet will be in a position shown in fig4 a . at this time , the recording sheet is pressed against the platen 23 , while a predetermined distance is maintained between the recording sheet and the recording head , thereby ensuring the recording of an image having a high quality . then , when the rear end of the recording sheet is about to exit the nip position between the pinch roller and the transporting roller , the recording sheet will be in a position shown in fig4 b , thereby preventing the recording sheet from being kicked away . further , it is also possible to form such an arrangement that when the rear end of the recording sheet is about to exit the nip position between the pinch roller and the transporting roller , the pinch roller 22 will be separated from the transporting roller 21 , thereby absolutely preventing the recording sheet from being kicked away . according to the arrangement described above , since it is possible to change the pressing position of the pinch roller when transporting one recording sheet , it is possible to provide an improved recording apparatus which enables each recording medium to have an improved registerability as well as an improved transportability , using only a simplified structure , thereby making it possible to record various high quality images . although each of the above - described embodiments has shown the present invention being applied to a serial - type recording apparatus in which the recording head is moved in the main scanning direction , the present invention can also be applied to a full - line type recording apparatus having a recording head extending across the entire width of a recording sheet , capable of recording an image by the recording head when the recording sheet is being continuously transported . further , although each of the above embodiments has been described based on an example of using a bubble jet recording head , which is one of various types of ink jet heads , the present invention should not be limited to the above - described recording head . rather , the present invention can also be applied to various other types of recording heads . for example , a piezo - electric ink - jet recording head can be used . further , instead of using an ink - jet head , recording heads equipped with one of various other recording elements , such as thermal transfer recording elements , can be used . as described above , according to the present embodiment , by moving the pinch roller holder which can rotatably hold the pinch roller , it is possible to change a pressing position of the pinch roller pressing against the transporting roller . therefore , it is possible to provide an improved recording apparatus which enables each recording medium to have an improved registerability as well as an improved transportability , using only a simplified structure , thereby making it possible to record various high quality images . while the present invention has been described with reference to what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . on 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
throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . the present invention is an apparatus for moving non - solid materials using a buoyant force and more specifically for moving relatively large amount of fluid to create an aerating surge while at the same time not using conventional fluid pumps which injure marine microfauna , nor electronic controllers , nor high pressure air . the buoyant force actuated material mover and surge apparatus , hereinafter referred to as the surge pump , or pump , consists of a movable surface which is in contact with a non - solid material that one wants to move . the movable surface , and consequently the non - solid material , is caused to move when the movable surface is displaced by a force . the force which causes the movable surface to move is the result of filling a container with a material that is buoyant relative to the non - solid material . more specifically , by properly configuring the movable surface , container , and method of releasing the buoyant material subsequent to movement of the movable surface , the mass and velocity of the material being moved can be controlled and directed . the desired movement is intermittent and large , thereby resulting in a surge of non - solid material . this large intermittent movement can be urged to flow by the slow and low average power used to introduce the buoyant material into an asymmetrical container and the buoyant material can even be produced by a reactive material or a biological process such as algae respiration . a throttling mechanism or hydraulic accumulator can be used to smooth out the surges if that is desired but these methods are well known and not detailed here . the surge apparatus can be made of a variety of materials which are resistant to degrading effects of the non - solid and buoyant materials . it is the particular geometry of the movable surface , the movable surface &# 39 ; s center of rotation or axis of movement , and the container which causes the desired surge of non - solid material . the surge pump &# 39 ; s functioning is not dependent on particular construction materials . conceptually , one embodiment of the mechanism can be viewed as a special case of an inverted dump bucket with significant enhancements to cause the desired action . a second conceptual embodiment is that of a constrained container which is automatically recycled to effect repeated movement of non - solid materials . the notional material for construction is acrylic or polycarbonate sheet . throughout this description , the embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . the embodiment which will be described here is directed towards the production of a surge of water in an aquarium . by its very nature , a surge is intermittent and of large volume , however there is no limitation to the application of this buoyant force pump to other uses and its intermittent nature can be overcome by hydraulic accumulators acting on the moving non - solid material . a simple embodiment of a linear configuration in circular or rectangular cross section will be discussed first followed by a simple embodiment of a rotational configuration and then more complex embodiments . with reference to fig1 a , the surge pump is submerged in a non - solid material 112 . a support structure 113 contains the movable surface 115 and the buoyant material container 116 . a buoyant material 114 is introduced so that it is substantially contained by the buoyant material container 116 . an opening 117 in the container 116 is substantially obstructed by the housing 113 . the housing 113 has an opening 118 through which the non - solid material 112 and subsequently the buoyant material 114 exit the pump . fig1 b shows the initial movement of the movable surface 115 in response to a sufficient amount of buoyant material 114 having been introduced into and substantially contained by the buoyant material container 116 and the housing 113 . as a result of this buoyant force and the rising movable surface 115 , the non - solid material 112 is forced through an opening 118 in the housing 113 . non - solid material 112 also enters the lower portion of the housing through a second opening 124 to fill the increasing volume below the buoyant material 114 in the container 116 as the container 116 moves upward . fig1 c shows the extreme and unstable position of the movable surface 115 and the container 116 relative to the housing 113 . in this position an opening 117 in the container 116 substantially aligns with an opening 118 in the housing 113 thereby allowing the buoyant material 114 to exit into the non - solid material 112 . release of this buoyant material from the container 116 causes the weight of the container 116 to overcome the substantially reduced buoyant force . fig1 d shows the container 116 returning to its initial position of fig1 a after which the pumping cycle repeats itself a variation on the linear pump of fig1 a through fig1 d is shown in fig2 a through fig2 d . the operation is as shown in fig1 with the addition of an inlet check valve 222 and an outlet check valve 223 . fig2 a shows the initial configuration . fig2 b shows inlet check valve 222 closed and the non - solid material 212 exiting the pump through exit check valve 223 on the upward stroke of the movable surface 215 in response to the buoyant force created by the buoyant material 214 in container 216 . fig2 c shows the buoyant material 214 exiting through opening 217 in container 216 and through the outlet check valve 223 . on the downward stroke of the movable surface 215 and container 216 to their initial positions shown in fig2 d , outlet check valve 223 is closed and inlet check valve 222 is open thereby allowing non - solid material 222 to enter into the housing 213 . a second simple embodiment will be discussed to explain a rotational embodiment . a support structure 313 contains an axle , hinge , or fulcrum 335 about which the movable surface 315 and container 316 rotate . buoyant material 314 in the form of moderately compressed air from a conventional aquarium trade air pump enters through inlet orifice 336 to produce bubbles of compressed air 314 which are substantially captured by container 316 . the rest or stable position is shown in fig3 a . as buoyant material 314 is introduced from input orifice 336 , the compressed air 314 accumulates in the container 316 and slowly displaces the non - solid material 312 , in this case water , which is already present . fig3 b shows the movable surface 315 and container 316 starting to move due to the imbalance of buoyant forces produced by the buoyant material 314 and the asymmetrical shape of the movable surface 315 and container 316 . as the movable surface 315 and container 316 start to move , the movable surface 315 causes the displacement of a large quantity of non - solid material 312 , in this case water , and the movable surface 315 and container 316 move . as the asymmetrical movable surface 315 and container 316 reach an approximately horizontal orientation in fig3 c , captive air 314 is released due to its buoyant force and an additional surge of water 312 occurs . once the buoyant material 314 is released from the movable surface 315 and container 316 , the imbalance in the gravitational forces on the asymmetrical movable surface 315 and container 316 about the movable support 335 cause it to return to its original rest position where the cycle begins again . note that the amount of non - solid material 312 displaced can be much larger than the volume of the buoyant material 314 . note also that the orifice 336 does not need to be immediately below the container 316 , but can be in such a position and orientation that the pressure of the buoyant material 314 when leaving the orifice 336 causes a usable portion of the buoyant material 314 to be captured by the container 316 . it can also be seen in fig4 that an orifice is not essential if the container 416 is placed over a man - made reactive surface or a naturally occurring release of buoyant material 448 such as gases created by decomposing biota , buoyant hot fluids over deep sea vents , or respiration products of underwater algae . that is , biological production can create the buoyant materials 414 and no external source of man - made energy is required to cause the pumping action to occur . fig5 a through fig5 e are cross - sectional drawings of another configuration of a pump in which there are two stable states and the housing 513 is configured so as to contain and direct the flow of non - solid material 512 . fig5 a shows the configuration of components at a first stable configuration in which the buoyant material 514 is entering through input orifice 536 and buoyant material 514 is being substantially captured in container 516 between right baffle 561 and center baffle 590 . there is a separation between baffle 561 and the center baffle 590 and container 516 at the top allowing later release of contained buoyant material 514 . shown in outline form as part of container 516 are the front and back sides which serve to contain the lateral motion of buoyant material 514 . in fig5 a the buoyant material 514 entering the container 516 between the right baffle 561 and center baffle 590 produces a buoyant force to the left of axle 535 which insures the completion of the previous pump half - cycle . this left side force causes the movable surface 515 to more substantially complete its movement to an extreme clockwise position as a result of the previous transition from the second stable position to the first stable position . the entire pump is immersed in a non - solid material 512 . fig5 b shows the motion of buoyant material 514 as it overflows the volume between the right baffle 561 and center baffle 590 thereby filling the rest of the container 516 . the buoyant force to the right of movable surface axle 535 does not yet overcome the buoyant force to the left of the axle 535 . fig5 c shows the initial motion of the movable surface 515 in response to the buoyant material 514 contained to the right of axle 535 producing a buoyant force sufficient to overcome the buoyant force to the left of axle 535 . this imbalance of forces urges the container 516 with attached movable surface 515 to rotate counterclockwise about axle 535 . in so moving , the non - solid material 512 is contained between the housing 513 and front and back sides which are shown in outline form and the movable surface urging the non - solid material to flow to and through opening 581 in the not shown near side of the housing 513 . in a reverse manner , non - solid material is urged to flow into housing opening 580 . fig5 d shows the near completion of the transition between a first stable position and a second stable configuration . the buoyant material 514 is being released from the container into the upper portion of the housing 513 . the upper portion of the housing 513 acts as an accumulator to slow the release of the buoyant material 514 through exit orifice 511 into the non - solid material 512 , thereby reducing the deleterious effect of a large bubble of buoyant material 514 rapidly rising to the surface of the non - solid material 512 . as the buoyant material 514 exits the housing 513 through exit orifice 511 , non - solid material enters through housing opening 571 to replace the buoyant material 514 . fig5 d also shows the volume between the container 516 walls and the left baffle 560 and center baffle 590 beginning to fill with buoyant material 514 , thereby urging the movable surface 515 to complete its movements to its second stable state . baffle 551 serves to contain the buoyant material 514 in the container 516 to provide a longer duration for the application of the buoyant force since the container 516 is open on the bottom side . fig5 e shows the completion of the first half cycle in which the accumulator portion of housing 513 to the right of the axle 535 is substantially empty of buoyant material 514 and the container to the left of the axle 535 is beginning to contain buoyant material 514 for the start of the second half of a complete cycle . the second half of a complete cycle behaves essentially as the mirror image of fig5 a through fig5 e about the vertical axis through axle 535 . fig6 a through fig6 e are cross - sectional drawings of another pump configuration in which there are two stable states and housing 613 is configured so as to contain and direct the flow of non - solid material 612 through housing opening 690 and housing opening 691 . fig6 a shows the configuration of components at a first stable configuration in which the buoyant material 614 is entering through input orifice 636 and being substantially captured in the container 616 between right side baffle 661 and center baffle 690 . there is a separation between baffle 661 and the center baffle 690 and the container 616 at the top allowing later release of contained buoyant material 614 . shown in outline form are the front and back sides of the container 616 which serve to contain the lateral motion of buoyant material 614 . in fig6 a the buoyant material 614 entering the container 616 between the baffles produces a buoyant force on the left side of the mechanism which is the completion of the previous pump half cycle . this force causes the movable surface 615 to more substantially complete its movement to an extreme position . the entire pump is immersed in a non - solid material 612 . fig6 b shows the motion of buoyant material 614 as it overflows the volume between the right baffle 661 and center baffle 690 thereby filling the rest of the container 616 . the buoyant force to the right of movable surface axle 635 does not yet overcome the buoyant force to the left of the axle 635 . fig6 c shows the initial motion of the movable surface 615 in response to the force produced by the buoyant material 614 contained to the right of axle 635 producing a buoyant force sufficient to overcome the buoyant force to the left of axle 635 . this imbalance of forces urges container 616 with attached movable surface 615 to rotate counterclockwise about axle 635 . in so moving , the non - solid material 612 is contained between the sides of housing 613 and the movable surface urging it to flow to and through opening 691 in the right side of housing 613 . in a reverse manner , non - solid material is urged to flow into housing opening 690 on the left side of housing 613 . fig6 d shows the near completion of the transition between a first stable position and a second stable configuration . the buoyant material 614 is being released from the container 616 into the upper portion of the housing 613 . the housing acts as an accumulator of buoyant material 614 to slow the release of the buoyant material 614 through right exit orifice 611 into the non - solid material 612 , thereby reducing the deleterious effect of a large bubble of buoyant material 614 rapidly rising to the surface of the non - solid material 612 . as the buoyant material moves towards the right exhaust orifice 611 , the non - solid material contained by the housing is urged towards the housing opening 691 . when the buoyant material is substantially contained in the accumulator portion of the housing , non - solid material reenters the housing through housing opening 671 to replace the buoyant material as it exits through right exit orifice 611 . baffle 651 serves to contain the buoyant material 614 in the container 616 to provide a longer duration buoyant force since the container is open on the bottom side . fig6 e shows the pump after the surge of non - solid material through housing opening 691 and the completion of the first one half cycle of the pump . buoyant material 614 is now filling the volume between left baffle 660 and center baffle 690 beginning the second half of the cycle which is essentially the same as the first half cycle but in the opposite rotational direction . fig7 a through fig7 e show cross - sectional drawings of another pump configuration in which there are two stable states and the housing 713 is configured so as to contain and direct the flow of non - solid material 712 . fig7 a shows the configuration of components in a first stable configuration in which the buoyant material 714 is entering through input orifice 736 and being substantially captured in the container 716 between center baffle 790 and right baffle 761 . note that baffle 760 and baffle 761 are in a different configuration from the previously presented figures and there is no opening between baffle 760 and baffle 761 and center baffle 790 and the container 716 . baffle 760 and baffle 761 are configured so as to contain the buoyant material 714 in such a manner so as to provide a buoyant force to urge the completion of the movable surface 715 motion from one stable state to the next stable state while substantially releasing all buoyant material 712 near the end of each half cycle . shown in outline are front and back sides of the container 716 which serve to contain the lateral motion of buoyant material 714 . in fig7 a the buoyant material 714 entering the container 716 between the right baffle 761 and center baffle 790 produces a buoyant force on the left side of the mechanism which is the completion of the previous pump cycle . this left side force causes the container 716 and attached movable surface 715 to more substantially complete their movement to an extreme position of the previous half cycle . the entire pump is immersed in a non - solid material 712 . fig7 b shows the motion of buoyant material 714 as it overflows the volume between right baffle 761 and center baffle 790 thereby starting to fill the rest of the container 716 . the buoyant force to the right of movable surface axle 735 does not yet overcome the buoyant force to the left of the movable surface axle 735 . fig7 c shows the initial motion of the container 716 and attached movable surface 715 in response to the force produced by buoyant material 714 contained to the right of axle 735 producing a buoyant force sufficient to overcome the buoyant force to the left of axle 735 . this imbalance of forces urges the container 716 with attached movable surface 715 to rotate counterclockwise about axle 735 . in so moving , the non - solid material 712 is contained between the housing 713 and the movable surface urging it to flow to and through opening 781 in the not shown near side of the housing 713 . in a reverse manner , non - solid material is urged to flow into housing opening 780 . housing opening 780 and housing opening 781 can be in either the near or far sides of housing 713 depending on the desired direction of non - solid material flow . fig7 d shows the near completion of the transition between a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration . the buoyant material 714 is being released from the container into the upper portion of the housing 713 . the upper portion of the housing acts as an accumulator to slow the release of the buoyant material 714 through right exit orifice 711 into the non - solid material 712 , thereby reducing the deleterious effect of a large bubble of buoyant material 714 rapidly rising to the surface of the non - solid material 712 . as the buoyant material 714 exits the housing 713 through right exit orifice 711 , non - solid material enters through housing opening 781 to replace the buoyant material 714 . fig7 d also shows the volume between the container 716 walls and the left baffle 760 and center baffle 790 beginning to fill with buoyant material 714 , thereby urging the container 716 and movable surface 715 to complete its movement to its second stable state . baffle 760 serves to contain the buoyant material 714 in the container 716 to the right of the axle of rotation 735 to provide for the application of a longer duration buoyant force since the container 716 is open on the bottom side . note also that the configuration of right baffle 761 is such that the buoyant material is substantially released when the movable surface 715 substantially reaches its second stable state . fig7 e shows the completion of the half cycle in which the upper portion of housing 713 acting as an accumulator to the right of the axle 735 is substantially empty of buoyant material 714 and the container 716 to the left of axle 735 is beginning to contain buoyant material 714 for the start of the second half of a complete cycle . the second half of a complete cycle behaves essentially as the mirror image of the operation shown in fig7 a through fig7 e about axle 735 . fig8 shows a cross section drawing of an alternative pump configuration in which there is adjustable restraining member 820 and 830 and adjustable restraining member 821 and 831 . in this example , restraining members are made of magnetic material 830 and screw adjustable ferromagnetic material 820 and magnetic material 831 and screw adjustable ferromagnetic material 821 . as a further example restrainin member 820 and 830 could be made of electrically isolated dielectric material such as the electret which can store electric charge and produce a static external electric field . correct orientation of 820 and 830 would produce an attractive electrical force between the two . alternatively , the electric field could be produced by active sources connected to 820 and 830 . as yet a further example of a restraining member , a mechanical device such as hook ( restraining member 820 ) and loop restraining member 830 ) fasteners could be configured to produce attractive forces . the functioning of the pump is essentially as has been described in the other figures with the addition of the restraining member providing for more buoyant material 814 to be captured by container 816 before the restraining force is overcome by the buoyant force and the movable surface 815 moves . the result of the application of this restraining force is an increase in the quantity and velocity of non - solid material 812 which is moved as a result of a more complete filling of the container 816 with buoyant material 814 . restraining member component 820 and restraining member component 821 are fitted with screw or other adjustment method to allow the predetermined amount of restraining force to be adjusted so as to allow the container 816 to substantially fill with buoyant material 814 before it starts to move . fig9 is a cross sectional drawing of an alternative configuration in which two internal baffles of the housing 913 have been removed . the operation of the pump is as has been previously described . while an embodiment has been described for producing surge in an aquarium , there is no limitation on the pumping mechanism other than that the driving material be buoyant relative to the non - solid material . in particular , variations of this apparatus may be suitable for pumping hazardous fluids or pumping in hazardous environments since the entire pump can be constructed of non - sparking , non - conductive , or non - flammable material and inert gasses may be used as the buoyant material . it can also be seen from these figures that the housing and baffles can be implemented in various configurations and combinations without affecting the basic operation of the pump . the pump is also suitable for remote , unattended operation without the need for man - made power supplies since its buoyant force can be supplied by naturally occurring biological or geophysical processes . while the operation of the pump has been described as if it were submerged in non - solid material , it is equally capable of operating with proper connection of hoses to the various orifices of the housing which provide and receive buoyant materials and non - solid materials . the surge pump is self starting once it is either submerged in the non - solid fluid or the various orifices appropriately connected to the non - solid fluid reservoir . detailed operation of the pump has been described in the previous section with reference to the figures .	0
with reference to the above figures , the reference numeral 1 generally designates a mixer cartridge comprising a bottom 2 which is provided with openings for the separate inflow of hot and cold water and with an opening 2a for the outflow of hot , cold or mixed water , and which is associated with a body 3 of the cartridge . the fixed plate 4 is superimposed on the bottom 2 and is provided with water flow openings corresponding to those provided in the bottom 2 , and specifically a hot water inflow opening 4a , a cold water inflow opening 4b , and opening 4c for the outflow of hot , cold or mixed water . a movable plate 5 is present on the fixed plate 4 , internally defines the mixing chamber 5a and is suitable to assume different positions with respect to the fixed plate 4 , since it is connected to the end 6a of an actuation lever 6 , which is pivoted at 6b on a rotating coupling 7 comprised within the body 3 . as is known , by turning the lever 6 about the fulcrum 6b the flow - rate delivered by the cartridge varies ; this circumstance is pointed out by fig1 showing said lever in the position which produces the maximum flow - rate , with the wall 6c in contact with the flat wall 7a of the coupling 7 , which indeed constitutes its stroke limiting abutment ; the reference numeral 8a designates the angle defined by the axis of the lever with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge , which in this condition is also visible in fig3 . in this situation , the areas for the water flow from the inflow openings 4a , 4b in the fixed plate 4 towards the mixing chamber 5a comprised within the movable plate 5 are those shown stippled in fig1 and designated by the letter k , and is it immediately apparent that these flow areas decrease , with a consequent decrease in the flow - rate , when the lever is moved in the direction of the arrow f1 , with a corresponding movement of the movable plate 5 in the direction of the arrow f2 . in other words , one might say that angles smaller than 8a between the lever axis and the longitudinal axis of the cartridge are matched by flow - rate values smaller than the maximum value , which occurs at the angle 8a . it should be noted that the situation shown in fig1 relates to the middle position of the rotating coupling 7 in its rotation , and it is well - known that by turning said coupling the temperature of the delivered water is changed ; however , this circumstance has been mentioned merely for the sake of completeness , since it is irrelevant for the present invention . this introduction allows to easily understand the functionality of the device according to the present invention , which aims at limiting the maximum flow - rate deliverable by the cartridge according to a series of different values . the device according to the invention thus comprises a bush 9 , having four planar side walls suitable to make contact with the side walls of the lever 6 , which has a square cross - section , when the bush is associated with said lever ; as shown in fig2 substantially rectangular protrusions with different thicknesses extend linearly from three of these walls , whereas the fourth wall has no protrusions . more specifically , the reference numeral 10 designates the first wall without protrusions , 11 designates the second wall provided with the thinnest protrusion 11a , 12 designates the third wall provided with the second protrusion 12a of intermediate thickness , and 13 designates the fourth wall provided with the third wall provided with the thickest protrusion 13a . when the bush 9 is associated with the lever 6 so that the first wall 10 with no protrusion makes contact with the flat wall 6c of said lever , the situation of fig1 and 3 occurs ; in this situation , the flat wall 6c itself makes contact , by stroke limit abutment , with the stroke - limiting abutment wall 7a of the coupling 7 ; the angle 8a allowed to the rotation of the lever 6 is the maximum one , and thus the flow - rate delivered by the faucet is the highest . limitation of this maximum flow - rate is obtained by associating the bush 9 with the lever 6 in a different manner . by arranging the bush so that the second wall 11 is in contact with the flat wall 6c of the lever , the situation shown in fig4 occurs : the insertion of the protrusion 11a so that it forms an element for contrast against the stroke - limiting abutment wall 7a of the coupling causes the maximum stroke angle allowed to the lever 6 to be 8b , which is smaller than 8a , and the maximum flow - rate delivered by the cartridge is consequently smaller than the one produced in the condition of fig3 . by arranging the bush 9 so that the third wall 12 is in contact with the third wall 6c , with insertion of the second protrusion 12a of intermediate thickness so that it constitutes a contrast element as shown in fig5 the maximum flow - rate deliverable by the cartridge is even smaller , since the maximum stroke angle allowed to the lever is now 8c , which is smaller than 8b , and said maximum flow - rate is even smaller when the wall of the bush 9 in contact with the wall 6c is the fourth wall 13 , with insertion of the thickest protrusion 13a , since in this case , shown in fig6 the maximum stroke angle allowed to the lever is 8d , which is smaller than 8c . all the above points out the excellent functionality of the device according to the present invention , which is naturally provided with means , not shown in the figures , for removable fixing in the various positions shown , combined with its great constructive simplicity . it is obviously possible to provide more than one bush with protrusions having different thicknesses . the described device according to the present invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations , all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept ; thus , for example , the number of walls of the bush , with the related protrusions , may be any . in the practical execution of the device according to the present invention , all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements ; the materials employed , as well as the shapes and dimensions , may furthermore be any according to the requirements .	5
the present invention provides a method and apparatus for dynamically configuring a caching system . fig3 generally depicts a dynamically configurable caching system of an improved computer system 100 ′, according to an embodiment of the present invention . a diagnostic system 250 is added to facilitate maintaining the integrity of data written to a persistent memory system 120 . the diagnostic system 250 can be configured to interact with and to receive information from other systems associated with the computer system 100 ′. as shown , the diagnostic system 250 is preferably coupled with a battery backup system 200 , an internal sensor 240 , the manual configuration 220 , and with other systems 260 . the diagnostic system 250 may be capable of predicting when a failure will occur , if a failure has occurred , and may reconfiguring the caching system , thereby helping to maintain the integrity of the computer system . [ 0029 ] fig4 depicts a potential response by the dynamically configurable caching system to an imminently foreseeable system failure , according to the present invention . whereas the fig2 . prior art system ignored signs of an imminent system failure , the improved computer system 100 ′ dynamically can examine information concerning an imminent system failure and preserve the integrity of data written to persistent memory . the present invention may receive information indicating a power failure ( as an example of bad health ) as indicated by the battery backup system 230 , and respond by reconfiguring the caching system . prior to the power failure or other onset of bad health , the caching system may be configured according to a buffer - ack state 180 , to improve performance , as described above . after the occurrence of the power failure the battery backup system 230 notifies the diagnostic system 250 of the power failure . the diagnostic system 250 may then take steps to reconfigure the caching system or the memory system to help maintain integrity of data in a write request 150 . more specifically , the diagnostic system can configure the caching system 110 to a write - through - buffer - noack state in which data may be buffered but ack is not sent until persistent memory is written in the caching system . either write - through state may allow the caching system to take advantage of cached reads . potential corruption of the data is reduced because the information will be written through to persistent memory . [ 0031 ] fig5 depicts a dynamically configurable multi - level - cache hierarchy that typically includes multiple caching levels , according to the present invention . preferably independent of the organization of individual sub - caching systems ( or caching levels ) 270 - 1 , 270 - 2 , . . . , 270 - n , within the caching system 110 , the diagnostic system may change the caching state of at least one of the caching levels . each caching level may perform a caching function based on a set of states . the number and / or function of each individual caching level may vary , including support for different states . as such , several caching levels may be disposed between the computer system 100 ′ and the persistent memory system 120 . typically each write operation must be acknowledged and if a data write is lost or incomplete , the computer system may retransmit the write request . acknowledgments from a caching systems can be performed to enhance performance since the persistent memory system is typically much slower than the caching system 110 . as noted , acknowledgment of a write request 150 from the highest level sub - caching system 270 - n offers better performance but less reliability in the case of a system or media failure . acknowledgment of a write request 150 from a lower level sub - caching system 270 - 2 offers poorer performance but greater reliability . acknowledgment of a write request 150 from the persistent memory system 120 offers the poorest performance but the highest reliability . consequently , a tradeoff between performance and reliability is performed , preferably dynamically , in selecting the origin of the acknowledgment . depending on such tradeoff , each caching layer of the caching system 110 is typically designated as at least write - back or write - through . for better reliability , the highest sub - caching level 270 - n may be set to write - through , and the lowest sub - caching level 270 - 1 may be set to write - back . dynamic configuration based on the diagnostic system 250 facilitates taking the current health of the computer system into consideration in analyzing the tradeoffs between performance and reliability . consequently , the computer system would tend to have the highest performance while being the most reliable with a minimal risk of data corruption . the diagnostic system may periodically reconfigure one or more of the caching levels . alternatively , the diagnostic system may reconfigure of one or more caching levels based on the occurrence of an event , such as an alarm . an event may be associated with either the computer system 100 ′, an some external system coupled with the computer system 100 ′ such as a battery backup system 230 or other system 260 . [ 0035 ] fig6 depicts a process of configuring a caching system , according to one embodiment . initially , power to the computer system is turned on 180 . as part of the power up sequence the diagnostic system may be activated 190 . status information may be received 200 from other system associated with the computer system . status information may include manual configuration , sensors , battery backup system , and other systems . based on the information received , the diagnostic system may configure the caching state 210 , potentially including the state of a number of sub - caching levels 270 - 1 , . . . , 270 - n , and the persistent memory system 120 . subsequently , the process may wait for the occurrence of an event 220 , such as a power failure as indicated by a battery backup system . additionally , the process may reactivate the diagnostic system at a specific interval 230 , such as every 60 seconds . according to one embodiment , a diagnostic analysis is performed to determine if the computer system will support buffering data in the caching system without loss of integrity . the determination may include analyzing information indicating the health of the computer system , such as information from the battery backup system . if the health of the computer system will support buffering then the diagnostic system 250 may configure the caching system to buffer data before writing to a persistent memory system . here , buffering will improve the performance of the computer system . if the health does not support buffering then configuring the caching system to acknowledge a write when the data is written to a persistent memory system , thereby improving the reliability of the computer system . the diagnostic analysis may include performing diagnostic analysis of any systems coupled with the computer system including any persistent memory , ata hard disk with smart , battery backup , operating system , and ambient internal temperature . the diagnostic system 250 may perform a diagnostic analysis to determine the health of the computer system . alternatively , another system coupled with the computer system may provide the result of a diagnostic analysis to the diagnostic system 250 . the diagnostic system may use information associated with the diagnostic analysis to configure the caching system and the memory system . the diagnostic analysis may include a range of health for the computer system to determine whether the health of the computer system will or will not support buffering . the range of health may include a level of write confidence associated the level of buffering , for example a write confidence may be a numerical value from 0 to n . in such sequence 0 can indicate lowest confidence , such that a acknowledgment should be made from the persistent memory system , and n can be a number indicating highest confidence the value 0 may be used to indicate the acknowledgment should be made only after the data of a write request is actually written to a persistent memory . the value i may represent a slightly higher level of write confidence , such that only the cache closest to the persistent memory system should acknowledge the write request . the value n , represent a highest level of write confidence , such that the highest cache may acknowledge the write request . correspondingly , the diagnostic analysis may be used to configure the caching system and the persistent memory system . flushing ( e . g ., transferring buffer contents into persistent storage ) the caching system or a given buffer may be requested by the diagnostic system . buffers may be configured to flush any contents of the buffer and write the contents of the buffer to a persistent memory system . if a failure of the computer system is imminently foreseeable then all information in a buffer may be stored to the persistent memory system to avoid loss or corruption of the data . the range of health may be used to determine if a given buffer in the caching system should be flushed . the caching system may receive a data write request and handle the data according to the state of the caching system . in one embodiment , the caching system may be state - configurable and may have three different states . a write - through - buffer - noack state in which the data is buffered and no cache acknowledgment signal is generated . a buffer - ack state in which said data is buffered and a cache acknowledgment signal ( c - ack ) is generated to acknowledge buffering of said data . a write - through - nobuffer - noack state may also be supported , which provides that data is passed through without buffering and without generating a cache acknowledgment signal . the persistent memory system may receive a data write request and handle the data according to the state of the persistent memory system . in one embodiment , the persistent memory system may be state - configurable and may have at least two different states . a memory - ack state in which said data is stored and a memory acknowledgment signal ( m - ack ) is generated to acknowledge storing of data . a memory - noack state in which data is stored without generating a memory acknowledgment signal . the computer system may also perform a diagnostic analysis to determine if said computer system will support buffering data in a caching system without loss of integrity . additionally , the computer system may dynamically configure the caching system and the memory system based on the diagnostic analysis performed . the dynamic configuration may include at least one of modifying cache state , and modifying memory system state . in one embodiment the computer system can perform a data write request via a caching system to the persistent memory system . the diagnostic system can dynamically reconfigure the caching system and the persistent memory system as a function of the diagnostic analysis . here , a successful data write request is signaled to the computer system by an acknowledgment signal . initially , the computer system performs the data write request , and the caching system receives the data write request and handles the data according to the state of the caching system . the caching system performing a persistent data write request to store the data , and the persistent memory system receives and stores the data . the computer system may determine whether a c - ack or m - ack was received . if neither a c - ack nor a m - ack was received , the computer system re - sends the data write request . if one of the c - ack and the m - ack was received , then the computer system may assume the write was successful . in the present invention , a more aggressive assumption may normally be made ( compared to a prior art system ) due to dynamic health monitoring and dynamic cache system reconfiguring . the computer system may also perform a diagnostic analysis . additionally , the computer system may dynamically configure the caching system and the memory system based on the diagnostic analysis performed . in one embodiment an internal sensor 240 is coupled with the diagnostic system 250 to indicate whether the computer system is at a critical temperature level . the sensor may be coupled to a diagnostic system that can obtain information from a sensor to perform a diagnostic analysis . information from the diagnostic analysis can be used to maintain the integrity of computer system 100 ′ by reconfiguring the caching system 10 and the persistent memory system 120 to minimize the impact of a potential failure on the integrity of data written by the computer system . information from the diagnostic analysis can also be used to improve performance of the computer system 100 ′. according to another embodiment , a caching system may include a multi - level cache hierarchy system and may include at least two cache levels including a highest level sub - caching system 270 - n and a lowest level sub - caching system 270 - 1 . the highest level caching system receives the data write request from the computer system . the lowest level caching system writes to said persistent memory system including at least the data included in the data write request . generally , a higher level caching system may send a second write request including at least the data included in the data write request to an immediately lower level caching system , and a lower level caching system can receive the second write request from an immediately higher level cache . additional levels may be added to the multi - level cache hierarchy system . each of the individual caching system may be independently configurable . accordingly , in a multi - level caching system with two caching systems ( a highest level and a lowest level ) may handle a write request from a computer system as follows . the highest level caching system receives the write request from the computer system . by definition , the highest level caching system is also a higher level caching system than the lowest level caching system . therefore , the highest level caching system may send a second write request including at least the data included in the data write request to an immediately lower level caching system , the lowest level caching system is an immediately lower level caching system than the highest level caching system . the lowest level caching system receives the second write request from the immediately higher level caching system . finally , the lowest level caching system writes to the persistent memory system including at least the data including in the data write request . the range of health may be used to configure the caching system , and may also be used to configure each level of a multi - level cache hierarchy . for example , the range of health may be used in determining whether the highest level caching system caches the data , acknowledges the data , or passes the data through . each caching level in a multi - level cache hierarchy may be configured independently , or potentially as part of the caching system 110 . the diagnostic analysis may include a range of health for the computer system . this range of health may be used in determining whether the health of the computer system will support buffering at a given level in a multi - level caching system , or if the computer system will not support buffering at a given level . each level in a multi - level caching system may be associated with a different caching state as described above , possibly including a write - through - buffer - noack state , a buffer - ack state , and a write - through - nobuffer - noack state . the range of health may include a level of write confidence associated the level of buffering . as described above , a write confidence may be a numerical value from 0 to n , where 0 represents an extremely low level of write confidence , such that a acknowledgment should be made from the persistent memory system 120 . the value 1 may represent a slightly higher level of write confidence , such that only the sub - caching system closest to the persistent memory system should acknowledge the write request , such as 270 - 1 . the value 2 may represent an additionally slightly higher level of write confidence , such that the sub - caching system 270 - 2 should acknowledge the write request . the highest level of health n , represent a highest level of write confidence , such that the sub - caching system 270 - n may acknowledge the write request . correspondingly , the diagnostic analysis may be used to configure the caching system and the persistent memory system . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments and best mode of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents .	7
while the present invention is open to various modifications and alternative constructions , the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings will be described herein in detail . it is to be understood , however , there is no intention to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed . on the contrary , it is intended that the invention cover all modifications , equivalences and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims . referring to fig1 and 3 , a plant injection dispensing capsule 20 according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a cap 22 having a circumferential , generally circular edge 23 hermetically sealed to a circumferential , generally circular rim 25 of a receptacle 24 . as best shown in fig3 receptacle 24 has an interior volume determined by a circumferential , generally cylindrical wall 26 , terminating upwardly in rim 25 , which is generally orthogonal to a generally planar floor 28 having an upper surface 28 s . depending upwardly from floor 28 and proximate to its center of symmetry is an upwardly tapering spindle 30 , in the shape of a conical frustum , having an outer surface 30 s , a top 31 and a bore 32 . receptacle 24 further includes a housing 34 attached to wall 26 which provides a generally planar force application surface 35 , a hollow base 36 for the capsule , and structural support for the wall . as shown in fig2 ribs 38 a , 38 b , 38 c are attached between an interior surface 40 of housing 34 , and wall 26 and floor 28 . wall 26 includes an aperture 42 proximate to floor 28 and external to housing 34 into which is inserted an inner end 44 a of a feeder tube 44 ( not part of the invention ) having an outer end 44 b terminating in an outlet 46 . alternatively , the aperture may be internal to the housing . as is described below , and in an illustrative technique , feeder tube outer end 44 b is inserted into a predrilled hole in a tree trunk or plant stem and the aperture 42 of a pre - pressurized capsule is slidably positioned over the feeder tube inner end 44 a to secure the capsule to the feeder tube . preferably , receptacle 24 is molded as a single unit from polypropylene or a similar thermoplastic . most preferably , the receptacle is molded from a clarified polypropylene copolymer which includes propene , ethene and modifiers / additives , such as product p5m6k - 048 available from huntsman polymers corporation of houston , tex . referring to fig4 a and 4b , cap 22 includes a rigid central portion 50 circumscribed by a plurality of concentric annuluses 52 a , 52 b , 52 c bridged consecutively pairwise , respectively , by a plurality of stepped ridges 54 a , 54 b , 54 c generally orthogonal to the annuluses so that the cap initially is convexly arcuate . the ridges act as “ living hinges ” enabling cap 22 to flex inwardly when a downward force , as by a thumb , is applied to central portion 50 , depressing the portion . depending downwardly from portion 50 is a socket 60 terminating in an end 60 e and having a hexagonal - shaped bore 62 determined by a plurality of generally planar surfaces 64 a , 64 b , 64 c , 64 d , 64 e , 64 f . preferably , cap 22 is molded as a single unit from polypropylene or a similar thermoplastic . most preferably , the cap is molded from a clarified polypropylene copolymer such as huntsman product p5m6k - 048 . [ 0036 ] fig5 depicts capsule 20 in its initial ( unpressurized ) state . receptacle 24 contains a preselected amount of a therapeutic liquid composition 66 having a surface 66 s . ( for clarity of the other first embodiment figures , liquid composition 66 is shown only in fig5 .) preferably , the amount of liquid is in a range from about 1 to about 6 milliliters ( ml ). for a greater amount up to about 25 ml , a compressible cap with a higher profile than cap 22 should be used to provide greater displacement for developing a suitable dispensing pressure . spindle 30 is closely received within socket bore 62 . because cap portion 50 has not yet been depressed , socket end 60 e is disposed only about halfway down the spindle . floor 28 includes a channel 68 in surface 28 s proximate to aperture 42 which ensures that even a small amount of liquid within the receptacle will be accessible to the aperture and thence the feeder tube . aperture 42 is sealed by a dislodgeable “ knockout ” membrane 70 . as indicated by grooves 70 a , 70 b in fig5 and 6 b , the membrane includes a peripheral annular thinned - out portion which contacts the receptacle wall . fig6 depicts capsule 20 after portion 50 has been depressed , pre - pressurizing the capsule , tube end 44 b has been inserted into a pre - drilled hole 72 h in a tree trunk or plant stem 74 , aperture 42 has been slidably positioned over tube end 44 a , and a force 76 has been applied to surface 35 such that tube end 44 a dislodges membrane 70 . spindle 30 is forced deeper into bore 62 so that end 60 e becomes proximate to floor 28 . socket 60 is maintained in this position by an interference fit between surface 30 s and surfaces 64 a - 64 f . tube end 44 a is adapted to dislodge membrane 70 circumferentially except at an upper end 70 u so that the membrane pivots inwardly ( see fig6 b ). alternatively , a frangible membrane may be used with the tube end adapted for rupturing rather than dislodging the membrane . fig6 a shows how the cap attaches to the receptacle . edge 23 includes generally parallel upper and lower lips 23 u , 23 l , respectively . rim 25 includes an upper surface 25 s and a lip 25 l . lip 23 u mates with surface 25 s , and lip 23 l mates with lip 25 l . preferably , edge 23 and rim 25 are attached by ultrasonic welding . suitable welders are manufactured by branson ultrasonics corporation of danbury , conn . preferably , capsule 20 is about 2¼ inches in length , 2⅛ inches in width , and 1⅜ inches in height . referring to fig1 and 8 , a plant injection capsule 100 according to a second embodiment of the invention includes a cap 102 having a circumferential , generally circular edge 103 hermetically sealed to a circumferential , generally circular rim 105 of a receptacle 104 . the cap and receptacle are attached as in the first embodiment ( see fig6 a ), preferably by ultrasonic welding . as shown in fig7 receptacle 104 has an interior volume determined by a circumferential , generally cylindrical wall 106 , terminating upwardly in rim 105 , which is generally orthogonal to a generally planar floor 108 having an upper surface 108 s . receptacle 104 further includes a housing 140 attached to wall 106 which provides a generally planar force application surface 142 . attached to and depending upwardly from floor 108 and generally symmetric about its center of symmetry are first , second and third posts 110 a , 110 b , 110 c each having a hook - shaped upper portion 112 with a generally planar lower surface 112 s , and a lower portion 114 generally orthogonal to surface 112 s . as in the first embodiment , wall 106 includes an aperture 116 proximate to floor 108 . referring to fig8 and 9 , the top of cap 102 is identical to that of cap 22 ; i . e ., the cap includes a rigid central portion 118 circumscribed by a plurality of concentric annuluses 120 a , 120 b , 120 c bridged consecutively pairwise , respectively , by a plurality of stepped ridges 122 a , 122 b , 122 c which enable the cap to flex inwardly . depending downwardly from portion 118 is a generally cylindrical collar 124 having a bore 126 and a distally tapering end portion 128 terminating in an end 128 e . portion 128 includes a circumferential groove 130 proximate to end 128 e which determines an annular lip 132 having a generally planar upper surface 132 s . fig9 and 10 depict capsule 100 in its initial ( unpressurized ) state , with end 128 e disposed slightly above the posts . ( as in the first embodiment , receptacle 104 contains a preselected amount of liquid composition ; for clarity this is not shown in any of the second embodiment figures . the preferred amount is in the same range as for the first embodiment .) as in the first embodiment , floor 108 includes a channel 134 in surface 108 s proximate to aperture 116 , and aperture 116 is sealed by a dislodgeable membrane 136 . as indicated by grooves 136 a , 136 b ( see fig9 and 11 ), the membrane includes a peripheral annular thinned - out portion which contacts the receptacle wall . fig1 and 12 depict capsule 100 after portion 118 is depressed , pressurizing the capsule , aperture 116 is slidably positioned over feeder tube end 44 a after tube end 44 b is inserted into a tree trunk or plant stem ( see fig6 ), and a force 144 is applied to surface 142 , dislodging membrane 136 . collar 124 is forced downward so that lower surfaces 112 s of posts 111 a , 110 b , 110 c engage surface 132 s . the resilience of the cap “ living hinge ” maintains the surfaces in locked combination . as in the first embodiment , preferably cap 102 and receptacle 104 are molded as single units from polypropylene or a similar thermoplastic , and most preferably from a clarified polypropylene copolymer such as huntsman product p5m6k - 048 . preferably , capsule 100 has the same dimensions as capsule 20 .	0
the present applicant has proposed a claw - pole permanent - magnet stepping motor as described in japanese laid - open patent publication number 11 - 89207 . in this publication , the diameter of the arcuate sections of the case unit and the total length of the case unit along the rotor are set up to have a roughly 2 : 1 ratio , allowing adequate rotational torque to be generated . in the publication , the lateral cross - section of the case unit is formed from flat side walls and arcuate surfaces continuous therewith , thus forming an oval shape with flat sides . the teeth of the claw poles forming the phase a inductor and the phase b inductor are arranged so that there are no teeth facing the flat side wall sections , and openings are formed on the side wall sections . by providing flat sections , the motor can be attached to devices that impose restrictions on the outer dimension l 1 of the case unit . with a claw - pole permanent - magnet stepping motor based on this publication , some rotational torque can be provided and the motor can be placed inside devices that impose some restrictions on the diameter l 1 of the arcuate sections of the case unit . unfortunately in this design , leakage of magnetic flux from the openings formed on the side walls of the case unit prevent the motor from being used in magnetic devices and opto - magnetic devices . additionally , where the motor case is made by a pressing operation , a single pressing step forms only the outer shape and another pressing step is required to form the openings . as a result , the pressing operation is complex and additionally costly . referring now to fig1 ( a ), 1 ( b ), and 2 , a claw - pole permanent - magnet stepping motor 1 includes a rotor formed from a rotation shaft 2 having two permanent magnets 3 . permanent magnets 3 are magnetized to form 10 poles , as will be explained . rotation shaft 2 is rotatably supported by left and right metal bearings 15 , 16 . metal bearing 15 is pressed into a securing member 14 and is fixed , frequently by spot - welding , to a section of the side surface of a case unit 12 . securing member 14 is formed with threaded holes 14 a , as will be explained . during assembly , when attaching securing member 14 to an attachment base 20 of a main device ( not shown ), a set of screws 21 are inserted through a corresponding set of securing holes 20 a and threaded into threaded holes 14 a . screws 21 attach motor 1 to the main device with minimal interference and a reduced area requirement . in another embodiment , where screws 21 are required to have a very small size , securing member 14 may be eliminated , and case unit 12 may serve as a securing unit itself . a second case unit 13 is symmetrical to case unit 12 , and metal bearing 16 is in a side surface of case unit 13 . case units 12 , 13 are formed by pressing magnetic plates containing magnetic soft - iron . the impact of case units 12 , 13 on external magnetic flux leakage will be described later . case units 12 , 13 form an flattened - oval - type shape having respective flat side walls 12 a , 13 a and respective arcuate sections 12 b , 13 b . the arcuate sections 12 b , 13 b , each have a radius r , defined from a center of rotation shaft 2 . the thickness of arcuate sections 12 b , 13 b are not substantially restricted and may be fairly thick to retain a magnetic field . as a result , when power is provided to motor 1 , a closed magnetic circuit is formed with an unobstructed magnetic circuit passing through case units 12 , 13 . thus , since the unobstructed magnetic circuit is retained in case units 12 , 13 , external flux is minimized and the magnetic field created is prevented from being a problem to a manufacturer or user . a distance w 2 is defined between the inner wall surfaces of respective flat side walls 12 a , 13 a . distance w 2 provides clearance for an outer diameter w 1 of the phase a and phase b inducers . the phase a and phase b inducers are respectively formed from claw poles and coils , as will be explained . side walls 12 a are pressed thinner than arcuate sections 12 b . to increase flatness , the ratio between the thielness of side walls 12 a , 13 a and the thickness of arcuate sections 12 b , 13 b is set to about ½ - ⅓ . desirable motor 1 flatness may be provided by pressing the unit in this manner while retaining operational effectiveness and efficiency . in an alternative embodiment , a set of thin - wall sections 12 c can be formed so that the thickness of respective side walls 12 a is reduced in stages . a corresponding similar construction on case unit 13 ( not shown in this embodiment ) provides similar benefits for the second permanent magnet 3 . the alternative embodiment described allows an increased number of windings of respective insulated copper lines and a corresponding increase in power . referring additionally now to fig3 phase a includes a coil 8 with windings of an insulated copper line 8 a . phase b includes a coil 9 with windings of an insulated copper line 9 a . coils 8 , 9 are formed from respective coil bobbins 10 , 10 . coil bobbins 10 , 10 each include a coil section 10 a , formed integrally from a plastic resin . coil bobbins 10 have a pair of collars 10 b at each end . coil sections 10 a are each formed with an oval shape having flat sides surrounding a circular inner hole 10 c . a pair of thin wall sections 10 d correspond to respective side walls 12 a , 13 a or thin - wall sections 12 c , 13 c depending upon the embodiment . since , coil bobbins 10 have an oval shape with flat sides , insulated copper lines 8 a , 9 a also form a roughly oval shape with flat sides . a set of magnetic plates 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , are formed from a magnetic material , and include respective flat sections 4 a , 5 a , 6 a , 7 a . magnetic plates 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 have an oval shape with flat sides and are formed for insertion into respective case units 12 , 13 during assembly . claw poles 4 b , 5 b , 6 b , and 7 b , each include five poles formed in these flat sections by a drawing process and project away from respective magnetic plates 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 in a circular - type arrangement . case units 12 , 13 include recesses 12 d , 13 d formed and positioned to accept a respective pair of connectors 11 during assembly . during assembly , the phase a inductor and the phase b inductor are formed by inserting coils 8 , 9 wrapped around respective coil bobbins 10 , 10 onto respective claw poles 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . connectors 11 , containing electrodes ( not shown ), connect to each respective coil 8 , 9 on coil bobbins 10 , 10 and provide electrical power to each phase inductor during operation connectors 11 are on one collar 10 b of each respective coil bobbin 10 along a center section of motor 1 . during operation , drivers ( not shown ) connected to connectors 11 alternately send power to the phase a inductor and the phase b inductor so that magnetic induction takes place between respective claw - poles 4 b , 5 b , 6 b , 7 b and permanent magnets 3 , 3 based on the arrangement of claw - poles . the allows stepped operation that provides adequate rotational torque . to provide a ratio 1 : greater than 1 between diameter l 1 and case unit length l 2 , along the rotation shaft 2 , during construction the ratio is set to about 1 : 2 . this ratio allows adequate rotational torque even if claw - pole permanent - magnet stepping motor 1 is very low - profile with a maximum diameter of no more than 8 mm . referring additionally now to fig4 during operation , a closed magnetic circuit f , ( shown by dotted lines ), passes through thick arcuate sections 12 b ( 13 b not shown ) of case unit 12 ( 13 not shown ) with out restriction . since magnetic circuit f is not obstructed , it will not obstruct the generated magnetic field . furthermore , since side walls 12 a , 13 a ( not shown ) are continuous , they prevent magnetic flux from leaking outside case units 12 , 13 ( not shown ). as a result , the device may be used in both magnetic and opto - magnetic devices . it should be understood , that as described above , the present invention provides a claw - pole permanent - magnet stepping motor 1 that may be attached or internally disposed in devices that impose outer dimension restrictions on a case unit . it is to be further understood , that magnetic circuit obstructions , that frequently accompany low - profile designs , are be eliminated . external flux leakage is prevented and the case unit can be produced inexpensively and simply and with high precision . it should be further understood , that diameter l 1 of arcuate sections 12 b , 13 b , is designed preferably to have a ratio of about 1 : 2 with total length l 2 of motor 1 , thus allowing adequate rotational torque to be generated . it should be understood , that ratios of about 1 : 1 are possible according to customer demand but not preferable . it should be further understood , that since case units 12 , 13 have only end openings , external flux leakage is reduced thereby allowing use of the present invention in magnetic and opto - magnetic components . although only a single or few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiment ( s ) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims . in the claims , means - plus - function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures . thus although a nail and screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies entirely on friction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface whereas a screw &# 39 ; s helical surface positively engages the wooden part , in the environment of fastening wooden parts , a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
in the process of transition of ac terminal voltage from zero to + ed ( or negative to positive ) or from zero to − ed ( or positive to negative ), a control method of some embodiments of the invention for controlling a multilevel power conversion circuit using flying capacitors detects voltage across the flying capacitors and , when the detected voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage , the control method delivers on / off pulses in a pattern to charge the flying capacitors , and when the detected voltage is higher than the predetermined voltage , the control method delivers on / off pulses in a pattern to discharge the flying capacitors during a period of time shorter than the carrier period for pwm control in preference to the normal on / off signal pattern for the semiconductor switches . fig1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is an example of a control flowchart of a pwm control algorithm in the present invention . fig3 a through 10d show eight types of operation patterns for transition from zero volts shown in fig1 to − ed voltage . referring to fig1 , the block 1 after start determines the polarity of the output voltage command . if it is positive , the block 2 performs pwm control of the positive side voltage to deliver one of the voltages 3ed , 2ed , ed , and 0 ( zero ). then , block 3 determines whether a negative voltage side command exists or not . if a negative side voltage command exists , the block 4 detects the voltage values across the flying capacitors c 1 a , c 2 , and c 1 b . then , the block 5 compares the detected voltage value with the average voltage that is a preset value to determine relative magnitude . corresponding to the comparison result , the block 6 delivers a predetermined on / off pattern of semiconductor switches for a short period of time , followed by output of the voltage − ed from the block 7 . the “ short period of time ” is determined only taking the time period for commutation of the igbt into account , and so is generally about 10 μs in total . the − ed output by the block 7 is delivered according to the switching pattern ( 3 ) or ( 5 ) listed in paragraph [ 0010 ]. after that , the block 8 performs pwm control of negative side voltage to deliver one of the voltages − 3ed , − 2ed , − ed , and 0 . subsequently , the blocks 10 , 11 , 12 , and 13 performs each processing , and then the operation procedure returns to the pwm control of the positive side voltage . in the operation procedure , the blocks 4 through 7 operate in the switching pattern in which current flows through the capacitor c 1 a under the negative side voltage command ; and the blocks 10 through 13 operate in the switching pattern in which current flows through the capacitor c 1 a under the positive side voltage command . the current flows for a time period of several micro - seconds . since the average value of the voltage across the capacitor c 1 a needs to be ed , the output pattern is determined corresponding to the voltage value across the capacitor c 1 a . in the process of transition from zero voltage to the voltage − ed , the average voltage can be held at ed by selecting a switching pattern from charging patterns of fig3 , fig4 , fig6 and fig8 when the voltage across the capacitor c 1 a is lower than ed , and by selecting a switching pattern from the discharging pattern of fig5 , fig7 , fig9 and fig1 when the voltage across the capacitor c 1 a is higher than ed . fig3 a through 10d show the operation in the switching pattern for making current flow toward the ac terminal or positive side using igbts for semiconductor switches . the operations of fig3 , which includes fig3 a through 3d , through fig1 , which includes fig1 a through 10d , are referred to as embodiment example 1a through embodiment example 8a , respectively . the operation of fig3 or the embodiment example 1a is first described . from the state of fig3 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig3 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 a is charged . then , the igbt s 4 is turned off and the igbt s 3 is turned on as shown in fig3 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern , the capacitor c 1 a is charged and the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig3 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a charged , the capacitor c 2 charged , and the capacitor c 1 b discharged . fig4 a through 4d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 2a . from the state of fig4 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig4 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 a is charged . then , the igbt s 5 is turned off and the igbt s 2 is turned on as shown in fig4 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is charged , the capacitor c 2 is discharged , and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig4 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a charged , the capacitor c 2 discharged , and the capacitor c 1 b charged . fig5 a through 5d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 3a . from the state of fig5 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 5 is turned off and the igbt s 2 is turned on as shown in fig5 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 2 is discharged and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig5 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is discharged and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig5 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a discharged , the capacitor c 2 discharged , and the capacitor c 1 b charged . fig6 a through 6d shows the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 4a . from the state of fig6 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 5 is turned off and the igbt s 2 is turned on as shown in fig6 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 2 is discharged and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig6 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is charged , the capacitor c 2 is discharged , and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig6 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a charged , the capacitor c 2 discharged , and the capacitor c 1 b charged . fig7 a through 7d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 5a . from the state of fig7 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 4 is turned off and the igbt s 3 is turned on as shown in fig7 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig7 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is discharged , the capacitor c 2 is charged , and the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig7 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a discharged , the capacitor c 2 charged , and the capacitor c 1 b discharged . fig8 a through 8d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 6a . from the state of fig8 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 4 is turned off and the igbt s 3 is turned on as shown in fig8 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig8 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is charged and the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig8 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a charged , the capacitor c 2 charged , and the capacitor c 1 b discharged . fig9 a through 9d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 7a . from the state of fig9 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig9 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 a is discharged and the capacitor c 2 is charged . then , the igbt s 4 is turned off and the igbt s 3 is turned on as shown in fig9 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is discharged , the capacitor c 2 is charged , and the capacitor c 1 b is discharged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig9 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a discharged , the capacitor c 2 charged , and the capacitor c 1 b discharged . fig1 a through 10d show the operational switching pattern of embodiment example 8a . from the state of fig1 a , which is a duplicate of fig1 , delivering zero volts , the igbt s 10 is turned off and the igbt s 7 is turned on as shown in fig1 b , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process , the capacitor c 1 a is discharged and the capacitor c 2 is charged . then , the igbt s 5 is turned off and the igbt s 2 is turned on as shown in fig1 c delivering zero voltage at the ac terminal . in this switching pattern the capacitor c 1 a is discharged and the capacitor c 1 b is charged . then , the igbt s 9 is turned off and the igbt s 8 is turned on as shown in fig1 d , which is a normal state , delivering a voltage − ed at the ac terminal . in this process to change the ac terminal voltage from zero to − ed , an operational switching pattern is provided in which the ac terminal voltage becomes at − ed for a short period of time shorter than one period of the carrier . this operational switching pattern enables the capacitor c 1 a discharged , the capacitor c 2 charged , and the capacitor c 1 b charged . fig1 shows the states of “ charging ” or “ discharging ” of the capacitors c 1 a , c 2 , and c 1 b in the operational patterns of the embodiment example 1a through the embodiment example 8a . the “ charge ” and “ discharge ” in italic , bold type indicate operation that delivers forced operation patterns . fig1 shows the ways of selecting the forced operation patterns . after detecting the voltages of the capacitors c 1 a , c 2 , and c 1 b , such an operational pattern is selected as a forced operation pattern that contains a charging mode when the detected voltage is lower than a predetermined value , and such an operational pattern is selected as a forced operation pattern that contains a discharging mode when the detected voltage is larger than the predetermined value . this way of selection prevents the capacitors from over - charging and over - discharging . the above description is made for the case the current flows out of the ac terminal . in the modes a current flows in from the ac terminal in spite of output of a certain voltage at the ac terminal , the “ charge ” and “ discharge ” of the capacitors are reversed . next , description will be made for a control method for transition from zero voltage state of fig2 to a state of the voltage of + ed in the following . this is the case the block 1 in fig1 determines after start , the output voltage command as negative . the block 8 performs negative side voltage pwm to deliver one of the voltages − 3ed , − 2ed , − ed , and 0 . then block 9 determines existence of a positive side voltage command . if a positive side voltage command exists , the block 10 detects voltage values of the flying capacitors c 1 a , c 2 , and c 11 b . the block 11 compares the detected voltage value with the average value , which is a preset value , to determine the relative magnitude . according to the comparison result , the block 12 delivers a predetermined pattern for a short period of time and the block 13 delivers the voltage ed . the short period of time is generally about 10 μs in total because solely the commutation time of the igbts needs to be taken into account . after that , the block 2 performs pwm control of positive side voltage to deliver one of the voltages 3ed , 2ed , ed , and 0 . then , the blocks 4 , 5 , and 6 perform each processing and transition to the pwm control of negative side voltage takes place . fig1 shows eight types of operation patterns : embodiment examples 1b through 8 b that perform transition from the state of zero voltage as shown in fig2 to a state of the voltage ed . every embodiment example operates through transition of switching patterns in the sequence of pattern ( a )→ pattern ( b )→ pattern ( c )→ pattern ( d ), and produces and delivers such an operation pattern that outputs an ac terminal voltage of ed for a short period of time or an operation pattern that outputs an ac terminal voltage of − ed for a short period of time like a transition of ac voltage : 0 → ed → 0 → ed or 0 →− ed → 0 → ed . these operation patterns enable the capacitors charged and discharged . selecting way of forced operation pattern is similar to the case of transition from zero voltage to the voltage of − ed and so the description thereon is omitted . fig2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention . in the second embodiment of fig2 , removed from the first embodiment are : the blocks 4 and 10 for detecting capacitor voltages and the blocks 5 and 11 for determining the relative magnitude of the detected voltage with respect to the average voltage . referring to fig2 , the block 1 after start determines the polarity of the output voltage command . if it is positive , the block 2 performs pwm control of the positive side voltage to deliver one of the voltages 3ed , 2ed , ed , and 0 ( zero ). then , block 3 determines whether a negative side voltage command exists or not . if a negative side voltage command exists , the block 6 delivers a predetermined on / off pattern of semiconductor switches for a short period of time , followed by output of the voltage − ed from the block 7 . the “ short period of time ” is determined only taking the time period for commutation of the igbt into account , and so is generally about 10 μs in total . the − ed output by the block 7 is delivered according to the switching pattern ( 3 ) or ( 5 ) listed in paragraph [ 0010 ]. after that , the block 8 performs pwm control of negative side voltage to deliver one of the voltages − 3ed , − 2ed , − ed , and 0 . subsequently , the blocks 12 and 13 perform each processing , and then the operation procedure returns to the pwm control of the positive voltage . this second embodiment can be applied to the cases in which voltage change of the capacitors is known corresponding to control conditions , or a case of smooth transition of ac voltage from 0 to − ed ( or positive to negative ) or from 0 to ed ( or negative to positive ). the control method of the second embodiment does not detect capacitor voltages and delivers forced operation patterns of predetermined operation patterns . the principle of the control method according to the present invention can be applied to multilevel conversion circuits , using flying capacitors , of nine or more levels of conversion circuit . fig2 shows an example of nine - level conversion circuit which is provided with additional igbts and capacitors c 2 a and c 2 b to the seven - level conversion circuit shown in fig1 . the capacitors c 1 a and c 2 a in the conversion circuits can be small sized when applying the present invention . the present invention can be applied to power conversion equipment using flying capacitors with high voltage output for motor driving and power conversion equipment for grid - connection . examples of specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . in the above description , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . embodiments of the invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details . further , portions of different embodiments and / or drawings can be combined , as would be understood by one of skill in the art . this application is based on , and claims priority to , japanese patent application no . 2012 - 153204 , filed on jul . 9 , 2012 , contents of which are incorporated herein by reference .	7
the present invention comprises a method and apparatus for reproducing an image on an image plate or roller . fig1 is a schematic illustration of an offset printing press that incorporates a photoelectrochemical on - press imaging system 10 of the present invention for reproducing an image on a roller . system 10 includes an image roller 12 , a print roller 14 , and an impression roller 16 , each of which rotates in a direction indicated by its respective arrow . during printing operations , image roller 12 is dampened by a dampener roller 18 that wets the hydrophilic areas of image roller 12 . after the hydrophilic areas have been dampened , an ink roller 20 applies ink to the hydrophobic image areas written onto roller 12 . as roller 12 rotates , the inked image is transferred to print roller 14 , which prints the image onto paper 22 that is transported and pressed against print roller 14 by impression roller 16 . image roller 12 of the present invention comprises a rotatable drum having a surface coating 13 comprising a hydrophilic oxide semiconductor material . during the process of writing an image onto roller 12 , a plating solution 24 is applied as a thin film to hydrophilic coating 13 as roller 12 rotates . application of solution 24 may be accomplished by an auxiliary roller 26 , for example . a laser 28 projects a writing beam 30 through the film of plating solution 24 and onto coating 13 . laser 28 is controlled by a computer processor ( cpu ) 32 , which commands laser 28 to scan beam 30 across roller 12 to write a predetermined image onto coating 13 . the predetermined image may comprise text and graphics , for example , and may be provided to cpu 32 by a word processor ( not shown ), as is well known in the art . typically , the image is written onto coating 13 as a multiplicity of dots of oleophilic ( and hydrophobic ) material deposited from solution 24 onto hydrophilic coating 13 . after the desired image is written onto coating 13 , plating solution 24 can be removed from roller 12 for commencement of normal printing operations as described above . when a new image is desired , a bath 34 containing a solvent or electrolyte 36 may be moved into place to dissolve the dots of oleophilic material deposited on coating 13 . dissolution of the image dots may be accomplished by chemical action using an acid , for example , or by electrochemical action using a suitable electrolyte and associated electrical bias . after the old dots of oleophilic material have been removed from hydrophilic coating 13 , a new image may be written onto coating 13 using laser beam 30 and the method described above . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , hydrophilic coating 13 on image roller 12 comprises nickel oxide ( nio ), which is a p - type semiconductor material . nickel oxide is highly resistant to attack by acid solutions . the image can be written directly on nio coating 13 and erased repetitively using an acid solution or an electrochemical process . the substrate on roller 12 under nio coating 13 may comprise metallic nickel ( ni ), which provides good adhesion and readily passivates to render nio coating 13 self - healing . nio coating 13 may be applied by methods such as thermal oxidation of ni metal , electrochemical deposition / passivation ( followed by thermal dehydration ), vacuum deposition ( e . g ., magnetron sputtering ), chemical vapor deposition , or sol - gel deposition . sol - gel deposition is a preferred method because it is a relatively low - temperature process and it facilitates adjustment of the charge carrier concentration in nio coating 13 by means of li + incorporation or variation in nio stoichiometry . the best photoresponse of coating 13 has been attained using an nio sol - gel process with a li + - doped underlayer ( approximately 5 cation %), which provides a low resistance contact between the ni substrate and the photoactive nio overlayer . the photoresponse may be extended to longer wavelengths ( lower energy ) by utilizing a mixed metal oxide for the photoactive layer , or by using a narrower bandgap semiconductor layer under a wider bandgap material ( which provides greater chemical stability ). plating solution 24 may comprise a copper pyrophosphate electrolyte , for example . although an externally applied electrical bias is not necessary in all embodiments of the invention , image drum 12 and coating 13 are usually biased negatively to v - as shown in fig1 . the action of laser beam 30 passing through the film of solution 24 on nio coating 13 causes dots of cu to be deposited on the surface of p - nio coating 13 by the process of cathodic photoelectrodeposition . laser beam 30 generates electron - hole pairs in semiconductor coating 13 , a space charge field separates the charge , and the electrons reduce the cu 2 + ions in solution 24 to metallic copper . the photoelectrochemical reaction may be summarized as follows : copper pyrophosphate electrolyte is a preferred plating solution 24 because it is energetically favorable , it is environmentally benign with low corrosivity at ph 8 . 3 , and it yields high quality cu deposits without organic additives . other copper plating electrolytes may be used , including acid copper sulfate , copper cyanide , and any of various electroless copper plating baths . electroless copper plating baths ( i . e ., without externally applied electrical bias ) permit copper deposition to proceed spontaneously after illumination . electrolytes containing copper salts not normally employed for electrodeposition may also be used . because the process of the present invention involves a symmetrical , relatively smooth plating surface , good throwing power of the electrolyte ( i . e ., to plate irregular surfaces ) is not a consideration . to enhance the efficiency and / or speed of the image writing process , a thin layer of material ( typically oleophilic ) can be deposited using illumination and then thickened and / or rendered oleophilic by further electro - or electroless deposition without continued illumination . laser light is known to induce deposition of metals , including cu , by either localized heating or by photogeneration of electrons at semiconductor electrodes . thermal deposition is less attractive for on - press imaging applications because it is relatively inefficient and slow . photoelectrochemical deposition of metals on a coating of titanium dioxide has also been investigated as a means of preparing catalytic materials . titanium dioxide is an n - type semiconductor , however , with the result that metal deposition occurs in the dark areas surrounding the laser beam spot . this deposits donut - shaped &# 34 ; dots &# 34 ; of metal that provide diminished resolution . therefore , a p - type semiconductor oxide , such as nio , is favored for its direct - write characteristics and superior dot definition . although the deposition of metal dots is an electrochemical process , the anodic reaction is also expected to occur on the non - illuminated areas of the semiconductor coating 13 . in some embodiments of the invention , the inherent voltage difference ( i . e ., band bending ) derived from equilibrium of the oxide coating with the plating electrolyte may be sufficient to provide effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers . therefore , an external electrode may not be required in these cases . however , a counter electrode 38 ( comprising platinum or copper , for example ) is generally immersed in electrolyte 24 for applying a positive voltage bias v +. photocurrents in the ma / cm 2 range are preferred for providing uniform , fine - grain metal deposits and for enabling high speed imaging . for good laser light utilization , the nio space charge thickness should be matched to the light absorption depth ; there should be a low charge carrier recombination rate ( i . e ., low defect density ); and there should be a low - resistance back contact between nio coating 13 and the supporting substrate . after the image has been written and used in the printing process , electrolyte 24 and electrode 38 may be employed ( as an alternative or adjunct to bath 34 ) to effect electrochemical dissolution of the cu deposits ( i . e ., to erase the image ) by reversing the electrical bias from that illustrated in fig1 . as mentioned above , nio coating 13 may be applied to the substrate material of roller 12 using a sol - gel process . this process involves hydrolysis of ni acetate ( as a starting material ) dissolved in 2 - methoxyethanol to form a nickel hydroxide sol ( i . e ., a colloidal dispersion of ni ( oh ) 2 ). the sol is then applied to the substrate by spin coating , spraying , or slow withdrawal . heat is applied to effect condensation of the ni ( oh ) 2 to nio ( and to drive off water and excess solvent ). lithium doping may be used to improve the back ohmic contact between nio coating 13 and the substrate material of roller 12 . the hydrolysis and condensation steps of the sol - gel process can be summarized as follows : in one experiment using the sol - gel process of the present invention , 4 coats of nio , each 0 . 2 μm thick , were applied to form a 0 . 8 μm thick nio film over a 0 . 2 μm thick coating of lithium - doped ( 5 cation %) nio on a finely polished ni substrate . each coat was applied by refluxing ( 6 minutes ) a mixture of 1 . 0 g ni acetate tetrahydrate and 2 . 5 g 2 - methoxyethanol ; diluting the sol obtained with 3 . 6 ml of methanol ; spin coating at 2700 rpm for 30 seconds ; air drying for 30 minutes ; and heating in air at 650 ° c . for 10 hours . to produce the li - doped underlayer , 22 mg of li acetate dihydrate was dissolved in the methanol used for dilution of the sol . after coating , about 0 . 5 cm 2 of the film - coated area was masked off with epoxy resin , immersed in a standard copper pyrophosphate plating bath ( without organic additives ), biased at - 0 . 5 v versus a saturated calomel electrode ( sce ), and partially illuminated ( 0 . 1 cm 2 circular area ) for 5 minutes with light of 351 nm wavelength from a 100 mj xe : f excimer laser . since the pulse duration was 10 nanoseconds and the pulse rate was 20 hz , the total illumination time was 60 microseconds . within the illuminated area , a thin film of cu metal was visibly evident . upon further exposure to the plating bath at - 0 . 5 v for 60 minutes ( without additional illumination ), the cu film grew in thickness , becoming distinctly copper - colored . the surrounding nio that had not been illuminated by the laser remained unchanged . when the voltage bias was altered to - 0 . 17 v versus sce , the cu deposit dissolved , leaving the surface of the nio film apparently unaffected . although the process steps and conditions were not optimized for this experiment , the results serve to illustrate the efficacy of the method and apparatus of the present invention . although the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof , various changes and modifications can be carried out by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the semiconductor coating may comprise an oleophilic material and the photoelectrodeposited image pattern may comprise a hydrophilic material . therefore , it is intended that the present invention encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims .	8
the illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings . however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components . the specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting , but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts . referring to fig2 , a vehicle body generally indicated by reference numeral 10 is partially shown including the rear bumper beam 12 , or bumper , a spare tire compartment 16 , a rear rail 18 and a wheel housing 20 . modifications in the disclosed design compared to the prior art structure shown in fig1 relate to the structure of the rear rail 18 . the rear rail 18 includes a front / rear rail 22 , or front segment , a mid / rear rail 24 , or middle segment , and a rear / rear rail 26 , or rear segment . the front segment 22 extends from a rocker panel 28 to the middle segment 24 . the middle segment 24 extends from the front segment 22 in a horizontal direction to the rear segment 26 . the middle segment 24 in the illustrated embodiment of fig2 is 171 mm above a centerline of the frame of the passenger compartment . a front / mid bend 30 , which may also be referred to herein as a front juncture or a front stress riser , is provided between the front segment 22 and the middle segment 24 . a spare tire 32 is shown in phantom lines in fig2 . a mid / rear bend 36 , which may also be referred to as a mid / rear juncture or rear stress riser herein , is provided at the juncture of the middle segment 24 and the rear segment 26 . in the improved design , the fuel tank 38 is located between the wheel housings 20 in the area of the front segment 22 , the front / mid bend 30 and the middle segment 24 . with the fuel tank being located further rearward in the vehicle compared to the prior art ( as shown in fig1 ), there is a greater need for added crush space between the fuel tank 38 and the rear bumper beam 12 . referring to fig3 , the rear portion of the vehicle 10 is shown that includes the rear bumper beam 12 and the spare tire compartment 16 . the rear rail 18 is shown to include the front segment 22 , middle segment 24 , and rear segment 26 . the rear rail 18 spans the wheel housing 20 and is connected on its front end to the rocker panel 28 . a front stress riser 30 is provided between the front segment 22 and middle segment 24 and a rear stress riser 36 is provided between the middle segment 24 and the rear segment 26 . fig3 is a bottom perspective view and shows a rear sub - frame arm 40 that is connected between a front sub - frame arm connector 42 and a rear sub - frame arm connector 44 . the front sub - frame connector 42 is secured to the rear rail 18 near the rocker panel 28 . the rear sub - frame arm connector 44 is connected to the rear rail 18 just in front of the rear stress riser 36 . the rear sub - frame arm 40 provides additional strength and reinforces the rear rail 18 in an area spanning the front segment 22 and the middle segment 24 . the rear sub - frame arm 40 reinforces the rear rail 18 in front of the rear stress riser 36 and facilitates allowing the rear segment 26 to hinge downwardly in a rear collision , as will be described more specifically below with reference to fig4 a - 4d . referring to fig4 a - 4d , a series of cae ( computer aided engineering ) simulations of a rear collision applied to the vehicle body shown in fig2 is illustrated . fig4 a depicts the rear rail assembly at 0 milliseconds , prior to the rear end collision . fig4 b shows the rear rail structure at 20 milliseconds , fig4 c shows the rear rail structure assembly at 60 milliseconds , and fig4 d shows the rear rail assembly at 120 milliseconds after the rear end collision . the portions of the vehicle illustrated in fig4 a - 4d include the rear rail 18 , the wheel housing 20 and the rear bumper 12 . the rear rail includes the front / rear rail 22 , mid / rear rail 24 and rear / rear rail 26 . the front / mid bend 30 is provided between the front segment 22 and the middle segment 24 . the mid / rear bend 36 is provided between the middle segment 24 and the rear segment 26 . referring to fig4 a , the spare tire compartment 16 extends from the rear end of the rear rail 18 to an intermediate location on the middle segment 24 prior to a rear - end collision . the passenger compartment is generally indicated by reference numeral 48 and is located above the rocker panel 28 and in front of the wheel housing 20 . referring to fig4 b , the result of the rear end collision is shown at the 20 millisecond point at which the rear bumper 12 is impacted and causes an initial bending at the rear stress riser 36 . at this point , the spare tire compartment 16 is shown as it begins to be rotated or hinged downwardly . referring to fig4 c , the result of the rear end collision is shown at the 60 millisecond point at which the offset at the front / mid bend 30 and the offset at the mid / rear bend 36 cause the rear rail to deform at the front stress riser 30 and the rear stress riser 36 . the spare tire compartment 16 including the spare tire 32 is rotated to move the rear portion 50 of the spare tire compartment 16 below the front portion 52 of the spare tire compartment 16 . referring to fig4 d , the result of the rear end collision is shown at the 120 millisecond point with the tire being rotated to a greater extent . the rear portion 50 of the spare tire compartment 16 is shown below the front portion 52 of the spare tire compartment 16 . also as shown in fig4 d , dual bends in the rear rail 18 cause the front / rear rail 22 to hinge relative to the rocker panel 28 causing the mid / rear rail 24 , or middle segment , to raise during the rear end collision event . raising the mid / rear rail results in less intrusion into the passenger compartment 48 compared to the prior art , as shown in fig1 . referring to fig5 a , the vehicle 10 made according to the prior art design shown in fig1 is shown after a 50 mph 70 % offset movable deformable barrier ( mdb ) rear impact test . the spare tire 32 is shown to be compressed axially between the bumper beam 12 and the rear axle 53 . a front portion 54 of the spare tire 32 is shown engaging the rear axle 53 and a rear portion 56 of the spare tire 32 is shown being engaged by the bumper 12 . the spare tire 32 remains in a horizontal orientation aligned with the rear bumper 12 . the crush space between the original bumper location and the rear axle 53 in a simulated test was 254 mm . referring to fig5 b , the vehicle 10 made according to the embodiment of fig2 is shown after a 50 mph 70 % mdb rear impact test . the spare tire is shown rotated ( or hinged downwardly ) with the front portion 54 of the spare tire 32 above the rear portion 56 of the spare tire 32 . the crush space between the original bumper location and the rear axle 53 in a simulated test was 371 mm . the increase in crush space with the embodiment of fig2 is predicted to be more than a 45 % increase compared to the design shown in fig5 a . the embodiments described above are specific examples that do not describe all possible forms of the disclosure . the features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts . the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation . the scope of the following claims is broader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and also includes modifications of the illustrated embodiments .	1
multiple ultra - sensitive microphones are used for detecting the photo acoustic noise emitted by the tracer gas when excited by the collimated light . photo acoustic noise is detected across a broad bandwidth . non - synchronous processing of the signal using matched field processing to determine the actual leak location does not require connection to the beam scanning means . the prior art required synchronous processing with regard to the scan positioning signal output . now turning to fig1 thereshown is a representation of the system for a one - dimensional detection and localization of leaks along a line parallel to the x - axis on a flat a luminum plate mounted on top of and perpendicular to an optical table . the environment , consisting primarily of painted cinder block walls with a concrete ceiling and a tile floor , was not acoustically treated . the temperature was monitored to ± 1 ° c . using a t - type thermocouple and an electronic signal conditioner . the plate measures 0 . 61 m by 0 . 61 m and has holes which a re spaced evenly on 7 . 62 cm centers . leak detection and localization was investigated on the bottom row of holes , located 10 . 5 cm above the table surface . for detection and localization in a factory on a two dimensional surface , the second in - plane dimension ( corresponding to the y - coordinate ) would be interrogated by assembly - line motion . a known - rate leak of the tracer gas , sf 6 , may be mounted in any of the holes in the test plate . the x and z coordinates of this leak are unknowns in the signal processing routines . three leak rates were investigated : 10 − 2 cm 3 / s ( large enough to produce visible bubbles in a dunk tank ), 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s ( approximately one cm 3 per day ), and 6 . 38 × 10 − 7 cm 3 / s ( approximately one cm 3 every two and a half weeks ). the 10 − 2 cm 3 / s leak was obtain ed using a needle valve from leybold . the two smaller leaks are fixed - volume fixed - orifice calibrated leaks from vacuum instrument corporation . the row of holes on the plate is interrogated using a synrad grating - tuned 12 watt co 2 laser tuned to 10 . 6 microns which corresponds to a strong spectroscopic absorption band of sf 6 ( lymann et al . 1986 ). the nominal beam spot diameter of the co 2 laser at the plate surface was 7 mm . since the co 2 laser is invisible it was combined with a 5 mw red he — ne laser ( not shown on fig1 ) using a zn — se beam combiner to visualize the potentially - hazardous co 2 beam . the laser beams are initially perpendicular to one another and each forms an incidence angle of 45 degrees with the beam combiner . the combined beams are then incident on a lincoln laser beam scanner consisting of a twenty - sided polygonal mirror mounted on the shaft of a high - speed motor that can rotate up to 37 , 500 rpm . the scanner motor is run at 18 , 750 rpm yielding a beam - scan rate of 6 . 25 khz with a sweep angle of 30 degrees . the scanner sets up a line scan that is centered at normal incidence on the aluminum test plate located 0 . 84 m away . the scanned laser beams traverse the plate horizontally in the negative x - direction . when the laser beam illuminates the tracer - gas cloud formed near the test leak , photoacoustic sound is generated at frequencies which are harmonics of the scan rate . this sound is then measured using two or four brüel & amp ; kjaer model 4136 quarter - inch broadband microphones . the microphones have a nominal bandwidth from a fraction of a hertz to about 80 khz . the microphones form a linear array parallel to the x - axis and 0 . 41 meters away from the plate 14 . 6 cm above the optical table top . this vertical position allows the scanned laser beams to travel an unobstructed path beneath the microphones . the intended microphone spacing is 25 . 4 mm , slightly less than half of a wavelength at 6 . 25 khz , with a nominal placement error of ± 1 mm . the measured sound from each microphone is high - pass filtered with a cutoff frequency of 3 khz by a krohn - hite model 3364 analog filter and acquired using a pc - based data acquisition system at a rate 104 . 667 khz per channel for a 0 . 629 second data record duration . the acquired time domain signals are fast fourier transformed , and the amplitude and phase of the signal at the harmonics of the scan rate are passed to the mfp routines to determine the location of the leak . mfp is carried out using the bartlett processor , b b ( r ), the usual gage in mfp studies , and the mv processor b mv ( r ), a nonlinear processor that has the ability to reject correlated noise from locations other than the source location ( jensen et al . 1994 ). these processors were chosen because neither require a priori knowledge of background noise , and because they are representative of the two classes of matched - field processors : linear and nonlinear ( or adaptive ). with m microphones located at positions r i =( x i , y i , z i ), the narrowband version of either the bartlett processor or minimum variance distortionless ( mv ) processor at a frequency ω ( rad / s ) and location r =( x , y , z ), can be cast into the same form : b  ( r ; ω ) = ∑ i = 1 m   ∑ j = 1 m   w * ( r , r i ; ω )  k ij  ( ω )  w  ( r , r j ; ω ) ( 1a ) where b ( r , ω ) is the processor output or ambiguity function , w ( r , r i ; ω ) is the weighting for each microphone , k ij is the measured cross spectral density matrix of the microphone measurements m i ( ω ) at frequency ω : k ij  ( ω ) = m i * ( ω )  m j  ( ω ) ∑ n = 1 m    m n  ( ω )  2 , ( 1  b ) and the asterisk denotes complex conjugation . in some applications of mfp , k ij ( ω )) is determined from an ensemble average of several independent sets of measurements ( baggeroer et al . 1993 ). where g ( r , r i ; ω ) is the appropriate green &# 39 ; s function for the helmholtz equation at frequency ω . the current experimental step - up approximates a quarter - space ( y & gt ; 0 , z & gt ; 0 ) with two hard walls at y = 0 ( the optical table top ) and z = 0 ( the test plate ), so the following green &# 39 ; s function based on the method of images was used : g  ( r , r i ; ω ) = s 1      kr 1 4  π   r 1 + s 2      kr 2 4  π   r 2 + s 3      kr 3 4  π   r 3 + s 4      kr 4 4  π   r 4 ( 3a ) where : r 1 = ( x - x i ) 2 + ( y - y i ) 2 + ( z + z i ) 2 ,  r 2 = ( x - x i ) 2 + ( y + y i ) 2 + ( z - z i ) 2 , ( 3bc ) r 3 = ( x - x i ) 2 + ( y - y i ) 2 + ( z + z i ) 2 ,  r 4 = ( x - x i ) 2 + ( y + y i ) 2 + ( z + z i ) 2 , ( 3de ) k is the acoustic wave number , and s 1 through s 4 are the frequency - and direction - dependent microphone sensitivities . the environmental model of ( 3 ) treats the plate and table top as infinite in extent . thus ( 3 ) remains valid as long as the leak is several fundamental - frequency wavelengths from the edge of the plate or the table . simpler environmental models that neglect reflections from the plate and / or the optical table proved useless . more complicated models that account for reverberation within the laboratory were not found necessary . for the bartlett processor , the weight vectors do not depend on m i , so the processor is considered to be linear with respect to the received signals . for the mv processor the received signals are used in the construction of the microphone weights to minimize the output of the processor for all locations except the location of the acoustic source . the mv weights explicitly depend on the measurements which renders this processor nonlinear ; w mv  ( r , r i ; ω ) = ∑ j = 1 m   ( [ k ij  ( ω ) ] ) - 1  w b  ( r , r j ; ω ) ∑ i = 1 m   ∑ j = 1 m   w b  ( r , r i ; ω )  [ k ij  ( ω ) ] - 1  w b  ( r , r j ; ω ) . ( 4 ) here , [ ] − 1 implies a matrix inverse which becomes problematic when k ij does not have full rank . this problem occurs when m & gt ; 1 but only one set of measurements m i ( ω ) is used to construct k ij ( ω ). in the current investigations , this matrix inversion problem was overcome by diagonal loading of k ij ( baggeroer et al . 1993 ) with 0 . 01 times the identity matrix ( δ ij ). the mv processor output is sensitive to the level of diagonal loading and alternate loading schemes are currently being considered . for both processors , the extension from narrowband to multiple frequencies is accomplished by incoherently averaging the narrowband ambiguity functions : b  ( r ) = 1 n  ∑ n = 1 n   b  ( r , ω n ) ( 5 ) as was mentioned previously , photoacoustics is the excitation of acoustic waves by unsteady heating from a light source . this unsteady heating shows up as a source term in the helmholtz equation which has an integral solution of the following form : p ~  ( r , w ) = i   ω 4  π  γ - 1 c 2  ∫ all   r ′  h ~  ( r , ω )  g  ( r , r ′ ; ω )    3  r ′ ( 6 ) here { tilde over ( p )} is the complex pressure field , γ is the field point , y is the ratio of specific heats of the ambient gas , c is the ambient speed of sound , and { tilde over ( h )}( r , ω ) is the temporal fourier transform of the rate of heat produced per unit volume by the absorption of light . the integral is performed over the source coordinate r ′. increased absorption of light by the gas or increased light intensity leads to an increase in the source strength which in turn leads to an increase in the magnitude of the photoacoustic sound . in addition , higher frequencies are clearly favored in ( 6 ). details of how the spectroscopic properties of a photoactive gas and its interaction with the light influence the heating term can be found in kreuzer ( 1977 ) and rosencwaig ( 1980 ). the photoacoustic sound is generated by rapidly scanning the co 2 - laser beam over the leaking gas . as the laser repeatedly passes over the gas cloud formed near the leak , the gas absorbs the laser light and repeatedly expands . this repeated unsteady expansion launches acoustic waves . a normalized fft amplitude spectrum for the photoacoustic signal from the largest leak in this study , 10 − 2 cm 3 / s , is displayed on fig2 . these measurements were made with a single microphone 0 . 41 m from the leak at a sampling rate of 500 khz with the leak at x = z = 0 ( the middle of laser scan ). the spectrum on fig2 is normalized by an equivalent - length and bandwidth background noise spectrum measured with the whole experiment in operation but without a leak mounted on the plate . hence , spectral values near 0 db correspond to the noise level . the fluctuations of ± 5 db near 0 db result from non - repeatability in the noise and are not statistically significant . the fundamental frequency of the photoacoustic sound is 6 . 25 khz ( the laser beam scan rate ). fig2 shows that the dominant tones of the photoacoustic signal are this fundamental frequency and its first 35 harmonics up to approximately 225 khz . the bias toward the higher frequency harmonics predicted by ( 6 ) can be deduced from fig2 where tonal signal components are clearly evident well beyond the nominal microphone bandwidth of 80 khz . these high frequency signal tones must be loud enough to overcome the loss of microphone sensitivity . the secondary signal tones that occur between the main signal harmonics from approximately 10 khz to 80 khz are believed to be caused by modulation of the spinning speed of the rotating - polygonal - mirror laser scanner which is driven by a four - pole motor . these secondary tones are spaced at intervals that are one fourth of the fundamental frequency which is consistent with scan - rate modulation produced by the rotational - speed fluctuation characteristics of a four pole motor . it was found that the photoacoustic signal frequencies are stable within the limits set by the motor controller for the rotating polygonal mirror . however , the signal amplitudes and the phase relationship between signal harmonics varied from trial - to - trial making it impossible to exploit any form of coherent broadband processing . these signal fluctuations are believed to be caused by motion and deformation of the tracer gas cloud formed near the leak , and are the subject of on going investigation . the leak - rate dependence of the average amplitude received by the four - microphone array at the first eight signal frequencies is shown on fig3 along with two measurements of the background noise . in all five cases shown on fig3 the fft amplitudes from the four microphones are converted to sound - pressure amplitude using the manufacturer &# 39 ; s calibration of microphone sensitivity , averaged , and converted to sound pressure level ( db re 20 μpa ). both of the background sound measurements were made without a leak mounted on the plate but with all of the other experimental components switched on . in one case the co 2 - laser shutter is open , and in the other it is closed . the second noise check is made to quantify the photoacoustically - generated background noise from the laser beam scanning over the plate alone . the shutter - open noise level is the more important from a leak - detection performance standpoint . fig3 clearly shows the 10 − 2 cm 3 / s leak to be the loudest , and this leak is easily audible in the laboratory . the two smaller leaks produce average signal amplitudes still exceeding , but much closer to , the background noise level . based on these results , it should be possible to use the amplitude of the recorded sounds at several of the dominant signal frequencies to determine whether or not a leak is present by simple thresholding . the 10 − 2 cm 3 / s leak is 30 db or more above the shutter - open noise level at every signal frequency . the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak is more than 10 db above the shutter - open noise level at five of the eight signal frequencies . the 6 . 38 × 10 − 7 cm 3 / s leak is only a few db above the shutter - open noise level at the eight signal frequencies . hence , a detection threshold of several db above background at selected signal frequencies should provide satisfactory detection performance for leaks larger than 10 − 5 cm 3 / s . for the present experiments , a 9 db threshold applied at signal frequencies of 18 . 75 khz , 31 . 25 khz , 37 . 5 khz , and 50 . 0 khz detected the two larger leaks without the fail or false detection for more than 50 trials . however , with this simple threshold scheme the smallest leak could not be detected about half the time and the false detection probability also approached 50 %. improved detection capability at the lowest leak rate may be possible with more microphones , shorter path lengths , or use of a more sophisticated signal detection scheme , such as that described for the leak localization in the next section . it should be noted that there is significant background photoacoustic sound generated by the interaction of the laser and aluminum plate alone . for example , by comparing the two background sound levels on fig3 the photoacoustic sound ( noise ) at 31 . 25 khz generated by scanning the co 2 laser across plate alone is 7 . 1 db above the noise level when the co 2 - laser shutter is closed . ultimately , any leak detection limit will be set by correlated noise generated by the target device on which the leak resides . once the presence of a leak is determined , the next step is to find its location . as discussed above , this was approached using the measured photoacoustic signals and the bartlett and mv matched field processors . the computation of the necessary replica fields was done using ( 3 ) for the eight lowest signal frequencies . the higher signal harmonics reside beyond the capability of the current data acquisition system when four input channels are used . the eight single - frequency ambiguity surfaces were averaged according to ( 5 ). the rest of this section describes how microphone number , processor type , leak rate , and leak / microphone geometry influence photoacoustic leak localization . the first comparison is drawn between the use of two and four microphones for the bartlett processor with the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak located at the center of the plate . the intersection of the multiple - frequency ambiguity surface with the plane of the plate ( z = 0 ) is displayed on fig4 . the horizontal axis is the distance along the plate with x = 0 denoting the plate center . here , the leak is known to lie on the surface of the plate so only results from z = 0 need to be examined . the peak value of these mfp results gives the processor - determined location of the leak along the line of the laser scan ( the x - direction ). although , fig4 shows that x - direction localization is possible with two microphones , the four microphone results are clearly superior . the two - microphone side lobes are 13 % below the peak while the four microphone side lobes are 62 % below the peak . moreover , the two microphone results indicate a leak location that is 6 mm to the right of center , while the four microphone localization agrees with actual leak location to within less than 1 mm . a comparison of the differences between single - and multiple - frequency mfp is shown by fig5 a and 5b which display the various single - frequency and the incoherent - average ambiguity surfaces for variable x at z = 0 for the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak located at x = 0 when four microphones are used . for the bartlett processor ( fig5 a ), the leak is unambiguously localized at the center of the plate at 6 . 25 and 18 . 75 khz , but the spatial resolution at these frequencies is relatively low yielding broad ambiguity peaks . at frequencies 25 khz and higher , the ambiguity peaks are narrower but now there are significant spatial side lobes . in fact , at 43 . 75 khz the side lobe magnitude is greater than that of the main lobe . the incoherent average ( the top trace on fig5 a ) reduces spatial side lobes yet partially retains the spatial resolution associated with the higher frequencies . for the mv processor in ( fig5 b ) the peaks are narrower and the side lobe suppression is usually better . however , the main peak is sometimes suppressed in favor of a side lobe . the effect of leak size is provided by a comparison of the bartlett ( fig6 a ) and mv ( fig6 b ) processors for variable x at z = 0 . in both fig6 a and 6b , mfp output for the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s and the 6 . 38 × 10 − 7 cm 3 / s leaks placed at x = 0 are each compared to a representative case when no leak is present . the no - leak results vary from trial - to - trial because of noise fluctuations . note that the vertical scale of fig6 b is expanded relative to that of fig6 a . the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak is easily localized by both processors with the main ambiguity peak at least twice as high as any false - localization peak of the no - leak case . the mv results for this leak exhibit a narrower main lobe implying a finer localization resolution . the smaller 6 . 38 × 10 − 7 cm 3 / s leak is also found by both processors . however , the main lobe magnitude for both processors is reduced : by 25 % for the bartlett processor , and by almost 70 % for the mv processor . all the results on fig2 through 6 have been for leaks located at x = 0 . intersection of the incoherent - average ambiguity surfaces with the plate surface ( z = 0 ) are shown for the bartlett ( fig7 a ) and mv ( fig7 b ) processors when all four microphones are used and the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak is located at seven different locations : x =− 22 . 86 , − 15 . 24 , − 7 . 62 , 0 , + 7 . 62 , + 15 . 24 , + 22 . 86 cm . the bartlett processor locates this leak at all seven positions to within ± 3 mm . the mv processor locates the leak successfully in six of the seven locations . it fails when the leak is placed at x =+ 15 . 24 cm because of a side peak near x =− 6 cm . in addition , the main lobe peaks when the leak is a x =− 22 . 86 , − 15 . 24 cm and + 22 . 86 cm are all lower than the side lobe peak when the leak is at x =+ 15 . 24 cm . peak / side - lobe amplitude overlap of this kind have thus far prevented the development of a leak - detection criterion based on mfp , although investigations are continuing and improvements may be possible with other processors . as a further illustration of the results given in fig7 a and 7b , fig8 and 9 show x - z ambiguity surface plots for the bartlett and mv processors , respectively , for four cases when the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak is located at x =− 22 . 86 , − 15 . 24 , − 7 . 62 , and 0 cm . for both processors , the results are somewhat symmetric about x = 0 . the views shown are those obtained by looking down upon the processing grid shown in fig1 . a comparison of fig8 and 9 reveals that the mv processor generally provides better spatial resolution than the bartlett processor , which is consistent with its performance in underwater applications ( jensen et al . 1994 ). for both processors , as the leak is moved to away from the center of the plate , the z - coordinate of the leak is determined in addition to its x - coordinate . this shows that asymmetry and complexity in the acoustic environment actually aids leak localization , a phenomena previously described in underwater acoustics as environmental signal processing ( perkins and kuperman , 1990 ). the comparison between the bartlett and mv processors presented on fig5 through 9 can be summarized as follows . the mv processor has greater side lobe suppression capability and a narrower main lobe than the bartlett processor at a single frequencies when the photoacoustic signal is strong enough . however , when the results are incoherently averaged the side lobe suppression capability of both processors is essentially equal but the mv processor continues to have a narrower main lobe than the bartlett processor . the multiple - frequency bartlett processor appears to have an advantage at low signal - to - noise ratios because its side lobe structure remains benign . to determine the sensitivity of leak location error to random error in microphone placement and speed of sound mismatch , monte carlo simulations of the experiment with the bartlett processor were performed . the results of the simulation show that a root - mean - square ( rms ) error in microphone placement of 1 mm in each coordinate direction leads to approximately 6 mm rms error in leak location . the sensitivity to mismatch between the actual sound speed in the lab during an experiment , and the computed sound speed based on the measured temperature is predicted to be less important . a mismatch of 0 . 6 m / s ( corresponding to a temperature error 1 . 0 ° c . in air at ordinary room conditions ), should lead to and rms error of 1 mm in leak location . hence , the observed leak location accuracy of ± 3 mm for the 1 . 22 × 10 − 5 cm 3 / s leak easily falls within the bounds of the microphone placement error , but is larger than that likely to be caused by mismatch in the speed of sound . having described the invention , many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	6
the composition to be used to stabilize pap depends upon the specific binding protein , normally an antibody , which is to be used in the assay . generally , the stabilizer should prevent any changes in pap from one immunologically distinct species to another . this means that the immunological features of pap in samples , standards and tracer not be permitted to change relative to one another . for example , pap antibodies are usually elicited by immunizing a suitable animal against the enzymatically active form of pap . with such antibodies it is necessary to prevent the degradation or transformation of enzymatically active pap into a moiety which is not bindable by the antibody , i . e . to prevent losses in immunological activity , for such losses in immunological activity have been found to correlate with losses in enzymatic acitivity . hence , where an assay employs antibody directed against enzymatically active pap the stabilizer should be capable of stabilizing the enzyme activity of pap . however , stabilizing the enzymatic activity of pap to preserve its immunological activity is but one embodiment of this invention . pap enzymatic activity may be stabilized by any of the compositions heretofore used to stabilize pap in enzyme assays for pap . acids have been commonly used for this purpose . test samples are collected into and standards prepared in an acidic medium , conventionally a buffer having a ph of from about 4 . 0 to about 6 . 5 , preferably ph 5 . 0 to 5 . 5 . citrate and glutamate buffers are particularly useful . alternatively , serum or plasma samples may be simply adjusted to the desired ph with an acid , either a mineral acid such as hcl or an organic acid such as acetic acid , without the use of an exogenous buffer . competitive inhibitors for pap enzymatic activity such as l - tartrate and fluoride may be employed as stabilizers , but they are not as effective as acid in stabilizing the pap immunological activity . hence the preferred role of tartrate or fluoride is as a supplement to other stabilizers . thus it is preferred to collect samples into and prepared standards in ph 5 - 5 . 5 phosphate buffer containing 1 mm l - tartrate . an additional group of stabilizers are specific binding proteins for pap , in particular pap antibodies . whether or not antibodies are used as stablizers depends upon balancing the comparative advantages and disadvantages of precombining antibody with standards and samples before the conduct of the assay . the benefits include a savings in laboratory time and reduction in laboratory error . the disadvantages include a requirement for a longer incubation period in competitive - type pap immunoassays . on balance , specific binding proteins are not preferred for use as stabilizers . the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following examples . pap is determined using a competitive binding assay incorporating a precipitating antiserum reagent to separate antibody - bound tracer and antigen from the unbound tracer and antigen . in this method non - radioactive pap from serum samples , pap standards or pap controls compete with a constant amount of radioiodinated pap tracer [ hereafter ( 125 i ) pap ] for binding sites on the pap antibody , which is held at a limiting concentration in relation to the total pap and ( 125 i ) pap concentration . the amount of ( 125 i ) pap which will bind to the antibody is inversely proportional to the amount of non - radioactive pap present in the assay tube . the precipitating reagent solution , containing an antibody to pap antibody is used to separate the antibody - bound ( 125 i ) pap from unbound ( 125 i ) pap by immunoprecipitation . after incubating the precipitating reagent with the reaction mixture the assay tubes are centrifuged and the supernatants are decanted . the antibody - bound ( 125 i ) pap , which is in the precipitate , is counted in a gamma counter . a standard curve is constructed and the pap concentrations of the samples are interpolated from the standard curve . since the enzyme and immune activies of pap are unstable it is recommended that samples be acidified as soon as possible after collection and that they be stored at 2 ° to 8 ° c . or frozen if lengthy storage , i . e ., greater than 2 days , is anticipated . the pap assay was conducted at 20 °- 27 ° c . plastic or glass test tubes were labelled in duplicate according to the scheme shown below in table 2 . the following reagents were added to the appropriate tubes in duplicate : a . 100 microliters of pap serum blank , 0 ng / ml , ph 5 . 5 . b . 100 microliters of each pap serum standard , ph adjusted to 5 . 5 with acetic acid . c . 100 microliters of pap control serum 5 . 0 ng pap / ml , ph adjusted to 5 . 5 with acetic acid . then 100 microliters of goat anti - pap serum in ph 6 . 8 phosphate buffer containing bovine serum albumin and 0 . 003 m sodium azide were added to all tubes , mixed , and the composition incubated for 18 hours . ( 125 i ) pap was dissolved in ph 5 . 0 phosphate buffer containing 0 . 001 m tartrate . 100 microliters of this tracer solution were added to each tube and mixed ; total counts - per - minute added were approximately 27 , 000 . after 3 hours incubation 1 . 0 ml of horse anti - goat serum in phosphate buffer containing 0 . 02 m ethylenediaminetetracetic acid and 0 . 003 m sodium azide preservative was added to each tube and mixed . all tubes were incubated for 30 minutes and centrifuged for 20 minutes at a minimum relative centrifugal force of 1000 x g in a refrigerated centrifuge . the soluble contents of each tube were decanted and the precipitated residue counted for one minute in a gamma counter with the window suitably adjusted for iodine - 125 . the results are set forth in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ paptube contents of tubes cpm concentrationno . in ng / ml bound ( ng / ml ) ______________________________________1 pap serum blank , 0 13 , 126 -- 2 &# 34 ; 13 , 104 -- 3 pap serum standard , 1 . 0 11 , 742 -- 4 &# 34 ; 11 , 900 -- 5 pap serum standard , 3 . 0 9 , 567 -- 6 &# 34 ; 9 , 685 -- 7 pap serum standard , 10 . 0 5 , 008 -- 8 &# 34 ; 5 , 161 -- 9 pap serum standard , 30 . 0 2 , 548 -- 10 &# 34 ; 2 , 736 -- 11 pap control serum , 5 . 0 7 , 594 5 . 212 &# 34 ; 7 , 650 5 . 1 av . 5 . 213 patient &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; serum sample 7 , 286 5 . 614 &# 34 ; 7 , 478 5 . 3 av . 5 . 515 patient &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; serum sample 3 , 275 20 . 216 &# 34 ; 3 , 250 20 . 5 av . 20 . 4______________________________________ this example demonstrates the lability of pap when pap is determined by immunoassay . four series of pap standard having 0 , 3 . 125 , 6 . 25 , 12 . 5 , 25 and 50 ng pap / ml were prepared by adding the requisite amount of pap to normal human serum containing sodium azide preservative and adjusting the ph to 5 . 3 , 5 . 5 , 6 . 5 , or 7 . 5 . the standards were incubated at 37 ° c . for 18 hours and assayed essentially by the method of example 1 , except that the incubation of pap tracer , standards and anti - pap was continued for 48 hours rather than 18 hours and 0 . 5 ml of rabbit anti - goat serum was employed . the ratio of ( 1 ) radio - activity bound by anti - pap to ( 2 ) the total counts added was determined for each standard at each ph and plotted on semilogarithmic chart paper . the results are shown in fig1 . as can be seen from this figure , pap incubated at ph 7 . 5 and 37 ° c . is ineffective at any concentration in displacing tracer pap from anti - pap , thus indicating that the treated pap has lost the capacity to be immunologically recognized by its antibody . on the other hand , pap which was incubated under acidic conditions , i . e ., ph 5 . 3 or 5 . 5 , retained the capacity to compete with tracer pap for antibody binding sites . thus it is concluded that pap is immunologically unstable within the ph range of normal serum but that the pap inactivation can be prevented by the addition of a pap stabilizing composition such as acid .	8
form xx , form xxi , form xxii , form xxiii , form xxiv , form xxv , form xxvi , form xxvii , form xxviii , form xxix , or form xxx atorvastatin calcium may be characterized by x - ray powder diffraction patterns , by their solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ( nmr ), and / or their raman spectra . the “ forms ” of atorvastatin calcium disclosed in the present invention may exist as disordered crystals , liquid crystals , plastic crystals , mesophases , and the like . forms that are related through disorder will have essentially the same major peak positions but the disordering process will cause broadening of these peaks . for many of the weaker peaks , the broadening may be so severe that they are no longer visible above the background . the peak broadening caused by disorder may in addition cause errors in the location of the exact peak position . form xx , form xxi , form xxii , form xxiii , form xxiv , form xxv , form xxvi , form xxvii , form xxviii , form xxix , and form xxx atorvastatin calcium were characterized by their x - ray powder diffraction pattern . thus , the x - ray powder diffraction patterns of forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , and xxx were carried out on a shimadzu xrd - 600 x - ray diffractometer using cuk a radiation . this instrument is equipped with a fine focus x - ray tube . the tube voltage and amperage were set to 40 kv and 40 ma , respectively . the divergence and scattering slits were set at 1 °, and the receiving slit was set at 0 . 15 mm . diffraction radiation was detected by a nal scintillation detector . a theta - two theta continuous scan at 3 ° c ./ min ( 0 . 4 sec / 0 . 02 ° step ) from 2 . 5 to 40 ° 2θ was used . a silicon standard was analyzed each day to check the instrument alignment . data were collected and analyzed using xrd - 600 v . 4 . 1 . samples were prepared for analysis by placing them in an aluminum holder . the x - ray powder diffraction patterns of forms xxviii and xxix were carried out on a bruker d5000 diffractometer using cuk a radiation . the instrument was equipped with a fine focus x - ray tube . the tube voltage and amperage were set to 40 kv and 40 ma , respectively . the divergence and scattering slits were set at 1 mm , and the receiving slit was set at 0 . 6 mm . diffracted radiation was detected by a kevex psi detector . a theta two theta continuous scan at 2 . 4 ° / min ( 1 sec / 0 . 04 ° step ) from 3 . 0 to 40 ° 2θ was analyzed to check the instrument alignment . data were collected and analyzed using bruker axs software version 7 . 0 . samples were prepared for analysis by placing them in a quartz holder . it should be noted that bruker instruments purchased siemans thus , a bruker d5000 instrument is essentially the same as a siemans d5000 . to perform an x - ray diffraction measurement on a bragg - brentano instrument like the shimadzu system or the bruker system used for measurements reported herein , the sample is typically placed into a holder which has a cavity . the sample powder is pressed by a glass slide or equivalent to ensure a random surface and proper sample height . the sample holder is then placed into the shimadzu instrument . the incident x - ray beam is directed at the sample , initially at a small angle relative to the plane of the holder , and then moved through an arc that continuously increases the angle between the incident beam and the plane of the holder . measurement differences associated with such x - ray powder analyses result from a variety of factors including : ( a ) errors in sample preparation ( e . g ., sample height ), ( b ) instrument errors ( e . g . flat sample errors ), ( c ) calibration errors , ( d ) operator errors ( including those errors present when determining the peak , locations ), and ( e ) the nature of the material ( e . g . preferred orientation and transparency errors ). calibration errors and sample height errors often result in a shift of all the peaks in the same direction . small differences in sample height when using a flat holder will lead to large displacements in xrpd peak positions . a systematic study showed that , using a shimadzu xrd - 600 in the typical bragg - brentano configuration , sample height difference of 1 mm lead to peak shifts as high as 1 ° 2θ ( chen et al . ; j pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis , 2001 ; 26 , 63 ). these shifts can be identified from the x - ray diffractogram and can be eliminated by compensating for the shift ( applying a systematic correction factor to all peak position values ) or recalibrating the instrument . as mentioned above , it is possible to rectify measurements from the various machines by applying a systematic correction factor to bring the peak positions into agreement . in general , this correction factor will bring the measured peak positions from the shimadzu or the bruker into agreement with the expected peak positions and may be in the range of 0 to 0 . 2 ° 2θ . tables 1 - 11 list peak positions in degrees 2θ , relative intensities , and relative peak widths for x - ray powder diffraction patterns of each form of atorvastatin calcium disclosed in the present application . the relative narrow peak positions were picked by the shimadzu software using default settings . x - ray powder diffraction patterns were processed by the shimadzu xrd - 6000 version 2 . 6 software to automatically find peak positions . the “ peak position ” means the maximum intensity of a peaked intensity profile . the maximize accuracy and precision , the entire intensity profile is considered when selecting peak positions . intensity spikes from the large crystals and the expected intensity fluctuations from noise were considered in picking the position of a peak . the following processes were used with the shimadzu xrd - 6000 “ basic process ” version 2 . 6 algorithm : 2 . the background was subtracted to find the net , relative intensity of the peaks . 3 . a peak from cuk a alpha2 ( 1 . 5444 å ) wavelength was subtracted from the peak generated by cuk a alpha1 ( 1 . 5406 å ) peak at 50 % intensity for all patterns . default values of the software were used in picking the peaks and all peak positions were rounded to 1 / 10 th . some of the xrpd patterns displayed very diffuse and very noisy patterns and the peak positions were determined manually , and expressed as a range of degree 2 theta ( from the beginning of the broad peak to the end of the broad peak ). all peak positions were rounder to 0 . 1 ° 2θ . the following abbreviations are used to describe the peak intensity ( s = strong ; m = medium ; w = weak ) and the peak width ( b = broad ( where a broad refers to peak widths of between 0 . 2 and 1 . 0 degrees 2θ , sh = shoulder , vb = very broad ( where very broad refers to peaks with & gt ; 1 degrees 2θ 0 peak width )). powder materials of different lots of atorvastatin calcium were packed in either glass or quartz x - ray capillaries with diameter of 1 to 2 mm . small - angle x - ray diffraction ( saxd ) experiments were performed at the beamline id2 , european synchrotron radiation facility ( esrf ), grenoble , france . the radiation wavelength was 0 . 998 å ( silicon channel - cut monochromator ). the 2 - dimensional saxd images were recorded using image - intensified change coupled device ( ccd ) detector and the data was expressed as reciprocal spacing q in nm − 1 units . the exposure time was adjusted to use the maximum dynamic of the detectors for every particular sample and was less than 1s in the majority of causes . the 2 - dimensional images were normalized to an absolute intensity scale after performing the standard detector corrections and azimuthally integrated to obtain the corresponding 1 - dimensional x - ray diffraction curves . peaks positions were measured using gaussian lit using single peak analysis . the saxd and ( wide angle x - ray diffraction ) waxd q - scales were calibrated with silver behenate and silicon powders , respectively . table 14 shows the saxrd peaks for forms xx , xxii , xxiv , xxv , xxvii and xxx atorvastatin calcium . the raman spectrum was obtained on a raman accessory interfaced to a nicolet magna 860 fourier transform infrared spectrometer . the accessory utilizes an excitation wavelength of 1064 nm and approximately 0 . 45 w of neodynium - doped yttrium aluminum garnet ( nd : yag ) laser power . the spectrum represents 6 or 128 co - added scans acquired at 4 cm − 1 resolution . the sample was prepared for analysis by placing a portion into a 5 - mm diameter glass tube and positioning this tube in the spectrometer . peak tables were generated using the nicolet software with default threshold and sensitivity settings . the spectrometer was calibrated ( wavelength ) with sulfur and cyclohexane at the time of use . table 15 shows the raman spectra for forms xx , xxii , xxiv , xxv , xxvii , and xxviii atorvastatin calcium . solid - state 15 c nmr and 19 f nmr spectra were obtained at 293k on 500 mhz nmr spectrometer . approximately 80 mg of sample were tightly packed into a 4 mm zro spinner for analysis . the one - dimensional solid state spectra were collected at ambient pressure and 293 k on a wide - bore bruker - biospin avance dsx 500 mhz nmr spectrometer using a bruker 4 mm hfx bl cross - polarization magic angle spinning ( cpmas ) probe . to minimize the spinning side bands , spinning speed was set to 15 . 0 khz , the maximum specified spinning speed for the 4 mm hfx bl probe . 13 c cpmas and 19 f mas peaks were peak - picked using bruker - biospin topspin 1 . 3 software , by suitably setting the spectral window and the peak picking threshold intensity to eliminate peak picking of spinning side bands . the detection sensitivity parameter ( pc ) was typically set to 0 . 5 . the one - dimensional 13 c spectra were collected using 1 h - 13 c cross - polarization magic angle spinning ( cpmas ). to optimize the signal sensitivity , the cross - polarization contact time was adjusted to 2 . 3 ms , and the decoupling power was set to 80 khz . the carbon spectra were acquired with approximately 1 , 100 scans with a recycle delay of 8 seconds . they were referenced using an external sample of adamantane , setting its upfield resonance to 29 . 5 ppm . the one - dimensional 19 f spectra were collected using magic angle spinning ( mas ) with proton decoupling . the decoupling field was set to approximately 65 khz . 19 f detected 1 h t1 relaxation times were calculated based on inversion recovery experiments . for all samples , the probe background was reduced by subtracting signal from interleaved scans , during which a 19 f presaturation pulse was applied . the spectra were acquired with approximately 64 scans , during which a 19 f presaturation pulse was applied were referenced using an external sample of trifluoroacetic acid ( diluted to 50 % v / v by h 2 o ), setting its resonance to − 76 . 54 ppm . table 16 shows the 13 c solid state nmr spectrum for forms xx , xxii , xxiv , xxv , xxvii , xxviii , and xxx atorvastatin calcium . table 17 shows the 19 f solid state nmr spectrum for forms xx , xxii , xxiv , xxv , xxvii , xxviii , and xxx atorvastatin calcium . a form xxii atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 10 . 0 , 16 . 1 , and 19 . 2 , and a solid state 19 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million : − 112 . 0 , − 114 . 8 , and − 118 . 9 . a form xxiv atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 7 . 4 , 9 . 5 and 12 . 2 , and a solid state 19 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million − 114 . 0 , − 116 . 8 , and − 117 . 9 . a form xxv atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 7 . 4 , 8 . 7 , 19 . 2 , and 20 . 0 , and a solid state 15 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million : − 113 . 2 , − 116 . 3 , and − 118 . 4 . a form xxvii atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 7 . 5 , and 18 . 7 , and a solid state 19 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million : − 112 . 2 , − 113 . 0 , and − 117 . 2 . a form xxviii atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 7 . 6 , 9 . 5 , 20 . 5 , and a solid state 19 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million : − 116 . 4 , − 117 . 1 , and − 119 . 2 . a form xxx atorvastatin calcium having an x - ray powder diffraction containing the following 2θ values measured using cuk a radiation : 3 . 1 , 9 . 0 , and 21 . 6 , and a solid state 19 f nuclear magnetic resonance having the following chemical shifts expressed in parts per million : − 116 . 7 and − 118 . 6 . the forms of atorvastatin calcium described in the present invention may exist in anhydrous forms as well as containing various amounts of water and / or solvents . in general , these forms are equivalent to the anhydrous forms and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention . the forms of atorvastatin calcium of the present invention , regardless of the extent of water and / or solvent having equivalent x - ray powder diffractograms are within the scope of the present invention . the new forms of atorvastatin calcium described in the present application have advantageous properties . the ability of a material to form good tablets at commercial scale depends upon a variety of physical properties of the drug , such as , for example , the tableting indices described in hiestand h , and smith d ., indices of tableting performance , powder technology , 1984 , 38 ; 145 - 159 . these indices may be used to identify forms of atorvastatin calcium which have superior tableting performance . one such index is the brittle fracture index ( bfi ), which reflects brittleness , and ranges from 0 ( good - low brittleness ) to 1 ( poor - high brittleness ). the present invention provides a process for the preparation of forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , xxviii , xxix , and xxx atorvastatin calcium which comprises forming atorvastatin calcium from a solution or slurry in solvents under conditions which yield forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , xxviii , xxix , and xxx atorvastatin calcium . the precise conditions under which forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , xxviii , xxix , and xxx atorvastatin calcium are formed may be empirically determined , and it is only possible to give a number of methods which have been found to be suitable in practice . the compounds of the present invention can be prepared and administered in a wide variety of oral and parenteral dosage forms . thus , the compounds of the present invention can be administered by injection , that is , intravenously , intramuscularly , intracutaneously , subcutaneously , intraduodenally , or intraperiloneally . also , the compounds of the present invention can be administered by inhalation , for example , intranasally . additionally , the compounds of the present invention can be administered transdermally . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the following dosage forms may comprise as the active component a compound of the present invention . for preparing pharmaceutical compositions from the compounds of the present invention , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers can be either solid or liquid . solid form preparation include powders , tablets , pills , capsules , cachets , suppositories , and dispersible granules . a solid carrier can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents , flavoring agents , solublizers , lubricants , suspending agents , binders , preservatives , tablet disintegrating agents , or an encapsulation material . in powders , the carrier is a finely divided solid which is in a mixture with the finely divided active component . in tablets , the active component is mixed with the carrier having the necessary binding properties in suitable proportions and compacted in the shape and size desired . the powders and tablets preferably contain from two or ten to about seventy percent of the active compound . suitable carriers are magnesium carbonate , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , a low melting wax , cocoa butter , and the like . the term ‘ preparation ’ is intended to include the formulation of the active compound with encapsulating material as a carrier providing a capsule in which the active component , with or without other carriers , is surrounded by a carrier , which is thus in association with it . similarly , cachets and lozenges are included . tablets , powders , capsules , pills , cachets , and lozenges can be used as solid dosage forms suitable for oral administration . for preparing suppositories , a low melting wax , such as a mixture of fatty acid glycerides or cocoa butter , is first melted and the active component is dispersed homogeneously therein , as by stirring . the molten homogeneous mixture is then poured into convenient sized molds , allowed to cool , and thereby to solidify . liquid form preparations include solutions , suspensions , retention enemas , and emulsions , for example water or water propylene glycol solutions . for parenteral injection , liquid preparations can be formulated in solution in aqueous polyethylene glycol solution . aqueous solutions suitable for oral use can be prepared by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitable colorants , flavors , stabilizing and thickening agents , as desired . aqueous suspensions suitable for oral use can be made by dispersing the finely divided active component in water with viscous material , such as natural or synthetic gums , resins , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , and other well - known suspending agents . also included are solid form preparations which are intended to be converted , shortly before use , to liquid form preparations for oral administration . such liquid forms include solutions , suspensions , and emulsions . these preparations may contain , in addition to the active component , colorants , flavors , stabilizers , buffers , artificial and natural sweeteners , dispersants , thickeners , solubilizing agents , and the like . the pharmaceutical preparation is preferably in unit dosage form . in such form , the preparation is subdivided into unit doses containing appropriate quantities of the active component . the unit dosage form can be packaged preparation , the package containing discrete quantities of preparation , such as packeted tablets , capsules , and powders in vials or ampoules . also , the unit dosage form can be a capsule , tablet , cachet , or lozenge itself , or it can be the appropriate number of any of these in packaged form . the quantity of active component in a unit dosage preparation may be varied or adjusted form 0 . 5 mg to 100 mg , preferably 2 . 5 to 80 mg according to the particular application and the potency of the active component . the composition can , if desired , also contain other compatible therapeutic agents . in therapeutic use as hypolidermic and / or hypocholesterolemic agents and agents to treat bph , osteoporosis , and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , the forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , xxviii , xxix , and xxx atorvastatin calcium utilized in the pharmaceutical method of this invention are administered at the initial dosage of about 2 . 5 mg to about 80 mg daily . a daily dose range of about 2 . 5 mg to about 20 mg is preferred . the dosages , however , may be varied depending upon the requirements of the patient , the severity of the condition being treated , and the compound being employed . determination of the proper dosage for a particular situation is within the skill of the art . generally , treatment is initiated with smaller dosages which are less than the optimum dose of the compound . thereafter , the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimum effect under the circumstance is reached . for convenience , the total daily dosage may be divided and administered in portions during the day if desired . the following nonlimiting examples illustrate the inventors &# 39 ; preferred methods for preparing the compounds of the invention . [ r -( r , r )]- 2 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- β , δ - dihydroxy - 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 3 - phyenyl - 4 -[( phenylamino ) carbonyl ]- 1h - pyrrole - 1 - heptanoic acid hemi calcium salt ( forms xx , xxi , xxii , xxiii , xxiv , xxv , xxvi , xxvii , xxviii , xxix , and xxx atorvastatin calcium ). a 12 . 2 g sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 , which is herein incorporated by reference ) was suspended in 300 ml of methanol ( meoh ): h 2 o ( 95 : 5 , v : v ) and sonicated . the resulting suspension was filtered into a 1 l flask . the sample was evaporated on a rotary evaporator with an unheated water bath and the vacuum provided with an aspirator . the solid obtained was dried under vacuum at ambient temperature overnight to afford form xx atorvastatin calcium . a 24 mg sample of form i atorvasdtatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was dissolved in 7 ml of ethanol ( etoh ): h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , v : v ) and filtered through a 0 . 2 82 m nylon filter . the resulting solution was evaporated in an open vial to dryness to afford form xx atorvastatin calcium . a 3 . 6 g sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was dissolved in 10 ml of tetrahydrofuran ; water ( 9 : 1 , v / v ) at 43 ° c . a 1 - ml aliquot was filtered into a vial and approximately 1 ml of pre - warmed acetonitrile ( acn ) was added drop - wise . the clear solution was placed in a refrigerator . solids formed within 1 day , recovered with vacuum filtration , and air - dried at ambient temperature to afford for xxi atorvastatin calcium . a 10 . 5 g sample of form i ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was slurried in 450 ml of isopropyl alcohol ( ipa )/ 50 ml h 2 o ( 9 : 1 ) at room temperature for 20 days . the sample was then vacuum filtered . the sample was then slurried in 450 ml of acn / 50 ml h 2 o ( 9 : 1 ) overnight . the sample was vacuum filtered for 5 hours to afford form xxi atorvastatin calcium . an 11 . 5 g sample of form xx atorvastatin calcium ( prepared as described above ) was mixed with 29 ml of meoh and stirred on an ambient temperature orbital shaker for 1 day . the sample was then vacuum dried at ambient temperature for 1 day . the recovered solid was mixed with 29 ml of meoh and slurried on an ambient temperature orbital shaker for less than 1 hour . the gel that formed was then mixed with an additional 40 ml of meoh and slurried on the ambient temperature orbital shaker for 3 days . the solids were vacuum dried at ambient temperature for 1 day to afford form xxii atorvastatin calcium . a 1 . 5 sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was slurried with approximately 75 ml of acn : water ( 9 : 1 , v / v ) in a flask and placed on ambient temperature orbital shaker block for 1 day . the sample was divided into four portions and centrifuged and the supernatant decanted and discarded . the recovered solids were returned to the shaker block for 1 hour . the samples were air dried for less than 1 day . the four portions were recombined and the sample was further air - dried at ambient conditions for 3 hours to afford form xxiii atorvastatin calcium . an 11 . 0 g sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was slurried with approximately 430 ml of acn : water ( 9 : 1 , v / v ) on an ambient temperature magnetic stir plate at 500 rpm for 2 days . the sample was vacuum filtered through a 0 . 22 - μm nylon membrane filter and the filtered solids were air cried at ambient conditions for 1 day to afford form xxiii atorvastatin calcium . a 1 . 0 g sample containing a mixture of amorphous atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 087 , 511 , which is herein incorporated by reference ) and form xx atorvastatin calcium ( prepared as described above ) was slurried with 195 ml of acn : water ( 9 : 1 , v / v ) in a flask and placed on a magnetic stir plate set at 55 ° c . and 500 rpm for 1 day . the sample was vacuum filtered using a 0 . 22 - μm nylon membrane filter and the solids were slurried with 195 ml of the fresh solvent at the same conditions for 1 day . again , the sample was vacuum filtered using 0 . 22 - μm nylon membrane filter and the solids were slurried with 195 ml of the fresh solvent at the same conditions for 1 day . the solids were isolated by vacuum filtration and were air dried in a petri dish at ambient conditions for 4 days to afford form xxiv atorvastatin calcium . a 58 mg of form xx atorvastatin calcium ( prepared as described above ) was slurried in 2 ml of acn : water ( 9 : 1 ) on a magnetic stir plate for 5 days and then filtered to afford form xxv atorvastatin calcium . a 2 . 0 g sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was slurried with 0 . 57 ml of water in a vial , 5 . 1 ml of meoh added , and the sample was placed on an orbital shaker block at 58 to 60 ° c . for 3 days . the resulting sample was vacuum dried between 70 - 75 ° c . for 3 days to afford form xxvi atorvastatin calcium . a 5 . 0 g sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was dissolved in 200 ml of 80 : 20 ( v / v ) water / meoh at 60 ° c . after forming a solution , a slurry resulted while stirring at 60 ° c . the slurry was isolated via vacuum filtration after 2 . 5 hours . the material vacuum dried at 45 ° c . overnight to afford form xxvi atorvastatin calcium . a sample of form viii atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 605 , 729 , which is herein incorporated by reference ) was heated on a sample holder in a variable temperature x - ray powder diffraction unit at 5 ° c ./ minute ramp rate . the temperature was held at 35 °, 80 °, 100 °, 115 °, and 140 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes before reaching 165 ° c . to afford form xxvii atorvastatin calcium . the form xxvii atorvastatin calcium remained unchanged upon cooling to 40 ° c . a sample of form viii atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 605 , 729 ) was heated using a variable temperature xrpd with humidity conditions remaining uncontrolled throughout the experiment . the sample was heated in a series of 4 steps beginning at 35 ° c . it continued up to 135 ° c . ( holding for 13 . 5 min ) and then on to 148 ° c . ( holding for 15 . 5 min ) before returning to 35 ° c . ( holding for 15 . 5 min ) to afford form xxvii atorvastatin calcium . form xxvii atorvastatin calcium was obtained at 148 ° c . and remained unchanged upon cooling to 35 ° c . a 0 . 3 g sample of amorphous atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 087 , 511 ) was slurried with 1 ml of ethylene glycol at 50 ° c . for 24 hours . the solids were isolated by vacuum filtration at ambient conditions to afford form xxviii atorvastatin calcium . a 1 . 0 g sample of amorphous atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 087 , 511 ) was slurried with 8 ml of water : tetrahydrofuran ( 4 : 1 , v / v ) at ambient temperature . the mixture was seeded with atorvastatin calcium form xii ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 605 , 729 ) and stirred at ambient conditions for 5 hours . the solids were isolated by vacuum filtration to afford form xxix atorvastatin calcium . a slurry containing 3 . 0 g of amorphous atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 087 , 511 ) and 24 ml of ethylene glycol was shaken on an ambient temperature orbital shaker block for about 1 day . the slurry was vacuum filtered and the solids were air dried at ambient temperature for 6 days to afford form xxx atorvastatin calcium . a 200 mg sample of form i atorvastatin calcium ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 156 ) was exposed to acn vapor at ambient temperature inside a sealed chamber for two months to afford form xxx atorvastatin calcium .	2
fig1 is a perspective view of a dart game apparatus according to the invention , indicated generally at 10 and located , for example , in a game room . certain elements of the combination thereof making up the present invention are useful for the enhanced enjoyment of the game of darts as the game might be played in a recreational or tournament environment . as such , the target - supporting track with the retrievable target board could , in itself , serve to enhance the safety aspect of the game as it is currently played . however , the description of the present invention is directed in the main to the combination of elements of the present invention that , when used , serve to expand the enjoyment of the game to visually and physically challenged persons who , heretofore , may not have been able to participate in the pastime . more specifically , the elements presented in this disclosure are directed primarily to the structural features that enhance the game for visually challenged participants . referring to fig1 the dart game apparatus 10 includes a pair of tracks , the first being a target travel track 12 which is suspended above the floor 14 of the game room , hall or the like . travel track 12 has a length that is generally commensurate with the regulation throwing distance between a player and the dart board target , approximately eight feet . a target - supporting carriage 16 ( fig4 ) has a regulation dart board or target 18 detachably secured thereto and is suspended from the carriage and the travel track for reciprocal movement between the distal end 20 and the proximal end 22 of the track . in fig1 the target 18 is shown at the distal end 20 of track 12 and is at its &# 34 ; in play &# 34 ; position . after the player has thrown the projectiles at the target , the latter can be retrieved , travelling along track 12 to the proximal end 22 thereof where the player can remove the projectiles or darts from the target before sending the target back to the distal end of the track . it will be appreciated that there are numerous ways in which to effect travel of the target between the distal and proximal ends of the track . one such method could be a simple push - pull arrangement using a retrieving cable or cord that might also utilize a counterweighted target to have it return to its &# 34 ; in play &# 34 ; position . however , for the purposes of efficiency and ease of use by a visually challenged participant , an electric , reversible drive motor 24 is mounted above the track 12 and , in combination with an associated drive line incorporating a drive pulley and an idler pulley and a suitable transmission drive such as a cable ( fig6 ), the target 18 may easily be retrieved from the distal end 20 and subsequently returned thereto . as shown in fig1 the apparatus 10 includes a second , transverse track 26 located at the proximal end 22 of track 12 and while this second track could consist of only one short arm to either side of the track 12 , in the example shown it consists of an elongated track positioned normal to the target travel track 12 . a second regulation size target or a simulated target 28 is suspended from a carrier 30 ( fig2 ) which , with the simulated target 28 , may travel substantially the length of the transverse track 26 . this track may also be utilized for carrying other elements of the assembly such as a score card 32 and a motor control means 34 . while not considered an essential element to the function of the invention , a visually challenged player will find a start / toe line indicator 36 most helpful . the indicator 36 , as shown in fig9 is in the form of a flexible mat 38 having a straight peg board 40 along the terminal edge facing the target , the peg board being provided with moveable pins 42 which the player may use both to define the toe or start line and which can be moved to other apertures in the peg board to retain an optimum position for the player and to which the player may return to . for the sake of convenience , the indicator 36 can , by way of a line and fastener arrangement , be easily positioned by a visually challenged player at the correct distance from the distal end of the track 12 ( and therefore the wall against which the target 18 is resting ). moreover , by utilizing a plumb line 44 suspended from the proximal end 22 of the track 12 or from an adjacent portion of track 26 , the indicator 36 can be correctly positioned beneath the proximal end of track 12 which , in effect , generally defines the path of the dart or projectiles . switch means , as seen in fig7 and 8 , are located adjacent the distal end 20 and proximal end 22 of the target travel track 12 and , when contacted , serve to stop the motor means 24 and the target - supporting carriage with its target at the predetermined locations , in this case at either end of the track . fig8 shows a limit switch 44 having a contact 46 and mounted adjacent the proximal end 22 of track 12 and in proximity of the transverse track 26 . fig7 illustrates the distal end 20 of the track 12 and shows a further limit switch 48 secured adjacent the end of the track and having a contact 50 . fig7 also illustrates the lower bracket portion 52 of the target - supporting carriage , bracket assembly 52 including a first arm 54 which detachably carries a target 18 and its associated back board 19 and a second bracket 56 which serves to both connect the carriage to the transmission cable 58 and also to provide a pair of resiliently mounted switch actuators 60 and 62 on an l - shaped arm 63 . in fig7 actuator 60 is shown in contact with the limit switch contact 50 ( which stops the motor means when such contact is made ) while the other resilient contact 62 , directed toward the proximal end of the track 12 , serves to engage contact 46 on limit switch 44 and thereby stop the motor when the carriage and its target reach the proximal end of the track as shown in fig3 . the player may utilize the motor control means 34 as shown in fig1 to activate the motor means and send the target back to the distal end where resilient contact 60 engages limit switch 48 to again stop the motor and the travel of the carriage . fig6 is a perspective view of the motor and associated drive line which provides the means for moving the carriage and its dependent target between the distal and proximal ends of the track 12 . it will be appreciated that various motor drive arrangements could be utilized within the scope of the present invention to carry out this function and several forms of transmission are applicable such as sprockets and chains or toothed belts and sprockets . however , i have found that a single reversible electric motor located adjacent the proximal end of the track 12 with a single idler pulley located adjacent the distal end of the track 12 and interconnected by an aircraft cable , works extremely efficiently , is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is quiet in operation . as shown in fig1 and 6 , the reversible motor 24 is located adjacent the proximal end 22 of track 12 and is interconnected to the motor control 34 through suitable wiring harness 64 . motor 24 is provided with a drive pulley 66 and the transmission means such as aircraft - grade cable 58 is trained around drive pulley 66 and idler pulley 68 located at the distal end of track cable 58 is detachably and adjustably secured to carriage bracket 56 as shown in fig7 so that , when the motor means 24 is actuated , cable 58 transmits movement of the carriage together with its attached target and switch contacts 62 and 60 . fig4 and 5 illustrate the target - supporting carriage , a similar unit being provided in the transverse track 26 for carrying the simulated target 28 . both carriages 16 and 30 include a base member 70 with less 72 that serve to space pairs of rollers 74 that are rotatably mounted to the less on journals 76 . hanger brackets 78 depend from the base 70 and include an aperture 80 to receive a bolt / nut combination 82 for detachably securing and suspending therefrom the target and bracket support means shown in fig7 or simulated target shown in fig1 or 8 . rollers 74 are maintained in proper orientation in the track 12 and in the track 26 by means of ribs or flanges 84 shown in fig4 . it will be noted from fig3 and 7 that the target board 18 may be provided with a back up panel 19 having dimensions substantially beyond the perimeter of the target , its function being to receive projectiles that miss the target altogether and which otherwise might find their way into the walls of the room in which the apparatus is located . panel 19 is not an essential element of the invention but i have found it to be a useful addition to the apparatus . also , i have found that the use of target segments as shown in fig1 and 11 are helpful in providing a visually challenged player with an indication of the size of portions of the target that the player will be addressing . segments 88 and 86 are similar although segment 88 includes a bulls - eye portion 90 . the following description of playing the game utilizing the present invention would apply to a visually challenged participant . while use of the start / toe line indicator is not an essential element of the invention and can , if necessary , be ignored , it can be helpful to a participant depending on the degree to which that player is visually challenged . assuming that its use is desired , the mat 38 is located in its proper distance from the wall against which the target is located and is centered by the participant through a plumb bob 45 suspended from plumb line 44 detachably connected to track 26 adjacent its intersection with track 12 as shown in fig9 . this places the center of the mat 38 directly beneath and in line with track 12 and the centre of the target 18 . assuming for the moment that the participant is right handed , he or she would probably be addressing the target 18 as shown in fig2 with the target 18 at the distal end 20 of track 12 . if desired , the simulated target 28 could be drawn along track 26 to the position of fig2 ( or between that position and the left hand end of track 26 ) so that the player could benefit from a close - up look at the simulated target and could make the use of the numerals provided in braille adjacent the periphery of the target . when the player is ready to commence , the simulated target 28 in fig2 is moved over to the left of the track 26 and the player , with his / her foot contacting the indicator pegs 42 on the mat 38 assumes what is considered to be the optimum position for throwing the darts . the player then proceeds to throw the darts and , after all the darts have been thrown , the motor control 34 is actuated and motor 24 operating the transmission cable causes the target - supporting carriage to bring the target to the proximal end 22 of track 12 to the position shown in fig3 . the player may then determine the score from the board and can mark it on the score card 32 , remove the darts from the board and pass the game to the next participant . if that same player wishes to continue with another series of darts the pins 42 on the mat 38 will help to assume the earlier shooting position . while the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use , various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . the terms and expressions which have been employed in this specification are used as terms of description and not of limitations , and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof , but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claims .	5
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention . an image display system 100 ( graphics display system ) adopting a raster scan method has a host cpu 102 , a rom 104 , a ram 106 , an input device 108 , a graphics lsi 110 ( image processing device ), a bus 112 , a graphics memory 114 ( image storing unit ), a separator 116 ( separating unit ), and display devices 118 , 120 ( image display units ). the host cpu 102 controls each unit according to programs stored in the rom 104 or the ram 106 and processes various arithmetic operations . the rom 104 stores the programs to be executed by the host cpu 102 and various kinds of data . the ram 106 tentatively stores the programs to be executed by the host cpu 102 and various kinds of data . the input device 108 is constituted of , for example , a pointing device , and generates and outputs data according to a user &# 39 ; s operation . the graphics lsi 1110 reads image data from the graphics memory 114 and appropriately synthesizes the read image data for output to the separator 116 . the graphics lsi 110 will be described in detail in fig2 . the bus 112 connects the host cpu 102 , the rom 104 , the ram 106 , the input device 108 , and the graphics lsi 110 to one another to enable data exchange thereamong . image data are written to the graphics memory 114 by the host cpu 102 via the graphics lsi 110 . further , the graphics memory 114 outputs image data to the graphics lsi 110 in response to a request from the graphics lsi 110 . the separator 116 separates the image data outputted from the graphics lsi 110 into image data to be displayed on the display device 118 and image data to be displayed on the display device 120 and outputs the respective image data to the display devices 118 , 120 . the separator 116 will be described in detail together with the graphics lsi 110 in fig2 . the display devices 118 , 120 , each constituted of , for example , an lcd ( liquid crystal display ), display the image data outputted from the separator 116 . fig2 shows the graphics lsi 110 and the separator 116 in fig1 . fig3 ( a ) to ( d ) show examples of image data stored in the graphics memory 114 in fig2 . fig4 shows the structure of a destination specifying register 126 in fig2 . fig5 shows a memory read circuit 130 a in fig2 . fig6 shows a phase selector 134 a and a synthesis circuit 138 a in fig2 . image data , for example , shown in fig3 ( a ) to ( d ) are stored in areas a to d of the graphics memory 114 , respectively . the graphics lsi 110 has a clock generator 122 ( divided - period setting unit ), a video timing generator 124 , the destination specifying register 126 ( destination specifying unit ), a host access circuit 128 , memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d ( read unit ), a graphics memory interface 132 , phase selectors 134 a to 134 d ( mask circuit , synthesis unit ), a background color register 136 , and synthesis circuits 138 a to 138 d ( synthesis unit ). using , for example , a pll circuit and a programmable divider ( not shown ), the clock generator 122 generates a clock dclk for determining an image output speed of the graphics lsi 110 to output it to the video timing generator 124 . specifically , a period of the clock dclk corresponds to a display period for one pixel on the display devices 118 , 120 ( unit display period ). the clock generator 122 outputs to the phase selectors 134 a to 134 d a phase signal phase ( divided - period signal ) that varies in synchronization with transition edges of the clock dclk . a period between rising edges ( or falling edges ) of the phase signal phase corresponds to the display period for one pixel on the display devices 118 , 120 . therefore , the display period for one pixel on the display devices 118 , 120 consists of two periods , namely , one during which the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ” and the other one during which the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”. the clock generator 122 also generates a clock dclkddr whose frequency is the same as that of the clock dclk and outputs the clock dclkddr to the separator 116 . in accordance with the clock dclk from the clock generator 122 , the video timing generator 124 generates a vertical synchronizing signal vsync , a horizontal synchronizing signal hsyn , and other additional signals that are generally necessary for image display . the destination specifying register 126 is a register for specifying display destinations ( display devices 118 , 120 ) of the image data stored in the respective areas a to d of the graphics memory 114 , and a register value thereof can be set by the host cpu 102 via the bus 112 . for example , as shown in fig4 , the destination specifying register 126 is an 8 - bit register having bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 corresponding to the area a of the graphics memory 114 , bits bdisp 1 , bdisp 2 corresponding to the area b , bits cdisp 1 , cdisp 2 corresponding to the area c , and bits ddisp 1 , ddisp 2 corresponding to the area d . it outputs bit values thereof to the phase selectors 134 a to 134 d as destination signals adisp 1 and adisp 2 , destination signals bdisp 1 and bdisp 2 , destination signals cdisp 1 and cdisp 2 , and destination signals ddisp 1 and ddisp 2 , respectively . for example , when the image data in the area a of the graphics memory 114 is to be displayed only on the display device 118 , the bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 are set to “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” respectively . when the image data in the area a of the graphics memory 114 is to be displayed only on the display unit 120 , the bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 are set to “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively . when the image data in the area a of the graphics memory 114 is to be displayed both on the display devices 118 , 120 , the bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 are both set to “ 1 ”. the same relation applies to between the area b of the graphics memory 114 and the bits bdisp 1 , bdisp 2 of the destination specifying register 126 , between the area c and the bits cdisp 1 , cdisp 2 , and between the area d and the bits ddisp 1 , ddisp 2 . in fig2 , the host access circuit 128 is a circuit via which the host cpu 102 accesses the graphics memory 114 and it is mainly used in writing the image data to be displayed on the display devices 118 , 120 to the graphics memory 114 . the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d read the image data of respective layers ( the areas a to d ) from the graphics memory 114 via the graphics memory interface 132 , tentatively store the read image data through high - speed burst transfer , and output the stored image data at a timing appropriate for image display . for example , as shown in fig5 , the memory read circuit 130 a has a head address register 144 , a stride register 146 , an adder 148 , a selector 150 , a raster address register 152 , a pixel address counter 154 , a control circuit 156 , and a fifo ( first in first out ) 158 . the head address register 144 is a register whose register value is set by the host cpu 102 via the bus 112 shown in fig1 , and it holds a head address of the area a storing the image data to be displayed . the stride register 146 is a register whose register value is set by the host cpu 102 via the bus 112 and it holds a constant value to be added at the time of address calculation of a subsequent raster . the adder 148 adds the register value of the stride register 146 and a register value of the raster address register 152 to output the resultant to the selector 150 . the selector 150 selects an output of the head address register 144 when reading the head of the area a , while in other cases , selecting an output of the adder 148 to output it to the raster address register 152 . the raster address register 152 is a register holding a head address of each raster to be displayed and being loaded with the register value of the head address register 144 in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal vsync outputted from the video timing generator 124 shown in fig2 . further , the register value of the stride register 146 is added to that of the raster address register 152 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync outputted from the video timing generator 124 shown in fig2 . the pixel address counter 154 calculates an address of each pixel forming a raster . the pixel address counter 154 loads the head address of the raster from the raster address register 152 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . then , the pixel address counter 154 increments a value thereof by one each time . this counter value of the pixel address counter 154 is an address output to be outputted to the graphics memory 114 . the control circuit 156 outputs an access request signal req to the graphics memory interface 132 according to the vertical synchronizing signal vsync , the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync , and the state of the fifo 158 , and receives an access acknowledgement signal ack as a response therefrom . the control circuit 156 outputs an image validity signal pv according to a window signal win outputted from the video timing generator 124 and indicating the display timing for images on the display devices 118 , 120 . the image validity signal pv is activated to “ 1 ” from “ 0 ” when the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a is image data to be displayed on the display device 118 or 120 . further , the control circuit 156 controls the selector 150 , the raster address register 152 , and the pixel address counter 154 . the fifo 158 stores the image data read from the graphics memory 114 in sequence and reads and outputs the image data in the order of the storage . the data read from the graphics memory 114 are transferred in a high - speed burst transfer mode but this transfer is performed only intermittently . therefore , displaying the read data as they are would result in discontinuous image display . so , the read data are tentatively stored in the fifo 158 to be outputted at a timing synchronous with the image display . note that the memory read circuits 130 b to 130 d also have the same configuration as that of the memory read circuit 130 a . in fig2 , the graphics memory interface 132 arbitrates access ( read or write ) requests from the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d and the host access circuit 128 , permitting the requests one by one to have them access to the graphics memory 114 . the phase selectors 134 a to 134 d mask the image validity signals pv outputted from the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d . the background color register 136 holds codes of background colors to output the codes to the synthesis circuit 138 d . the synthesis circuits 138 a to 138 d are connected in cascade . each of the synthesis circuits 138 a to 138 d appropriately synthesizes the image data outputted from a corresponding one of the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d and the image data outputted from a preceding stage ( the synthesis circuits 138 b to 138 d and the background color register 136 ) to output the resultant image data . for example , as shown in fig6 , the phase selector 134 a has a selector 160 and an and circuit 162 . the selector 160 outputs to the and circuit 162 the destination signal adisp 1 outputted from the destination specifying register 126 shown in fig2 when the phase signal phase outputted from the clock generator 122 shown in fig2 indicates “ 1 ”. the selector 160 outputs the destination signal adisp 2 to the and circuit 162 when the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”. the and circuit 162 outputs to the synthesis circuit 138 a the image validity signal pv , which is outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a , as an image validity signal pvm when the output signal of the selector 160 indicates “ 1 ”. the and circuit 162 fixes the image validity signal pvm to “ 0 ” to mask the image validity signal pv outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a when the output signal of the selector 160 indicates “ 0 ”. note that the phase selectors 134 b to 134 d also have the same configuration as that of the phase selector 134 a . the synthesis circuit 138 a is constituted of a selector 164 . the selector 164 selects and outputs the image data from the synthesis circuit 138 b when the image validity signal pvm outputted from the phase selector 134 a indicates “ 0 ”. the selector 164 selects and outputs the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a when the image validity signal pvm indicates “ 1 ”. note that the synthesis circuits 138 b to 138 d also have the same configuration as that of the synthesis circuit 138 a . fig7 shows the operation of the phase selector 134 a and the synthesis circuit 138 a . when the destination signals adisp 1 , adisp 2 indicate “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” respectively ( i . e ., when the display device 118 is specified as the display destination of the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a ), the phase selector 134 a fixes the image validity signal pvm to “ 0 ” to mask the image validity signal pv outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a during a period in which the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”. when , on the other hand , the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”, the image validity signal pv is not masked . therefore , only when the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”, the image validity signal pvm is at “ 1 ” and the synthesis circuit 138 a outputs the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a as synthesized image data data . when the destination signals adisp 1 , adisp 2 indicate “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively ( i . e ., when the display device 120 is specified as the display destination of the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a ), the phase selector 134 a fixes the image validity signal pvm to “ 0 ” to mask the image validity signal pv outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a during a period in which the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”. when , on the other hand , the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”, the image validity signal pv is not masked . therefore , only when the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”, the image validity signal pvm is at “ 1 ” and the synthesis circuit 138 a outputs the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a as the synthesized image data data . when the destination signals adisp 1 , adisp 2 both indicate “ 1 ” ( i . e ., the display devices 118 , 120 are both specified as the display destinations of the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a ), the phase selector 134 a does not mask the image validity signal pv outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a but outputs it as the image validity signal pvm . therefore , irrespective of a signal value of the phase signal phase , the image validity signal pvm has “ 1 ” and the synthesis circuit 138 a outputs the image data outputted from the memory read circuit 130 a as the synthesized image data data . in fig2 , the separator 116 has output registers 140 , 142 . the output register 140 accepts the image data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a of the graphics lsi 110 , in synchronization with rising edges of the clock dclkddr outputted from the clock generator 122 and outputs it to the display device 118 . the output register 142 accepts the image data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a , in synchronization with falling edges of the clock dclkddr outputted from the clock generator 122 and outputs it to the display device 120 . fig8 shows the operation of the separator 116 . the output register 140 accepts the image data data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a , in synchronization with the rising edges of the clock dclkddr . therefore , the output register 140 accepts in sequence the image data data that is outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a when the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”, namely , the image data data of data values x 1 to x 3 , and then outputs it to the display device 118 . the output register 142 accepts the image data data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a , in synchronization with the falling edges of the clock dclkddr . therefore , the output register 142 accepts in sequence the synthesized image data data that is outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a when the phase signal phase indicates “ 0 ”, namely , the image data of data values y 1 to y 3 , and outputs it to the display device 120 . fig9 ( a ), ( b ) show examples of image display on the image display system 100 in fig1 . the examples show images when the destination register 126 sets the bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 corresponding to the area a of the graphics memory 114 to “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively , the bits bdisp 1 , bdisp 2 corresponding to the area b to “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively , the bits cdisp 1 , cdisp 2 corresponding to the area c to “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” respectively , and the bits ddisp 1 , ddisp 2 corresponding to the area d to “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” respectively . in other words , the image data in the areas a , b shown in fig3 ( a ), ( b ) are displayed only on the display device 120 and the image data in the areas c , d shown in fig3 ( c ), ( d ) are displayed only on the display device 118 . for such image display , the image data in the area a of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 a via the memory read circuit 130 a and the phase selector 134 a as indicated by the heavy line arrows in fig1 . the image data in the area b of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 b via the memory read circuit 130 b and the phase selector 134 b . then , when the phase signal phase outputted from the clock generator 122 indicates “ 0 ”, the image data in the areas a , b of the graphics memory 114 are synthesized by the synthesis circuits 138 a , 138 b and accepted by the output register 142 of the separator 116 for output to the display device 120 . further , as indicated by the heavy line arrows in fig1 , the image data in the area c of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 c via the memory read circuit 130 c and the phase selector 134 c . the image data in the area d of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 d via the memory read circuit 130 d and the phase selector 134 d . then , when the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”, the image data in the areas c , d of the graphics memory 114 are synthesized by the synthesis circuits 138 c , 138 d and accepted by the output register 140 of the separator 116 for output to the display device 118 . fig1 ( a ), ( b ) show other examples of image display on the image display system 100 in fig1 . the examples show images when the destination register 126 sets the bits adisp 1 , adisp 2 corresponding to the area a of the graphics memory 114 to “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively , the bits bdisp 1 , bdisp 2 corresponding to the area b to “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” respectively , the bits cdisp 1 , cdisp 2 corresponding to the area c to “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” respectively , and the bits ddisp 1 , ddisp 2 corresponding to the area d to “ 1 ” and “ 1 ” respectively . in other words , the image data in the areas a , b shown in fig3 ( a ), ( b ) are displayed only on the display device 120 , the image data in the area c shown in fig3 ( c ) is displayed only on the display device 118 , and the image data in the area d shown in fig3 ( d ) is displayed both on the display devices 118 , 120 . for such image display , the image data in the area a of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 a via the memory read circuit 130 a and the phase selector 134 a as indicated by the heavy line arrows in fig1 . the image data in the area b of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 b via the memory read circuit 130 b and the phase selector 134 b . the image data in the area d of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 d via the memory read circuit 130 d and the phase selector 134 d . then , when the phase signal phase outputted from the clock generator 122 indicates “ 0 ”, the image data in the areas a , b , d of the graphics memory 114 are synthesized by the synthesis circuits 138 a , 138 b , 138 d and accepted by the output register 142 of the separator 116 for output to the display device 120 . further , similarly to the data flow ( fig1 ) corresponding to the examples of image display in fig9 ( a ), ( b ), the image data in the area c of the graphics memory 114 is supplied to the synthesis circuit 138 c via the memory read circuit 130 c and the phase selector 134 c . then , when the phase signal phase indicates “ 1 ”, the image data in the areas c , d of the graphics memory 114 are synthesized by the synthesis circuits 138 c , 138 d and accepted by the output register 140 of the separator 116 for output to the display device 118 . in the image display system 100 as configured above , the image data to be displayed on the display device 118 and the image data to be displayed on the display device 120 are separately multiplexed in each display period for one pixel on the display devices 118 , 120 by synthesizing , for each level of the phase signal phase , the image data from the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d in accordance with the setting of the destination specifying register 126 . therefore , the image display system 100 need not include two sets of the circuit for image data read from the graphics memory 114 , the circuit for synthesizing the read image data ( graphics lsis ), and the graphics memories 114 , in association with the two display devices 118 , 120 . as a result , the display devices 118 , 120 can display thereon different images without any increase in the scale of the image display system 100 . this results in the reduction in manufacturing cost of the image display system 100 . further , the image data to be displayed on each of the display devices 118 , 120 are separately outputted for each level of the phase signal phase within the display period for one pixel on the display devices 118 , 120 , so that it is easy to separate the image data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a for display on each of the display devices 118 , 120 . moreover , it is able to output the image data to be displayed on each of the display devices 18 , 120 without any increase in the number of output terminals for the image data because the graphics lsi 110 multiplexes the image data . this consequently contributes to the reduction in the manufacturing cost of the image display system 100 . on the contrary , in case of displaying different images on the display devices 118 , 120 in the conventional image processing device ( graphics lsi ), two sets of graphics lsis 510 - 1 , 510 - 2 and graphics memories 114 - 1 , 114 - 2 are needed for the display devices 118 , 120 , as shown in fig1 . this greatly increases the scale of an image display system 500 as well as the manufacturing cost thereof . according to the first embodiment as described above , it is able to display different images on the display devices 118 , 120 without any increase in system scale of the image display system 100 , thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the image display system 100 . in addition , the image data outputted from the synthesis circuit 138 a can be easily separated for display on each of the display devices 118 , 120 . further , the graphics lsi 110 can output image data to be displayed on each of the display devices 118 , 120 without any increase in the number of output terminals for image data . this can contribute to the reduction in the manufacturing cost of the image display system 100 . fig1 shows a second embodiment of the present invention . in the description of the second embodiment , the same reference numerals and symbols are used to designate the same elements as the elements described in the first embodiment and the detailed description thereof will not be given . an image display system 200 is constituted of the image display system 100 ( fig1 ) of the first embodiment plus a video source 202 ( video image supply unit ). it has a graphics lsi 210 in place of the graphics lsi 110 of the first embodiment . the video source 202 sequentially outputs to the graphics lsi 210 image data to form a video image such as a dvd playback image . fig1 shows the graphics lsi 210 and a separator 116 in fig1 . the graphics lsi 210 is constituted of the graphics lsi 110 ( fig2 ) of the first embodiment plus a memory write circuit 204 ( write unit ). the memory write circuit 204 continuously writes to the graphics lsi 114 ( for example , an area b ) the image data sequentially outputted from the video source 202 . fig1 shows the memory write circuit 204 in fig1 . the memory write circuit 204 is the same as the memory read circuits 130 a to 130 d except that it has a control circuit 256 in place of the control circuit 156 ( fig5 ) of the first embodiment . the control circuit 256 outputs an access request signal req to a graphics memory interface 132 according to a vertical synchronizing signal vsync and a horizontal synchronizing signal hsync outputted from the video source 202 shown in fig1 , and to the state of a fifo 158 . it receives an access acknowledgement signal ack as a response therefrom . further , the control circuit 256 controls a selector 150 , a raster address register 152 , and a pixel address counter 154 similarly to the control circuit 156 of the first embodiment . the memory write circuit 204 continuously writes to the graphics memory 114 the image data sequentially outputted from the video source 202 , so that the video images can be displayed on the display devices 118 , 120 . in the second embodiment described above , the same effects as those of the first embodiment are also obtainable . in addition , when it is applied to , for example , a car navigation system having the display device 118 on a driver &# 39 ; s seat side of a car and the display device 120 on a rear seat side , it is possible to display images relating to route guidance on the display device 118 on the driver &# 39 ; s seat side and display video images such as dvd playback images and images received from television broadcast on the display device 120 on the rear seat side . the first and second embodiments have described , as a way of example , the destination register 126 constituted of 8 bits ( adisp 1 , adisp 2 , bdisp 1 , bdisp 2 , cdisp 1 , cdisp 2 , ddisp 1 , ddisp 2 ). however , the present invention is not limited thereto . for example , when image data stored in the graphics memory 114 need not be displayed on both of the display devices 118 , 120 , a destination specifying register 127 may be provided only with 4 bits ( adisp 1 , bdisp 1 , cdisp 1 , ddisp 1 ) as in shown in fig1 , outputting their respective bit values as destination signals adisp 1 , bdisp 1 , cdisp 1 , ddisp 1 , or outputting them as destination signals adisp 2 , bdisp 2 , cdisp 2 , ddisp 2 via inverters ai , bi , ci , di respectively . structuring a register as above makes it possible to halve the number of bits compared with that in the destination specifying register 126 , enabling the reduction in the circuit scale of the destination specifying register . the first and second embodiments have described the examples in which the present invention is applied to an image display system having two display devices . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . for example , the present invention may be applied to an image display system having three or more display devices . the first and second embodiments have also described the examples in which the graphics lsi and the separator are formed independently . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . for example , a graphics lsi and a separator may be formed as one chip . the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . any improvement may be made in part or all of the components .	6
in the following detailed description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments . it will be apparent , however , that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing . the disclosure provides a method for selecting an mcs , and provides a bs communication module as well as a cpe communication module . the bs communication module or the cpe communication module is adapted to implement the method for selecting an mcs . fig1 is a block diagram of communication between a bs communication module and cpe communication modules according to an embodiment . in this and some other embodiments , a bs communication module 20 of a bs can communicate with cpe communication modules 30 of a plurality of cpes at the same time and the communications among them are in a wireless mode by using wireless communication protocols such as wimax or long term evolution ( lte ). the cpe is , for example , an electronic apparatus such as a mobile phone , a notebook computer , a tablet computer or a portable game machine , and is capable of running a wireless network access or call service through the communication between the cpe communication module 30 and the bs . in this and some other embodiments , the method for selecting an mcs selects an appropriate mcs according to the communication quality between the bs communication module 20 and the cpe communication module 30 , and determines the communication quality according to both a cinr return value and a per . simply put , the method for selecting an mcs adjusts the cinr return value according to the per , so as to more accurately reflect the communication quality . fig2 is a flow chart of a method for selecting an mcs according to an embodiment . the bs communication module 20 or the cpe communication module 30 that implements the method for selecting an mcs is referred to as a working module hereinafter . in this and some other embodiments , the working module performs step s 100 to step s 700 , to make statistics on the per at a set time interval and select the mcs corresponding to the time interval . the working module first receives a plurality of first packets in a first period in a wireless mode , and calculates a per according to the received first packets ( step s 100 ). to ensure the validity of the calculated per , the received packets are accumulated to a certain number and then the per is calculated . fig3 is a flow chart of step s 100 according to an embodiment . the working module receives a plurality of first packets in a first period ( step s 110 ), and determines whether the number of the received first packets is smaller than a packet number threshold ( step s 120 ). for example , the working module is capable of receiving the first packets from the bs communication module 20 or the cpe communication module 30 in 5 seconds or 10 seconds , and then calculating the total number of the first packets received in this period . when the number of the first packets is greater than the packet number threshold , the working module directly calculates a per in the first period according to the first packets ( step s 130 ). however , when the number of the first packets is smaller than or equal to the packet number threshold , the working module continues to receive a plurality of second packets in a second period , and calculates the per in the first period and the second period according to the first packets and the second packets ( step s 140 ). in an embodiment , the working module continuously receives the first packets and the second packets , no matter whether the number of the first packets is greater than the packet number threshold . when the number of the first packets is greater than the packet number threshold , the working module performs the subsequent steps s 200 to s 700 , and meanwhile continues to receive the second packets . furthermore , in this and some other embodiments , after the second period ends , the working module first determines whether the total number of the received first packets and second packets is greater than the packet number threshold . then , if not , continues to receive the packets till the total number of the received packets is greater than the packet number threshold and calculates the per according to the received packets . similarly , in this and some other embodiments , the working module continuously receives the packets , no matter whether the total number of the first packets and the second packets is greater than the packet number threshold . when the total number of the first packets and the second packets is greater than the packet number threshold , the working module performs the subsequent steps s 200 to s 700 , and meanwhile continues to receive other packets . the per is reset when the bs communication module 20 is reconnected with the cpe communication module 30 . after obtaining a valid per , the working module determines whether the per is greater than an error rate threshold ( step s 120 ), to decide how to adjust a cinr return value . when the per is greater than the error rate threshold , it is indicated that the wireless communication quality is unsatisfactory , and the following steps s 300 to s 600 are performed . the working module first obtains a cinr return value ( step s 300 ), and performs an adjusting procedure to obtain a cinr adjustment value ( step s 400 ). for each channel in wireless communication , the working module continuously performs channel measurement to obtain the cinr return value . in this and some other embodiments , the cinr return value is estimated and computed by a physical ( phy ) chip in a phy layer of the working module . conventionally , the cpe periodically obtains the cinr return value and directly sends the cinr return value to the bs , but the method for selecting an mcs of the disclosure adjusts the cinr return value according to the per , so as to more accurately reflect the communication quality . fig4 is a flow chart of an adjusting procedure according to an embodiment . the adjusting procedure compares a product of the per and a reduction modification coefficient with a first adjustment value upper limit , and uses the smaller one as a first adjustment value ( step s 410 ). in other words , the adjusting procedure first calculates a product of the per and the reduction modification coefficient , compares the product with the first adjustment value upper limit and the smaller one of the product and the first adjustment value upper limit is regarded as the first adjustment value . the reduction modification coefficient is , for example , a preset constant , and can be determined by the user . when the per is large , the cinr return value estimated by the phy layer has low accuracy , and reduction modification needs to be performed on the obtained cinr return value to meet the actual communication quality . therefore , basically the larger the per is , the greater the first adjustment value is . however , to avoid that the reduction modification is excessively performed to cause that the subsequently selected mcs is too low and the transmission efficiency is reduced or even cause jitter of the transmission quantity , the first adjustment value upper limit is set to limit the maximum quantity that can be adjusted each time . the adjusting procedure compares a sum of a previous adjustment value and the first adjustment value with a second adjustment value upper limit , and uses the smaller one as the cinr adjustment value ( step s 420 ). specifically , the working module makes statistics on the per at a set time interval ( for example , the first period ), and calculates the cinr adjustment value corresponding to the time interval . after the adjustment ends , the currently obtained cinr adjustment value is recorded as the previous adjustment value , and is used for the next adjustment . generally , the first adjustment value calculated in step s 410 is added with the previous adjustment value to serve as the final cinr adjustment value . similarly , in this and some other embodiments , to maintain the stability of the communication state , reference is made to the second adjustment value upper limit by the adjusting procedure , to avoid that the cinr adjustment value becomes excessively large . the first adjustment value upper limit and the second adjustment value upper limit are , for example , preset constants , and can be determined by the user . after obtaining the cinr adjustment value , the working module calculates an actual return value according to the cinr return value and the cinr adjustment value ( step s 500 ). in an embodiment , the cinr adjustment value is subtracted from the cinr return value and an obtained difference is directly used as the actual return value . finally , one of a plurality of mcss is selected according to the actual return value ( step s 600 ). in an embodiment , when the per is smaller than or equal to the error rate threshold , the working module obtains the cinr return value ( step s 300 ), and directly uses the previous adjustment value as the cinr adjustment value ( step s 700 ). in another embodiment , when the per is equal to the error rate threshold , it is indicated that the current communication quality is satisfactory . therefore , the method for selecting an mcs can reduce the cinr adjustment value . fig5 is a flow chart of a method for selecting an mcs according to another embodiment . when the per is smaller than or equal to the error rate threshold , the working module determines whether the per is zero ( step s 250 ). when the per is not zero , the cinr return value is obtained ( step s 300 ), and the previous adjustment value is directly used as the cinr adjustment value ( step s 700 ). in this and some other embodiments , when the per is zero , it is indicated that the current communication quality is excellent , but the transmission rate of the currently used mcs is too low . the working module compares a difference of the previous adjustment value and an increase modification coefficient with an adjustment value lower limit , and uses the greater one as the cinr adjustment value ( step s 800 ). specifically , the working module subtracts the increase modification coefficient from the previous adjustment value to obtain a difference : it compares the difference with the adjustment value lower limit , and uses the greater one of the difference and the adjustment value lower limit as the cinr adjustment value . the increase modification coefficient is , for example , a preset constant , and can be determined by the user . in this and some other embodiments , the cinr adjustment value is a positive value or a negative value . when the cinr adjustment value is a positive value , the actual return value is smaller than the cinr return value . in contrast , when the cinr adjustment value is a negative value , the actual return value is greater than the cinr return value . therefore , the method for selecting an mcs is able to increase or decrease the actual return value according to the per , and to select different mcss accordingly . generally , the first adjustment value upper limit and the second adjustment value upper limit are positive values , for example , 5 db ; and the adjustment value lower limit is a negative value , for example , − 2 db . the first adjustment value upper limit , the second adjustment value upper limit and the adjustment value lower limit are set to ensure that when the method for selecting an mcs is repeatedly performed , the actual return value may not be unlimitedly increased or decreased , so as to achieve the stability of the whole communication scenario . in an embodiment , the method for selecting an mcs is implemented in the bs communication module 20 . fig6 is a block diagram of a bs communication module according to an embodiment . in this and some other embodiments , the bs communication module 20 comprises a first communication unit 22 , a cinr adjusting unit 24 and an mcs selecting unit 26 . the bs communication module 20 is , for example , an uplink module or a downlink module in the bs . the first communication unit 22 is configured for continuously receiving and transmitting packets in a wireless mode during the first period , the second period or a subsequent period . the first communication unit 22 makes statistics on the total number of the packets received so far , and the total number of the packets to which an error occurs so far . at the very beginning , the cinr adjusting unit 24 first waits ( or idles away ) a first period , and inquires the first communication unit 22 for the total number of the packets received so far and the total number of the packets to which an error has occurred so far . the cinr adjusting unit 24 compares the newly inquired data with the data inquired the previous time , and calculates the per in the first period . however , when the number of the first packets is smaller than the packet number threshold , the cinr adjusting unit 24 continues to wait a second period , then inquires the first communication unit 22 , it calculates the total number of the first packets and the second packets , and accordingly calculates the per in the first period plus the second period . the cinr adjusting unit 24 performs the steps s 200 , s 250 , s 300 , s 400 , s 500 , s 700 and s 800 , to calculate the actual return value according to the cinr return value and the per . when the bs communication module 20 is a downlink module of the bs , the cinr adjusting unit 24 calculates the per by using a hybrid automatic repeat request ( harq ) technology . when the bs communication module 20 is an uplink module of the bs , the cinr adjusting unit 24 calculates the per by using the harq or a packet cyclic redundancy check ( packet crc ) technology . after the mcs selecting unit 26 receives the actual return value from the cinr adjusting unit 24 , step s 600 is performed to select an appropriate mcs , and the first communication unit 22 communicates with the cpe communication module 30 according to the selected mcs . in an embodiment , the method for selecting an mcs is implemented in the cpe communication module 30 . fig7 is a block diagram of a cpe communication module according to an embodiment . in this and some other embodiments , the cpe communication module 30 comprises a second communication unit 32 and a cinr adjusting unit 34 . the cpe communication module 30 is , for example , an uplink module in the cpe . the second communication unit 32 is configured for continuously receiving and transmitting packets in a wireless mode during the first period , the second period or a subsequent period , and is configured for communicating with the first communication unit 22 . the second communication unit 32 makes statistics on the total number of the packets received so far , and the total number of the packets to which an error occurs so far . similar to the cinr adjusting unit 24 , the cinr adjusting unit 34 first waits a first period , inquires the second communication unit 32 for related data about the packets , and accordingly calculates the per in the first period . however , when the number of the first packets is smaller than the packet number threshold , the cinr adjusting unit 34 continues to wait a second period , and then calculates the per in the first period plus the second period . the cinr adjusting unit 34 implements the steps s 200 , s 250 , s 300 , s 400 , s 500 , s 700 and s 800 , to calculate the actual return value according to the cinr return value and the per . when the cpe communication module 30 is an uplink module of the cpe , the cinr adjusting unit 34 is configured for calculating the per by using the harq or the packet crc technology . in step s 500 , the cinr adjusting unit 34 of the cpe communication module 30 sends the actual return value to the bs communication module 20 , and the mcs selecting unit 26 of the bs communication module 20 selects an appropriate mcs according to the actual return value . for example , the cpe communication module 30 sends the calculated actual return value through a channel quality information channel ( cqich ), which affects the selection of the mcs by the downlink module of the bs . for example , assume that the working module is the bs communication module 20 , and is the downlink module of the bs . when the cinr return value obtained by the bs communication module 20 is 28 db , the correspondingly selected mcs is 64 qam - ⅚ , and the bs communication module 20 communicates with the cpe communication module 30 through the 64 qam - ⅚ rule . when the per of the packets continuously received by the bs communication module 20 is greater than the error rate threshold , step s 300 to step s 500 are performed to reduce the actual return value . when the per in a plurality of consecutive first periods is greater than the error rate threshold , the cinr adjustment value is gradually increased to a positive value , and the actual return value is gradually reduced . the mcs selecting unit 26 correspondingly selects a modulation mode lower than 64 qam - ⅚ . for example , selects 64 qam - ¾ as the mcs , and the bs communication module 20 communicates with the cpe communication module 30 through the 64 qam - ¾ rule . in contrast , when the per in a plurality of consecutive first periods is smaller than the error rate threshold , the cinr adjustment value is gradually reduced to a negative value , and the actual return value is gradually increased , so that the mcs selecting unit 26 may select a higher modulation mode . in view of the above , the method for selecting an mcs , the bs communication module and the cpe communication module select the mcs according to both the cinr and the per . therefore , the cinr is prevented from being overestimated or underestimated , and an mcs that meets the transmission quality of a real - time environment is determined , thereby improving the use efficiency of wireless resources .	7
experimental ceramic disc capacitors were made wherein the high firing component of the start powder was a magnesium zinc titanate . these experimental disc capacitors are constructed as illustrated in fig1 . the thin dielectric ceramic disc 10 has electrodes 11 and 12 adhered to opposite major surfaces of the disc capacitor . disc capacitors are much easier to make than are multilayer capacitors and , with the exception of df and q measures of performance , all other measures for a particular composition and sintering conditions in a disc capacitor is a useful measure of performance to be got for a corresponding multilayer capacitor using the same start powder compositions . a method for making a ceramic powder start mixture initially includes preparing a high firing powder mixture having an average particle size of about 1 . 0 micron by combining from 96 to 98 mole percent of precursors of a stoichiometric magnesium zinc titanate ( mzt ) wherein up to 4 mole % of the magnesium may be replaced by calcium . this can be accomplished by replacing a portion ( e . g . 2 . 9 mole %) of magnesium titanate by an equal molar amount of calcium titanate . likewise , other such partial substitutes of magnesium , that also may be used to adjust the tcc of the sintered - powder capacitor body , such as equal molar amounts of either barium oxide or barium zirconate . in the case of barium zirconate , it would then be substituted for equal molar amounts of magnesium titanate . substituted amounts of barium in the magnesium zinc titanate may be as high as 60 mole percent as noted in the above - mentioned patent u . s . pat . no . 4 , 882 , 650 . a second and low - melting glass - former containing powder is added to the above noted high - firing - temperature ceramic powder . the low - melting powder will serve as the sintering flux and is composed of the oxides , or equivalents thereto , of barium , boron and silicon . these powders are then milled to form a homogenous powder mixture , which is then mildly calcined at approximately 600 ° c . to obtain a powder comprised of agglomerates of the powder mixture wherein each of the agglomerates has essentially the same composition as the precursor homogenous powder mixture and the average agglomerate size is about 1 . 2 micrometers . the process employed for making disc capacitors , such as the one shown in fig1 is as follows . the start powder mixture is pressed at 15 , 000 pounds per square inch to a thickness of about 35 mils ( 0 . 89 mm ) in a die mold having a diameter of half an inch ( 12 . 7 mm ). the resulting green circular discs were then sintered at 1100 ° c . ( unless otherwise noted below ) for three hours . after cooling a silver paste was applied to the opposite surfaces of each sintered disc 10 which was subsequently heated to 800 ° c . to cure the electrodes 11 and 12 . the principal high firing start powders have the composition mg 2 / 3 zn 1 / 3 tio 3 in some examples of which a small amount of calcium was substituted for an equal molar amount ( e . g . 2 . 9 mole %) of magnesium . alternatively , in others some bazro 3 is simply added . such alkaline earth metal substitutions or additions in magnesium zinc titanate may advantageously serve to adjust the temperature coefficient of capacitance ( tcc ) of the sintered disc capacitor . about 0 . 01 weight percent manganese carbonate is also added , which is typically used for improving life test performance in dielectric ceramic formulations of a wide variety . there is also included in the start mixture a powdered barium boro - silicate sintering flux . referring to tables i and ii , a dual - component flux of barium borate and zinc silicate was effective when the dielectric ceramic powder was sintered in the range of 1100 ° c ., and 1150 ° c ., notwithstanding example 6a of table ii . using only 0 . 5 wt % 3bao . b 2 o 3 , and 1 . 0 wt % zn 2 sio 4 , the capacitors , when fired , yielded very high densities and a k of 23 or 24 . moreover , the tcc &# 39 ; s were well within the cog standard . further , the dfs were low , especially as shown by examples 3 , 4 and 7 . these capacitor examples exhibited q factors of at least 10 , 000 . although example 2 ( prepared with 1 . 2 wt % 3bao 2 . b 2 o 3 and 1 . 0 wt % zn 2 sio 4 ) and example 6a did not reach maturity whereas the same formulation when fired at 1150 ° c . did mature and perform marginally well initially . in testing the mzct examples 1 through 6b , having the dual - component barium borate and zinc silicate sintering flux , it was discovered that the fired capacitors failed the life expectancy tests . as shown in table ii , different additives were used to extend the life expectancy , without effect , notwithstanding that some of the additives were well known and have been used to extend life expectancy ( baco 3 , bazro 3 , mnco 3 and y 2 o 3 ). as shown via examples 1 through 6b of table ii , these capacitors failed the life expectancy tests . when a small amount of lithium carbonate ( 0 . 3 wt %) was tested to determine whether lithium carbonate may effect life expectancy , lithium carbonate &# 39 ; s effectiveness was dramatic and unexpected . those capacitors with li 2 co 3 passed the life expectancy tests , while still exhibiting excellent electrical and linear properties , as shown by example 7 of tables i and ii . thereafter , li 2 sio 4 was tested for its effect on life expectancy . as with the lico 3 , those capacitors with li 2 sio 4 passed the life expectancy test and achieved good electrical and linear properties , as shown by example 8 of tables i and ii . the lower q factor of example 8 , compared to example 7 ) was likely due to the lower sintering temperature of 1 , 110 ° c . examples 7 and 8 were within the cog standard . a series of experimental disc capacitors were made wherein the start powder composition was 90 weight percent of the above noted magnesium zinc calcium titanate and 10 weight percent of a lithium silicate barium borate flux . with reference to table iii , a first group a of experimental disc capacitors , i . e . examples 9 - 12 , include a flux in the start powder composed of 1 mole of lithium silicate ( li 4 sio 4 ), 3 moles of a high - barium borate ( bao . b 2 o 3 ) and 1 mole of barium borate ( bao . b 2 o 3 . the flux composition is also given for each example as weight percent of the total flux as shown in three additional columns of table iii . there were four disc capacitors in each example . the four disc capacitors of example 9 were sintered at 1000 ° c ., example 10 capacitors were sintered at 975 ° c ., example 11 capacitors were sintered at 950 ° c . and example 12 capacitors were sintered at 925 ° c ., all as shown in table iii . the flux compositions ( b , c , d , e , f , g , h and i ), respectively , of the second through ninth groups of experimental disc capacitors , examples 13 - 16 , 17 - 20 , 21 - 24 , 25 - 28 , 29 - 32 , 33 - 36 , 37 - 40 and 41 - 44 are each similarly represented in six middle columns of table iii . the four disc capacitors in each example , after sintering and cooling , were measured and the average of the four values obtained for each of dissipation factor ( df ), dielectric constant ( k ) at an ambient temperature of 23 ° c ., and the temperature coefficient of capacitance ( tcc ) measured as percent change in k at − 55 ° c . and + 125 ° c . these data are presented in the last five columns of table iii . none of the nine compositions fired at 925 ° c . densified and matured . they were porous . it is further seen that capacitors in examples 9 and 10 , having the start - powder composition in group a and having been sintered at 1000 ° c . and 975 ° c ., failed the cog tcc criterion ; that criterion being no greater change than 30 % in dielectric constant ( k ) at either − 55 ° c . or + 125 ° c . relative to the room temperature k . that cog tcc criterion was also failed by capacitors having been sintered at the higher temperature of 1000 ° c . for compositions of groups c , d , e and f , corresponding to examples 17 , 21 , 25 and 29 . for all the examples that densified at sintering , including at least two of each of the compositions groups a though i , the dielectric constant ranges from 21 to 23 which is typical of cog capacitors of the prior art that are usually fired at 1100 ° c . and up , and all of the experimental nine compositions here that reached maturity at firing have a satisfactory k . but from the performance of the capacitors represented in table iii , it is seen that some of the start - powder formulations , e . g of groups g , h and i , provide exceptionally good cog performance when sintered in a range that includes 1000 ° c ., 975 ° c . and 950 ° c . and , all of the formulations of the start - powder compositions represented in table iii provide cog performance after sintering at some point within the range including 975 ° c . and 950 ° c . effect upon cog performance of a process for providing conductive terminations to the mlc body ends multilayer ceramic ( mlc ) capacitors were made by the following prior art method to evaluate how electrical end - termination of the capacitors affects cog performance . a slurry was formed by milling the above start powder mixture in an liquid organic vehicle . a layer of some of the slurry was spread onto a flat substrate and dried . a film of palladium - silver ink was screened in a pattern over the dry layer of ceramic slurry . additional layers of slurry and electroding paste are built up by either the curtain coating process , or by the tape process described hereinabove , so that ultimately metal ink film patterns are respectively deposited between successive adjacent pairs of the ceramic layers to create a stack of dried “ green ” ceramic layers with patterned electroding layers interspersed therebetween . the body 20 , as shown in fig2 has ceramic layers 21 and buried electrodes 22 . the piece so cut from the stack is now a green ceramic body that is heated to drive out the organic components and bisked to harden the green mlc bodies , which are now ready for sintering . referring to table iv , the series of mlc capacitor bodies , examples 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 and 53 were made by the above method wherein the high firing start powder was the same magnesium zinc calcium titanate ( mzct ) as in examples 1 - 8 . but an end - termination process was introduced and varied as well as is the mzct content in the start powder and sintering temperature . a commonly employed process for depositing a solderable conducting termination to opposite ends of the multilayer ceramic capacitor chip entails applying a silver paste to either end of body 20 ( fig2 ) at which ends a set of alternate of the buried electrodes were exposed , and the body is heated at 750 ° c . for a few minutes to form silver terminations 25 and 26 . however , especially for cog mlc capacitors , it is known to take the additional steps of forming a nickel barrier layer over the silver terminations by electroplating and then applying a tin - lead solder coating over the nickel . this provides a low resistance and more reliable connection between the buried electrode ends and the silver termination layer . it also provides terminations whereby the capacitor can be more easily surface mounted to a circuit board . the termination process has been varied by omitting the inserting the desired nickel plating and solder steps in some of these experiments for which data is shown in table iv . after the capacitors were cooled to room temperature , a sample group of these sintered capacitor bodies were then terminated by the direct application of a silver paste to the body ends and then heated to cure the terminations . capacitors of this sample group were evaluated for capacitance ( enabling calculation of the dielectric constant , k ), the dissipation factor ( df ) and tcc . the remaining sintered bodies were nickel electroplated and solder coated and then subjected to a life test , i . e . by applying 300 volts dc across the terminals , amounting to from 12 to 15 volts per micrometer of dielectric thickness , while holding the temperature of the capacitors at 125 ° c . a capacitor is deemed to have failed this life test if the initial value of the insulation resistance of the capacitor falls two orders of magnitude within the first hundred hours on life test . the silver terminations of the mlc capacitors in examples 45 , 47 , 49 and 52 of table iv were all nickel plated and solder coated , whereas capacitor terminations of examples 46 , 48 , 50 , 51 and 53 were not . it can be seen that the capacitors in examples 45 , 46 and 47 have the same ceramic composition including 10 wt % of the flux ( same flux as in group c of table iii ), but regardless of sintering temperature , the plated capacitors of examples 45 and 47 failed the life test . however the capacitors of the remainder of examples 48 through 53 all passed life test whether or not they were pre nickel electroplated ; these capacitors all contained either 5 wt % or 7 . 5 wt % flux . the greater amount of flux compromised cog capacitors at life test that were otherwise good . it is thus preferred to use less than 8 wt % of the barium lithium boro - silicate flux in mlc capacitors of this invention , when the silvered mlc body ends are to be nickel electroplated . it is seen from the data in tables iii and iv that relatively large amounts of the barium lithium boro - silicate flux may be used to produce cog capacitors , while at the same time permitting the buried electrodes to be much less palladium rich than the usual 70 % ag / 30 % pd alloy . effect upon cog performance of different amounts of barium lithium boro - silicate flux a series of mlc capacitors were made wherein the amount of flux in the start powder mixture was varied over the range 0 to 12 weight percent , and the sintering temperature was varied from 950 ° to 1130 ° c . these variables along with the corresponding test data are shown in table v . for this series of experimental capacitors , the start powders employ mg 2 / 3 zn 1 / 3 tio 3 plus 2 . 9 wt % of cao , and the flux is composed of 22 . 61 wt % bao . b 2 o 3 , 53 . 23 wt % 3bao . b 2 o 3 and 24 . 16 wt % li 4 si 4 . here it is demonstrated that it is feasible to sinter these cog start materials to maturity at any temperature between 950 ° c . to 1130 ° c . using an appropriate amount of the flux . the examples 62 , 63 , 64 and 64 wherein a large amount of flux ( 10 - 12 wt %) was used , provide excellent cog performance . examples 59 - 61 using a moderate amount of flux ( 5 - 8 wt %) are also very good . example 58 shows that at 5 wt % flux the sintering temperature of 1000 ° c . is too low for the start powders to fully react and reach maturity . examples 54 through 57 all fired at 1130 ° c . did sinter and produce good dielectric bodies , but did not meet the tcc limits of the cog standard . it is believed that the substitution in the magnesium zinc calcium titanate of a small bit of barium titanate substituting for the calcium titanate would likely bring the tcc performance closer to the cog limits . however , this invention is deemed to be limited t o inclusion of the flux in amounts no less than 2 weight percent , excluding the formulation of the example 56 .	7
reference is initially made to fig1 - 5 , wherein there is schematically illustrated a photographic apparatus , preferably , a disposable or single use camera represented generally by reference numeral 10 and having a lighttight housing 11 . the camera 10 is usable with a film assemblage f of the self - developing type . one preferred embodiment of the film assemblage f construction is shown in fig6 . within the camera 10 is provided structure for receiving first and second supply means 12 and 14 ; respectively ; focal plane 16 within an exposure chamber , taking lens system 18 , shutter mechanism 19 , shutter link mechanism 20 , shutter taking device 22 , spread system 24 , and indexable film stopping means or mechanism 26 . the camera housing 11 can be preferably made of a suitable plastic , cardboard or some other inexpensive material which will provide an inexpensive and iighttight enclosure . the first supply means 12 includes a rotatable spool 28 , having mounted thereon , a strip of coiled receiving sheet material 30 of the self - developing type . as illustrated in fig6 the film assemblage is basically comprised of the receiving sheet and a negative photosensitive sheet of the self - developing type . examples of this type of film are described in copending patent application ser . no . 08 / 549 , 654 which description is incorporated herein as a part hereof . in this embodiment , the receiving sheet 30 includes a plurality of discrete and spaced apart image - forming portions 32 and 34 . these image forming portions 32 , 34 are joined together in an end - to - end relationship by a strip of leader 36 ; which in the illustrated embodiment is a continuation of the receiving sheet material forming the image forming portions . the second supply means 14 includes a spool 38 having mounted thereon a strip of photosensitive negative sheet film material 40 of the self - developing type . the negative strip of film 40 has formed thereon , a plurality of discrete exposable portions 42 , 44 spaced apart in end to end relationship . each of the exposable portions 42 , 44 is adapted to be positioned in superimposable relationship with a corresponding one of the image - forming portions 32 , 34 formed on the receiving sheet 30 to form an integral film strip having a plurality of respective image forming subassemblies f1 , f2 ( fig5 ). the strip 40 includes a leader or intermediate portion 43 which in this embodiment is a continuation of the negative photosensitive film . it is also intended to have the leader 43 be in intimate engagement with the leader 36 when the strips are merged together to form a separate film unit having a single exposure . while not shown , the present invention contemplates that the leaders instead of being made of the same material can be made of other materials consistent with the principles of the present invention . continued reference is made back to the receiving sheet 30 which is seen to include rupturable pods 48 , 50 of processing fluid , each located adjacent a leading end portion of the first or leading image forming portion and a corresponding trap means 52 , 54 located adjacent each trailing end portion of a respective of the image forming portions 32 , 34 . the pods are rupturable by the spread roller system and when burst distribute the processing fluid . the preferred processing fluid can ideally be like that described in the last noted patent application which description is incorporated herein by reference as a part hereof . a pair of rails 51 , one of which is illustrated , is mounted on the bottom surface of the receiving sheet 30 . with continued reference to the camera 10 , it will be seen that the negative sheet 40 is preloaded so that a leading end portion 40a ( fig5 ) is situated with its leading end emerging from an exit slot 56 formed in the camera . the receiving sheet 30 is also preloaded into the camera , with its leading edge 30a ( fig5 ) emerging from the exit slot 56 of the camera . the leading edge portions 30a and 40a define a pair of notches 57 , the purpose of which will be described . a view finder ( not shown ) is provided in the camera and does not form an aspect of the present invention . the camera also includes other structure , such as a mirror ( not shown ) to allow the image forming light from the taking lens 18 to be directed to the negative at the film plane 16 . the taking lens system 18 directs image - forming rays off a mirror ( not shown ) onto the focal plane 16 of the negative sheet 40 . the housing 11 is formed with a film guiding mechanism 58 for guiding the positive and negative strips as they travel from the respective supply rolls to the spread system 24 having a pair of spread rollers which act to bring the strips into intimate and superposed relationship with each other in a well - known fashion and which act to burst the pods containing the processing fluid . the spread system 24 is like that described in the last noted copending application , which description is incorporated herein as a part hereof . while the guide mechanism 58 has a configuration depicted in fig1 - 4 , it will be appreciated if a variety of other configurations can be provided for guiding the strips 30 , 40 consistent with the teachings of this invention towards the spreader system 24 . the taking shutter device 22 having an actuating post 23 is mounted for vertical reciprocation within the housing 11 and has , having a finger engaging portion 60 located adjacent a top one end for engagement by the operator for effecting the commencement of an exposure cycle . a bottom end portion of the actuating post 23 is connected to a rectangular platform 62 which is spring biased upwardly by a spring 64 . pivotally attached to the platform 62 is the shutter link mechanism 20 . the shutter link mechanism 20 is connected to the shutter mechanism 19 of a conventional type . the indexable film stopping mechanism 26 includes a pair of pawls 66 mounted on opposite ends of a shaft 67 rotatably mounted in a pair of lugs 69 formed on the platform 62 . the pawls 66 extend upwardly , as viewed in fig1 - 5 , such that they are adapted to protrude in an operative position with respective notches 68 , 70 formed respectively in the leaders 36 and 43 . the pawls 66 are biased by a spring 71 having one end connected the actuating post 23 and the opposite end connected to an upstanding member on the platform 62 . the spring 71 biases the pawls inwardly relative to the exit 56 ( see fig2 ), so that when the shutter button is released the pawls do not reengage the notches in the film . the spring 64 is effective to the actuating post 23 and the pawls 66 upwardly so that with respect to the pawls they are brought into registration with this succeeding pair of notches 68 , 70 . it will be appreciated that these pawls effect a stopping of the displacement of the film , whereby an operator cannot further pull the film until another exposure . in this regard , unexposed portions of successive serially arranged image forming subassemblies cannot be pulled from the camera . reference is made to fig1 for describing one particular operation of the foregoing construction . in the arrangement depicted , the components are in their pre - first exposure condition . each of the pawls 66 is engaged in notches 68 , 70 formed in leading end portion of the first subassembly . the taking device 22 is biased upwardly by the spring 64 and the shutter mechanism 19 is biased and cocked to take an exposure upon downward movement of the actuating post 23 . fig2 illustrates the effect of downward movement of the post 23 when the user depresses the finger button 60 . such downward displacement will effect operation of the shutter link 20 to commence operation of the shutter 19 in a known manner . operation of the foregoing shutter operation does not form a part of the present invention . when the operator depresses the taking button 28 , the pawls 66 are brought out of cooperation with the film notches 68 , 70 . as a result , the film assemblage f is free to be pulled by a user , whereby both the strips 30 and 40 will be simultaneously displaced along the predetermined path indicated by the arrows in fig3 . as soon as the pawls 66 clear the bottom of the film subassembly , the spring member 71 deflects them towards the spread rollers . this acts to prevent the upward motion of the taking button due to the return force of the spring from pushing the pawls back into the notches . once the operator pulls on the emerging ends of the first film subassembly f1 including the pod 48 , corresponding image forming areas and exposable portions 32 , 42 , and the trap 52 will sequentially pass through the spread rollers of the spread system 24 . this will burst the pod and bring the noted corresponding portions and areas 32 , 42 into the desired superimposed condition and effect the diffusion transfer process . reference is now made to fig3 and 4 , and as depicted , the biased pawls 66 will , as soon as the next set of cooperating notches or registration holes 68 , 70 travel thereover , rise into registration therewith to effect stoppage of the film . as a result , subsequent emergence of the film subassemblies from the camera is prevented . as seen in fig3 the film subassembly has been pulled from the camera , whereby the pod has just passed through the rollers of the spread system and the processing fluid has been spread between the juxtaposed strip portions . as seen in fig4 it will be appreciated that the trap has been pulled through the spread rollers . the pawls 66 engage in the next set of notches and the shutter button returns to the taking position . as a result , the shutter mechanism is recocked in response to displacement of the shutter link . with the pawls in the notches as described , the film movement is stopped . continued pulling force initiates and completes separation of the frame from the film assemblage within the camera along the perforations which lie between the notches across the receiving sheet and negative . the pawls also act to maintain and retain registration of the sheet and negative . as seen in fig5 and 6 , each strip is formed with a perforations 74 and 76 in the leaders 36 and 43 ; respectively . the perforations 74 , 76 facilitate the tearing of first subassembly f1 to the second f2 . in this regard , after the first subassembly is removed from the camera the user can effect a separation by tearing along the perforations . when the pawls no longer encounter resistance by entering the notches the platform 62 raises and forces the actuating post 23 upwardly and allows the shutter link 20 to recock the shutter 19 . accordingly , a single exposure has been effected in a highly reliable and inexpensive manner ; whereby a single film unit is dispensed . because the film assemblage has score lines 76 thereon , it will be appreciated that the pod and trap areas can be removed because of the frangible nature of the score lines so that the resulting subassembly 80 ( fig7 ) is free of pod and trap . although this embodiment depicts a pair of serially separated image forming subassemblies f1 and f2 , it will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention envision a plurality of serially connected image - forming subassemblies , each of which comprises a repeat of the previous constructions . it will be appreciated that other separable constructions besides score lines and perforations are envisioned by the present invention to effect removal of otherwise joinable portions ( e . g . pod and trap ). of the strips which are intended to be removed . it is also envisioned that the foregoing strips can be constructed so that the image forming areas can have frangible connections to the film assemblage so that the entire film forming area can be removed from surrounding material of a film assemblage . it is also envisioned that the separate strips can be cowound . it will be appreciated that the present invention envisions that certain changes may be made to the film assemblages , photographic apparatus and methods without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved , it is intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the drawings be considered illustrative and not limiting .	6
fig1 is a schematic illustration of a gas turbine engine 10 including a low pressure compressor 12 , a high pressure compressor 14 , and a combustor assembly 16 . engine 10 also includes a high pressure turbine 18 , and a low pressure turbine 20 arranged in a serial , axial flow relationship . compressor 12 and turbine 20 are coupled by a first shaft 24 , and compressor 14 and turbine 18 are coupled by a second shaft 26 . in one embodiment , engine 10 is an ge90 engine commercially available from general electric company , cincinnati , ohio . in operation , air flows through low pressure compressor 12 from an upstream side 11 of engine 10 and compressed air is supplied from low pressure compressor 12 to high pressure compressor 14 . compressed air is then delivered to combustor assembly 16 where it is mixed with fuel and ignited . the combustion gases are channeled from combustor 16 to drive turbines 18 and 20 . fig2 is a schematic illustration of a portion of high - pressure turbine 18 . fig3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of high pressure turbine 18 . turbine 18 includes a plurality of stages 30 , each of which includes a row of turbine blades 32 and a row of stator vanes 34 . turbine blades 32 are supported by rotor disks ( not shown ), that are coupled to rotor shaft 26 . stator casing 36 extends circumferentially around turbine blades 32 and stator vanes 34 , such that vanes 34 are supported by casing 36 . casing 36 includes a base case segment 38 . case segment 38 includes a forward mounting hook 40 and an intermediate mounting hook 41 . mounting hooks 40 and 41 define a shroud channel 52 in case segment 38 . a forward shroud assembly 42 in shroud channel 52 is coupled to mounting hooks 40 and 41 . case segment 38 also includes an aft mounting hook 50 that is coupled to an adjacent downstream shroud assembly 43 . each shroud assembly 42 and 43 includes a shroud 44 and 45 that are each radially outward of turbine blade tips 46 such that a tip clearance 48 is defined between shrouds 44 and 45 and turbine blade tips 46 . case segment 38 also includes a forward mounting flange 54 and an aft mounting flange 56 for coupling case segment 38 substantially axially within engine 10 . forward mounting hook 40 extends radially inward from forward mounting flange 54 , and aft mounting hook 50 extends radially inward of aft mounting flange 56 . a mounting hook 51 is coupled between mounting flange 56 of case segment 38 and a mounting flange 58 extending from an adjacent case segment 59 . thus , shroud assembly mounting hooks 50 and 51 are both positioned at case segment mounting flanges , specifically , mounting flange 56 and mounting flange 58 . a pseudo flange assembly 60 extends from case segment 38 radially opposite intermediate mounting hook 41 . pseudo flange 60 includes a rim 62 and a ring 64 that is coupled to an outer diameter of rim 62 . more specifically , rim 62 has a radius r 1 measured with respect to an engine center line 66 that is slightly larger than one of a radius r 2 of forward case segment mounting flange 54 and a radius r 3 of aft mounting flange 56 . rim 62 is defined within base casing 38 radially opposite intermediate mounting hook 41 of shroud assembly 42 . in one embodiment , rim 62 is formed via a machining process . in the exemplary embodiment , rim 62 has straight parallel sides 68 , 70 to facilitate the machining . however , in alternative embodiments , rim sides 68 , 70 are non - parallel . ring 64 has a width w 1 that is greater than a width w 2 of rim 62 and includes a groove 72 defined therein . grove 72 is sized to receive at least a portion of an outer periphery of rim 62 . ring 64 also includes a lip 74 that circumscribes each side 76 , 78 of groove 72 to facilitate inhibiting axial movement between ring 64 and rim 62 . in one embodiment , ring 64 is coupled to rim 62 with a shrink fit engagement . ring 64 is separately machined and can be fabricated in any geometric shape . ring 64 can also be fabricated from a material different from the case material as long as ring 64 is sized such that the thermal characteristics of ring 64 and rim 62 in combination can be matched to the thermal characteristics of the case segment mounting flanges 54 and 56 . pseudo flange 60 is formed by machining ring 62 into base case segment 38 at the location of intermediate mounting hook 41 of shroud assembly 42 . for ease of machining , rim 62 is machined with generally straight parallel sides . rim 62 is machined with a radius r 1 slightly larger than one of radius r 2 of forward mounting flange 54 and radius r 3 of aft mounting flange 56 such that rim 62 will have a diameter ( not shown ) that is also slightly larger than one of a diameter ( not shown ) of forward mounting flange 54 and a diameter ( not shown ) of aft mounting flange 56 . ring 64 is machined with a groove 72 sized to receive the outer periphery of rim 62 . ring 64 includes a lip 74 on each side of groove 72 to inhibit any axial movement of ring 64 with respect to rim 62 . after fabrication , ring . 64 is heated so that it expands sufficiently to pass over one of forward mounting flange 54 and aft mounting flange 56 so that it can be fitted on rim 62 . a shrink fit is created as ring 64 cools . in operation , turbine performance is influenced by tip clearance 48 , and as such , it is desired to maintain tip clearance 48 to a designed minimum distance while preventing blade tips 46 from contacting shrouds 44 and 45 . in order to optimize and maintain tip clearance 48 , it is desired to substantially match the thermal growth of the turbine casing 36 , including case segment 38 , to that of the rotor disks ( not shown ) and turbine blades 32 . pseudo flange assembly 60 is provided on base case segment 38 so that thermal growth characteristics of case segment 38 at mounting hooks 40 and 41 for shroud assembly 42 can be matched with the thermal characteristics of forward and rearward case mounting flanges 54 and 56 , respectively , so that turbine blade tip to shroud clearance 48 is facilitated to be maintained . in one embodiment , the thermal expansion matching is facilitated by cooling the casing flanges , including flanges 54 and 56 , and pseudo flange assembly 60 with a variable amount of cooling air . in one embodiment , the cooling air is compressor discharge air . the matching of the thermal behavior of pseudo flange assembly 60 to casing flanges 54 and 56 facilitates the avoidance of any rocking of shroud assembly 42 which facilitates preventing contact between shroud assembly 42 and turbine blades 32 . the above - described pseudo flange provides a cost - effective flange that can be used for matching thermal growth characteristics in a case segment so that turbine blade tip to shroud clearances may be maintained . the pseudo flange is of a simplified design that also allows for simplifying the design of bleed ports in the area of the pseudo flange . the pseudo flange also provides for the use of a ring of a different material than that of the casing which may provide a better thermal match due to differing coefficients of thermal expansion between the ring material and the case material . exemplary embodiments of turbine casing shrouds are described above in detail . each shroud casing assembly is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein , but rather each component may be utilized independently and separately from other components described herein . each component can also be used in combination with other turbine casing shroud assemblies . while the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims .	5
the refrigeration circuit according to the invention , the inventive method of operating a refrigeration circuit as well as further developments thereof will be elucidated in more detail hereinafter by way of the embodiments shown in fig2 to 4 . in this context , fig2 illustrates a composite refrigeration plant in which a possible embodiment of the refrigeration circuit according to the invention is realized . in the following , a method shall be described in which halogenated fluorohydrocarbon ( s ), fluorohydrocarbon ( s ) or co 2 may be used as refrigerants . the refrigerant that is compressed in compressor unit 6 to a pressure between 10 and 120 bar is fed via pressure line 7 to condenser or gas cooler 1 and is condensed or cooled in the same by way of external air . via lines 2 , 2 ′ and 2 ″, the refrigerant is passed to refrigerant collector 3 ; however , according to the invention , the refrigerant now is pressure - relieved in intermediate relief device a to an intermediate pressure of 5 to 40 bar . this intermediate pressure relief provides for the advantage that the downstream tubing network as well as the collector 3 need to be designed for a lower pressure level only . the pressure to which the refrigerant is relieved in said intermediate relief device a preferably is selected such that it is still underneath the lowest condensing or liquefying pressure to be expected . in accordance with an advantageous development of the refrigeration circuit according to the invention , pressure line 7 is connected or adapted to be connected to collecting container 3 , preferably to the gas space of the same . this connection between pressure line 7 and collecting container 3 may be effected e . g . via a connecting line 17 having a relief valve h disposed therein . according to an advantageous development of the refrigeration circuit of the invention , pressure line 7 is connected or connectable to the line or line sections 2 and 2 ′, 2 ″, respectively , connecting the condenser 1 and the collecting container 3 . this connection between pressure line 7 and line 2 or 2 ′, 2 ″, respectively , may be effected e . g . via the connecting line 18 shown in broken outline and having a valve j arranged therein . according to an advantageous development of the refrigeration circuit of the invention , the collecting container 3 , preferably the gas space thereof , is connected or connectable to the input of the compressor unit 6 . this connection between collecting container 3 and input of the compressor unit 6 may be established , for example , via a connecting line 12 which , as shown in fig2 , opens into suction line 11 . via the relief valve e provided in line 12 as well as the relief valve h provided in line 17 or the valve j provided in line 18 , the intermediate pressure chosen now may be kept constant for all operating conditions . however , it is also possible to provide for regulation such that a constant differential value with respect to the suction pressure is present . the effect achieved thereby is that the amount of throttling vapour at the evaporators is comparatively low , which has the result that the dimensioning of the liquid and suction lines may be correspondingly smaller . this holds also for the condensate line , as it is now no longer necessary that gaseous constituent parts flow back to the condenser 1 via the same . thus , another effect achieved by the invention is that the required refrigerant filling amount may be reduced by up to approx . 30 percent . refrigerant is withdrawn from collector 3 via suction line 4 and is supplied to the refrigerant consumers and to the heat exchangers e 2 and e 3 of the same , respectively . connected upstream thereof , there is a relief valve b and c , respectively , in which relief of the refrigerant flowing into the cold consumers takes place . the refrigerant evaporated in the cold consumers e 2 and e 3 subsequently is again fed via suction line 5 to compressor unit 6 or is sucked from the evaporators e 2 and e 3 via said suction line 5 . part of the refrigerant withdrawn from collector 3 via line 4 is fed via line 8 to one or more deep - freeze consumers — illustrated in the form of heat exchanger e 4 — which also has a relief valve d connected upstream thereof . this partial refrigerant flow , after evaporation in the heat exchanger or cold consumer e 4 , is fed via suction line 9 to compressor unit 10 and compressed in the same to the input pressure of the compressor unit 6 . the thus compressed partial refrigerant flow then is fed via line 11 to the input side of compressor unit 6 . as a further development of the invention , it is suggested that — as illustrated in fig2 — the collecting container 3 may have a heat transfer means e 1 connected upstream thereof . the heat transfer means e 1 preferably is connected or connectable on the input side to the output of condenser 1 . as shown in fig2 , a partial flow of the condensed or cooled refrigerant can be withdrawn via a line 13 , having a relief valve f arranged therein , from the condenser or gas cooler 1 and line 2 , respectively , and can be evaporated in heat transfer means e 1 by way of the refrigerant to be cooled which is fed to heat transfer means e 1 via line 2 ′. the evaporated partial refrigerant flow then is fed via line 14 to a compressor 6 ′ which is associated with the compressor unit 6 described hereinbefore and which preferably performs sucking - on at a higher pressure level ; in the same , the evaporated partial refrigerant flow then is compressed to the desired final pressure of compressor unit 6 . as an alternative to the afore - mentioned ( additional ) compressor 6 ′, it is also possible to make use of multi - cylinder compressors and to then deliver the amount of throttling vapour to be sucked off , to one or several cylinders of each compressor at a higher pressure level . by way of the heat transfer means e 1 , the refrigerant flow to be pressure - relieved in the intermediate relief device a preferably is cooled to such an extent that the amount of throttling vapour of the pressure - relieved refrigerant is minimized . as an alternative or in addition thereto , the amounts of throttling vapour arising in collector 3 may also be sucked off at a higher pressure level via line 12 as well as line 15 shown in broken outline by means of compressor 6 ′. fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the refrigeration circuit according to the invention and of the inventive method of operating a refrigeration circuit in which the refrigerant withdrawn from collecting container 3 via line 4 is subjected to sub - cooling in heat exchanger e 5 . in this context , sub - cooling — in accordance with an advantageous development of the invention — takes place in heat exchange with the flash gas withdrawn from collecting container 3 via line 12 . liquid lines , such as e . g . line 4 shown in fig2 and 3 , having a temperature level below ambient temperature are subject to heat radiation . the result of the latter is that the refrigerant flowing within the liquid line is partially evaporated , thus causing undesirable amounts of vapour to be formed . in order to prevent this , refrigerants so far are sub - cooled either by expansion of a partial flow of the refrigerant and subsequent evaporation or by an internal thermal transfer with respect to a suction gas flow which is thereby superheated . in the refrigeration circuit according to the invention or the method according to the invention , the temperature distance between suction and liquid line and the refrigerant circulating therein , respectively , possibly may be too small for realizing an internal thermal transfer for the required sub - cooling of the refrigerant flowing in the liquid line . thus , it is suggested according to a further development of the invention — as already pointed out — that the refrigerant withdrawn from collecting container 3 via line 4 be sub - cooled in heat exchanger or sub - cooler e 5 with respect to the flash gas from collecting container 3 via line 12 , which is pressure - relieved or flash - relieved in valve e . after passage through the heat exchanger or sub - cooler e 5 , the pressure - relieved refrigerant that is superheated in heat exchanger e 5 is fed via line sections 12 ′ and 11 to the input of compressor unit 6 . due to superheating of the flash gas flow withdrawn from collecting container 3 via line 12 , sufficient sub - cooling of the refrigerant flowing in line 4 is achieved in said line 4 ; such sub - cooling of the refrigerant enhances the regulating operation of the relief or injection valves b , c and d connected upstream of the evaporators e 2 , e 3 and e 4 . liquid droplets that are not deposited from the collecting container 3 via line 12 due to too small dimensioning and / or excessive filling of the collecting container 3 , and are carried along in the flash gas , will be evaporated at the latest in the heat exchanger / sub - cooler e 5 . the process described thus provides the additional advantage that the operational safety of the compressors or the compressor unit 6 is enhanced due to safe superheating of the flash gas flow . fig4 illustrates an additional development of the refrigeration circuit and the method of operating a refrigeration circuit according to the invention . for the sake of better visibility , fig4 shows only sections of the refrigerant circuit according to the invention as shown in fig2 and 3 . as a further development of the inventive method of operating a refrigeration circuit , it suggested that at least a partial flow of the flash gas withdrawn from the collecting container is subject to overheating at least temporarily at least with respect to a partial flow of the compressed refrigerant . fig4 illustrates a possible development of the method according to the invention , in which a partial flow of the flash gas withdrawn from collecting container 3 via line 12 is at least temporarily supplied to a heat exchanger e 6 via line 16 and is superheated in the same with respect to the refrigerant compressed in compressor unit 6 . in the process illustrated in fig4 , the flash gas flow to be superheated is superheated in heat exchanger e 6 with respect to the entirety of the refrigerant flow compressed in compressor unit 6 , which is fed via line 7 to the condenser or cooler that is not shown in fig4 . upon passage through the heat exchanger / superheater e 6 , the flash gas flow is fed via line 16 ′ to the input of compressor 6 ′ of compressor unit 6 . the process illustrated in fig4 reliably ensures that liquid shares contained in the flash gas are evaporated without any doubt , which results in enhanced safety for the compressors or the compressor unit 6 .	5
the known gear lever ( 1 ) depicted in fig1 is connected to a semi - automatic ( so - called opticruise ) gearbox whereby a computer - controlled system makes automatic gearchanging possible with a manual gearbox . gear changes can be effected fully automatically by the computer or , if so desired , manually by the driver . the lever ( 1 ) is situated on the vehicle &# 39 ; s engine tunnel beside the driving seat . the driver selects for himself the driving program he wishes to use . the driving programs available are manual ( m ), automatic ( a ), neutral ( n ) and reverse ( r ). the desired driving program is set by the driver moving the lever ( 1 ) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle ( fig1 b ) to the appropriate position ( r , n , a or m ). to change gear up or down , the lever is moved to the left or right respectively transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle ( fig1 c ). gear changing is possible irrespective of the driving program set ( r , n , a or m ). a so - called bill button ( 2 ) is arranged adjacent to the gear lever ( 1 ). with this button the driver can activate the hill position , which is appropriate when running heavily laden on very hilly roads or steep gradients . when this position is activated and the automatic ( a ) driving program is selected with the lever ( 1 ), gear changes are quicker and take place at a higher engine speed than in the normal position . the known lever ( 3 ) depicted in fig2 is connected to a previously described so - called retarder . the retarder lever ( 3 ) is arranged on the instrument panel and can be placed in a number of positions ( 0 - v ), of which the initial position ( 0 ) means that the retarder is disconnected . the succession of other positions ( i - v ) provide a progressive increase in the retarder braking effect . the last position ( v ) also connects the exhaust brake ( eb ) to provide a further increase in the braking effect . drawing the lever downwards towards the cab floor ( in the direction of the arrow r ) increases the braking effect . the retarder function may also be made to act as a constant speed maintenance function by operating a button ( 4 ) on the lever ( 3 ). the retarder &# 39 ; s braking effect is then adjusted automatically so that the vehicle endeavours to maintain the same speed , e . g . on downgrades . pressing a button ( 5 ) enables this constant speed maintenance function to come in automatically as soon as the brake pedal is activated . fig3 depicts an embodiment of a combined gear and retarder control ( 6 ) according to the invention . the combined control ( 6 ) in this example is mounted in the steering column ( 7 ). this location at the steering wheel ( 8 ) has a number of advantages such as simplified operation , increased driving safety and better ergonomics . other locations for the control are also conceivable , e . g . on the engine tunnel or the instrument panel . the control ( 6 ) in fig3 takes the form of a lever . the lever &# 39 ; s stem ( 12 ) is mounted in the steering column ( 7 ) in a manner conventional for control levers . the retarder function is activated by moving the lever peripherally along the steering wheel rim . the braking effect increases gradually the further the lever is away from its initial position . if this movement for activating the retarder is executed clockwise ( 9 ) to increase the braking effect , the movement will resemble the well - established movement of previously known retarder levers , e . g . that depicted in fig1 . this movement is therefore perceived as natural for the brake function . in this case the braking effect will be reduced by moving the lever back anticlockwise ( 11 ) along the steering wheel rim ( 10 ). the zero position for the retarder is maximum anticlockwise . the lever ( 6 ) has a rotatable portion ( 13 ) with which the driver can select the running position . this is done by turning the portion ( 13 ) step by step to the reverse , neutral or drive positions . the selectable running positions may be marked with letters on an unrotatable portion ( 33 ) of the lever . they may be marked , for example , r for reverse , n for neutral and d for drive in a manner known to most drivers . the rotatable portion ( 13 ) is advantageously provided with a mark ( e . g . a dot ) positioned centrally to the letter which denotes the running position selected . the letter which indicates the selected running position is preferably shown on a display on the instrument panel . the lever &# 39 ; s end portion ( 14 ) serves as a push - button and by pressing it substantially horizontally towards ( 15 ) the steering wheel the driver can switch between the manual and automatic positions . he / she thus chooses between manual or automatic gearchanging . this push - button function only works when the rotary portion ( 13 ) is in its drive position . upward or downward gear changes are effected respectively by the driver moving the lever substantially vertically upwards towards ( 16 ) and downwards away from ( 17 ) the steering wheel . the upward and downward gearchange function is non - locking so that the lever always reverts to its original position , a certain distance away from the steering wheel , after the gear change . gear changing can be effected irrespective of the running position selected . the lever ( 6 ) might also be equipped with a button or the like for activating the constant speed maintenance function . the embodiment according to fig3 results in a very compact and flexible lever . the rotary portion ( 13 ) is used for selecting any of the running programs ( reverse , neutral and drive ). when the drive program is selected , switching between manual and automatic is effected by pressing the end ( 14 ) of the lever . as switching between manual and automatic is the most frequent running program change , the rotary portion ( 13 ) will be used relatively infrequently . fig4 - 9 depict further embodiments of the invention . these diagrams depict the levers ( 6 ) as free - standing , but their stem ( 12 ) is intended to be fastened to a steering column in a conventional manner . in all these embodiments ( fig4 - 9 ) the retarder function is activated by moving the lever ( 6 ) peripherally along the steering wheel rim ( 10 ), preferably clockwise ( 9 ) ( not shown in these drawings ) in the same manner as in the embodiment depicted in fig3 . the braking effect increases gradually the further clockwise ( 9 ) the lever is moved . to reduce the braking effect the lever is moved anticlockwise ( 11 ) along the undepicted steering wheel rim ( 10 ). the zero position for the retarder is maximum anticlockwise . the lever ( 6 ) depicted in fig4 incorporates two rotatable portions ( 18 , 19 ). the first ( 18 ) is for setting the selected running programme ( reverse , neutral , manual or automatic ) by turning the portion ( 18 ) step by step about the central axis of the lever . the second rotary portion ( 19 ), which is situated axially outside the first ( 18 ), effects upward and downward gearchanging . the rotary portion ( 19 ) may either be non - locking or have fixed positions . changing up is effected by rotation in one direction , preferably towards the driver , and changing down by rotation in the opposite direction , preferably away from the driver . the retarder &# 39 ; s constant speed maintenance function is activated by pressing the whole lever ( 6 ) axially inwards and preferably substantially horizontally ( 15 ) towards the steering column . the advantage of this embodiment is that the respective functions of the retarder and the gearchange mechanism are distinguished purely in terms of movement . the rotation ( 20 ) is associated with operating the opticruise ( the gearbox ) and the clockwise / anticlockwise movement ( 9 , 11 ) peripherally along the steering wheel is associated with operating the retarder . this reduces the risk of retarder control being confused with opticruise control . the embodiment depicted in fig5 has great similarities with that in fig4 . one difference is that the running program is set by moving the lever ( 6 ) away from ( 17 ) and towards ( 16 ) the plane of the steering wheel in four positions ( reverse , neutral , manual and automatic ). the four running positions should be marked on the lever in some suitable manner , e . g . by letters situated logically on the lever . the running position selected is shown on a display on the instrument panel to make it easy for the driver to see which running position has been set at the time . the lever ( 6 ) incorporates a rotatable portion ( 19 ) for upward and downward gearchanging which functions in the same manner as depicted in fig4 . the end of the rotary portion ( 19 ), which in this case is arranged in the outer end of the lever ( 6 ), has on it a non - locking push - button ( 21 ) with which the button ( 21 ) axially inwards relative to the lever and advantageously in a direction substantially horizontal ( 15 ) to the vehicle &# 39 ; s steering column . the lever ( 6 ) depicted in fig6 likewise incorporates a rotary portion ( 18 ) for setting the running program . the portion ( 18 ) can be turned step by step about the central axis of the lever to set any of the running programs ( reverse , neutral , manual and automatic ). the end of the rotary portion ( 18 ), which here again is arranged in the outer end of the lever ( 6 ), has on it a non - locking push - button ( 23 ) with which the retarder &# 39 ; s constant speed maintenance function can be activated in the same manner as described in fig5 . upward and downward gearchanging is effected with a non - locking toggle switch ( 22 ). changing up is preferably by moving the toggle switch ( 22 ) towards ( 23 ) the driver and changing down by moving it away from ( 24 ) the driver , but the opposite is also conceivable . the fact that the toggle switch ( 22 ) is non - locking means that it can be operated with one or two fingers . the advantages of this embodiment are that all of the lever &# 39 ; s functions are clearly distinguished in terms of movement and that the lever ( 6 ) is always the same distance away from the steering wheel . fig7 depicts a lever ( 6 ) which incorporates a sliding knob ( 25 ) for setting the selected running program . the sliding knob ( 25 ) is moved step by step between the running positions . these are preferably marked on the fixed portion ( 34 ) of the lever , along the path of movement of the sliding knob . the selected running program is shown on a display on the instrument panel . upward and downward gearchanging is effected in the same manner as in the embodiment according to fig3 . this is a movement which is usual for gear changing in racing contexts . the retarder &# 39 ; s constant speed maintenance function is activated by the whole lever being pushed in substantially horizontally towards ( 15 ) the steering wheel . the lever ( 6 ) depicted in fig8 incorporates a rotatable portion ( 18 ) for setting the running program in the same manner as in the embodiment depicted in fig4 . upward and downward gearchanging is effected by two non - locking buttons ( 26 , 27 ), one for changing up and the other for changing down . the lever ( 6 ) is somewhat angled . this makes it easy for the driver to take hold of the lever in order to use the retarder , since the lever protrudes besides the steering wheel . the buttons are in a relatively protected location beneath the steering wheel , so that there is relatively little risk of the driver inadvertently touching them . the retarder &# 39 ; s constant speed maintenance function is activated by pressing the outer end of the lever in line ( 29 ) with the central axis of the angled portion ( 28 ) of the lever ( 6 ). the lever ( 6 ) depicted in fig9 is also angled . the running programme ( reverse , neutral , manual or automatic ) is selected by sliding the lever ( 6 ) away from ( 31 ) and towards ( 30 ) the steering wheel in four positions . this resembles the movement of today &# 39 ; s opticruise lever ( depicted in fig1 ). the lever incorporates a permanently non - locking gearchange device ( 32 ) pivoting on the stem ( 12 ). in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , upward gearchanging is effected by moving the device ( 32 ) substantially vertically upwards ( 16 ) the steering wheel . if downward gearchanging is desired , the device ( 32 ) is moved in the same manner downwards ( 17 ) away from the steering wheel . changing up and down might also be effected by moving the device ( 32 ) substantially horizontally forward and rearwards respectively instead . the device ( 32 ) may either follow the lever &# 39 ; s retarder movement ( 9 , 11 ) or be independent of that movement and always stay in the same position . the retarder &# 39 ; s constant speed maintenance function is activated by the driver pressing a button ( 21 ) at the outer end of the lever in line ( 29 ) with the central axis of the angled portion of the lever ( 6 ). a multiplicity of further embodiments are possible by combining the patterns of movement described with the relevant functions ( retarder braking , running program selection , gear changing and constant speed maintenance ). the lever may also be equipped with a so - called hill button and / or an automatic retarder activation button . the lever &# 39 ; s retarder movement is alike in all the embodiments described , but other movements , e . g . rotation , movement towards / away from the steering wheel etc , are also conceivable . the lever and its movements may also be implemented with a satellite which protrudes from the vehicle &# 39 ; s instrument panel and in which control devices corresponding to the lever can be incorporated . this solution also makes it easy for the driver to reach the control device for effecting gearchange and brake functions .	5
hereinafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail . referring to fig1 ( a ), a znse polycrystalline substrate ( diameter : 2 inches and thickness : 5 mm ) 1 formed by the cvd method is prepared . the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 was etched by the rie method etching conditions included a pressure of 0 . 8 pa , a bcl 3 flow rate of 5 sccm , rf power of 90 w , and an etching time of 90 minutes . the etching depth was approximately 4 μm . a condition of the etched surface is shown in fig2 . the surface roughness ( ra ) was 5 nm . the surface uniformity of the surface condition of the znse polycrystalline substrate thus obtained by the embodiment of the present invention was 3 . 1 %. referring to fig7 the surface uniformity is defined by the following equation based on the etched depths of four points located at 5 mm from the outer circumference of the 2 - inch substrate and one central point thereof . that such a smooth surface can be obtained by the present embodiment can be understood as follows . referring to fig1 ( a ) and ( b ), when reactive ion etching is performed on the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 by means of chlorine - based gas such as bcl 3 or the like , first , by - products 7 such as zncl 2 , se 2 cl 2 , secl 4 , and the like , which are low in vapor pressure , are generated . since these chlorides are low in vapor pressure , they do not desorb immediately but move around the surface of the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 and are uniformly distributed . ( see fig1 ( b ) and ( c ).) then , referring to fig1 ( d ) and ( e ), sputtering ions ( positive ions ) remove the by - products 7 and a new surface of the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 appears . the operations of fig1 ( a ) through fig1 ( e ) are repeated and the surface of the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 is gradually etched accordingly , the surface of the znse polycrystalline substrate 1 is uniformly etched independent of the crystal direction of the crystal grains , thus a smooth surface can be obtained . furthermore , if ar gas and the like is mixed in the gas used for the etching , heavy ionized grains effectively sputter and remove the bi - products . in addition , if the reactive ion etching is performed at a gas pressure of 0 . 5 pa through 1 pa , removal of the by - products within the surface is unified and the uniformity of the etching speed within the substrate surface is enhanced . by way of comparison , etching is also performed by a method according to the prior art . namely , a znse polycrystal , which is formed by the same method as the embodiment of the present invention , is etched by using methane gas as the reactive gas . etching conditions included a ch 4 flow rate of 5 sccm , a pressure of 1 pa , and rf power of 0 . 5 w / cm 2 , the etching time was 180 minutes , and the etching depth was approximately 41 μm . a condition of the etched surface in this case is as shown in fig1 . the surface roughness ( ra ) was 80 nm and the surface was not a mirror surface . hereinafter , the relationship between the etching conditions in the embodiment of the present invention and characteristics of the etched surface thus obtained will be described . in fig3 the relationship between the gas pressure and surface roughness by the etching method for a znse polycrystalline substrate according to the present invention is shown . at an equivalent gas pressure , other conditions were varied for carrying out each experiment , and the results were plotted in the diagram . as can be understood from fig3 there was not a heavy dependence between the gas pressure and surface roughness . 2 . relationship between the radio frequency ( rf ) power and surface roughness : fig4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the radio frequency ( rf ) power and surface roughness . as can be understood from fig4 it was possible to obtain the most preferable surface roughness in the vicinity of a radio frequency power of 0 . 45 w / cm 2 . 3 . relationship between the bcl 3 flow rate and surface roughness : fig5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the bcl 3 flow rate and surface roughness . as can be understood from fig5 the dependency between the bcl 3 flow rate and surface roughness was minimal . next , the relationship between the pressure and surface uniformity will be explained . fig6 shows the relationship between the pressure and surface uniformity . as can be understood from fig6 the lower the pressure , the more preferable the surface uniformity was . however , in the low - pressure area of 0 . 5 pa or below , plasma did not stably generate and etching could not be performed . it can be considered that a smoothly etched surface can be obtained due to a low vapor pressure of by - products which are presumed to be generated by the bcl 3 gas . in terms of the boiling point of each product , the boiling point of zncl 2 is 753 ° c ., se 2 cl 2 , 130 ° c ., and secl 4 , 305 ° c . on the other hand , the boiling point of ( ch 3 ) 2 zn is 44 ° c ., and ( ch 3 ) 2 se , 55 ° c ., which are et by - products presumed to be generated when etching is performed using methane gas . it should be understood that the embodiment herein disclosed is an illustration in all aspects , and therefore has no limitation . the scope of the present invention is not indicated by the foregoing descriptions but by the scope of the claims of the invention and it is intended to include therein equivalents of the claims of the invention and all modifications within the scope thereof fig1 is a view showing an assumable mechanism of the etching using bcl 3 gas according to the embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a view showing an etched surface condition obtained by the embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the gas pressure and etched surface roughness of the present invention . fig4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the charged radio frequency power and etched surface roughness of the present invention fig5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the bcl 3 flow rate and etched surface roughness of the present invention . fig6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the pressure and surface uniformity of the present invention . fig7 is a diagram showing measuring positions on the surface when surface uniformity is determined . fig8 is a diagram showing general steps in the doe manufacturing using znse polycrystals . fig9 is a view illustrating the applicability of doe to laser drill processing . fig1 is a view illustrating the applicability of doe to other laser processing including the laser drill processing . fig1 is a view showing an assumable mechanism of the prior etching using hydrocarbon - based gas . fig1 is a view showing a surface condition obtained by the prior etching method .	7
the concept of this invention pertains broadly to a process for producing protein - based snack food products . the protein source material may be any of the high purity protein sources which form upon hydration , an irreversible gel such as oilseed protein isolates . soy protein isolates containing at least about 90 % protein on a dry basis are preferred . an aqueous slurry containing at least about 20 % protein solids is prepared and mechanically worked from a sticky paste or dough into a continuous plastic gel . this indicates that the protein is fully hydrated . the gel is then subjected to cooling action sufficient to form ice crystals of the free water , e . g ., freezing . the gel is formed into the desired shape either before or after freezing . the product is then dried sufficiently to melt the ice crystals and drive off such moisture while partially heat setting the protein . thorough drying of the product throughout its cross section is necessary ( without surface skin formation ) thus slower drying rates are advantageous . for example , temperatures of 180 ° to 250 ° f . are advisable . the desired dryness is from about 5 to 20 %, and preferably 8 to 10 %. finally , the product is immersed into hot oil and deep fat fried at conventional frying temperatures , wherein the product will expand or puff . the product has excellent structural integrity and a cripsy cellular structure . however , without the freezing and drying the procedure leads to a soft crumbly product of little structural integrity and little desirability as a snack product . the end product is typically characterized by containing at least 40 % protein , less than 50 % fat of absorption and about 2 % water yet it retains excellent structural integrity without the need of a starch or binder . it should be understood that salt and various flavorings can be added . the following examples are intended to illustrate the invention . one part of soy protein isolate is added to a blending device containing four parts of water and is mixed until full hydration of the soy into a continuous plastic gel is accomplished . two percent salt is dispersed into the mixture . the gel is placed into molds and frozen . the formed product is removed from the molds , thawed and sliced while still partially frozen ( for convenience ). the product is dried at about 200 ° f . until about 8 % moisture remains . then the product is deep fat fried at 400 ° f . for 10 - 15 seconds . the product puff and is pleasingly crispy , cellular with good cohesion and structural integrity . the same as example i except that after hydration of the protein , the product was refrigerated overnight rather than freezing and drying it . then it was deep fat fried . the product was soft and crumbly with a soggy mouth feel and undesirable as a snack chip or wafer . the same as example i except the product was dried prior to freezing and then fried . the product did not puff and had a soggy middle .	0
the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description , which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings , wherein the same references relate to the same elements . as shown in fig5 the ccd 30 of the present invention is similar to the conventional ccd 20 ( see fig3 ). the ccd 30 also contains several photo diodes 31 , two transfer gates 321 , 322 , two shift registers 331 , 332 , a floating diffusion node 14 , a clamp 15 , and an output buffer amplifier 16 . the functions and structures of these elements are the same as the same elements in the conventional device and , therefore , are not further described herein . nonetheless , the disclosed ccd 30 further contains a charge control switch 38 to control the action of moving out charges in the shift register 332 . the charge control switch 38 is controlled by the control signal sw . when the control signal sw is enabled , the charge control switch 38 is on ; when the control signal sw is disabled , the charge control switch 38 is off . the output terminal of the first shift register is connected to the floating diffusion node 14 , and the output terminal of the second shift register 332 is connected to the floating diffusion node 14 via the charge control switch 38 . thus , when the charge control switch 38 is off , only the charges on the first shift register 311 are output to the floating diffusion node 14 . when the charge control switch 38 is set on , the charges on both the first shift register 311 and the second shift register 332 are output into the floating diffusion node 14 . when one uses a scanner with the ccd 30 to scan documents , the scanner turns on the charge control switch 38 when the scanning resolution is over { fraction ( 1 / 2 )}, obtaining all data . if the resolution is below { fraction ( 1 / 2 )}, the charge control switch 38 is set off and the scanner just obtains half of the data for each scanning line to save half of the data reading time . with reference to fig6 the control signal sw is disabled in this case . at the case , only the charges on the first shift register 331 will be moved into the floating diffusion node 14 according to the control signals φ 1 and φ 2 . since only the charges on the first shift register 331 are processed , the frequency of the control signals φ 1 and φ 2 is the same the frequency of the output signal . with reference to fig7 the control signal sw is enabled in this case . at the case , the charges both on the first and second shift registers 331 , 332 will be moved into the floating diffusion node 14 according to the control signals φ 1 and φ 2 . since the charges on both the first and second shift registers 331 , 332 are processed , the frequency of the control signals φ 1 and φ 2 is half of the frequency of the output signal . [ 0026 ] fig8 is the structure of the ccd with three shift registers of the second embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig8 the ccd 40 includes two sets of separate pluralities of photo diodes 411 , 412 , three sets of transfer gates 421 , 422 , 423 , three shift registers 431 , 432 , 433 , a floating diffusion node 14 , a clamp 15 , an output buffer amplifier 16 , and a charge control unit 48 . aside from the charge control unit 48 , the functions and structures of the other elements are the same as those in the prior art and therefore are not further described herein . the charge control unit 48 contains charge control switches 481 , 482 , 483 and a charge shift register 484 . the charge control switches 481 , 482 , 483 are controlled by switch signals sw 1 , sw 2 , sw 3 . in this embodiment , the control signals for the shift registers 431 , 432 , 433 , 484 can be grouped into two sets , one being the control signals φ 1 and φ 2 , and the other being the control signals φ 3 and φ 4 . the charge shift register 484 is controlled by the first set of control signals φ 1 and φ 2 . the first shift register 431 is connected to the floating diffusion node 14 via the first charge control switch 481 and is controlled by the first set of control signals φ 1 and φ 2 . the second shift register 432 is connected to the charge shift register 484 , and the third shift register 433 is connected to the charge shift register 484 via the second charge control switch 482 . the charge shift register 484 is connected to the floating diffusion node 14 via the third charge control switch 483 . the second shift register 432 and the third shift register 433 are controlled by the second set of control signals φ 3 and φ 4 . therefore , when a scanner uses the ccd 40 as its image sensor and the scanning resolution of the scanner is above { fraction ( 1 / 2 )}, the scanner sets the first , second and third charge control switches 481 , 482 , and 483 on . in this case , all data in each scan line are obtained . when the scanning resolution is set between { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} to { fraction ( 1 / 2 )}, the scanner turns the third charge control switch 483 off and turns the first and second charge control switches 481 and 482 on . in this case , only half of the data in each scan line are obtained , therefore the scanner can save half of the data reading time . furthermore , when the resolution of the scanner goes below { fraction ( 1 / 4 )}, the scanner turns the first and second charge control switches 481 and 482 off , and leaves the third charge control switch on . in this case , only { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} of the data in each scan line are obtained , therefore the scanner can save { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} of the data reading time . [ 0029 ] fig9 is a timing diagram of the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , φ 4 , rs , cp and the output signal when the first , second and third charge control switches of the ccd in fig8 are on . in fig9 the control signals sw 1 , sw 2 , sw 3 are enabled . in this case , the charges on the first , second and third shift registers 431 , 432 and 433 are moved to the floating diffusion node 14 according to the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , and φ 4 . since the charges on the first , second and third shift registers 431 , 432 and 433 are to be processed , the frequency of the first set of control signals φ 1 and φ 2 is set to half that of the output signal , while the frequency of the second set of control signals φ 3 and φ 4 is set to { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} of the frequency of the output signal . [ 0030 ] fig1 is a timing diagram of the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , φ 4 , rs , cp and the output signal when the first charge control switch of the ccd in fig8 is on and the second and third charge control switches of the ccd in fig8 are off . in fig1 , the control signals sw 1 is enabled and the control signals sw 3 is disabled . in this case , only the charges on the first shift registers 431 are moved into the floating diffusion node 14 according to the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , and φ 4 . since only the charges on the first shift registers 431 are to be processed , the frequency of the first set of control signals φ 1 and φ 2 are same with the frequency of the output signal , while the frequency of the second set of control signals φ 3 and φ 4 is set to half of the frequency of the output signal . [ 0031 ] fig1 is a timing diagram of the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , φ 4 , rs , cp and the output signal when the first and second charge control switches of the ccd in fig8 are off and the third charge control switch of the ccd in fig8 is on . in fig1 , the control signals sw 1 and sw 2 are disabled and the control signals sw 3 is enabled . in this case , only the charges on the second shift registers 432 are moved into the floating diffusion node 14 according to the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , and φ 4 . since only the charges on the second shift registers 432 are to be processed , the frequency of the first and second sets of control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 and φ 4 are same with the frequency of the output signal . since the disclosed ccd 30 , 40 can provide different amount of data according to different resolution requirements , therefore the data processing time is shorter when scanning in the lower resolution mode to increase the scanning speed . as shown in fig1 , the disclosed control method adjusts the frequencies of the control signals according to different resolution modes to achieve the high speed scanning in lower resolution modes . the control method includes the following steps : step s 1202 : read the scanning resolution inputted by user . s 1204 : set the resolution mode . in accordance with the scanning resolution and the highest optical resolution of the ccd , a resolution mode is determined . when the scanning resolution is greater than { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} of the highest optical resolution , the scanner is set at the highest resolution mode . when the scanning resolution is between { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} to { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} of the highest optical resolution , the scanner is set at the { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} resolution mode . when the scanning resolution is smaller than { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} of the highest optical resolution , the scanner is set at the { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} resolution mode . step s 1206 : generate control signals . the control signals are generated according to different resolution modes . the control signals include the control signals for controlling the shift register of the linear image sensor , the switch control signals sw 1 , sw 2 , sw 3 , and other related control signals known in the prior art . the frequencies of these control signals are already described in the previous paragraphs and not further detailed hereinafter . step s 1208 : scan a document and transmit data according to the control signals . this step is similar to a conventional scanner , and thus is not repeated herein . although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense . for example , the embodiments use the structures of two and three shift registers , the scanner can be designed to have more than three shift registers . the disclosed specification uses the control signals φ 1 , φ 2 , φ 3 , and φ 4 to control the movement of the shift registers , but the invention is not limited to these control signals . any signal that can be used to control the shift register can be applied to the invention . for example , a double shifted control method which combines the charges of adjacent two points into a single charge can be utilized in the invention to achieve an even smaller data capacity requirement .	7
if not otherwise specified or clear from context , the following terms as used herein have the following meetings : a . “ residual symptoms ” as used herein include negative symptoms and general psychopathology symptoms as described in the positive and negative symptom scale ( panss ) for schizophrenia described in kay et al ., schizophr . bull . ( 1987 ) 13 ( 2 ): 261 - 276 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . negative symptoms include : blunted affect , emotional withdrawal , poor rapport , passive / apathetic social withdrawal , difficulty in abstract thinking , lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation and stereotyped thinking . general psychopathology symptoms include : somatic concern , anxiety , guilt feelings , tension , mannerisms and posturing , depression , motor retardation , uncooperativeness , unusual thought content , disorientation , poor attention , lack of judgment and insight , disturbance of volition , poor impulse control , preoccupation and active social avoidance . residual symptoms may also include depression , cognitive impairment and sleep disorders ( e . g ., insomnia ). of these residual symptoms , the compounds of the invention are particularly useful for the treatment of passive social withdrawal , stereotyped thinking , somatic concerns , anxiety , tension , active social avoidance and depression . therefore , the compounds of the present invention are particularly useful in improving social integration and social function in patients suffering from schizophrenia . treatment of these residual symptoms is also particularly effective in schizophrenic patients also suffering from depression . unless otherwise indicated , the compounds of the invention , e . g ., compounds of formula i or any of 1 - 1 . 9 , or any of formulae 4 . 1 - 4 . 4 may exist in free or salt , e . g ., as acid addition salts , form . an acid - addition salt of a compound of the invention which is sufficiently basic , for example , an acid - addition salt with , for example , an inorganic or organic acid , for example hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulphuric , phosphoric , acid acetic , trifluoroacetic , citric , maleic acid , toluene sulfonic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , stearic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , palmoic , hydroxymaleic , phenylacetic , glutamic , benzoic , salicylic , sulfanilic , 2 - acetoxybenzoic , fumaric , toluenesulfonic , methanesulfonic , ethane disulfonic , oxalic , isethionic acid , and the like . in addition a salt of a compound of the invention which is sufficiently acidic is an alkali metal salt , for example a sodium or potassium salt , an alkaline earth metal salt , for example a calcium or magnesium salt , an ammonium salt or a salt with an organic base which affords a physiologically - acceptable cation , for example a salt with methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , piperidine , morpholine or tris -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- amine . in a particular embodiment , the salt of the compounds of the invention is a toluenesulfonic acid addition salt . in another particular embodiment , the salt of the compounds of the invention is a fumaric acid addition salt . in a particular embodiment , the salt of the compounds of the invention is a phosphoric acid addition salt . the compounds of the invention are intended for use as pharmaceuticals , therefore pharmaceutically acceptable salts are preferred . salts which are unsuitable for pharmaceutical uses may be useful , for example , for the isolation or purification of free compounds of the invention , and are therefore also included . the compounds of the invention may comprise one or more chiral carbon atoms . the compounds thus exist in individual isomeric , e . g ., enantiomeric or diastereomeric form or as mixtures of individual forms , e . g ., racemic / diastereomeric mixtures . any isomer may be present in which the asymmetric center is in the ( r )-, ( s )-, or ( r , s )- configuration . the invention is to be understood as embracing both individual optically active isomers as well as mixtures ( e . g ., racemic / diastereomeric mixtures ) thereof . accordingly , the compounds of the invention may be a racemic mixture or it may be predominantly , e . g ., in pure , or substantially pure , isomeric form , e . g ., greater than 70 % enantiomeric / diastereomeric excess (“ ee ”), preferably greater than 80 % ee , more preferably greater than 90 % ee , most preferably greater than 95 % ee . the purification of said isomers and the separation of said isomeric mixtures may be accomplished by standard techniques known in the art ( e . g ., column chromatography , preparative tlc , preparative hplc , simulated moving bed and the like ). geometric isomers by nature of substituents about a double bond or a ring may be present in cis ( z ) or trans ( e ) form , and both isomeric forms are encompassed within the scope of this invention . alternatively and / or additionally , the compounds of the invention may be included as a depot formulation , e . g ., by dispersing , dissolving or encapsulating the compounds of the invention in a polymeric matrix as described in the second and third aspect , such that the compound is continually released as the polymer degrades over time . the release of the compounds of the invention from the polymeric matrix provides for the controlled - and / or delayed - and / or sustained - release of the compounds , e . g ., from the pharmaceutical depot composition , into a subject , for example a warm - blooded animal such as man , to which the pharmaceutical depot is administered . thus , the pharmaceutical depot delivers the compounds of the invention to the subject at concentrations effective for treatment of the particular disease or medical condition over a sustained period of time , e . g ., 14 - 180 days , preferably about 30 , about 60 or about 90 days . polymers useful for the polymeric matrix in the composition of the invention ( e . g ., depot composition of the invention ) may include a polyester of a hydroxy - fatty acid and derivatives thereof or other agents such as polylactic acid , polyglycolic acid , polycitric acid , polymalic acid , poly - beta .- hydroxybutyric acid , epsilon .- capro - lactone ring opening polymer , lactic acid - glycolic acid copolymer , 2 - hydroxybutyric acid - glycolic acid copolymer , polylactic acid - polyethylene glycol copolymer or polyglycolic acid - polyethylene glycol copolymer ), a polymer of an alkyl alpha - cyanoacrylate ( for example poly ( butyl 2 - cyanoacrylate )), a polyalkylene oxalate ( for example polytrimethylene oxalate or polytetramethylene oxalate ), a polyortho ester , a polycarbonate ( for example polyethylene carbonate or polyethylenepropylene carbonate ), a polyortho - carbonate , a polyamino acid ( for example poly - gamma .- l - alanine , poly -. gamma .- benzyl - l - glutamic acid or poly - y - methyl - l - glutamic acid ), a hyaluronic acid ester , and the like , and one or more of these polymers can be used . if the polymers are copolymers , they may be any of random , block and / or graft copolymers . when the above alpha - hydroxycarboxylic acids , hydroxydicarboxylic acids and hydroxytricarboxylic acids have optical activity in their molecules , any one of d - isomers , l - isomers and / or dl - isomers may be used . among others , alpha - hydroxycarboxylic acid polymer ( preferably lactic acid - glycolic acid polymer ), its ester , poly - alpha - cyanoacrylic acid esters , etc . may be used , and lactic acid - glycolic acid copolymer ( also referred to as poly ( lactide - alpha - glycolide ) or poly ( lactic - co - glycolic acid ), and hereinafter referred to as plga ) are preferred . thus , in one aspect the polymer useful for the polymeric matrix is plga . as used herein , the term plga includes polymers of lactic acid ( also referred to as polylactide , poly ( lactic acid ), or pla ). most preferably , the polymer is the biodegradable poly ( d , l - lactide - co - glycolide ) polymer . in a preferred embodiment , the polymeric matrix of the invention is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric material . the term “ biocompatible ” is defined as a polymeric material that is not toxic , is not carcinogenic , and does not significantly induce inflammation in body tissues . the matrix material should be biodegradable wherein the polymeric material should degrade by bodily processes to products readily disposable by the body and should not accumulate in the body . the products of the biodegradation should also be biocompatible with the body in that the polymeric matrix is biocompatible with the body . particular useful examples of polymeric matrix materials include poly ( glycolic acid ), poly - d , l - lactic acid , poly - l - lactic acid , copolymers of the foregoing , poly ( aliphatic carboxylic acids ), copolyoxalates , polycaprolactone , polydioxonone , poly ( ortho carbonates ), poly ( acetals ), poly ( lactic acid - caprolactone ), polyorthoesters , poly ( glycolic acid - caprolactone ), polyanhydrides , and natural polymers including albumin , casein , and waxes , such as , glycerol mono - and distearate , and the like . the preferred polymer for use in the practice of this invention is dl -( polylactide - co - glycolide ). it is preferred that the molar ratio of lactide to glycolide in such a copolymer be in the range of from about 75 : 25 to 50 : 50 . useful plga polymers may have a weight - average molecular weight of from about 5 , 000 to 500 , 000 daltons , preferably about 150 , 000 daltons . dependent on the rate of degradation to be achieved , different molecular weight of polymers may be used . for a diffusional mechanism of drug release , the polymer should remain intact until all of the drug is released from the polymeric matrix and then degrade . the drug can also be released from the polymeric matrix as the polymeric excipient bioerodes . the plga may be prepared by any conventional method , or may be commercially available . for example , plga can be produced by ring - opening polymerization with a suitable catalyst from cyclic lactide , glycolide , etc . ( see ep - 0058481b2 ; effects of polymerization variables on plga properties : molecular weight , composition and chain structure ). it is believed that plga is biodegradable by means of the degradation of the entire solid polymer composition , due to the break - down of hydrolysable and enzymatically cleavable ester linkages under biological conditions ( for example in the presence of water and biological enzymes found in tissues of warm - blooded animals such as humans ) to form lactic acid and glycolic acid . both lactic acid and glycolic acid are water - soluble , non - toxic products of normal metabolism , which may further biodegrade to form carbon dioxide and water . in other words , plga is believed to degrade by means of hydrolysis of its ester groups in the presence of water , for example in the body of a warm - blooded animal such as man , to produce lactic acid and glycolic acid and create the acidic microclimate . lactic and glycolic acid are by - products of various metabolic pathways in the body of a warm - blooded animal such as man under normal physiological conditions and therefore are well tolerated and produce minimal systemic toxicity . in another embodiment , the polymeric matrix useful for the invention may comprise a star polymer wherein the structure of the polyester is star - shaped . these polyesters have a single polyol residue as a central moiety surrounded by acid residue chains . the polyol moiety may be , e . g ., glucose or , e . g ., mannitol . these esters are known and described in gb 2 , 145 , 422 and in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 538 , 739 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference . the star polymers may be prepared using polyhydroxy compounds , e . g ., polyol , e . g ., glucose or mannitol as the initiator . the polyol contains at least 3 hydroxy groups and has a molecular weight of up to about 20 , 000 daltons , with at least 1 , preferably at least 2 , e . g ., as a mean 3 of the hydroxy groups of the polyol being in the form of ester groups , which contain polylactide or co - polylactide chains . the branched polyesters , e . g ., poly ( d , 1 - lactide - co - glycolide ) have a central glucose moiety having rays of linear polylactide chains . the depot composition of the invention as hereinbefore described may comprise the polymer in the form of microparticles or nanoparticles , or in a liquid form , with the compounds of the invention dispersed or encapsulated therein . “ microparticles ” is meant solid particles that contain the compounds of the invention either in solution or in solid form wherein such compound is dispersed or dissolved within the polymer that serves as the matrix of the particle . by an appropriate selection of polymeric materials , a microparticle formulation can be made in which the resulting microparticles exhibit both diffusional release and biodegradation release properties . in a particular embodiment , the compound of the invention is formulated into microparticles of an appropriate size to allow slow release kinetics after intramuscular injection . when the polymer is in the form of microparticles , the microparticles may be prepared using any appropriate method , such as by a solvent evaporation or solvent extraction method . for example , in the solvent evaporation method , the compounds of the invention and the polymer may be dissolved in a volatile organic solvent ( for example a ketone such as acetone , a halogenated hydrocarbon such as chloroform or methylene chloride , a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon , a cyclic ether such as dioxane , an ester such as ethyl acetate , a nitrile such as acetonitrile , or an alcohol such as ethanol ) and dispersed in an aqueous phase containing a suitable emulsion stabilizer ( for example polyvinyl alcohol , pva ). the organic solvent is then evaporated to provide microparticles with the compounds of the invention encapsulated therein . in the solvent extraction method , the compounds of the invention and polymer may be dissolved in a polar solvent ( such as acetonitrile , dichloromethane , methanol , ethyl acetate or methyl formate ) and then dispersed in an aqueous phase ( such as a water / pva solution ). an emulsion is produced to provide microparticles with the compounds of the invention encapsulated therein . spray drying is an alternative manufacturing technique for preparing the microparticles . another method for preparing the microparticles of the invention is also described in both u . s . pat . no . 4 , 389 , 330 and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 530 , 840 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference . the microparticle of the present invention can be prepared by any method capable of producing microparticles in a size range acceptable for use in an injectable composition . one preferred method of preparation is that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 389 , 330 . in this method the active agent is dissolved or dispersed in an appropriate solvent . to the agent - containing medium is added the polymeric matrix material in an amount relative to the active ingredient that provides a product having the desired loading of active agent . optionally , all of the ingredients of the microparticle product can be blended in the solvent medium together . solvents for the compounds of the invention and the polymeric matrix material that can be employed in the practice of the present invention include organic solvents , such as acetone ; halogenated hydrocarbons , such as chloroform , methylene chloride , and the like ; aromatic hydrocarbon compounds ; halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon compounds ; cyclic ethers ; alcohols , such as , benzyl alcohol ; ethyl acetate ; and the like . in one embodiment , the solvent for use in the practice of the present invention may be a mixture of benzyl alcohol and ethyl acetate . further information for the preparation of microparticles useful for the invention can be found in u . s . patent publication number 2008 / 0069885 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . the amount of the compounds of the invention incorporated in the microparticles usually ranges from about 1 wt % to about 90 wt . %, preferably 30 to 50 wt . %, more preferably 35 to 40 wt . %. by weight % is meant parts of the compounds of the invention per total weight of microparticle . the pharmaceutical depot may comprise a pharmaceutically - acceptable diluent or carrier , such as a water miscible diluent or carrier . details of osmotic - controlled release oral delivery system composition may be found in ep 1 539 115 ( u . s . pub . no . 2009 / 0202631 ) and wo 2000 / 35419 , the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . a “ therapeutically effective amount ” is any amount of the compounds of the invention ( for example as contained in the pharmaceutical depot ) which , when administered to a subject suffering from a disease or disorder , is effective to cause a reduction , remission , or regression of the disease or disorder over the period of time as intended for the treatment . dosages employed in practicing the present invention will of course vary depending , e . g . on the particular disease or condition to be treated , the particular compounds of the invention used , the mode of administration , and the therapy desired . compounds of the invention may be administered by any satisfactory route , including orally , parenterally ( intravenously , intramuscular or subcutaneous ) or transdermally , but are preferably administered orally . in certain embodiments , the compounds of the invention , e . g ., in depot formulation , is preferably administered parenterally , e . g ., by injection . in general , satisfactory results for method i or any of formulae 7 . 1 - 7 . 32 or method i p or use of the compounds of the invention as hereinbefore described , e . g . for the treatment of a combination of diseases such as a combination of at least depression , psychosis , e . g ., ( 1 ) psychosis , e . g ., schizophrenia , in a patient suffering from depression ; ( 2 ) depression in a patient suffering from psychosis , e . g ., schizophrenia ; ( 3 ) mood disorders associated with psychosis , e . g ., schizophrenia , or parkinson &# 39 ; s disease ; and ( 4 ) sleep disorders associated with psychosis , e . g ., schizophrenia , or parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , as set forth above are indicated to be obtained on oral administration at dosages of the order from about 1 mg to 100 mg once daily , preferably about 2 . 5 mg - 50 mg , e . g ., 2 . 5 mg , 5 mg , 10 mg , 20 mg , 30 mg , 40 mg or 50 mg , once daily , preferably via oral administration . satisfactory results for method ii or any of 8 . 1 - 8 . 15 , method ii or use of the compounds of the invention as hereinbefore described , e . g . for the treatment of sleep disorder alone or agitation , aggressive behaviors , post - traumatic stress disorder or impulse control disorder alone , e . g ., intermittent explosive disorder alone are indicated to be obtained on oral administration at dosages of the order from about 1 mg - 10 mg once daily , e . g ., about 2 . 5 mg - 5 mg , e . g ., 2 . 5 mg , 3 mg , 4 mg , 5 mg or 10 mg , of a compound of the invention , in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form , once daily , preferably via oral administration . satisfactory results for method i - a or any of 9 . 1 - 9 . 38 or method i p - a are indicated to be obtained at less than 100 mg , preferably less than 50 mg , e . g ., less than 40 mg , less than 30 mg , less than 20 mg , less than 10 mg , less than 5 mg , less than 2 . 5 mg , once daily . satisfactory results for method ii - a or any of 9 . 1 - 9 . 38 are indicated to be obtained at less than 10 mg , e . g ., less than 5 mg or , preferably less than 2 . 5 mg . for treatment of the disorders disclosed herein wherein the depot composition is used to achieve longer duration of action , the dosages will be higher relative to the shorter action composition , e . g ., higher than 1 - 100 mg , e . g ., 25 mg , 50 mg , 100 mg , 500 mg , 1 , 000 mg , or greater than 1000 mg . in a particular embodiment , the dosage regimen for depot composition includes an initial oral immediate dose along with depot release so as to provide a steady - state blood level of the drug . duration of action of the compounds of the invention may be controlled by manipulation of the polymer composition , i . e ., the polymer : drug ratio and microparticle size . wherein the composition of the invention is a depot composition , administration by injection is preferred . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of the invention can be synthesized from the parent compound which contains a basic or acidic moiety by conventional chemical methods . generally , such salts can be prepared by reacting the free base forms of these compounds with a stoichiometric amount of the appropriate acid in water or in an organic solvent , or in a mixture of the two ; generally , non - aqueous media like ether , ethyl acetate , ethanol , isopropanol , or acetonitrile are preferred . further details for the preparation of these salts , e . g ., toluenesulfonic salt in amorphous or crystal form , may be found in pct / us08 / 03340 and / or u . s . provisional application no . 61 / 036 , 069 . pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of the invention may be prepared using conventional diluents or excipients ( an example include , but is not limited to sesame oil ) and techniques known in the galenic art . thus oral dosage forms may include tablets , capsules , solutions , suspensions and the like . all references herein to dosage , dosage rate or therapeutically effect amount of a compound or composition of the invention refers to the equivalent free - base or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form moiety in the dosage . the in - vitro metabolism of the compound of the formula q and its metabolites is studied using subcellular fractions and isolated hepatocytes . the results indicate that the compound of formula q is n - demethylated to the compound of formula r via the p450 cytochrome oxidase isoform 3a4 ( cyp 3a4 ), and that both the compound of formula q and the compound of formula r undergo ketone reduction via the enzyme ketone reductase , to form the compounds of formula s and t , respectively . these two reductions are both catalyzed in the reverse direction ( oxidation ) by cyp 3a4 . these results are summarized in the scheme below : in addition , the in - vivo metabolism of the compound of formula q is studied after oral administration to rats , dogs and humans . plasma levels after administration are determined in all three species for the compounds of formula q through t . the results of the studies indicate that metabolism of the compound of formula q is rapid , and that the n - demethyl compounds are highly polar and excreted rapidly . results of human plasma studies on day 8 after 7 day dosing ( 120 mg , 4 doses / day ) with the compound of formula q are shown below : the intermediates of the compounds of the invention may be prepared as described in in wo pct / us08 / 03340 ( wo 2008 / 112280 ); u . s . application ser . no . 10 / 786 , 935 ; u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 548 , 493 ; 7 , 238 , 690 ; 6 , 552 , 017 ; 6 , 713 , 471 ; 7 , 183 , 282 ; u . s . re39680 , and u . s . re39679 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . salts of the compounds of the invention may also be prepared as similarly described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 548 , 493 ; 7 , 238 , 690 ; 6 , 552 , 017 ; 6 , 713 , 471 ; 7 , 183 , 282 ; u . s . re39680 ; u . s . re39679 ; and wo 2009 / 114181 , the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . isolation or purification of the diastereomers of the compounds of the invention may be achieved by conventional methods known in the art , e . g ., column purification , preparative thin layer chromatography , preparative hplc , crystallization , trituration , simulated moving beds and the like . the compounds of formula i can be prepared by standard methods known to those skilled in the art . u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety , discloses the synthesis of the compound of formula q , and all of the intermediates therefor : the compounds of the invention are synthesized in similar manner to the methods disclosed for the synthesis of the compound of formula q . examples of these syntheses follow . for example , compound b may be prepared from compound a ( disclosed in the u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 ) by reacting with d3 - iodomethane in the presence of a base , such as potassium carbonate , in a suitable solvent , such as acetone . following the procedures of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , compound b can then be converted to a compound of formula i , wherein r 1 is cd3 . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below : for example , compound d may be prepared from a compound of formula c ( disclosed in the u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , and herein ) by reacting with d3 - borane thf complex , in a suitable solvent , such as tetrahydrofuran . following the procedures of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , compound d can then be converted a compound of formula i , wherein r 2 and r 3 are d . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below : for example , a compound of formula i , wherein r 4 and r 5 are d , may be prepared from a compound of formula f ( disclosed in the u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , and herein ) by reacting with compound h , as defined hereinafter , in the presence of potassium iodide and a base , such as potassium carbonate and triethylamine , in a suitable solvent , such as 3 - pentanone . following the procedures of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , the product can be isolated and purified . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below : a compound of formula h can be prepared essentially according to the procedure of j . r . cabrero - antonino ( chemistry : a european journal , vol 18 , no . 35 , p . 11107 - 11114 , 27 aug . 2012 ). iron ( iii ) chloride and silver bisaminotriflate in dioxane are stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes , and then 1 -( 4 - chlorobut - 1 - yn - 1 - yl )- 4 - fluorobenzene and deuterium oxide are added . the mixture is heated at 80 ° c . for 18 hours to give compound h . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below : a compound of formula ii , wherein r 4 and r 5 are h , and r 6 to r 9 are d , may be prepared from a compound of formula f ( disclosed in the u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , and herein ) by reacting with compound j , as defined hereinafter , in the presence of potassium iodide and a base , such as potassium carbonate and triethylamine , in a suitable solvent , such as 3 - pentanone . following the procedures of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 309 , 722 , the product can be isolated and purified . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below : a compound of formula j can be prepared by reacting ds - fluorobenzene with 4 - chlorobutanoyl chloride in the presence of aluminum ( iii ) chloride in a suitable solvent , such as carbon tetrachloride . the reaction may be summarized in the reaction scheme below :	0
the fire resistant fabric contributes greatly to the thermal stability and fire retardance of the final product and can be a woven fabric of fire retardant treated 100 % cotton , aramid yarns ( e . g . nomex nylon ), modacrylic fibers , glass fiber , ceramic fibers ( such as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 709 , 706 ; 3 , 795 , 524 ; or 4 , 047 , 965 ), or blends of the foregoing . fire retardant cotton for use in this invention may be cotton duck , twill or jeans fabric of about 5 to 100 mils ( 0 . 1 - 2 . 5 mm ) in thickness which has been treated by the conventional pad / dry / cure technique with an effective fire retardant . there are many known fire retardants for cotton , one example being tetrakis ( hydroxy - methyl ) phosphonium chloride ( thpc ). formulations comprising thpc , trimethylolmelamine and urea in various ratios ( e . g . 2 : 4 : 1 mole ratio thpc : urea : trimethyloylmelamine ) have been employed . the principle of such fire retardants is to form insoluble polymers in cotton concurrently with some reaction with the cotton fiber itself to lend durability to the fire retardant . in the process of making fire retardant fabrics , the untreated fabric is padded with a solution containing the thpc and other reagents , dried , cured , washed , softened and then dried again . one known process for imparting flame resistance to cotton is the roxel process ( roxel being a trademark of hooker chemical corporation ). it is also known to cure fire retardant fabrics by the ammonia cure process in which dried , impregnated fabric is exposed to ammonia vapor and / or ammonium hydroxide solution . there are many varieties of thpc type fire retardants for cotton such as thpc - urea - na 2 hpo 4 , and thpc - trimethylolmelamine - urea with antimony oxide added . further information on fire resistant fabrics may be found on reeves , w . a ., &# 34 ; fire - resistant apparel fabrics &# 34 ;, crc critical reviews in environmental control , pp . 91 - 100 ( december , 1977 ) and in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 549 , 307 and 3 , 607 , 798 . several procedures have been used to apply the fluorescent coating , one of which is direct knife coating of a vinyl organosol or plastisol onto a fabric substrate with subsequent fusing or curing . a second procedure is to knife coat a fluorescent pigmented high molecular weight thermoplastic polyurethane solution onto a high gloss release paper . this coating is backed with a white pigmented thermoplastic polyurethane resin containing flame retardant components . an adhesive layer is then solution cast onto the white pigmented thermoplastic polyurethane resin coating . this paper - carried color coat combination is hot laminated to a fire retardant fabric , and the paper is subsequently removed to expose the fluorescent color . a nomex aramid duck fabric was used as the base fabric for this urethane color coat in the work leading to this invention , the fabric being 71 / 2 ounces per square yard ( 254 grams per square meter ). the retroreflective sheeting is most preferably of very high brightness in order to minimize the proportion of the fluorescent coating which must be covered to provide sufficient night time visibility from the retroreflective sheeting . this brightness is about 400 candle power or higher and is achieved with certain exposed lens beaded constructions and cube corner ( prismatic lens ) systems . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 684 , 348 describes cube corner retroreflective sheeting comprising basically a plastic body portion having substantially smooth surfaces on opposite sides and a multiplicity of minute cube corner formations projecting from one of the smooth sides , each cube corner formation having three faces and a base adjacent the body portion . the body portion and the cube corner formations are separately formed from essentially transparent synthetic resins and are bonded together to form a composite structure . to provide optimum reflectivity , the composite material has a reflective coating deposited on the cube corner formations . resins preferably employed for the body portion include : polyvinyl halides , polyethylene terephthalate , polyvinylidene chloride , polycarbonates , polysulfones and cellulose ester polymers . the resins preferably employed for the cube corner formations comprise : acrylic acid ester resins , acrylic modified vinyl chloride resins , vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymers , ethylenically unsaturated nitrile resins , monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbon resins , olefin resins , cellulose ester resins , polysulfone resins polyphenylene oxide resins and polycarbonates . further information on cube corner retroreflective sheeting may be found in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 992 , 080 . a type of exposed lens retroreflective sheeting was utilized in reducing this invention to practice . it comprised essentially four layers : an outer layer of closest cubic packed glass beads of about 45 to 65 micrometers in diameter ; an aluminum coating about 700 angstroms thick over the beads ; a binding resin coating of about 0 . 025 mm in thickness which bound the glass bead / aluminum layer together ; and a fourth layer of thermoplastic adhesive of roughly 0 . 038 mm thick on the back of the binder coat . the chemical nature of the binding layer was a mixture of acrylonitrile butadiene elastomer , phenol formaldahyde one step thermosetting resin and dioctylphthalate plasticizer . the adhesive was entirely high molecular weight thermoplastic polyurethane made from an aromatic diisocyanate and a polyester . other suitable adhesives for adhering the retroreflective sheeting to the coated fabric are : ( a ) solution grade vinyl adhesive ( such as vagh , vmch or vyhh from union carbide corp . or polyvinyl acetate / polyvinyl chloride copolymers ); ( b ) the vinyl adhesives of ( a ) above in combination with a plasticizer ( such as dioctylphthalate , dibutylphthalate and t - cresylphosphate ) to achieve flexibility and elasticity ; ( c ) thermoplastic polyester and polyether urethane elastomers ( such as estane polyurethane resin from b . f . goodrich chemical co . ); ( d ) films of linear , saturated polyester resins , such as yitel pe55y5 from goodyear tire & amp ; rubber co . ; another type of retroreflective sheeting useful in this invention is the enclosed lens type which has a transparent spacing layer between the microsphere lens elements and the reflecting means to place the reflecting means at the approximate focal point of light rays passing through each lens element . the invention will be further clarified by the following examples which are intended to be purely exemplary . ______________________________________ % by weight______________________________________ solution a1 . methyl ethyl ketone 21 . 332 . cyclohexanone 8 . 03 . toluene 22 . 04 . methyl isobutyl ketone 16 . 675 . high molecular weight polyurethane 12 . 0 resin made from an aromatic diisocyanate and a polyester ( estane 5703 from b . f . goodrich chemical co .) 6 . a copolymer of 86 : 13 weight ratio 3 . 33 vinyl chloride - vinyl acetate resin with 1 % interpolymerized maleic acid ( vmch resin from union carbide corp .) 7 . a finely divided organic resin in 16 . 67 which is molecularly dissolved a yellow fluorescent dye ( saturn yellow gt - 17 pigment from day - glo color corp .) solution b1 . methyl ethyl ketone 25 . 662 . cyclohexanone 7 . 203 . toluene 18 . 704 . dioctyl phthalate 14 . 605 . vinyl resin stabilizer comprising a 1 . 00 derivative of mixed calcium and zinc salts of p - tert - butyl benzoic acid6 . highly crystalline high molecular 3 . 09 weight polyurethane resin made from an aromatic diisocyanate and a polyester ( estane 4713 ) of b . f . goodrich chemical company ) 7 . rutile titanium dioxide 7 . 938 . a copolymer of 86 : 14 weight ratio 21 . 82 vinyl chloride : vinyl acetate resin ( vyhh resin from union carbide corp .) ______________________________________ a fluorescent coating was prepared by knife coating a layer of solution a ( 0 . 2 mm . wet thickness ) onto a polyethylene coated kraft paper carrier and oven drying the coated paper for twenty minutes at 72 ° c . a layer of solution b was knife coated ( 0 . 25 mm wet thickness ) over the dried coating of solution a , and this second coating was dried in an oven for five minutes at 65 ° c . and for 12 minutes at 93 ° c . a quantity of bleached cotton jeans fabric was obtained , weighing 161 . 2 grams per square meter , having a thread count of 96 × 64 . it had been treated with a flame retardant by the known ammonia cure process . the fluorescent coating was laminated to this fabric by passing the fabric and the fluorescent coating through the nip formed by a roll covered with silicone rubber which was in contact with a steel roll heated to 375 ° f ., the force between the two rolls being 40 psi . after this lamination step , the paper liner was removed from the fluorescent coating to expose the glossy fluorescent finish . following the transfer of the fluorescent coating to the flame retardant treated fabric , the fabric was slit into pieces two inches ( 51 mm ) wide , and a 5 / 8 ( 16 mm ) inch wide ribbon of retroreflective sheeting was laminated to the center of such pieces in accordance with the laminating process just described ( fig1 and 2 .) the retroreflective sheeting was made as follows : glass microspheres ranging from 40 to 60 micrometers in diameter and having a refractive index of 1 . 92 were partially embedded into a polyethylene - coated paper to a depth of approximately 1 / 3 their diameter by passing the web through an oven at about 295 ° f . ( 146 ° c .). the exposed portion of the beads were then coated with aluminum by a vacuum vapor coating process . a layer of binder material was knife coated over the aluminum coating to provide a 0 . 008 inch ( 0 . 2 mm ) thick wet coating . the binder material comprised a mixture of 17 . 4 parts acylonitrile - butadiene elastomer ( hycar 1001 × 255 from b . f . goodrich chemical company ) 23 . 2 parts of a solution comprising phenol formaldahyde one step type thermosetting resin dissolved at 50 % solids in methylisobutylketone ( durez 1429 obtained from hooker chemical company ) and 3 . 5 parts dioctyl phthalate plasticizer , the whole mixture being dissolved in methylisobutylketone at a solids concentration of 32 . 5 %. the binder coat was dried in an oven . next , an adhesive material was prepared from a high molecular weight thermoplastic polyurethane made from an aromatic diisocyanate and a polyester ( obtained as estane 5713 from b . f . goodrich chemical company ) dissolved in a mixture of methylethylketone and dimethylformamide at a level of 22 % solids . this adhesive was knife coated onto the binder layer to provide a 0 . 2 mm thick wet layer and the layer was oven dried . immediately following the oven drying , a 2 mil ( 51 micrometers ) thick polyethylene layer was pressure - laminated to the adhesive side to provide a protective coating during handling . the result was a sandwich construction with the exposed lens retroreflective sheeting in the middle , the polyethylene layer protecting the adhesive side , and the coated paper protecting the glass beads . the polyethylene layer was stripped from the adhesive prior to laminating the retroreflective sheeting to the 2 inch ( 51 mm ) wide trim strips , and the polyethylene coated paper was removed after the final lamination step described above to expose the retroreflective sheeting ( fig1 and 2 .) samples of the trim material of this invention made by the process described above in example i were tested for flame resistance and retention of reflectivity . control samples subjected to the same tests were a commercially available trim material for firemen &# 39 ; s coats reflexite trim ( by reflexite corp . of new britain , conn .). unless otherwise noted the test methods are from u . s . federal test method standard 191 , &# 34 ; textile test methods &# 34 ;. the test results are presented below . ______________________________________ trim oftest control this invention______________________________________char length method 5903 1 . 2 in . 1 . 25 in . ( 30 mm ) ( 32 mm ) after flame - method 5903 0 . 4 sec . 0 . 2 secreflectivity ( r )* 242 320reflectivity ( r )* after 5 min . @ 149 ° c . 48 320reflectivity ( r )* after 5 min . @ 177 ° c . 0 320reflectivity ( r )* after 5 min . @ 204 ° c . 0 313reflectivity ( r )* after 5 min . @ 232 ° c . 0 310reflectivity ( r )* after 5 min . @ 260 ° c . 0 243______________________________________ * r is coefficient of luminous intensity reported in candelas / lux for samples of 325 in . sup . 2 ( 2097 cm . sup . 2 ) as defined in astm designation e 80881 and determined by the procedure in astm standard e 80981 . when placed in a forced air laboratory oven at 260 ° c . for five minutes , the control charred , melted , and separated from the fire retardant cotton duck to which it had been sewn . the trim material of this invention , on the other hand , retained its retroreflectivity and did not char , melt or separate . it would remain on fire fighters &# 39 ; protective garments much longer giving greater night time visibility and would not melt under severe conditions to possibly drip and cause harm to fire fighters . other embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein . various omissions , modifications and changes to the principles described herein may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention which is indicated by the following claims :	8
fig1 shows a centrifugal separator in vertical section , with a middle portion removed so as to illustrate a horizontal section as well . the centrifugal separator includes a cylindrical separator bowl 10 mounted in a central region 11 of a separator housing 13 . the separator bowl 10 is preferably a tubular type bowl having a relatively small diameter d and a length l such that the ratio of l / d is approximately 5 / 1 or greater . mounted within the separator bowl 10 is a piston assembly consisting of a piston head 12 connected to a piston shaft 14 . a variable speed drive motor 16 is connected to a drive pulley of a spherically mounted bearing and spindle assembly 18 . the connection is made by a drive belt 20 at a collar - like extension 21 of the upper end of the separator housing 13 . the drive motor 16 is controllably operated to rotate the separator bowl 10 at desired speeds for separating the feed liquid . a piston shaft clutch 22 is mounted in a crosshead 24 of a piston actuator which includes two piston actuator plungers 26 mounted in respective piston actuator cylinders 28 . each piston actuator plunger 26 is operatively connected to the piston shaft 14 via the crosshead 24 and the piston shaft clutch 22 for raising and lowering the piston assembly within the separator bowl 10 in response to compressed air or hydraulic fluid introduced at piston actuator ports 29 . in a discharge mode of operation , the piston shaft clutch 22 is engaged for holding the piston shaft 14 while the piston actuator is raised so that the edges of the piston head 12 scrape solids from the walls of the separator bowl 10 . in other operating modes , the piston shaft clutch 22 is disengaged so that the piston assembly simply rotates with the separator bowl 10 and does not move axially . in these operating modes , a lock ring 31 prevents the piston assembly from falling out of the bottom opening of the separator bowl 10 . also shown in fig1 are a centrate case 30 , centrate outlet port 32 , centrate valve 34 and centrate valve actuator 36 , all of which are involved in removing the centrate , or clarified liquid , from the centrifugal separator during operation , as described in more detail below . a solids valve 38 is mounted in a lower end region 39 of the separator housing 13 , below an inward - facing flange 41 . the solids valve 38 incorporates both a feed liquid passage 40 in communication with a feed liquid port 42 , as well as a residual liquid drain passage 44 in communication with a residual liquid drain port 46 . a solids valve seal 48 is disposed on a lower surface of the flange 41 . additional structural and functional details of the solids valve 38 are described below . fig2 shows the area of the piston head 12 in detail . the central area 43 of the piston head 12 has an inverted cone - shaped cross section , with openings 45 arranged around the perimeter . in a feed mode of operation , as described below , feed liquid from the feed liquid passage 40 enters the cavity beneath the central area 43 , as indicated at 47 , and is directed out of the openings 45 toward the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 . due to rotation of the piston head 22 in this operating mode , the openings 45 serve to accelerate the feed liquid and distribute it around the bottom of the separator bowl 10 . a feed mode of operation of the centrifugal separator is described with reference to fig3 . the piston shaft clutch 22 is disengaged so that the piston shaft 14 is free to rotate at high speed with the separator bowl 10 under the influence of the drive motor 16 . the solids valve 38 is in a closed position in which its outer upper surface rests against the solids valve seal 48 . the solids valve seal 48 is pneumatically or hydraulically inflatable by a solids valve actuator 50 via an inflating passage 53 . in the feed mode , the seal 48 is maintained in an inflated state . the feed liquid is introduced through the feed liquid port 42 . the feed liquid flows from the feed liquid port 42 into the feed liquid passage 40 , and upon reaching the end of the feed liquid passage 40 continues in a stream 55 toward the bottom of the piston head 12 . as described above , the piston head 12 includes structure that operates to accelerate the feed liquid and direct it toward the inner wall of the bowl 10 as it rotates . due to the centrifugal force , the liquid flows up the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 forming a pool surface 52 . as shown , the centrate valve 34 is open , so that any overflow liquid decants over a weir 54 as clarified liquid ( centrate ) at the top of the separator bowl 10 . the centrate then flows into the centrate case 30 and out of the centrate outlet port 32 as shown at 58 . as the liquid flows through the separator bowl 10 , it is clarified of entrained solid particles by the high centrifugal force acting upon the liquid . the solids are forced to settle on the inside wall of the separator bowl 10 and collect as a compressed solids cake 56 as a result of the centrifugal force . when the separator bowl 10 has been determined to be sufficiently full of solids , for example by sensing the turbidity of the centrate , the centrifugal separator is placed in a bowl drain mode which is depicted in fig4 . the feed liquid is shut off and the driver motor 16 electronically brakes the separator bowl 10 to a full stop . the residual liquid in the separator bowl 10 drains down through the openings in the piston head 12 onto a shaped upper surface of the solids valve 38 , which channels the residual liquid into the liquid drain passage 44 . the residual liquid then exits via the liquid drain port 46 as shown at 60 . the separator bowl 10 may be rotated again to further separate liquid from the solids , depending on the application . when the separator bowl 10 has been completely drained of residual liquid , the centrifugal separator enters a “ piston ” mode in which the accumulated solids are forced out of the separator bowl 10 . the piston mode is illustrated in fig5 and 6 . the solids valve seal 48 is deflated and the upper offset portion 61 of the solids valve 38 is rotated away from the opening defined by the inner edge of the flange 41 . the piston shaft clutch 22 engages the piston shaft 14 , and the centrate valve 34 is closed by action of the centrate valve actuator 36 . then , by action of the piston actuator including plungers 26 and cylinders 28 , the crosshead 24 is slowly raised , and with it the piston shaft 14 and piston head 12 . as the piston head 12 is drawn upward , the accumulated solids are scraped away from the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 and eventually fill the compressed space 62 above the piston head 12 . further raising of the piston head 12 results in pressure on the enclosed solids , forcing them to be extruded downward through the openings in the piston head 12 . the extruded solids fall downward through the open bottom of the separator bowl 10 and past the open solids valve 38 , as indicated at 64 . this extruding action continues until the piston head 12 has been raised to its maximum height , at which point substantially all of the accumulated solids have been removed . at this point , the components including piston head 12 , centrate valve 34 and solids valve 38 are returned to their respective positions as shown in fig1 for the next feed / drain / piston cycle . at this point , a cleaning operation may also be performed in preparation for the next operational cycle . fig7 shows the area of the centrate valve 34 during the piston mode of operation in greater detail . the centrate valve 34 is normally held open by return springs 66 and 68 . under the action of compressed air or hydraulic fluid 70 , the centrate valve actuator 36 is raised , bringing the centrate valve 34 to a closed position . as the piston head 12 is raised by action of the piston actuator , the soft solids are extruded through openings 70 of the piston head , as indicated at 64 . as shown , several seals including piston shaft seal 72 , piston head seal 74 , and centrate valve seal 76 provide for fluid - tight sealing of the upper part of the bowl 10 in the piston mode , such that the solids are forced only through the piston openings . fig8 shows a centrifugal separator similar in many respects to the centrifugal separator of fig1 - 7 . the primary difference is the use of a scraper having a scraper shaft 78 and scraper head 80 instead of a piston . also , the centrifugal separator of fig9 does not include the centrate valve 34 and associated apparatus found in the centrifugal separator of fig1 - 7 . the centrifugal separator of fig8 employs a helical scraping action on the inner surface of the bowl 10 rather than an extruding action , and can generally be used with accumulated solids that are relatively dense and rigid . fig9 - 11 show different views of the scraper head 80 . four scraper arms 82 extend from a central body portion 84 , which includes a number of radially directed feed accelerator holes 90 . alternative embodiments may use fewer or more scraper arms 82 . each scraper arm 82 has a forward surface 86 with an edge portion 88 that is in close contact with the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 . the forward surface 86 may be integral with the rest of the arm 82 or may be part of a separate hard material that is attached to the arm 82 , such as by welding or brazing . also shown in fig9 - 11 are skirt portions 89 extending downwardly below the arms 82 . the function of the skirt portions 89 is described below . fig1 shows the centrifugal separator of fig8 in a feed mode of operation , which is substantially the same as the feed mode of operation of the centrifugal separator of fig1 - 7 . fig1 shows the area of the scraper head 80 in detail during the feed mode of operation . the scraper head 80 is located at the lower end of the bowl 10 , and rotates with the bowl 10 at high speed . the skirt portions 89 of the scraper head 80 extend into a lower opening of the bowl 10 , and during the high - speed rotation actually flex slightly outward in response to the centrifugal forces to urge against a lower rim 91 of the bowl 10 . by this action , unwanted vibration of the scraper assembly is reduced . during the feed mode of operation , the feed liquid stream 55 is accelerated radially by action of the scraper head 80 rotating with the separator bowl 10 . specifically , the feed liquid stream 55 hits the underside 93 of the body portion 84 of the scraper head 80 ( see fig1 and 11 ) and is directed outwardly to the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 through the holes 90 . the solids 56 accumulate near the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 as the centrate flows up the inner surface of the separator bowl 10 and eventually out of centrate port outlet 32 as described above with reference to fig3 . fig1 illustrates the drain mode of operation of the centrifugal separator of fig8 . again , operation is similar to the drain mode of operation of the centrifugal separator of fig1 - 7 . fig1 shows a scrape mode of operation of the centrifugal separator of fig8 . the solids valve seal 48 is deflated and the solids valve 38 is rotated away from the bottom of the separator bowl 10 , as shown in fig6 . the scraper clutch 22 is engaged to prevent the scraper shaft 78 from rotating and to lift the scraper shaft 78 as the scraper actuator is lifted . the motor 16 rotates the bowl at a slow speed as the scraper head 80 is slowly raised . this causes the packed solids to be scraped away along a helical path on the inner surface of the bowl 10 . this action continues until the scraper head 80 reaches the top of the bowl 10 , at which point it is slowly lowered , scraping away any residual solids as it does so . when this scraping cycle is complete , the solids valve 38 closes again and the solids valve seal 48 is re - inflated , enabling the next feed / drain / scrape cycle to commence . optionally , cleaning and / or rinsing fluid may be introduced through the same fluid feed pathway , with operation of the drive motor 16 enabling complete distribution of the cleaning and / or rinsing fluid . a scrape mode of operation , as discussed above , may then be entered to further clean the interior of the separator bowl 10 . fig1 shows the area of the spindle and bearing assembly 18 of the centrifugal separator of fig1 and 8 . a bearing housing has a spherical portion 96 and a short cylindrical spindle portion 98 . mounted within the spindle portion 98 are a bearing 100 and an extended spindle or hub 102 of the separator bowl 10 . a driven pulley 104 engaged by the drive belt 20 ( which extends through a lateral opening 105 of the spherical portion 96 of the bearing housing ) is attached to the hub 102 . the spherical portion 96 rests against mating surfaces of seats 106 . a clearance adjustment nut 108 is used to retain the seats 106 while providing for a desired amount of clearance between the seats 106 and the bearing housing . a damping rubber support ring 107 is secured to the top of the spherical portion 96 . the support ring 107 and a swing - damping rubber ring 110 are retained by a ring compression adjustment nut 112 . a bearing housing anti - rotation pin 114 prevents the bearing housing from rotating . the pin 114 extends through an enlarged opening 115 in the housing 13 . the structure depicted in fig1 provides a “ simple support ” for the rotating spindle 102 and cylindrical separator bowl 10 . this simple support permits a limited amount of outward swiveling of the spindle 102 as it rotates about the central vertical axis of the separator at high speed during operation . this helps to reduce vibration associated with the natural frequency of the rotating apparatus , providing for smoother operation and longer life . it will be noted that the anti - rotation pin 114 can move within the opening 115 , and therefore does not interfere with this swiveling action . fig1 shows an alternative scheme for mounting a bearing and spindle assembly 18 ′. the bearing housing has a cylindrical upper portion 96 ′ with notches for receiving two rubber isolation rings 116 . the assembly is held in place by a ring compression adjustment nut 112 ′. in alternative embodiments , the nut 112 or 112 ′ may be replaced by other structure , including a bolted - on ring or disk . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications to and variations of the disclosed methods and apparatus are possible without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein , and therefore the invention should not be viewed as limited except to the full scope and spirit of the appended claims .	1
although description herein of resonators has been limited to their use in filters , and to a resonator , per se , as a resonant parallel circuit , the invention is not so limited and is applicable to the use of resonators in oscillators , amplifiers , and other tunable devices . moroever , while description of filters herein has largely been made with respect to single - stage filters , the invention is applicable to multi - stage filters and devices which are constructed by cascading two or more single stage filters or resonators under one pole piece , similar to the construction of multi - stage yig bandpass filters . referring now to fig5 and 6 , a single stage rf bandpass filter 20 is depicted . the filter 20 utilizes a resonator body 22 of single - crystal ferrimagnetic material in the general shape of a disk having a central hole 24 . the disk - shaped body 22 has a central or rotation axis 25 extending axially through the center of the body , i . e . through the center of hole 24 . the axis 25 is oriented with respect to the ferrimagnetic material parallel to a ( 100 ) plane for a material with a negative anisotropy , and parallel to a ( 110 ) plane inside the acute angle formed by two [ 111 ] axes for a material with a positive anisotropy . the particular ferrimagnetic material used is not critical and can be any of those used heretofore , for example , a yig material , preferably doped with gallium . the disk - shaped body 22 is disposed in a cup - like base 26 sandwiched between a spacer 27 and a bottom portion 28 of the cup - like base 26 . both the cup - like base 26 and the spacer 27 are made of non - magnetic , non - conductive materials ( e . g . plastic , ceramics , etc .). the spacer 27 and the bottom portion 28 of the base 26 have central holes ( 30 and 32 , respectively ) aligned with the hole 24 in the disk - shaped body 22 an four holes 34 symmetrically located adjacent the circumference of the disk - shaped body . the base 26 is supported at its bottom portion 28 by three set - screws 39 over a metal end - cap 41 and kept in place by three springs 43 urging the base against the set - screws . the springs 43 bear against a peripheral or rim portion 44 of the base 26 and are fixed to posts 45 by screws 46 which also secure the posts to the end - cap 41 . this arrangement makes possible the adjustment of the orientation of the rotational axis of the disk - shaped resonator body with respect to the dc field . the filter assembly including the base and end - cap is supported in a housing as shown in fig8 rotated 180 ° from the position shown in fig5 . wound in toroidal fashion around the ferrimagnetic disk - shaped body 22 , the spacer 26 and the bottom portion 28 of base 26 are two coil windings 50 and 51 . the windings pass through the aligned central holes ( 30 , 24 , 32 ) and through the four peripheral holes 34 in the spacer and the bottom portion of the base . each coil winding comprises two halves connected in series , wound diametrically around opposite sides of the disk - shaped body . each winding half contains the same number of turns ( one or more ) and the direction of winding is the same for both halves . in this way , rf current flowing through each coil winding creates along the axes of the two halves magnetic fields which are equal in magnitude and parallel , approximating the overall uniform field required for the uniform precession mode of resonance of the disk - shaped body 22 . the two coil windings 50 and 51 lie in diametric planes perpendicular to one another . the coil windings are connected , through sections of micro - strip - line 53 to the center conductor 54 of rf connectors 55 , and to the metal endcap 41 , which is ground , by members 56 . the coil windings provide equal coupling and are reversible . either winding can constitute an input coupling while the other constitutes an output coupling , and the connectors can therefore be used as reversible inputs and outputs of the filter . fig7 shows schematically the electrical connection of the coil windings 50 and 51 from the central conductor 54 of a respective connector 55 to ground , after being wound about the ferrimagnetic disk - shaped body . the axial hole 24 in the disk - shaped body 22 improves the resonator frequency characteristic ( by decreasing spurious responses ) and makes possible tighter input and output coupling . an optimum diameter for the hole has been found to be about 1 / 8 to about 1 / 4 of the diameter of the disk - shaped body itself . with the axial hole 24 , the disk - shaped body may , for purposes of discussion , be considered a toroid . a flat ellipsoidal shape is preferred , and in order to more closely approximate flat ellipsoidal shapes , the peripheral edges of a disk - like body may be bevelled , and if a central hole is provided , the edges of the hole may also be bevelled . resonator performance can be improved by such bevelling and shaping of the resonator body , as described more fully below . by way of example , the outer diameter of the ferrimagnetic disk - shaped body can be about 0 . 180 inch and the diameter of the central hole can be about 0 . 040 inch . the thickness of the disk - shaped body can be about 0 . 08 inch . the rf current flowing through the input coil winding produces the uniform rf magnetization necessary for a uniform precession of the magnetic dipoles inside the single - crystal toroid , assuming that the dc field in which the toroid is located is also uniform . at the magnetic resonance frequency ( the frequency of the rf current flowing in the two input winding halves , with the dc field strength properly adjusted so that this rf frequency is equal to the magnetic resonance frequency ), this precession gets very large which means that the component of the rf magnetization which is parallel to the toroid will rotate with time at the rf frequency . in order to produce an induced output current , an identical coil is wound on the same toroid . for maximum decoupling , the best position for the output coil is in a plane which is at 90 ° to the plane of the input coil . that means that at any frequency other than at resonance where there is essentially no rf magnetization parallel to the axis of the output coil winding , the coupling between the input winding halves and the output winding halves is very small , and a high filter isolation is achieved . the input and output coil windings can be wound in many alternative ways . instead of the toroidal windings described above , the input and output windings can comprise single loops wound around the whole diameter of the disk - shaped body ( in which case the body may not have an axial hole ). in addition , the number of turns may vary and the turns of each coil winding can be connected in series , parallel or both . the windings should be executed in such a way that the current flowing through a coil has the same direction for all the conductors located on the same side of the disk - shaped body and thus create a magnetic field with the same orientation and magnitude in all the points of the disk - shaped body , as discussed above . this insures the decoupling of the two perpendicular coils outside the resonance conditions . in fig8 a complete filter 57 is illustrated . the dc magnetic field is induced by an electromagnetic 59 in whose gap 60 the entire filter 20 depicted in fig5 - 6 is located . the field can thus be controlled in known manner by the dc current supplied to the electromagnet . the field is essentially normal to the generally flat surface of the disk - shaped body , but a certain degree of adjustment of the position of the disk - shaped body is necessary to provide for an accurate alignment of the crystalographic axes of the crystal in the field . even slight misalignments can significantly degrade the resonator &# 39 ; s performance at low frequency . with presently used ferrimagnetic materials , alignment of the crystallographic axes is somewhat critical and should be normal to within about one degree of the direction of the field . thus , for presently used ferrimagnetic materials , the central axis of the disk - like resonator body should be aligned with the crystallographic axes with similar accuracy to facilitate proper alignment of the resonator body in the field . ferromagnetic resonance theory shows that besides the uniform precession mode , a large number of additional resonance modes are possible , whose frequencies -- especially for a disk - shaped body -- are concentrated in a narrow frequency range . see b . lax and k . button &# 34 ; microwave ferrites and ferrimagnetics &# 34 ; pages 180 - 188 . if the rf field created by the input coupling arrangement produces a perfectly uniform ( constant ) rf field inside the ferrimagnetic disk - shaped body ( toroid ), and at all places perpendicular to the internal magnetic dc field which is assumed constant at any place , only one resonance frequency can occur . if , however , the rf field is not uniform in the resonator body , and the dc field is also not uniform , additional rf field and dc field configurations are superimposed upon each other to produce the actual rf and dc fields distributions . each of these particular field configurations in turn has its own resonance frequency which is considered &# 34 ; spurious &# 34 ; to the fundamental resonance frequency . the strength of each resonance is measured by the insertion loss of the device at the respective spurious resonance frequency . some of these spurious resonance frequencies change at a different rate with the internal dc field than the fundamental resonance , and therefore , can actually cross over the fundamental resonance when the dc field is changed , causing perturbations of the fundamental resonance curve . the depths of these spurious responses are also a measure of the strength of the spurious resonances . it is possible that many of these spurious resonances are so close together near the main resonance , that the resonance curve of a bandpass filter is altered considerably . the reduction of the strength of these spurious resonances has been achieved experimentally for the ferrimagnetic disk - shaped resonator body of fig5 by changing the diameter of the center hole of the disk - shaped body , by bevelling the edges of the disk - shaped body , by changing the disk - shaped body &# 39 ; s outside diameter to thickness ratio , etc ., and by arranging the input and output coupling winding arrangements to create an rf field as uniform as possible inside the disk - shaped resonator body . furthermore , the strength of the dc field can be varied across the resonator body by changing the pole tip configuration in order to change the distribution and the strength of these spurious resonances , until a satisfactory resonance curve versus frequency is obtained . the filter of fig5 - 8 utilizing a gallium doped yig material is tunable from about 50 mhz to more than 2 . 0 ghz . at lower frequencies of , for example , about 200 mhz , signal limiting occurs at signal levels in excess of odbm and the tolerable power level becomes higher for higher frequencies . frequency response and limiting levels will , however , vary with the particular material used . referring now to fig9 - 11 , a single stage bandpass filter 70 is depicted which includes a resonator disk - shaped body 72 shown without a central hole , although a disk - shaped body with a central hole can be used . the input and output coupling conductors 74 , 75 are wound across the entire disk - shaped body and not in toroidal fashion as in the embodiment of fig5 - 6 . the disk - shaped resonator body 72 is supported on a base 77 comprising a non - conducting , non - magnetic core 79 and a conducting layer 81 ( e . g . copper ) secured to the top side thereof . a small conducting washer 83 ( e . g . copper ) having a central hole 85 is soldered to top conducting layer 81 . washer 83 assures that the top layer 81 , which is grounded , and the wound portion of the input conductor which is disposed over the hole 85 do not contact each other . the disk - shaped resonator body 72 is sandwiched between two non - conducting plates ( e . g . glass ) 87 , 88 . in order to separate the wound portion of the input conductor from the wound portion of the output conductor , non - conducting strips ( e . g . alumina ) 90 are secured to the top of plate 87 at opposite outer edges thereof and similar strips 91 are secured to the bottom of plate 88 at opposite outer edges thereof . the strips 90 and 91 are superposed along like edges of the plates and the input coupling conductor 74 is wound around the entire assembly . one end of the input conductor 74 is soldered to the inner conductor 93 of the input transmission line 92 and the other end is soldered to the outer conductor 94 ( grounded ) of the input transmission line . the input coupling conductor is wound around the assembly evenly spaced apart to create a uniform rf field in the area in which the disk - shaped body 72 is located . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 the input coupling conductor includes three turns . the actual number of turns , however , will depend on the frequency range , insertion loss , and bandwidth desired . the output coupling conductor 75 is similarly wound except that it is wound directly around the plates 87 , 88 in closer proximity to the disk - shaped body 72 , which provides a tighter magnetic coupling to the body than that of the input coupling conductor . one end of the output coupling conductor 75 is soldered to the outer conductor 96 ( grounded ) of the output transmission line 98 while the other end is soldered to the inner conductor 100 of that transmission line . in fig1 , the rf input transmission line has been omitted for clarity . fig1 is a schematic circuit diagram of the filter of fig8 - 9 , from which it can be seen that the filter is a single - stage bandpass filter . for the embodiment of fig9 - 10 , the washer can have a thickness of about 0 . 20 inch , the plates 87 , 88 can have a thickness of about 0 . 005 inch and the strips 90 , 91 can be 0 . 010 inch thick and 0 . 050 inch wide . the disk - shaped resonator body can have dimensions as described for the body of fig5 - 6 . referring now to fig1 , a bandpass filter 105 similar to the filter embodiment of fig9 - 10 is depicted . in the filter 105 , the input and output coupling windings are arranged in such a way as to obtain the same coupling factor for the input coupling conductor 74 and the output coupling conductor 75 . the input and output of the filter 105 are therefore reversible . this is accomplished by providing strips 90 on the top and bottom of the plates 87 and 88 , respectively , but with the strips 90 offset in position from the strips 91 . the input coupling conductor 74 is wound around the two plates 87 , 88 and the lower two strips while the output coupling conductor 75 is wound around the two plates 87 , 88 and the upper two strips . another embodiment of a single stage bandpass filter 115 using a disk - shaped resonator body 22 with a center hole 24 is depicted in fig1 . in the embodiment of fig1 , the coupling arrangement differs from that of fig5 - 6 . one end of the input coupling conductor 117 is connected to the inner conductor of the input transmission line 92 ; the central portion of the conductor 117 is secured ( e . g . by epoxy ) to the top of the disk - shaped body extending about a portion of a circle ; and the other end of the conductor is soldered to the top conductive layer 81 ( grounded ) of the base 77 . the output conductor 119 is wound around the disk - shaped body through the hole with one end soldered to grounded conductive layer 81 and the other connected to the inner conductor of the output transmission line 98 . the filter 115 exhibits a wider bandwidth and larger insertion loss than the filter of fig5 - 6 . the disk - shaped body 22 is supported on the base by non - conducting , non - magnetic strips 121 , 122 . the input conductor 117 constitutes a partial loop coaxial with the disk - shaped body . when rf current flows along it , it creates a magnetic field which , in the disk - shaped body , is oriented radially . at resonance , an azimuthal component of the rf magnetic field appears , and it causes a current to flow in the output conductor . at other frequencies , the input and the output conductors are decoupled . fig1 illustrates a filter 125 similar to that of fig1 in which the input and output coupling conductor arrangement for both input and output conductors 127 , 128 is similar to the output coupling conductor winding 119 in the fig1 embodiment . the coupling arrangement operates as a transformer , and the resonant effect which enables operation as a tunable filter is the significant increase in the magnetic susceptibility , which causes a strong coupling from input to output to occur only close to the resonance frequency . the input and output are also reversible in filter 125 . referring now to fig1 , an embodiment of a resonator 130 is depicted . the resonator 130 includes a ferrimagnetic resonator body 22 of disk shape with a central hole 24 coupled to an input transmission line 92 by means of a coil winding 132 toroidally wound , as described for fig5 - 6 with respect to the coil windings 50 and 51 , with a convenient number of loops connected in series or parallel . the function of this circuit is that of a tunable parallel resonance circuit . out of resonance , the coil impedance is very small compared to the characteristic impedance of the input line and the resonator behaves essentially like a short circuit . such a circuit can be used as part of a magnetically tunable broadband oscillator . referring now to fig1 , a tunable , single - stage bandstop or band reject filter 135 is depicted which is tunable over the same frequency range as the single - stage bandpass filter of fig5 - 6 . the coupling coil winding 137 is connected between the input and the output inner conductor of the input and output coaxial lines 92 and 98 . it is toroidally wound around two disk sections diametrically opposite to one another ( similar to the coil windings 50 and 51 in fig5 - 6 ), with a given number of turns in series or parallel , arranged conveniently in order to set up a uniform rf field in the disk - shaped ferrimagnetic resonator body 22 , as described above . again , the principle of a high magnetic susceptibility and high losses close to resonance describes the operation of the bandstop filter . at off - resonance frequencies , the impedance of the series inductance is very small over the entire frequency tuning range . at resonance , the equivalent impedance becomes very high causing a large insertion loss (&# 34 ; notch &# 34 ;) in frequency response . fig1 illustrates the equivalent circuit of a two stage bandpass filter 140 , which comprises two cascaded resonators , for example two resonators 20 as depicted in fig5 - 7 cascaded together by connecting the output 51a of a first resonator 20a in series with the input of a second resonator 20b . interstage couplng , per se , is achieved in known manner . certain changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention dislcosed herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , theory has been developed herein for presently used ferrimagnetic materials . however , the theory and invention disclosed herein may be applicable to other materials with ( or without ) modifications in theory and material structure which can be readily perceived from the disclosure herein . it is the applicants &# 39 ; intention to cover by their claims all those changes and modifications which could be made to the embodiments of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
this is a functional description with idealized waveforms of the new non - dissipative snubber circuit during one switching cycle of the converter . during this interval ( a ), the main switch q is turned - off so that input current i l flows trough the input inductor l , saturable reactor sr and the main diode d to the output capacitor c . the snubber circuit of the main switch q is inactive during this interval ( a ) while capacitor c 1 is charged to the output voltage vout and capacitor c 2 is discharged . this interval starts with the turn - on of the main switch q at which instant its voltage drops to zero almost immediately ( waveform v 1 for voltage of node 1 on fig3 a ). diode d 1 prevents capacitor c 1 from discharging through the turned - on main switch q , hence the voltage v 3 of node 3 stays equal to the output voltage v out ( waveform v 3 on fig3 a ). when the main switch q was turned - on , the current i l which was flowing through the main diode d drops to zero and reverses its direction . during the reverse recovery time of the main diode d the voltage v 2 at node 2 is kept high at the level of output voltage v out . the reverse recovery current of the main diode d also flows through the saturable reactor sr , this time as a negative current ( in the opposite direction ). due to the square nature of the bh - loop of the magnetic core of the saturable reactor sr ( fig4 ), the very small negative current in sr is needed to take the magnetic core out of saturation . this small negative current value was reached very quickly during reverse recovery time of the main diode d , at which point the inductance of the saturable reactor sr becomes very large and limits further increase of the reverse recovery current of the main diode d , which quickly fully turns - off afterwards . hence , the very high maximum value of the reverse recovery current of the main diode d that could be reached during reverse recovery time ( if sr was not present ), is dramatically reduced and limited by the very low value of the negative current in sr needed to take out of saturation its special magnetic core with the square b - h characteristic of fig4 . this is one of the two main features of this new non - dissipative sr snubber circuit . this interval starts when the reverse recovery time of the main diode d is concluded and diode is fully turned - off . at that time , the negative current in the saturable reactor sr ( the reverse recovery current ) has reached its maximum value , which is very low compared to the possible maximum value of the reverse recovery current without implementation of the sr . due to the squareness of the b - h loop of the magnetic core , this current can quickly drop to zero without causing a significant voltage undershoot in node 2 , which also dropped to zero ( fig3 a ). the value of the voltage undershoot depends greatly on the magnetic core material property of the saturable reactor sr , i . e . the shape of the b - h - loop . in the case that the voltage undershoot at node 2 is too big , an additional diode could be placed between ground and node 2 to clamp this voltage undershoot . since the capacitor c 2 was initially discharged , the voltage at node 4 also drops to zero ( voltage waveform v 4 on fig3 b ), while the voltage at note 3 is still high because capacitor c 1 was initially charged to the output voltage v out . hence , the output voltage v out is applied across small inductor l 1 so that resonant discharge of the capacitor c 1 starts . this resonant circuit includes inductor l 1 , capacitor c 1 ( initially charged to v out ), capacitor c 2 ( initially discharged ), main switch q which is turned - on ( could be considered as a short circuit ), and saturable reactor has relatively low impedance due to the flatness of the b - h loop around the ( d - h axis ( the small amount of energy stored in the saturable reactor sr actually supports the resonant process ). after one half of a resonant cycle , the capacitor c 1 is discharged to nearly zero voltage while the capacitor c 2 is charged close to the output voltage value v out ( see fig3 a , 3 b ). at this point , the diode d 2 prevents the resonant current in l 1 to change direction and become negative ( current waveform i sr in fig3 a ), so the resonant process is stopped . during this one half of a resonant cycle , the energy initially stored in capacitor c 1 was almost completely transferred to capacitor c 2 , which was initially discharged . this almost lossless resonant transfer of energy charge from capacitor c 1 to capacitor c 2 enables the non - dissipative work of the sr snubber circuit . during this interval , the main switch q conducts the input current i l , so the snubber circuit is inactive . the capacitor c 1 stays discharged while capacitor c 2 is charged to nearly v out . this interval starts when the main switch is turned - off by the control circuit . the input current i l which flowed through the main switch , must continue to flow because of the magnetic energy of the input inductor l , hence , initially , it was forced to flow through the diode d 1 and charge capacitor c 1 . charging of the capacitor c 1 reduces the slope of the voltage rise ( dv / dt ) at node 1 , and thus provides conditions for the zero - voltage turn - off of the main switch q . this is the second important feature of this new non - dissipative sr snubber circuit . since the capacitor c 2 was charged in the previous interval , the voltage at node 2 is kept low , clamped by d 3 ( the voltage in node 2 is v out minus v c2 , which is close to zero initially ). as the voltage in node 1 increases , also the voltage across saturable reactor sr increases , which increases its current and drives its magnetic core into saturation again . typically the voltage in node 1 ( as well as in node 3 ) reaches v out level before the magnetic core of the saturable inductor sr is completely in saturation and before the current in sr reaches its final value of i l . therefore the voltage in node 1 continues to rise above v out value until it is clamped by diode d 4 and zener diode d 5 , which concludes this interval . the current through diodes d 4 and d 5 is the difference of the input current i l and the current i sr through the saturable rector sr . the current i sr continues to rise until the magnetic core of the saturable reactor sr is driven into full saturation , at which point all input current flows through the saturable reactor ( i l = i sr ) and current through diodes d 4 and d 5 drops to zero . during this interval , the current i sr of the saturable reactor sr discharges capacitor c 2 through the diode d 3 so the voltage in node 2 increases ( see voltage waveform v 2 in fig3 a ). typically , but not necessarily , before the current i sr in the saturable reactor sr reaches its final value i l , the voltage in node 2 reaches the value of the output voltage level v out and at that point the main diode d starts to conduct . since the magnetic core of the saturable reactor sr is already deep into saturation , only a small zener voltage on diode d 5 is needed to ensure that the current i d4 through diode d 4 will completely commutate to the main diode d so that the current in the clamping diodes d 4 and d 5 drops to zero . this completes the one switching cycle and brings the circuit conditions to the same state as at the beginning of the first interval ( a ). hence , the new switching cycle starts as shown with the interval ( g ) on the fig3 a , 3 b . please note that the zener diode d 5 could be replaced with a parallel connection of one resistor and capacitor as shown on fig5 . this is a less expensive solution but with less predictable maximum voltage on the main switch q . it is also important to notice that all diodes in this new non - dissipative sr snubber circuit , except diode d 2 , naturally turn off with a very low di / dt . that means that there is no reverse recovery problem in those diodes . however , particularly in the circuits with power factor correction ( pfc ), the resonant discharge of the capacitor c 1 during interval ( c ) must be designed to be very short so that low duty - ratio operation can be achieved , which is necessary at the peak of the line voltage when it is at the maximum of the input voltage range ( worst case condition ). that limitation results in a relatively high di / dt of the reverse recovery current in diode d 2 which could cause a significant voltage undershoot in node 5 because of the magnetic energy stored in the inductance l 1 . this could lead to the high over voltage on diode d 2 that could cause its failure . to prevent this condition , a diode from ground to node 5 could be inserted to clamp the voltage across diode d 2 to the value of the output voltage v out . another solution ( with some additional losses ) could be to damp the inductor l 1 with a resistor in parallel or in series . a passive non - dissipative snubber with a single saturable reactor is shown to be very effective in both eliminating the excessive voltage spikes on the high voltage switching devices of boost converter with active power factor correction ( pfc ) feature and at the same time also effective in substantially reducing the emi noise , thereby making it possible to meet harmonic current requirements of iec 1000 - 3 - 2 regulations with only minimal additional filtering .	7
the technical contents and characteristics of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with related drawings as follows . a power connector 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig1 a and 1b , which comprises a dielectric housing 10 , two power output frames 21 , 22 mounted in the housing 10 , a pair of safety shutters 31 , 32 mounted in parallel within the housing 10 , and an elongated locking bar 40 slidably engaged with both safety shutters 30 . the dielectric housing 10 comprises a top face panel 11 , a bottom face panel 12 and surrounding side wall to define an interior cavity 13 . desirably , the dielectric housing 10 includes two partition walls arranged in parallel to divide the interior cavity 13 into a middle chamber disposed between the partition walls and two lateral chambers disposed at two opposite sides of the middle chamber . the dielectric housing 10 is made of any dielectric material known in the art , such as plastics and phenolic resins . in a preferred embodiment , the top face panel 11 and the rest of the housing 10 are separately injection molded and then assembled together to form a single module . the top face panel 11 is formed with a plurality of receptacles to constitute a universal socket layout for receiving the plug types in common use around the world , which include but are not limited to european , british , us , north african and australian plugs . as shown in fig2 , the universal socket layout includes two power receptacles , i . e ., the live ( l ) and neutral ( n ) receptacles 111 , 112 , adapted to receive the live and neutral contacts of an electric plug . preferably , one or more grounding receptacles are formed on the top face panel 11 to receive the grounding contact of the plug , which may include and is not limited to a schuko grounding receptacle 113 , a swiss grounding receptacle 114 and an italian grounding receptacle 115 merged with a brazil grounding receptacle 116 . it should be noted that the swiss grounding receptacle 114 disclosed herein is located at very outside of the universal socket layout , in contrast to its conventional location right next to the italian grounding receptacle 115 . the new location will force a swiss plug to be inserted into the power connector 1 in a different orientation and thus overcome the n - l reversal problem as in the traditional universal socket layout , a problem having been lasting for the past twenty five years . the power output frames 21 , 22 are secured inside the housing 10 in a manner spaced apart from each other , and preferably held within the lateral chambers of the interior cavity 13 , respectively . each of them is preferably a single - piece element made of material with high electrical conductivity , preferably made of one or more conductive metal elements or metal alloys , such as brass or phosphor copper . the power output frames 21 , 22 can be fabricated by any process known in the art , including metal stamping and punch pressing . as shown in fig1 a and 3 , the power output frames 21 , 22 each includes an output contact portion 211 , 221 facing towards the top face panel 11 and an input portion 212 , 222 remote from the top face panel 11 , preferably facing towards the bottom face panel 12 . the output contact portion 211 , 221 each includes a resilient member for holding the male power contacts of a plug , which is preferably configured in the form of a resilient metal clip having a gripping part conforming in shape to the shapes of the prong -, blade - and pin - shaped male contacts of the plugs used in various countries . the output contact portion 211 , 221 are registered with the power receptacles 111 , 112 , so that they are adapted for receiving the power contacts of the electric plug through the power receptacles 111 , 112 along an insertion direction indicated by the arrow a , thereby establishing electrical connection between the power output frames 21 , 22 and the electric plug . now referring to fig4 a - 4b , the safety shutters 31 , 32 , preferably made of dielectric material , are mounted within the housing 10 and maintained in generally parallel spaced relationship with each other by the locking bar 40 as described below . this can be realized by defining two confined parallel paths in the housing 10 for the safety shutter 31 , 32 to travel . in the preferred embodiments , the travel paths are defined by a pair of support members 34 , 35 alone or in cooperation with the housing 10 . the support members 34 , 35 are mounted in the two lateral chambers the interior cavity 13 , each comprising two opposite side walls 341 , 342 , 351 , 352 and a travel path 343 , 353 extending between the opposite side walls 341 , 342 , 351 , 352 , along which the safety shutters 31 , 32 may slide between the two opposite side walls 341 , 342 , 351 , 352 in a travel direction indicated by the arrow b generally perpendicular to the insertion direction a and generally parallel to the top face panel 11 . the safety shutters 31 , 32 are each attached at the rear end thereof to a biasing member 33 which is in turn anchored to the rear walls 342 , 352 . desirably , the rear ends of the safety shutters 31 , 32 and the walls 342 , 352 are each provided with a stud 324 , 354 for anchorage of the biasing members 33 . in the preferred embodiments , the biasing member 33 is a slightly compressed spring extending in the direction b , so that the front ends of safety shutters 31 , 32 are normally urged to abut against the front walls 341 , 351 and biased to their advancing position as shown in fig4 b , thereby closing the power receptacles 111 , 112 . it is apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of biasing members can also be used in the invention , as long as they are useful in biasing the safety shutters 31 , 32 to the advancing position . as shown in fig4 c - 4d , the safety shutters 31 , 32 are each provided with a guide member 311 , 321 generally extending along the travel direction b . the guide members 311 , 321 each configured to include a bent portion 3111 , 3211 extending at a sharp angle , such as about 45 °, relative to the travel direction b , and a straight portion 3112 , 3212 connected to and merged with the bent portion 3111 , 3211 and extending along the travel direction b . since the safety shutters 31 , 32 are kept in generally parallel at all times by the locking bar 40 , the two guide members 311 , 321 are similarly spaced apart in parallel by a fixed distance d at all times . further , the safety shutters 31 , 32 each includes a upper surface 312 , 322 proximate to the top face panel 11 and a lower surface 313 , 323 opposite to the upper surface 312 , 322 and preferably facing away from and generally parallel to the top face panel 11 . preferably , the safety shutters 31 , 32 are tapered into a wedge - like form , so that the upper surface 312 , 322 are each in the form of a slant surface inclined downwardly towards the lower surface 313 , 323 . the locking bar 40 , preferably made of dielectric material , is mounted in the housing 10 and extends along a direction traversing the travel direction b , as indicated by the arrow c . the locking bar 40 is held by the housing 10 , preferably confined in a compartment defined by the housing 10 , in a manner slidably movable in the traverse direction c but unmovable in the travel direction b . the locking bar 40 is provided with a first engagement portion 41 and a second engagement portion 42 separate from each other by the same distance d , so as to slidably engage the guide members 311 , 321 . as appreciated by those skilled in the art , the engagement portions 41 , 42 and the guide members 311 , 321 can be of any configuration , so long as the slidable engagement among them can be established . in some preferred embodiments , one or both of the guide members 311 , 321 may be configured in the form of a guide groove formed on the lower surfaces 313 , 323 for receiving the engagement portions 41 , 42 configured in the form of a tab extending upwardly from the locking bar 40 . in other preferred embodiments , one or both of the guide members 311 , 321 may be configured in the form of a side wall of the safety shutters 31 , 32 perpendicular to the lower surface 313 , 323 , along which the guide members 311 , 321 can slide . more preferably , the guide member 311 is in the form of a guide groove , while the guide member 321 is in the form of a side wall of the safety shutter 32 . the tab - like engagement portions 41 , 42 each includes a face 411 , 421 inclined at the same angle as that of the bent portion 3111 , 3211 relative to the travel direction b and adapted to abut against the bent portion 3111 , 3211 when the safety shutters 31 , 32 rest at their advancing position . by virtue of this abutment relationship , if the safety shutters 31 , 32 move towards the locking bar 40 along the travel direction , the inclined faces of the engagement portions 41 , 42 would simultaneously receive an equal component force in the traverse direction c and be driven to move along the traverse direction c . the operation of the power connector 1 disclosed herein will now be described with reference to fig5 a - 5d . when a two - or three - pin electric plug is being inserted into the power connector 1 , the pressing force of the live and neutral male contacts applied onto the upper slant surfaces 312 , 322 along the insertion direction a will generate a component force in the travel direction b to urge the safety shutters 31 , 32 away from the walls 341 , 351 , against the biasing force applied by the biasing members 30 . since the component forces applied onto the respective upper slant surfaces 312 , 322 are approximately equal , the respective inclined faces of the engagement portions 41 , 42 are pushed evenly as a result of their abutment on the bent portions 3111 , 3211 , thereby driving the locking bar 40 to move in the traverse direction c as the safety shutters 31 , 32 move rearwards along the travel direction b . as the safety shutters 31 are moved to a retracted position shown in fig5 b and 5d , the power receptacles 111 , 112 are fully opened and the engagement portions 41 , 42 are brought in engagement with the straight portions 3112 , 3212 . when the male contacts are removed from the power connector 1 , the safety shutters 31 , 32 move back to the advancing position shown in fig5 a and 5c to close the power receptacles 111 , 112 , and the locking bar 40 returns as well . according to the embodiment disclosed herein , the engagement between the engagement portion 41 , 42 and the bent portion 3111 , 3211 ensures that the engagement portion 41 , 42 will get stuck in the bent portion 3111 , 3211 if being driven alone . therefore , if a user attempts to insert an object either into the live receptacle 111 alone , or into the neutral receptacle 112 alone , the safety shutters 31 , 32 will remain staying at the advancing position . in either case , the safety shutters 31 , 32 is jammed at the advancing position due to the engagement between the bent portions 3111 , 3211 and the engagement portions 41 , 42 . for example , in the case where the safety shutter 32 , along with the guide member 321 in the form of a side wall thereof , are pushed alone towards the locking bar 40 , the engagement portion 42 receives a component force in the traverse direction c . the locking bar 40 , however , will be impeded from moving in the traverse direction c due to the abutment of the engagement portion 41 against the inclined face of the bent portion 3111 , since the safety shutter 31 , without receiving any force in the travel direction b , is still located at the advancing position . thus , the safety shutters 31 , 32 are only allowed to travel dependently of each other in the travel direction , and an unwanted or improper insertion of a single male contact of the plug into the power receptacles is prevented accordingly . in the preferred embodiments , the upper slant surfaces 312 , 322 are configured to incline at an angle of about 30 degree relative to the travel direction b , as shown in fig6 . in some preferred embodiments , the power connector 1 disclosed herein further comprises a common grounding frame 50 . desirably , the common grounding frame 50 is secured within the middle chamber of the interior cavity 13 . the common grounding frame 50 is preferably a single - piece element made of material with high electrical conductivity , preferably made of one or more conductive metals or metal alloys , such as brass or phosphor copper . the common grounding frame 50 can be fabricated by any process known in the art , such as metal stamping and punch pressing . as shown in fig1 and 7a , 7b , the common grounding frame 50 includes one or more access portions 51 facing towards the top face panel 11 and a common grounding base 52 remote from the top face panel 11 , preferably facing towards the bottom face panel 12 . the access portions 51 each includes a resilient member for receiving and holding the grounding contact of a plug , which is preferably configured in the form of a resilient metal clip having a gripping part conforming in shape to the plug contact . the access portions 51 are registered with the grounding receptacles 111 - 116 formed on the top face panel 11 , so that they are adapted for receiving the grounding contact of the electric plug through the grounding receptacles 111 - 116 along the insertion direction a , thereby establishing electrical connection between the common grounding frame 50 and the electric plug . among them , a schuko access portion 511 is adapted to take the male grounding contact of a us , danish or israeli plug . the term “ schuko ” as used herein refers to a system of ac power plugs and sockets that is defined as cee 7 / 3 for the sockets and cee 7 / 4 for the plugs by the european commission for conformity testing of electrical equipment ( cee ). according to the standards , a schuko plug features two round pins of 4 . 8 mm diameter ( 19 mm long , centers 19 mm apart ) for the line and neutral contacts , plus two flat contact areas on the top and bottom side of the plug for protective earth . the gripping part 512 of the schuko access portion 511 has two free ends extending upwardly and outwardly beyond the top face panel 11 through the schuko grounding receptacle 113 , so as to constitute a flat schuko contact 513 . the schuko contact 513 is configured in the form of two metal plates lying on shoulder portions 117 surrounding the schuko grounding receptacle 113 and adapted for engagement with the grounding contact of a cee 7 / 4 schuko plug . the shoulder portions 117 may be cut away a depth for anchorage of the schuko contact 513 . more preferably , the schuko contact 513 is built in a manner slightly protruding beyond the top face panel 11 , such as 1 - 10 mm higher than the surface of the top face panel 11 , so as to ensure good ground contact with the plug . the schuko access portion 511 is formed with a curved portion 5121 in the middle of the gripping part 512 , thereby gaining sufficient resilience to accept both of the 4 . 8 mm us ground pin and the 6 . 0 mm denmark ground pin and then restore back to its original location and shape required by the schuko grounding . to address the problem that the schuko access portion 511 might get permanently pushed down into the interior cavity 13 or get deformed irreversibly after repeatedly receiving us , denmark and israeli plugs , the common grounding frame 50 is provided with four structural arrangements as described below . first , the common grounding base 52 is configured to extend to its full length , so as to firmly abut against the inner wall of the dielectric housing 10 . second , the schuko access portion 511 is made from metallic material having a thickness of 1 - 10 mm , so that it is robust enough to maintain the shape and location thereof . third , the common grounding frame 50 is formed on the outer wall thereof with elongated recesses 55 , into which the corresponding flanges 121 formed in the dielectric housing 10 are snapped to secure the common grounding frame 50 in position . fourth , the schuko contact 513 is bent over to provide additional strength for countering the downward force generated by insertion of a three - pin plug . as shown in fig8 a , the schuko contact 513 may be further bent downwardly to form a spike - like structure 5131 , which is adapted for insertion into the shoulder portions 117 to fasten the schuko contact 513 onto the shoulder portions 117 . alternatively , the schuko contact 513 may be folded down to form a hairpin - like structure 5132 as shown in fig8 b - 8d , which may provide a spring effect to help counter the downward force . in the embodiment shown in fig8 d , the hairpin - like structure having a free end extending upwardly , onto which a spiral spring may be sleeved to increase the counter force . in a more preferred embodiment , the safety shutters 31 , 32 are so arranged that they are driven to move towards the schuko contact 513 in response to the insertion of an electric plug . it was unexpectedly found by the inventors that such arrangement facilitates the attachment of the flat ground contact of a schuko cee 7 / 4 plug onto the schuko contact 513 by urging the safety shutters 31 , 32 to push the plug towards the schuko contact 513 . as a result , the shaking problem shown in fig1 is reduced to the minimum , and the potential gap between the plug and the power connector is almost non - existent . the input portions 212 , 222 and the common grounding base 52 are coupled to a variety of conductive couplers for electrical connection to an external power source . this coupling relationship is referred to herein as “ direct wiring ,” meaning that the respective conductive couplers are directly riveted to the input portions 212 , 222 and common grounding base 52 , without the intervention of any mechanical linkage between them . preferably , the respective conductive couplers are physically contacted with the input portions 212 , 222 and common grounding base 52 . as illustrated below , the direct wiring connection was proved to result in an extremely advantageous effect of reducing the temperature rise during power delivery . in one embodiment , the power connector disclosed herein is fabricated as a universal socket 1 ′ shown in fig9 a and 9b , and the conductive couplers thereof are each configured in the form of a wire holder 60 . the wire holder 60 is preferably a hollow metal tube formed at its open end with a blind wire bore 61 for receiving an electrical wire and further formed with a radially extending threaded hole 62 for receipt of a tightening screw 63 to hold down the electrical wire inserted into the wire bore 61 . it is well - known by those skilled in the art that there are many other types of wire holders that can be used herein , such as a wire clamp adapted to hold an electrical wire . in another embodiment , the power connector disclosed herein is fabricated as a universal power strip shown in fig9 c , in which a number of the universal sockets 1 ′ shown in fig9 a are held by a common dielectric chassis 70 and electrically connected in series to a power cord 71 . in an alternative embodiment , the power connector disclosed herein is fabricated as a universal adapter 1 ″ which comprises a plug part adapted for plugging into a domestic mains socket , in addition to the top face panel 11 at an opposite side adapted for receiving any of a variety of electric plugs . as shown in fig1 a , the universal adapter 1 ″ comprises a number of conductive couplers configured in the form of plug contacts 81 , 82 conforming to the domestic standards . according to the embodiment disclosed herein , the ground pin 81 is coupled to the common grounding base 52 by a rivet 83 integrally formed on the ground contact 81 as shown in fig1 b , whereas the live and neutral pins 82 are similarly fastened to the input portions 212 , 222 with a rivet 84 as shown in fig1 c . the direct wiring model exemplified herein was subjected to the temperature rise test required by the saso / iec60884 - 2 - 5 standards in saudi and china bureau veritas ( bv ) laboratories . the traditional adapter shown in fig1 was also subjected to the test and served as a comparative model . the test was generally performed according to the following steps : 1 . testing the n - l temperature rise under a load of 14 ampere for an hour and recording the higher temperature as the temperature rise for n - l ; 2 . using the temperature rise for n - l to make a complete circuit with the ground pin e ; and 3 . testing either n - e or l - e and recording it the temperature rise for the ground pin . according to the results shown in table 1 , the direct wiring model passed the test by achieving a temperature rise of less than 45 ° k after a one - hour overload test . in contrast , the comparative model failed the test in 15 minutes as the temperature rise reached 100 ° k . in yet an alternative embodiment , the power connector disclosed herein is fabricated as an all - in - one adapter kit , which comprises a universal socket 1 ″″ shown in fig1 a and a set of replaceable plug boards 90 adapted for detachable engagement with and electrical connection to the universal socket 1 ″″. the kit allows the user to interchange a plug board 90 exemplified in fig1 b with another plug part provided with a different type of plug pins . it is within the teachings of the present disclosure that the universal socket 1 ″″ may be combined with the replaceable plug boards 90 in any suitable manner to establish the intended electrical connection , such as snap - fit attachment , sliding engagement , and any other suitable releasable connection . in a more preferred embodiment , the universal socket 1 ″″ includes three conductive couplers . two of them are arranged in direct wiring connection to the input portions 212 , 222 , respectively , and extend outwardly beyond the bottom face panel 12 to constitute power terminals 16 . desirably , the power terminals 16 are each configured as a vertical blade having an end bent into a horizontal plate 161 parallel to the bottom face panel 12 . the remaining one is in direct wiring connection to the common grounding base 52 and extends outwardly beyond the bottom face panel 12 to constitute a ground terminal 17 , preferably configured in the form of a metal stud . as exemplified in fig1 b , the replaceable plug boards 90 are each formed with two power slots 91 for receiving the power terminals 16 and a ground slot 92 for receiving the ground terminal 17 . the power slots 91 are each provided at an end with an expanded opening 911 allowing entry of the horizontal plate 161 , and a narrow opening 912 at the opposite end merged with the expanded opening 911 , from which the horizontal plate 161 once inserted cannot be pulled out . the power slots 91 and the ground slot 92 are arranged in generally parallel relation to one another , so that the ground terminal 17 gets into the ground slot 92 with the entering of the power terminals 16 into the power slots 91 through the expanded opening 911 . then , the power terminals 16 can be moved to slide along the power slots 91 from the ends 911 to the opposite ends 912 where they engage resilient power contacts 913 connected to the power blades 95 of the plug board 90 . as the power terminals 16 are brought in engagement with the resilient power contacts 913 , the ground terminal 17 is also brought to abut against a resilient ground contact 923 embedded in the ground slot 92 and connected to the ground pin 96 of the plug board 90 . the engagement mechanism above may also be applied to the universal power strip shown in fig9 c and 9d , as a means to couple the dielectric chassis 70 to the power cord 71 and establish electrical connection between the universal sockets 1 ′ and the power cord 71 . according to this embodiment , the input portions 212 , 222 of the universal sockets 1 ′ are electrically connected in series to the power terminals 16 , respectively , while the respective common grounding bases 52 are connected in series to the ground terminal 17 . the power terminals 16 are adapted to engage the power slots 91 formed in the power cord 71 to connect the power lines , and the ground terminal 17 is adapted for insertion into the ground slot 92 for connection to the ground line installed in the power cord 71 . the engagement mechanism disclosed herein has the advantage in that the power cord 71 can only be disconnected from the dielectric chassis 70 by moving the power cord 71 vertically relative to the dielectric chassis 70 before pulling it out horizontally , thereby overcoming the long - standing problem that the conventional engagement may accidentally come loose due to an unintentional pulling force acting on the power cord . in a preferable embodiment , the universal socket 1 ′″ is further provided with an error - proof mechanism for ensuring that the replaceable plug board 90 be engaged with the universal socket 1 ′″ only in a correct orientation . the error - proof mechanism may involve any male - female coupling mechanism known in the art , such as the engageable relationship between the flange 19 and the groove 99 shown in fig1 a - 11b . the all - in - one adapter kit may further comprise a polyhedron - shaped snap - in holder 110 , to which the universal socket 1 ′″ and the replaceable plug boards 90 are releasably attached to constitute a unitary assembly . in a preferred embodiment , the snap - in holder 111 is cuboid - shaped with five of its facets being configured to be complementary in shape to the universal socket 1 ′″ and the replaceable plug boards 90 , respectively , so that the all - in - one adapter kit , after assembled , becomes a pyramid - like packaging with high portability and compactness . while the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments above , it should be recognized that the preferred embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and that various modifications and changes , which will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art , may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description and examples given hereinafter . however , it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples , while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention , are given by way of illustration only , since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description . also , in describing the preferred embodiments , specific terminology as defined above will be resorted to for the sake of clarity . it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose . in a first preferred embodiment shown in fig1 - 4 , a triangular geogrid 10 shown in fig4 is prepared from a starting material 1 shown in fig1 . the starting material is preferably a uniplanar sheet of extruded plastics material having planar parallel faces , although other sheet - like materials can be used . holes 2 are punched or formed in an array of hexagons 3 of substantially identical shape and size so that substantially each hole 2 is at a corner of each of three hexagons 3 . to produce the triangular geogrid 10 from the punched sheet , the starting material 1 is heated and a first stretch is applied in the notional md , i . e ., in a direction substantially parallel to the md sides of the hexagons 3 shown in fig1 . the resulting uniaxially oriented grid 5 , shown in fig3 , is then subsequently stretched in the td to produce the biaxially oriented triangular geogrid 10 , shown in fig4 . the resulting multi - axial geogrid 10 consists of triangular apertures 12 with ribs or strands 14 that meet at each junction 16 with angles of approximately 60 °. as shown in fig4 , the grid or mesh structure 10 includes a generally uniform array of substantially straight oriented transverse strands or ribs 18 interconnected in line by junctions 16 to extend transversely across the grid or mesh structure in spaced apart transversely extending rows , generally designated by reference numeral 20 . a plurality of substantially straight oriented connecting strands or ribs 22 interconnect the junctions 16 in adjacent rows 20 , which together with the transversely extending strands or ribs 18 form apertures or openings 12 that have a generally equilateral triangular shape . in accordance with the present invention , the thickness of the starting material 1 , and the dimensions for the spacing of the punched holes 2 , noted as a , b , and c in fig2 , i . e ., punched pitch , are selected so that the aspect ratio of the ribs or strands 14 of the triangular geogrid 10 is greater than 1 . 0 , preferably in the range between about 1 . 4 and about 2 . 2 , but can vary as high as about 2 . 5 , or above . more specifically , if the hole spacing , i . e ., punch pitch , is held constant , then the aspect ratio of the ribs or strands will increase as the starting sheet thickness is increased . however , there is an interaction effect between the starting punch pitch and the sheet thickness that determines the final rib aspect ratio of the final geogrid because both pitch and thickness can be varied independently . in a second preferred embodiment shown in fig6 - 8 , a rectangular geogrid 30 shown in fig8 is prepared from a starting material 32 shown in fig6 . as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 374 , 798 , the starting material 32 shown in fig6 is preferably a uniplanar sheet 36 of extruded plastics material having planar parallel faces . however , other extruded starting materials can be employed . holes or depressions 34 are punched or formed in a square or rectangular array 38 to produce the multi - axial geogrid 30 from the punched or formed starting sheet 32 . the starting sheet 32 is heated and a first stretch is applied in the notional md , i . e ., in a direction substantially parallel to the md sides of the rectangular hole pattern indicated in fig6 . the resulting uniaxially oriented geogrid 40 , shown in fig7 , is subsequently stretched in the td to produce the biaxially oriented final product 30 , as shown in fig8 . the resultant multi - axial geogrid 30 consists of square or rectangular apertures 42 with ribs or strands 44 that meet at each junction 46 with angles at approximately 90 °. as shown in fig8 , the grid or mesh structure 30 includes a generally uniform array of substantially straight oriented transverse strands or ribs 48 interconnected by junctions 46 extending transversely across the grid or mesh structure in spaced apart transverse rows , generally designated by reference numeral 52 . a plurality of substantially straight oriented connecting strands or ribs 54 interconnect the junctions 46 in adjacent rows 52 , which together with transversely extending strands or ribs 50 form generally rectangular apertures or openings 42 . in accordance with the present invention , the thickness of the starting sheet 32 , and the size and spacing of holes or depressions 34 , are selected so that the ribs or strands of the resultant rectangular geogrid 30 have an aspect ratio greater than 1 . 0 and less than about 4 . 0 , with an accompanying aperture stability modulus ( asm ) greater than 0 . 3 nm / degree at 20 kg - cm of applied torque and , more preferably , greater than 0 . 45 nm / degree at 20 kg - cm of applied torque . a general method for measuring the aperture stability modulus ( asm ) for the examples is outlined in “ gri test method gg9 , standard test method for torsional behavior of bidirectional geogrids when subjected to in - plane rotation ,” geosynthetic research institute , mar . 10 , 2004 . for the asm testing described herein , multi - axial geogrid samples having approximate dimensions of 350 mm × 350 mm with a junction , or node , positioned exactly in the center of the frame were clamped all around their peripheries using a square clamping frame or containment box . the torquing device , consisting of a matched set of plates , was fastened to the test sample using four bolts for conventional biaxial geogrid products having strands or ribs intersecting at or nearly at 90 degree angles . in order to adapt the test method to the six - strand geogrid geometry , for example , the torquing device was modified such that the bolts would immediately bear against the ribs or strands of the sample when the torque was applied . in this case , a torquing device with six bolts spaced at 60 degrees around the device was employed . to carry out the test , the torquing device was rotated relative to the perimeter clamp by applying increasing amounts of torque in order to determine in - plane torsional rigidity , as described in test method referenced above with the exception that only one loading cycle was performed . in the teaching of the &# 39 ; 112 patent , results of the aperture stability modulus test were presented as the number of degrees that the junction clamp attached to the sample has rotated for the applied torque value of 4 . 5 nm . the smaller the number of degrees of rotation for a given torque value , the higher the asm , or torsional rigidity , value . this convention is used for triangular geogrids in this specification . another unit of measure for reporting asm test results for geogrids with rectangular apertures is nm / degree ( newton - meter per degree ) at an applied torque value of 20 kg - cm . the higher the nm / degree value , the higher the torsional rigidity of the sample . for rectangular aperture geogrids in this specification , ams values are reported using nm / degree at 20 kg - cm applied torque . the performance of a multi - axial geogrid for resisting rutting due to vehicle traffic was evaluated using a new small - scale test to simulate well - established field tests such as the one described by webster ( above ). the small - scale test is designed to reproduce the results of well - established field tests for traffic performance of multi - axial geogrids and comprises a test section consisting of an underlying clay subgrade , a single layer of geogrid , and a compacted granular sub base . the test section is subjected to the load of a single weighted wheel . the wheel traverses the test section along a single horizontal path , constantly reversing direction from one end of the test section to the other end . a control test section with no geogrid present will rapidly fail under such testing . for example , after 1000 passes of the wheel on an unreinforced test section , a deep rut will be formed . by using properly designed multi - axial geogrids as reinforcement , decreased amounts of rutting depth will occur for a given number of wheel passes compared to an unreinforced test section . this decreased rut depth has an impact on the lifetime of the civil engineering structure and can extend this lifetime by factors of up to 50 times that of an unreinforced structure . hence , a roadway or other civil engineering structure reinforced in accordance with the present invention will have increased longevity and decreased maintenance requirements . in a first set of high aspect ratio rib samples configured according to the present invention , the samples were prepared as described in accordance with the fig1 - 4 embodiment using the preferred strictly uniform starting material . the dimensions for the spacing of the punched holes , or pitch , noted as a , b , and c in fig2 , was varied . in these samples , the resulting multi - axial geogrid consisted of triangular apertures with ribs or strands that meet at each junction with angles at approximately 60 °. table 1 presents geogrid samples 1 through 22 to illustrate the instant invention using triangular apertures ( a few of the samples are from actual tests , the others are representative ), along with comparative examples c1 and c2 taken from data presented in the &# 39 ; 112 patent . compared to the &# 39 ; 112 patent , the spacing or pitches of the holes , shown as dimensions a , b , and c in fig2 , have been reduced for the instant invention in order to produce the higher aspect ratio rib shape . as shown in table 1 , it is possible to obtain a wide range of rib aspect ratio values greater than unity by varying both punch pitch and starting sheet thickness . for example , using a small punch pitch , i . e . close hole spacing , the aspect ratio of the ribs can be significantly higher than for the comparative examples even when the starting sheet thickness is less than that of the comparative examples . in the &# 39 ; 112 patent , a key objective was to obtain a high value of aperture stability modulus compared to previously established commercial products based on webster &# 39 ; s findings . the aperture stability modulus for comparative example c2 , as taken from fig1 of the &# 39 ; 112 patent , is 6 . 7 degrees of rotation at 4 . 5 nm torque . the smaller the number of degrees of rotation for the specified 4 . 5 nm torque value , the higher the asm value . the &# 39 ; 112 patent indicates that asm was increased 65 % relative to a comparable conventional biax geogrid tested under the same test conditions . ( see fig1 of the &# 39 ; 112 patent and related description in the specification .) at the time it was believed that this increase in a geogrid &# 39 ; s asm would be favorable for improving the resistance of a reinforced structure to rutting by vehicular traffic . according to the instant invention , however , an objective is to increase the triangular geogrid &# 39 ; s rib aspect ratio , rather than maximizing asm , in order to improve resistance to rutting . it has been observed that asm has in fact decreased for samples according to the present invention compared to the test samples of the &# 39 ; 112 patent , i . e . triangular geogrid samples tested for the instant invention have asm values between 16 and 21 degrees of rotation at 4 . 5 nm torque . the rutting resistance of a reinforced structure has , however , substantially improved compared to a reinforced structure according to the &# 39 ; 112 patent , despite the significantly decreased asm . even though asm values for samples according to the present invention are lower than for the &# 39 ; 112 patent examples , the asm values are nevertheless indicative of a stiff multi - axial geogrid with rigid junctions . the combination of an adequately rigid geogrid aperture plus the high aspect ratio rib shape produces superior performance , i . e . rutting resistance , in the reinforced structure . furthermore , these first samples combine the aforementioned rigidity and high aspect ratio rib with the advantage of improved load distribution demonstrated in the &# 39 ; 112 patent arising from the geometrical arrangement of six ribs attached to each junction at 60 ° angles and triangular apertures . fig5 displays in graphic form the rutting resistance of reinforced structures containing multi - axial geogrids having triangular apertures as described herein versus rib cross - sections of varying aspect ratios . fig5 presents the results according to a traffic simulation test that was carried out as described under “ test methods ” above . the results demonstrate that resistance to rutting improves substantially as the aspect ratio of the geogrid rib is increased . fig5 compares integral - junction geogrids having triangular apertures as described which possess rib aspect ratios ranging from 0 . 38 to 2 . 2 . the low aspect ratio sample , corresponding to comparative example c2 , was produced using the teaching from the &# 39 ; 112 patent , and the samples with aspect ratios greater than unity are according to the instant invention . as demonstrated by the examples of table 1 , rib aspect ratio can be increased as desired by employing even thicker plastics sheet for the starting material or by further modifying the punching conditions such as the hole sizes , shapes , and spacing , or by other techniques that could be developed by those skilled in the art . the types of starting materials for the plastics sheet , the nature of the holes or depressions used to form the finished products , the available methods of manufacture , and other desired features for the final geogrid or mesh structure have been described in the prior art , including the &# 39 ; 112 patent and other patents cited hereinbefore , and further explanation is not deemed necessary for those skilled in the art . in a second set of high aspect ratio rib samples configured according to the present invention , the starting material 11 shown in fig6 was a strictly uniplanar sheet of extruded plastics material having planar parallel faces . holes or depressions 12 are punched to form a square or rectangular array . to produce the multi - axial geogrid product from the punched sheet , the starting material 11 was heated and biaxially stretched as described above . in these samples , the resulting multi - axial geogrid consists of square or rectangular apertures with ribs or strands that meet at each junction with angles at approximately 90 °. the above table 2 presents geogrid samples 23 through 28 to illustrate the instant invention using rectangular apertures . comparative example c3 is a biaxial geogrid with square apertures sold commercially as tensar type ss - 30 , and c4 is a similarly produced commercial product with rectangular apertures sold as tensar bx1100 . samples 23 through 25 are additional comparative examples with ar less than 1 . 0 that are included for reference . samples 26 through 28 were produced according to the instant invention with a high aspect ratio rib cross - section . in order to increase the rib aspect ratio for samples 26 through 28 , the starting sheet thickness , the punched hole size and the hole spacing were varied in a manner similar to that described for samples 1 through 22 of table 1 . as shown , samples 26 , 27 and 28 illustrate the ability to achieve rib aspect ratios greater than unity by manipulation of sheet thickness , punch pitch , and hole size . table 2 indicates that the best performance , i . e . the minimum rut depth value of 39 . 2 mm , occurs at a rib aspect ratio of 1 . 22 for the limited number of samples produced . the expected improvement in performance , i . e . rutting resistance , for samples with rib aspect ratios greater than 1 . 0 is demonstrated . table 2 also shows the “ traffic improvement factor ,” defined as ratio of the time to reach a specified rut depth for a test sample relative to the time to reach the same rut depth with no geogrid reinforcement present . note that sample 26 with a 1 . 22 rib aspect ratio has a traffic improvement factor ( tif ) of 23 . 5 , i . e . 23 . 5 times the lifetime compared to an unreinforced soil . samples 26 through 28 generally have rut depths that are significantly lower than comparative example c4 and examples 23 through 25 . the mean rut depth is 51 . 9 mm for the four samples with rib aspect ratio less than one , i . e . c4 and samples 23 through 25 . the mean rut depth for samples 26 through 28 , with rib aspect ratio greater than one , is 43 . 2 mm . the mean reduction in rut depth for the instant invention ( rib aspect ratio greater than 1 . 0 ) compared to samples with rib aspect ratio less than 1 . 0 is 17 %. looking at the traffic improvement factor , the mean tif increases from 3 . 08 for samples with an aspect ratio less than 1 . 0 to a mean tif of 14 . 6 for samples with an aspect ratio greater than 1 . 0 . the longevity of the civil engineering structure in terms of traffic improvement factor for the instant invention is thus shown to be improved . one observes that sample 28 , although possessing the highest rib aspect ratio , does not exhibit the best performance as measured by rut depth or tif . further investigation was made , and the aperture stability modulus ( asm ) was also considered . table 2 indicates that sample 28 has a relatively low asm value such that the benefit of the high rib aspect ratio has been offset somewhat by the relatively low asm value . a multi - linear model was constructed to examine the impact of both rib aspect ratio and asm for rectangular geogrids . for the examples in table 2 , the following model was generated by performing a least - squares regression : rut depth at 10 , 000 passes = 62 . 4 − 1 . 83 * rib aspect ratio − 31 . 4 * aperture stability modulus ( nm / degree at 20 kg - cm applied torque ). therefore , the rut depth in rectangular geogrids is observed to be impacted by the combination of two geogrid properties , i . e . rib aspect ratio and asm . as explained in the background of the invention , this is consistent with a known correlation between rectangular - aperture geogrid performance and asm . as seen from the examples in table 2 and in accordance with the numerical model , one can vary both aspect ratio and aperture stability modulus to arrive at an optimum product performance . for rectangular geogrids , the preferred ams is greater than 0 . 3 nm / degree at 20 kg - cm applied torque and more preferably greater than 0 . 45 nm / degree at 20 kg - cm applied torque . high aspect ratio rib geogrids made by the methods described in both the first and second sets of samples , as outlined above , can be made with a wide range of thicknesses for the starting sheet from about 3 . 0 mm to at least about 9 . 0 mm . polymeric grids and meshes have also been used in various commercial and geotechnical applications such as fencing ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 409 , 196 ), cellular confinement ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 320 , 455 ), mine stopping ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 934 , 990 ) and other commercial enclosure , containment and barrier applications . the present invention can have certain advantages over known products for these applications . for example , in mine stopping , sealant , such as shotcrete , is sprayed onto the mesh structure to prevent air flow . the problem with the lower aspect ratio grids is that the sealant material tends to rebound off the wider rib surface and thus does not adhere as well and / or more sealant is required . with a higher aspect ratio product as in the present invention , the spray - on material should adhere more readily and a lesser quantity is thus required to achieve the desired barrier effect . following the teaching from this invention , other methods for manufacturing multi - axial geogrids with high aspect ratio ribs can be similarly demonstrated by relatively simple modifications to the existing methods of manufacturing geogrids , for example by stitch bonding fabrics made of , for instance , polyester filaments and applying a flexible coating such as a pvc coating , or by weaving or by knitting , by spot - welding oriented plastic strands together , by extruding undrawn parallel filaments into a net structure and subsequently stretching the structure , or by other methods of multi - axial geogrid manufacture known to those skilled in the art . one need only apply the principle of increasing the aspect ratio of the rib dimensions as taught by this invention . such multi - axial geogrids can have rectangular apertures consisting of longitudinal and transverse strands or ribs , or the strands can be arranged to meet at the junctions with angles not equal to 90 °. stiff junctions are preferred as a desirable , but not a sole condition , to contribute toward minimizing the rutting effects of vehicular traffic . the invention being thus described , it will be apparent 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 invention , and all such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	4
referring to fig3 a to 3i for the processing steps applied to manufacture the dmos device 100 . as shown in fig3 a , the processing steps begins by first growing a n - epitaxial layer 110 with a resistivity ranging from 0 . 1 to 10 ohm - cm on top of a n + substrate 105 . the substrate has a resistivity of 0 . 001 to 0 . 02 ohm - cm . the thickness and the resistivity of the epitaxial layer 110 depend on the requirements for the on - resistance and breakdown voltage . in a preferred embodiment , the thickness of the epi - layer 110 is about six to eight microns . a gate oxide layer 120 of thickness in the range of 100 to 1000 angstroms is grown . a polysilicon layer 125 having a thickness of approximately 3000 to 10 , 000 angstroms is then deposited . a pocl 3 doping process is carried out followed by an arsenic ( as ) implant with an ion beam of energy at 60 - 80 kev with a flux density in the range between 5 to 8 × 10 15 / cm 2 . in fig3 b , a polysilicon mask 123 is applied for carrying out an an - isotropic etching to pattern the polysilicon layer 125 into a plurality of polysilicon segments . the polysilicon mask is then removed after these plurality of silicon segments 125 are defined . some of these polysilicon segments function as a gate for each of transistor cells . referring to fig3 c , a wrapping - around farther - spacing body blocking mask 128 is employed to cover the gates 125 , except a gate - runner segment 125 &# 39 ;, in a wrapping around manner . the areas surround the gate 125 are also covered . the covered areas extends laterally with a distance δ and near the polysilicon segment 125 &# 34 ;. a thick initial oxide layer is not required and the processing steps can be implemented without requiring an active mask . in fig3 d , the body blocking 128 is removed and a p - body diffusion process is carried out . the body diffusion process is performed at an elevated temperature of 1 , 000 - 1 , 200 ° c . for ten minutes to three hours to increase the depth of the p - body region 130 to 1 . 0 - 6 . 0 μm . as shown in fig3 d , the body regions 130 has a depth represented by d b . referring to fig3 c &# 39 ; for a comparison of the width of the jfet regions spaced between the body regions 130 . by applying a wrapping - around farther - spacing body blocking mask 128 , the width of the jfet regions can be maintained the same as that of the prior art while the gate 125 can be further shrunken . since the lateral diffusion length d l of the body dopant is approximately 0 . 8 of the vertical diffusion length . it follows that the p - body regions 130 are laterally diffused with a distance a from the edge of the gate 125 to a region underneath the gate , where : therefore , the width of the gate 125 is now reduced from g to g - 2δ while the width of the jfet regions , i . e ., w jfet , between the p - body regions 130 is maintained substantially the same as : when compared to a prior art dmos device of fig2 . referring to fig3 e , a source - blocking mask 135 is applied to carry out an n + implant to form the n + region 140 . the n + implantation is carried out with an ion beam at an energy of 60 - 100 kev and ion flux density of 5 × 10 15 to 1 × 10 16 / cm 2 . in fig3 f , after the resist is stripped , the n + source regions 140 are driven into desired junction depth ranging from 0 . 2 to 1 . 0μ by a diffusion process . then , a high energy body dopant implant with a high energy ion beam of boron 132 at energy of about 200 to 400 kev and ion flux density of 3 × 10 11 to 3 × 10 12 / cm 2 is carried out . a plurality of gate - to - drain capacitance , i . e ., c gd , reduction zones 138 are implanted with light - dose high - energy body - conductivity - type dopant , e . g ., p - type ions , such that the n - type dopant concentrations in these zones are reduced . the reduced dopant concentration in the zones 138 formed underneath the gate 125 provides an advantage that gate - to - drain capacitance , i . e ., c gd , is reduced . these c gd capacitance reduction zones 138 are formed under the gates 125 with a depth less than the junction depth of the source region 140 and are typically less than 0 . 4 micrometers . because the depth of these capacitance - reduction zones 138 is less than the junction depth of the source regions 140 , the reduced source - conductivity - type dopant concentration , i . e ., n - type , in these zones will not cause the on - resistance to increase . also , because of the light - dose of implantation in these zones , the reduced n - type dopant concentrations underneath the gates 125 would not adversely increase the threshold voltage . the source implant and the high - energy body - conductivity - type dopant implant to form the capacitance reduction zones 138 are carried out after the body region diffusion . the difficulties arising from dopant profile redistribution due to the dopant diffusion processes resulting from high temperature longer thermal cycles are eliminated . the dopant profiles of the source regions and the shallow low - concentration doping regions 138 for gate - to - drain capacitance reduction will not be driven to a greater depth by applying thermal cycles of lower temperatures and shorter duration . also , the difficulties caused by the misalignment problems as those encountered in tsoi &# 39 ; s patents are therefore resolved by the use of the wrapping - around farther - spacing body blocking mask 128 . referring to fig3 g , a bsg or bpsg layer is deposited to form an overlying insulation layer 145 of about 5 , 000 to 15 , 000å in thickness . a contact mask is applied to perform an etch process to define a plurality of contact windows 150 . implantation of a boron ion - beam 155 , i . e ., a body - conductivity - type dopant , is carried out to form a shallow high - concentration body - conductivity - type region 160 . the boron implanted is performed with either a low energy boron implant with an ion flux of 1 × 10 14 to 2 × 10 15 / cm 2 at about 20 to 60 kev or a high energy bf 2 implant with an ion flux of 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 to 2 × 10 15 at about 100 - 240 kev . referring to fig3 i , a bpsg reflow and densification process is performed at 900 - 950 ° c . for thirty minutes to one hour . the shallow body regions 160 are activated . a metal layer 170 is then deposited over the insulation layer 145 . the metal layer 170 are then patterned to provide metal segments , e . g ., source metal segment 170 - 1 , gate metal segment 170 - 2 , field - plate 170 - 3 , and equal potential ring segment 170 - 4 , to serve the function as electric contact terminals . fig4 is a cross sectional view for an alternate preferred embodiment for a dmos power device 100 &# 39 ; manufactured according to a set of similar processing steps described above . the only difference of a processing step for manufacturing a dmos shown in fig4 is to perform the high energy boron implant before the source block mask 135 is removed . the capacitance reduction region 138 implanted between the field plate and the equal potential ring ( eqr ) as that shown in fig3 i , is blocked by the source blocking mask . compared to the device 100 as that shown in 3i , the low concentration source - conductivity - type region 138 &# 39 ; formed under the eqr 170 - 4 has a smaller width . fig5 is a cross sectional view of another dmos power device 100 &# 34 ; manufactured according to a set of similar processing steps described above . the only difference of a processing step for manufacturing a dmos 100 &# 34 ; shown in fig5 is to skip the processing step of performing the high energy boron implant in this preferred embodiment there is no capacitance reduction region 138 as that shown in fig3 i . a high cell density is achieved because the body regions 130 are formed with a shorter distance between the gates . by controlling the lateral structure of the cells for allowing lateral diffusion of the body regions , the difficulties of increased jfet resistance at higher cell density is resolved . referring to fig6 a to 6e for the processing steps applied to manufacture an alternate dmos device 200 with reduced gate - to - drain capacitance . as shown in fig6 a , the processing steps begins by first growing a n - epitaxial layer 110 on top of a n + substrate 205 . the resistivity of the substrate and the thickness and resistivity of the epitaxial layer are substantially similar to that shown in fig3 a . these parameters depend on the requirements for the on - resistance and breakdown voltage . in a preferred embodiment , the thickness of the epitaxial - layer 110 is about six to eight microns . a gate oxide layer 220 of thickness in the range of 100 to 1000 angstroms is grown . a polysilicon layer 225 having a thickness of approximately 3000 to 10 , 000 angstroms is then deposited . a pocl 3 doping process is carried out followed by an arsenic ( as ) implant with an ion beam of energy at 60 - 80 kev with a flux density in the range between 5 to 8 × 10 15 / cm 2 . a polysilicon mask 223 is applied for carrying out an an - isotropic etching to pattern the polysilicon layer 225 into a plurality of polysilicon segments . a plurality of gaped - gates 225 , each having a gap 228 , are defined by these polysilicon segments . two outmost polysilicon segments 225 &# 39 ; and 225 &# 34 ; are reserved as gate - runners and equal potential ring ( eqr ) as will be further described below . referring to fig6 b , the polysilicon mask 223 is removed . implant 209 is performed using ion beam , of 3 × 10 13 to 3 × 10 14 / cm 2 in flux density at an energy ranging from 30 to 80 kev . in fig6 c , the body blocking 228 is removed and a p - body diffusion process is carried out the body diffusion process is performed at an elevated temperature of 1 , 000 - 1 , 200 ° c . for ten minutes to three hours to increase the depth of the p - body region 230 to 1 . 0 - 6 . 0 μm . as shown in fig6 c , the body regions 230 has a depth represented by d b and has a lateral diffusion length d l of the body dopant the lateral diffusion length d l is approximately 0 . 8 of the vertical diffusion length . it follows that d l = 0 . 8 d b , i . e ., equation ( 1 ). the p - body regions 230 are laterally diffused with a distance β from the edge of the gate 225 to a region underneath the gate , where β = d l - δ = 0 . 8 d b - δ , i . e ., equation ( 2 ). therefore , the distance for the portion of the body regions 230 under the gate from the edge of the gate β is 0 . 8 d b - δ &# 39 ; which is less than 0 . 8 db . by using the wrapping - around farther - spacing body mask 228 , the body regions 230 are spaced farther away from each other by a distance of 2δ &# 39 ;. referring to fig6 d , a source - blocking mask 235 is applied to carry out an n + implant to form the n + region 240 . the n + implantation is carried out with an ion beam 231 at an energy of 60 - 100 kev and ion flux density of 5 × 10 15 to 1 × 10 16 / cm 2 . a high energy body dopant implant with a high energy ion beam of boron 232 at energy of about 200 to 400 kev and ion flux density of 3 × 10 11 to 3 × 10 12 / cm 2 is carried out to form a plurality of high - concentration body - dopant regions 238 under the gaped - gates 225 . in fig6 e , after the resist is stripped , the n + source regions 240 are driven into desired junction depth ranging from 0 . 2 to 1 . 0μ by a diffusion process . then , a bsg or bpsg layer is deposited to form an overlying insulation layer 245 of about 5 , 000 to 15 , 000å in thickness . a contact mask is applied to perform an etch process to define a plurality of contact windows 250 . implantation of a boron ion - beam is carried out to form a shallow high concentration body region 260 . the boron implanted is performed with either a low energy boron implant with an ion flux of 1 × 10 14 to 2 × 10 15 / m 2 at about 20 to 60 kev or a high energy bf 2 implant with an ion flux of 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 to 2 × 10 15 at about 100 - 240 kev . a bpsg reflow and densification process is performed at 900 - 950 ° c . for thirty minutes to one hour . the shallow body regions 260 are activated . a metal layer 270 is then deposited over the insulation layer 245 . the metal layer 270 are then patterned to provide metal segments , e . g ., source metal segment 270 - 1 , gate metal segment 270 - 2 , field - plate 270 - 3 , and equal potential ring segment 270 - 4 , to serve the function as electric contact terminals . fig6 f illustrates the net doping concentration along the top surface of the silicon substrate between x and x &# 39 ;. particular attention is directed to the variations of the body - doping concentration in the p - body region 230 with and without the high energy boron implant to form the high concentration body dopant regions 238 in fig6 d . a higher peak doping concentration is provided when a high energy body - dopant implant is performed through the source blocking mask 235 . with the higher peak body doping concentration as that shown in fig6 f , an early punch through of the dmos 200 is prevented . specifically , in a preferred embodiment , with the high energy boron implant with an ion flux of 3 × 10 11 to 3 × 10 12 / cm 2 at about 200 to 400 kev . the planar dmos device as shown in fig6 e further provides another advantage . the gate - to - drain capacitance c gd is reduced . as the capacitance is linearly proportional to the surface area of the gate 225 , the gate - to - drain capacitance is reduced with the surface area of the gate reduced by the gapes 228 . fig7 is a top view of the planar dmos power device 200 . the cross sectional view along the line c - c &# 39 ; is shown in fig6 e . in the core cell area , the source regions 240 are shown to surround the contact windows 250 where the source metal segment 270 - 1 contacts the shallow high body - dopant region 260 . a plurality of gaps 228 are opened between the cells thus reducing the total area of the polysilicon gates . a reduced gate - to - drain capacitance is achieved . by reducing the gate - to - drain capacitance , the switching speed of the device 200 is improved . therefore , the present invention provides a new dmos fabrication process to provide an improved device structure with reduced gate - width while maintaining an unchanged dimension of jfet region . also , by providing a doping profile and gapped gate polysilicon gates for the dmos transistor cells , the gate - to - drain capacitance is reduced such that the limitations and difficulties as encountered in the prior art can be overcome . specifically , an improved dmos fabrication process is implemented by applying a special wrapping - around farther - spacing body - blocking mask to farther space the body regions away from each other . as the gate width is reduced to achieve higher cell density , the jfet resistance is maintained substantially unchanged by applying this specially configured body - blocking mask . a high - energy body - conductivity type of dopant implant is performed through the gates to form the shallow lightly doped source - conductivity - type regions under the gates to reduced the gate - to - drain capacitance such that the switching speed is improved . in an alternate preferred embodiment , specially configured gaped - polysilicon gates are formed thus reducing the polysilicon surface areas . the switching speed is improved with reduced gate - to - source capacitance by reducing the surface - area occupied by the polysilicon gates while maintaining a low on - resistance when the dimension of the jfet regions is kept unchanged . the requirement of an active mask to define an active area for etching the initial oxide layer is eliminated by taking advantage of a wrapping - around further - spacing body - blocking mask which covers the termination area near the equal potential ring ( eqr ). the body - dopant ions are blocked in the covered area without requiring a thick initial oxide layer . cost savings are achieved by eliminating this requirement of applying an active mask although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that such disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting . various alternations and modifications will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above disclosure . accordingly , it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all alternations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	7
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . [ 0034 ] fig4 is a drawing showing a structure of logic used to calculate a frequency offset using log transforms and linear approximation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . with respect to two sequences having a length l and that are repeated , the first sequence is stored in a shift register and when the second sequence arrives , a correlation value of the two sequences is obtained in a correlator that is to a rear of the shift register to determine the degree of correlation between the two sequences . the correlator performs the calculation of equation 4 presented above through hardware . accumulators perform an accumulation calculation for a sufficient duration of time on i and q results of the correlator to obtain average values of the i and q results . these average values are used to perform arc tangent calculations to obtain frequency offset . conversion is performed through log calculations using the following equation such that log transforms are used to calculate frequency offset . such conversion into a log format is done to allow for calculations using an adder instead of a divider since a divider requires more time to perform its operations than an adder . tan - 1  ( e q e i ) = tan - 1  (  log   e q - log   e i ) [ equation   5 ] the log transforms are calculated using a look - up table . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a single look - up table is used for both the real part e i and the imaginary part e q . as a result , the size of the table ( i . e ., log look - up table ) used in calculating frequency offset may be significantly decreased . that is , if a number of bits of the real part input e i and the imaginary part input e q is n , unlike the 2 n × 2 n number of bits needed in the conventional arc tangent table , the number of bits required in the log look - up table in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is 2 n bits . with such a reduction in the size of the log look - up table , decreases in hardware area and power consumption may be realized . when performing log transforms , because of the non - linear characteristic of log functions , if the input value is small an extremely small value will result , while if the input value is large a state of saturation is approached so that it is difficult to determine what the actual resulting value is . because of this characteristic , the number of bits for the input is described as being 4 bits in the preferred embodiment of the present invention . however , the present invention is not limited to this value and it is possible to use more or less bits for the input . in particular , in the coarse frequency offset calculation method , the desired level of precision may be obtained by using an input of 4 bits . however , in the fine frequency offset calculation method where a greater degree of precision is required , since the real part input of e i is bigger than the imaginary part input of e q , equation 5 is changed as follows using log function characteristics and the calculation is performed using this equation . tan - 1  ( e q e i ) = tan - 1  (  log   e q - { log   ( 0 . 1 * e i ) + log  ( 10 ) } ) = tan - 1  ( 0 . 1 *  log   e q - log   ( 0 . 1 * e i ) ) [ equation   6 ] since with this equation the value of the large real part input e i is divided into suitable values and compared with the imaginary part input e q , the same log transform table may be used in the offset calculation when there is a big difference in the two values . after calculating the exponent using log calculations in tan − 1 ( e log e q − log e i ), the remaining tan − 1 ( e x ) is calculated using the log look - up table . in this case , since the value of the base - e exponent is extremely large , linear approximation is used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention . describing linear approximation of the non - linear function in more detail , the graph of tan − 1 ( e x ) is relatively linear in between + π and − π , and this may be approximated with a certain number of straight lines . for example , in the case of an input of 4 bits ( having values from 1 to 15 ), approximation may be performed using three straight lines . the equation used for this process is as follows . log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ - 1 . 5   :  y = 0 . 3667 + 0 . 1000 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) - 1 . 5 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ - 1 . 5   :  y = 0 . 7854 + 0 . 4329 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) 1 . 5 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i )   :  y = 1 . 2667 + 0 . 1000 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) [ equation   7 ] if this function is approximated using five lines , the following equation is used . log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ - 2   :  y = 0 . 2837 + 0 . 0780 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) - 2 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ - 1   :  y = 0 . 5397 + 0 . 2059 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) - 1 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ 1   :  y = 0 . 7854 + 0 . 4329 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) 1 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ≤ 2   :  y = 1 . 0003 + 0 . 2180 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) 2 & lt ; log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i )   :  y = 1 . 2667 + 0 . 0848 * ( log  ( e q ) - log  ( e i ) ) [ equation   8 ] results of a simulation using this process were as follows . in the case where three straight lines are used for approximation , a maximum error of 15 % and an average error of 4 % result . if five straight lines are used for approximation , a maximum error of 7 % and an average error of 0 . 5 % results . such errors become greater when the desired resulting values are within a small frequency range . this is because the same error represents a larger percentage of a number that is small . further , when more precise calculations are required , either a greater number of straight lines may be used for approximation or an interval of the frequency offset to be obtained is estimated and approximation is performed in that area using more straight lines . that is , the degree of complication of the linear approximation may be varied according to the range of permissible error . [ 0047 ] fig5 is a graph comparing a trace of tan − 1 ( e x ) approximated using five straight lines and a trace of tan − 1 ( e x ) using real values . as shown in the graph , the difference between the two traces is extremely small . accordingly , with the use of the log look - up table when calculating frequency offset , the preferred embodiment of the present invention not only reduces the overall area of hardware but also increases the precision in the resulting values by utilizing linear approximation . as described briefly above , if the real part input e i is significantly greater than the imaginary part input e q , the real part input value e i is divided into suitable bit values m to allow for the log function to be calculated in a relatively linear region . logic that performs this process is shown in fig6 . [ 0050 ] fig6 is a drawing showing a structure of logic used to calculate a frequency offset using log transforms and linear approximation in the case where a difference between real part and imaginary part input values is large according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig6 the real part input value e i is divided into bit values m of a predetermined size to allow for calculation in a relatively linear region . in the case where a log transform table , an adder , and linear approximation as described above are used , a general multiplier and divider as shown in fig7 may also be realized . fig7 is a drawing showing a structure of logic used to perform division or multiplication using log transforms and linear approximation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the logic of fig7 may be used in place of a log look - up table in the case where the region of the input values is small and there is a certain permissible error level . further , even with such application , if the difference in the input values is large , a suitable value is used for multiplication or division of the real part or imaginary part as shown in fig6 so that the log function is calculated in a relatively linear region . in the method for calculating frequency offset using log transforms and linear approximation of the present invention , when calculating frequency offset , which requires multiplication , division , and non - linear calculations with respect to two or more inputs , a small log look - up table for log transforms , an adder , and linear approximation equations are used such that hardware area and power consumption are reduced , and precision in the resulting values is obtained . although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be clearly understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined in the appended claims .	7
the invention consists firstly of a roof resting on sliding or rolling supports that guide and direct the thermal expansions of the whole of the roof along the direction of the process , and comprising a “ fixed point ” in the vicinity of the perpendicular to the fixed point of the tank . the invention also consists of a process for controlling the thermal expansions of the bath casing and of the roof , so as to eliminate or reduce the differences in expansions of the two assemblies , and therefore to eliminate or reduce the stresses on the sealing . according to the invention , a tin bath of a production line for producing float glass comprising a roof covering a tank in which liquid tin is found , is characterized in which the roof concerns by a “ fixed point ” in the vicinity of the perpendicular axis to the “ fixed point ” of the tank . more specifically , according to the invention , a bath of molten metal , in particular of tin , of a production line for producing float glass comprises a chamber formed of three main constituents , a bath tank , in which liquid metal , in particular tin , is found , a roof overhanging it , and side - sealing casings , creating the join between the two preceding components , the bath tank consisting of a metal casing , packed with refractory material , that may be moved on a frame along the axis of the process , with the exception of fixed supports , referred to as “ fixed points ”, formed by a zone for rigidly connecting the casing to the steel frame , and is characterized in that the crown rests on sliding or rolling supports that guide and direct the thermal expansions of the whole of the crown along the direction of the process , and comprises a “ fixed point ” in the vicinity of the perpendicular axis to the “ fixed point ” of the tank . the axis , or the direction , of the process are synonymous with the axis , or the direction , of feed motion of the glass ribbon . the invention relates to a solution to the differential expansions of two main metal structures , of the tank and of the roof , in the form of casings . the expansions of refractory materials contained inside these casings are treated by hangers for the crown refractory materials and by a dowel assembly with expansion joints for the bottom , or tank , refractory materials . advantageously , the roof consists of a self - supporting structure which rests directly , on each side of the tank , on a support frame , by means of a limited and suitable number of sliding or rolling supports . the self - supporting structure of the roof does not create shear stresses on the lateral structure , consisting of the support frame , which only takes up vertical stresses . the displacement of the roof which results from its expansion may be guided by a guiding system integrated into the supports . as a variant , the displacement of the roof which results from its expansion may be guided by a guiding system external to the supports . the roof “ fixed point ” may consist of a zone for rigidly connecting the crown to a frame , which is firmly attached to the frame that supports the tank . advantageously , the transformers for powering the electrical heaters for heating the crown rest directly on the self - supporting structure of the roof . the metal bath , in particular tin bath , of a production line for producing float glass may comprise a gantry crane that enables the rapid assembly and dismantling of sections of the roof , and also the handling operations for the assembly and repair of equipment of the metal bath . the invention also relates to a process that makes it possible to limit the differential expansions between a tank and a roof of a bath of molten metal , in particular of tin , of a production line for producing float glass , so as to prevent the degradation of the sealing joints between the tank and the roof that may give rise to gas leakages between the atmosphere of the bath and the outside of the tank , which process is characterized in that it consists in monitoring the longitudinal differential expansion between the roof and the tank by a continuous measurement thereof and in adjusting the cooling of the tank so as to keep the longitudinal differential expansion within defined limits . more specifically , according to the invention , the process that makes it possible to limit the differential expansions between a tank and a roof of a bath of molten metal , in particular of tin , of a production line for producing float glass , when side - sealing casings create the join between the two preceding components , the bath tank consisting of a metal casing , packed with refractory material , that may be moved on a frame along the axis of the process , with the exception of fixed supports , referred to as “ fixed points ”, formed by a zone for rigidly connecting the casing to the frame , the crown resting on sliding or rolling supports that guide and direct the thermal expansions of the whole of the crown along the direction of the process , and comprising a “ fixed point ” in the vicinity of the perpendicular axis to the “ fixed point ” of the tank , which process is characterized in that it consists in monitoring the longitudinal differential expansion between the roof and the tank by a continuous measurement thereof and in adjusting the cooling of the tank so as to keep the longitudinal differential expansion within defined limits , so as to prevent the degradation of the sealing joints between the tank and the roof that may give rise to gas leakages between the atmosphere of the bath and the outside of the tank . the measurement of the longitudinal differential expansion between the roof and the tank may be carried out by means of expansion sensors . advantageously , the longitudinal differential expansion is maintained at less than ± 0 . 05 mm / m . the invention consists , apart from the arrangements set out above , of a certain number of other arrangements , which will be mentioned more explicitly below with reference to fig5 and 6 , schematic representations in cross section and as a side view of a tin bath that is a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the invention . represented in fig5 and 6 it can be seen that according to the invention the metal structure that overhangs the tin bath and also the hangers 14 are eliminated in favor of a more compact support system , consisting of a frame 25 placed on either side of the tank and firmly attached to the steel frame 21 for supporting the tank 5 . it is on this frame 25 that the metal structure of the roof directly slides or rolls , by means of rolling or sliding supports 24 . these rolling or sliding supports may also be guiding , in the sense that they allow , in the horizontal plane , an easy and unconstrained relative displacement in the direction of the process , without allowing lateral displacement . however , the lateral guiding of the roof 6 may also be carried out by means external to the sliding or rolling supports 24 . the metal structure 29 of the roof is reinforced relative to the prior art in order to be self - supporting over the width of the tin bath . the influence of the expansions and offsets of the hangers has been eliminated . the existence of a roof “ fixed point ” 26 , in reality a zone 26 for rigidly connecting the roof 6 to the steel frame 25 , perpendicular to the “ fixed point ” 23 of the tank , ensures that these two roof and tank assemblies are rigidly connected and that in this zone the sealing cannot be subjected to any stress in the horizontal plane . during different production regimes , different temperature regimes exist in the roof and the bath , the respective temperatures of their metal structures may be different and may give rise to a different expansion of each assembly , which is a source of stresses and , ultimately , cracks in the sealing . in order to prevent any differential horizontal displacement between tank and roof , it is possible to act on the tank temperature by continuously adapting the forced cooling thereof , so as to maintain the longitudinal differential expansion of the metal structure of the tank of the bath relative to that of the roof , within a strict tolerance . in order to drive the forced cooling and regulate the differential expansions , an automatism may monitor not only temperatures , but also , by means of expansion sensors , the displacements both of the tank and of the roof . as may be observed , this control method cannot be carried out with a hangers suspension system according to the prior art . it is also seen on fig5 that the upper part of the roof according to the invention is completely free of any structural element ( presence of process elements only such as thermocouples , sight holes , cameras , transformers , etc .). the absence of hangers therefore makes the siting of this equipment and the access completely free . this free access above the roof according to fig5 also enables the installation of electric transformers 27 for powering the heaters 16 directly above the roof , which makes it possible to considerably reduce the length of the secondary cables 28 which also reduces their electrical losses by the joule effect . the secondary cables are conventionally powered by low voltages ( generally less than 100 volts ) and with a high current . the elimination or reduction in the length thereof allows an energy saving of the order of 0 . 5 % of the total consumption necessary for heating the bath . the elimination of the upper frame 15 and of the hangers 14 also enables the use of equipment handling means such as an integrated mobile crane 30 or the use , without risk of interference , of an overhead travelling crane integrated into the building . the integrated mobile crane 30 may be used for positioning the roof sections and also for the installation of the transformers 27 . since this crane is permanent , it may also be used during cold repair operations or in case of a serious incident regarding the bath ( hot repair operations ). the invention allows , during the initial assembly , a complete assembly of the frame of the bath without however disturbing the installation of the roof subsequently . the elimination , according to the invention , of the portion of the metal structure used for suspending the roof by the hangers , makes it possible to reduce the necessary height of the building . the installation of walkways allows access to the equipment for controlling and operating the bath .	2
a preferred embodiment of a nasal dilator and anti - snoring device according to the invention is illustrated and fig1 ( anterior view ), fig2 ( lateral view ), fig3 ( posterior view ), and fig4 ( top view ). the device has a base unit 10 , which fits over the lower teeth . it is constructed of thermoplastic material , which is heat molded over a dental model of the patient &# 39 ; s teeth . in the preferred embodiment , the thermoplastic material used is 3 mm thick biocryl , available from great lakes orthodontics of tonawanda , n . y . the biocryl is pressure molded over the dental casts of the lower teeth using a biostar thermoplastic molding unit , available through great lakes orthodontics . the resultant molded form is cut in the inner side ( lingual / tongue ) of the dental arch approximately 3 - 5 mm below the upper margin of the gum line from the back of the posterior - most tooth on the right completely around the dental arch to the posterior - most tooth on the left . the molded material is then cut around the outer gingival margin of the molar and bicuspid teeth so that the material forms a right posterior section 12 with a right lateral wall 16 , a right occlusal wall 22 , and right lingual wall 24 , all of which encase the posterior teeth . the device has a left posterior section 14 , which is cut in a similar fashion providing a left lateral wall 18 , a left occlusal wall 20 , and a left lingual wall 26 , which provide encasement of the left posterior teeth . the posterior sections provide coverage of the teeth and a means of securing base unit 10 to the dental arch . the molded biocryl material is next cut to remove the material on the facial or outer surface of the anterior teeth from the right canine tooth to the left canine tooth , leaving an anterior lingual flange 27 which extends from the inside upper edges of the anterior teeth to 3 - 5 mm below the gum - tooth margin . this completes base unit 10 . base unit 10 can also be made of any other material which can be used to secure the lower dental arch , such as processed acrylics , hard - molded outer shell material with a soft inner lining , boil - and - bite materials , preformed arch forms , or other commercially available materials . orthodontic headgear tubes , available from posse dental supply of oxnard , calif ., are used as right and left attachment tubes 30 and 32 . tubes 30 and 32 consists of outer tubes 31 and 34 and right and left retention plates 36 and 37 . tubes 30 and 32 are placed over occlusal walls 20 and 22 so that retention plates 36 and 37 lie across the top of occlusal walls 20 and 22 at the area of the first molar tooth . this creates right and left tubes 30 and 32 which are oriented so that retention plates 36 and 37 lie over the occlusal walls and outer tubes 31 and 34 are cantilevered out laterally . other means of attachment may be used , such as snap mechanisms and bonding of the joining mechanisms . fig5 a - 5d show various views of posterior sections 12 and 13 . occlusal laminates for right and left sides 28 and 29 are made by cutting a piece of 1 mm biocryl to fit over right and left occlusal walls 20 and 22 , respectively . each layer of occlusal laminates 28 and 29 is bonded to respective occlusal walls 20 and 22 by a layer of cold - cure acrylic . plates 36 and 37 are bonded into their positions over the first molar region lying between occlusal laminates 28 and 29 and occlusal walls 20 and 22 , respectively . multiple layers or greater thicknesses of material can be used to increase the height of base unit 10 . an orthodontic adjusting screw — in the preferred embodiment a 3 mm forestadent standard expansion screw , available from great lakes orthodontics — is used . orthodontic acrylic is applied to cover the posterior segment of the expansion screw 118 to form a posterior acrylic adjustment wall 122 . the screw is positioned on lateral wall 16 below outer tube 31 so that adjustment wall 122 butts up against anterior - vertical wire 70 . orthodontic acrylic is applied to the anterior segment of the expansion screw 114 , bonding it to lateral wall 16 . the adjustment segment of expansion screw 116 and the posterior segment of expansion screw 118 remain unattached and free to move . adjustment segment of expansion screw 116 can be adjusted by a key ( not shown ). the key is a straight wire which can be inserted into a hole in adjustment nut 124 and used as a lever to rotate nut 124 . as nut 124 turns it expands the adjustment section 116 , moving the free posterior segment of the expansion screw 118 in a posterior direction . this pushes adjustment wire 50 moving it in a posterior direction through outer tube 31 , carrying the repositioning flange 112 in a posterior direction . this adjustment is used to reposition the lower jaw forward relative to the upper jaw to increase the repositioning effect of the device . a length of orthodontic wire is used as a right connecting and adjustment wire 50 . in the preferred embodiment , leone orthodontic wire , which is 1 . 1 mm in diameter , available from posse dental supply , is used . wire 50 is bent 3 to 4 mm from its end at a 90 - degree angle using orthodontic pliers to form right anterior - vertical wire 70 . another bend is made 3 to 4 mm from the initial bend in a 90 - degree angle around parallel axis from the first bend so as to form a right lower - horizontal wire 66 . a third 90 - degree bend is made 3 to 4 mm from the second and around a parallel axis to the first two bends to form a right distal - vertical wire 62 . this configuration forms right adjustment section 54 . another length of orthodontic wire is cut and bent in the same manner as wire 50 to form a left connecting - adjustment wire 52 and corresponding left adjustment section 56 with its corresponding left upper - horizontal wire 60 , left distal - vertical wire 64 , left lower - horizontal wire 68 and left anterior - vertical wire 72 . however the number of bends in right connecting - adjustment wire 50 and 52 can be reduced so that there is a 90 - degree bend 8 mm from the end of the wire . a 180 - degree foldback bend is made 4 mm in from the end of the wire to create right adjustment section 54 with a right anterior - vertical wire 70 and a right distal - vertical wire 62 . right wire 50 is inserted into the back of right outer tube 31 so that adjustment section 54 is distal to outer tube 31 and right body of connecting wire 74 passes through the tube and extends anteriorly . at the junction of the first premolar and the canine tooth , a 90 - degree bend is made parallel to the axis of the bands of adjustment section 54 , forming right vertical rise of connecting wire 78 . another 90 - degree bend is made so that the portion of wire anterior to right vertical rise of connecting wire 78 is directed towards the curve of the anterior dental arch , forming a right anterior face of connecting wire 82 . face 82 is bent to form a curve around the anterior dental arch . left connecting - adjustment wire 52 is inserted into left outer tube 34 and corresponding bends are made to form left body of connecting wire 76 of the left vertical rise of connecting wire 80 and the left anterior face of connecting wire 84 . left and right anterior faces of connecting wires 82 in 84 meet at the midline . fig6 shows a midline cut view of maxillary repositioning flange 112 . a sheet of thermoplastic material is molded over the cast of the upper dental arch of the patient . in the preferred embodiment a 1 mm sheet of biocryl is used . however , other materials may be used , as discussed a separating media sheet is molded over splint 104 and a sheet of 3 mm biocryl is heat molded over the facial surface of the anterior of the splint 104 and the separating media . this molded material is removed and cut so that it extends from the junction of the first bicuspid tooth and the canine tooth on one side to the junction of the first bicuspid tooth and canine tooth on the opposite side and form the edges of the anterior teeth up to the uppermost vestibular extension to form a maxillary flange 86 . fig7 a shows the maxillary dental splint 104 as seen looking down into the inner surface of splint and fig7 b shows the dental splint placed on a dental cast . the sheet of biocryl , which has been molded over the upper dental cast , is cut so that it extends over the dentition up to the gingival margins to form maxillary dental splint 104 . splint 104 is placed in position over the occlusal side of base unit 10 and positioned so that the midline of the teeth lines up and the dental arch is oriented so that the lower anterior teeth provide 1 to 3 mm forward of the upper anterior teeth . it can be positioned by using a dental cast mounted on an articulator using a bite registration taken on the patient in the desired position to orient the dental casts on an articulator alternatively it can be estimated and then adjusted on delivery . flange 86 is placed in position anterior to maxillary splint 104 so that it fits between splint 104 and wires 82 and 84 . orthodontic acrylic is applied over wires 82 and 84 , joining them to flange 86 . the bulk of orthodontic acrylic material used to attach wires 82 and 84 that extend out from flange 86 to form an acrylic bumper 110 . this unit forms maxillary repositioning flange 112 . a length of orthodontic wire , in the preferred embodiment a 10 cm length of 1 . 2 mm diameter leone wire is used . a right button retention loop 94 is bent at one end and a left button retention loop 96 is bent on a parallel axis so that the final length of wire is equal to the circumference of the dental arch from the lateral of the canine root area on the right side to the lateral to canine root area on left side . this is usually approximately 8 cm in length . two nasio - labial dilator buttons 88 are made by placing liquid orthodontic acrylic into previously made molds , which have a smooth spherical facial surface and a flat back surface . buttons 88 are placed on a counter with the spherical surface facing down in a pre - made rubber mold . a nasio - label dilator body wire 92 is placed on top of the flat surfaces of buttons 88 so that their loops 94 and 96 are centered over the flat surface of buttons 88 . buttons 88 are bonded to loops 94 and 96 by means of orthodontic acrylic , which is applied over the buttons , embedding the wire and bonding it to buttons 88 . this forms a nasal dilator apparatus 87 . nasal dilator apparatus 87 is made to fit over maxillary flange 86 by creating a band in body wire 92 , which forms to the facial surface of flange 86 . nasal dilator apparatus 87 is centered on the upper facial surface of maxillary flange 86 . orthodontic acrylic is applied over the center portion of the wire laterally to the lateral incisor area to join nasal dilator apparatus 87 to maxillary flange 86 . nasal dilator apparatus 87 has right and left free wire segments 98 and 100 , which allow adjustment of buttons 88 and 90 to position them in the vestibule at the correct height and distance from the maxilla . this creates the appropriate stretching of the upper lip and lateral nasal walls to maintain and stretch , therefore increase the nasal canal to allow freer flow of air . fig8 shows the device in position on a dental cast as it sits over the teeth in the mouth . it positions and holds the lower jaw forward . this forward posturing of the mandible prevents the jaw and tongue from moving posteriorly , thus preventing the patient &# 39 ; s airway from being compromised . the user wears this device by placing it in their mouth as they are going to sleep . maxillary dental splint 104 sits over the upper teeth to support the teeth and distribute the forces of the mandible throughout the dental arch . splint 104 is then snapped in over the teeth and is held secure by the frictional force of the material around the teeth . specifically , the device is placed in the mouth with lower dental arch secured in place by means of base unit 10 over the lower dental arch and engaging it by snapping it over the teeth . maxillary repositioning flange 112 is positioned anterior to the maxillary dental arch with the maxillary splint . it is necessary for the patient to reposition their mandible forward as the lower jaw is closed in order to position maxillary repositioning flange 112 in its proper functional position in front of the upper anterior teeth . the device then holds the mandible in a more forward position and helps maintain the airway patent while allowing a degree of mobility of the jaw . nasal dilator apparatus 87 is positioned inside the upper lips and stretches the lips to maintain the nasal air channel patent . gross adjustments of the mandibular repositioning can be made by bending right and left adjustment sections 54 and 56 in a manner which pushes anterior vertical wires 70 and 72 anterior or posterior to their original position . more sensitive adjustments can be made by adjusting expansion screw assembly 116 and expanding the screw , thereby pushing adjustment wire sections 54 and 56 . both of these methods of adjustment act by moving adjustment wires 50 and 52 and maxillary repositioning flange 112 in a posterior direction , therefore moving the mandible in a more anterior direction . nasal dilator apparatus 87 can be adjusted by bending free wire segments 98 and 100 to alter the position of buttons 88 so that they cause stretching of the nasal labial tissue . this stretch increases the tension of the lateral walls of the nose , increasing the strength of these walls against the collapsing forces of inspiration . this allows air to move through the nasal passage with greater ease , resulting in greater airflow and a lessening of the negative pressure created in inspiration . decreasing the negative pressure in the nasal region decreases it in the entire respiratory channel and works with the mandibular repositioning to improve the function of the device . additional embodiments are shown in fig9 a and 9b ; fig9 a shows the front view of the device for mandibular reposition which has uses for orthodontic care . fig9 b shows device in place repositioning the mandible forward . this embodiment functions as a mandibular repositioning device which can be used for snoring and sleep apnea therapy or in orthodontics as the device to reposition the mandible and stimulate the growth of the mandible in orthodontic treatment . it differs from the preferred embodiment utilizes the device without nasal dilator apparatus 87 . fig1 a and 10b . show frontal and lateral views of an athletic mouth guard 132 which is constructed of molded commercially available materials shaped to extend up into the space between the upper jaw and the upper lip and stretch the nasal - labial soft tissue to function as a nasal dilator . fig1 c shows an additional alternative embodiment of an athletic mouth guard 132 of similar form to that of fig1 a and 10b . this contains a chamber in the flange 126 which extends into the space under the upper lip . this space can be filled with substance which allows control of the pressure in the chamber . this chamber 130 can be pressurized by substances such as liquid or air and allows adjustment of the volume of the flange 126 thereby adjusting the control of effect of tissue stretch and also providing a cushioning and protecting effect of the mouth guard 130 . fig1 d shows a cross - section through the device in fig1 c . the device fits over the teeth as a mouth guard 132 and extends between the upper jaw and the upper lip . this cross - section shows the chamber 130 with a valve 128 in which an injection syringe ( not shown ) can be used to pressurize the chamber 130 . fig1 e shows an additional embodiment . nasal dilator apparatus 87 is attached to a mouth guard which can be used in non - contact activities . thus the reader will see that this device creates improved airflow through the nasal and pharyngeal regions . it is used at night during sleep in the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea , which are medical conditions which carry significant medical morbidity and mortality . it can also be used to enhance breathing in times of needed maximal nasal pharyngeal respiration during waking activities such as during athletic activities . resistance to air flow through the nasal and posterior pharyngeal airway lead to snoring and sleep apnea . this health condition has a significant impact on millions of people . this device functions to prevent the closure of the breathing passageways in both the nose and throat regions . these goals are accomplished because the device maintains maximum intraoral volume and eliminates the need for components which extend through the lips , outside of the mouth . it provides adjustability and significant degree of motion , which reduces strain on the dentition . the advantages of this appliance are the synergistic effect of maintaining the airway in two different areas of resistance at the same time with one device . it accomplishes this with a device that is easy to use , has a minimal of material interfering with the tongue , has no components which extend out through lips , and which minimizes discomfort and forces on the teeth . while my above description contains many specificities , they should not be construed as limitations to the scope of the invention , but rather as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment . many other variations are possible . for example the nasal dilator apparatus can be constructed in a way so that it can be incorporated into sports mouth guards which can function both as a means maintaining maximum airflow through the nose while providing a cushion to protect the face during contact sport . this embodiment can use chambers , which contain air or liquid , which create a volume of material under the upper lip in the vestibule , which stretch as the nasal labial tissue and provides a cushion for impacts on the facial region . the apparatus can also consist of molded acrylic material , plastics , or molded material forming a chamber , which contains air under pressure or water that creates hydraulic pressure . the pressure of this chamber can be constructed to allow adjustability of the size and pressure of the nasal dilator apparatus by means of a valve , which allows addition or subtraction of air or liquid . other uses of this device are for treatment of mouth breathers , who have developed a short upper lip . the device can be used to stretch the upper lip . the device can also be used in orthodontics as a lower jaw repositioner to correct malocclusions . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined , not by the embodiments illustrated , but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	0
referring specifically to the drawings , the invention is shown therein as embodied in a long stroke jar and bumper sub tool 10 which includes a top sub 11 having an internally threaded box ( not shown ) with which the jar 10 may be united with the bottom pin of a drill string 128 whereby the jar is suspended on said drill string . the top sub 11 has a counter bore 12 extending downwardly therein leaving an annular internal shoulder 13 , inner and lower faces 14 and 15 of which are turned away to form an annular downwardly and inwardly facing recess 16 which is rectangular in cross section and is annularly grooved at 17 to receive a split ring 18 , for a purpose to be presently pointed out . a lower end portion of top sub 11 is radically , outwardly turned down to form , radially opposite from internal annular shoulder 13 , a cylindrical surface 19 in which is formed an external annular groove 20 for capturing snugly an o - ring 21 . the lower end face 15 of top sub 11 is flat and horizontal excepting for the annular recess 16 formed inwardly and downwardly therefrom . this recess is provided for mounting what is known in the art as a &# 34 ; polly pack &# 34 ; 25 . it is held in the upper end of recess 16 by a follower ring 26 which in turn is locked in place by the lodging of split ring 18 in groove 17 . externally , above the cylindrical face 19 , top sub 11 is provided with male threads 27 in the formation of which approximately one - half of the metal of top sub 11 in the area occupied by said threads is turned away to facilitate matching engagement of threads 27 with female threads 28 provided at the upper end of an upper tubular section 29 of an outer tubular element 30 of the tool 10 . beefing up the element 30 , and , in fact , the entire tool 10 , is accomplished by the introduction of a reinforcing metering sub 31 into the element 30 as the midsection thereof and using it to threadedly connect the lower end of upper section 29 to the upper end of a lower section 32 of element 30 . the upper and lower sections 29 and 32 are internally threaded at their opposite ends and the metering sub 31 is externally threaded at both ends . screwed upwardly into the bottom end of lower tubular section 32 is the externally threaded upper end 33 of a female hexagonal spline sub 34 providing at its upper end a hammar jar impact face 35 . internally , sub 34 is provided with a hexagonal spline bore 40 , and at its lower end has a flat bumper sub impact face 41 . it is to be noted that the outside diameter of the outer tubular element 30 is uniform throughout its length and that each of the threaded joints between its respective sections includes male and female smooth faced annular formations interfitting into substantially exclude voids from the internal areas occupied by said joints . specifically , the upper and lower outer tubular sections are made of tubing of the same internal and external diameters and the bore 42 , of upper section 29 just inwardly respectively from the female threads at its upper and lower ends , makes a close sliding fit with external surface 19 on top sub 11 , and with a smooth external cylindrical surface 43 provided on an upper end portion of metering sub 31 , said surface having an annular groove for mounting therein a double o - ring 44 , which , with o - ring 21 forms liquid tight seals between top sub 11 , upper outer tubular element section 29 and metering sub 31 . metering sub 31 not only has focused therein the structural back - bone of the tool 10 , and , with the top sub 11 , the upper tubular outer section 29 and an inner telescopic tubular element 45 , encompasses the jar hydraulic metering system 46 . the metering sub 31 has a cylindrical bore 47 a lower end portion of which is counter bored at 48 to receive double sealing o - rings 49 , backed by sleeves 50 retained in place by a snap ring 55 . at its upper extremity , the bore 47 is counter bored to produce a relatively short shallow annular restricting cylinder 56 . a deeper counterbore 57 is then formed extending downward from the cylinder 56 for a distance about half the length of the metering sub 31 . the upper end of metering sub 31 is ground to a true radial sealing face 58 and the lower end of said sub provides a sub bumper impact face 59 . having a ground radial sealing bottom face 60 resting on metering sub upper ground radial sealing face 58 is a cylindrical tubular safety sleeve 61 , which has a true radial upper end face 62 , is slightly shorter than the vertical space between top sub 11 and metering sub 31 and is provided with four or more equally circumferentially spaced fluid escape holes 63 just below its upper end . further details of the construction of safety sleeve 61 will be given in the detailed description of the inner tubular element 45 , with which said sleeve is associated in the hydraulic jar metering system 46 . referring particularly to fig2 a , 2b , 2c , and 2d , and to fig3 and 5 , the inner tubular element 45 is made of a stainless steel tube having initially uniform interior and exterior diameters 64 and 65 respectively throughout its length , this tube being modified in its manufacture as follows : at its upper tip , inner element 45 is turned down exteriorly at 70 to facilitate its insertion in polly pack 25 , up to and including its initial external diameter 65 . in its manufacture , the inner tubular element 45 is provided either by swedging or machining or welding , or by all of these arts , with an external local annular enlargement 71 of the outer surface 65 of said element . this enlargement is machine finished to provide a band of right hand male threads 72 based on the normal external diameter 65 of inner element 45 and rising above said diameter just the amount of the depth of said threads . an upper end portion of annular enlargement 71 provides an undercut annular stop shoulder 73 and a cylindrical annularly grooved o - ring base 74 the latter being equal in radial depth to the male threads 72 and extending axially from the upper end of said male threads to said undercut shoulder 73 . an o - ring 75 contractively occupies the groove in said o - ring base 74 , and expands therefrom into constant sealing engagement with a smooth cylindrical counter bore 76 formed within an upper end portion of a metering sleeve 77 so as to snugly fit o - ring grooved base 74 when a band of female threads 78 formed inside said sleeve to match male threads 72 , are screwed tightly onto said male threads 72 so as to force the bevelled upper end 79 of metering sleeve 77 into matching assembled relation with the inner tubular element 45 of the jar 10 . the metering sleeve 77 must travel through the cylinder 56 like a piston and this terminology may be alternatively employed for clarification in the claims and in describing the operation . for the present it will be pointed out that the radial clearance between the external annular periphery 80 of the metering sleeve ( or piston ) 77 and the cylinder 56 is less than one - thousandth of an inch . dependence on the metering sleeve 77 for regulating the time interval required to effect an upward jarring blow is thus placed on turning a left - hand helical open thread like groove 85 in the sleeve periphery 80 . the groove 85 preferably has a pitch of about one turn per inch in the axial length of the sleeve 77 and it has been found generally satisfactory to cut groove 85 about one - sixteenth inch wide and one - hundredth of an inch deep . this specific detail in the jar 10 however may be readily varied to adjust it to differing conditions met with in the field . extending downwardly from the annular enlargement 71 formed therein , the inner tubular element 45 makes a smooth sliding fit within the bore 47 of the metering sub 31 and with the double o - ring seal 49 mounted in counter bore 48 provided in the lower end of sub 31 . referring to fig2 c and 2d , it is noted that a substantial lower end portion of inner tubular element 45 is externally turned down to form a thin walled externally annularly grooved nipple 86 ( seating an o - ring 87 ) and a tapered wide band of male threads 88 . fitting up over the externally threaded lower end of inner tubular element 45 , and screwing thereto by an upper set of small diameter tapered female threads 89 is a coaxially diversely interiorly diametered nut 90 having a uniform cylindrical outside face 91 which closely fits within a lower end portion of lower outer tubular section 32 . the lower half 92 of nut 90 ends downwardly in an annular anvil jar impact face 93 which is supported by hammar jar impact face 35 at the moment of a jarring blow being struck , as shown in the drawings . the large diameter female threads 94 in the lower half 92 of nut 90 are spaced concentrically outward from nipple 86 on the lower end of inner tubular element 45 and the upper end portion of a hexagonal spline male sub 95 is male threaded at 96 and counterbored at 97 to fit around the nipple 86 while element 45 is being rotated to screw the threads 94 onto the male threads 96 of sub 95 . sub 95 has , extending downward from conterbore 97 , a bore 98 equal to the bore 64 of inner tubular element 45 . sub 95 has a male hexagonal surface 99 making a splined connection with female spline bore 40 . as seen in fig2 d and 4 , sub 95 has , extending downward from counterbore 97 , a bore 98 equalling the bore 64 of inner tubular element 45 . sub 95 has a male hexagonal surface 99 making a splined connection with female spline bore 40 . said surface 99 terminates with the formation of a down bumper sub impact face 100 and a lower pin 101 for connecting the inner tubular element 45 to a fish to be recovered from a well . as shown in fig1 b , and 2c the spline subs 34 and 95 are lubricated exclusively by ambient well liquid admitted to the annular space 110 between inner tubular element 45 and outer tubular element lower section 32 , through two annular rows of fluid ports 111 and 112 , communicating through section 32 with the upper and lower ends of said spline occupying annular space 110 . the tool 10 combines the functions of a hydraulic up - blow - striking jar and the simple coordinate function of a down - blow - striking bumper sub and the tool &# 39 ; s safe optional use for either or both these purposes is facilitated by the addition thereto of safety sleeve 61 as will be made clear in describing the operation . the polly pack 25 best performs its function when a void ( vacuum ) 113 is allowed to generate between the polly pack and the upper level 114 to which the annular operating oil chamber 115 may be supplied with operating oil 116 through the filling hole 117 provided for this use in outer element upper section 29 ( see fig2 a ). when said chamber is filled to level 114 , the hole 117 is closed with a threaded plug 118 . referring to fig2 b and 3 , it is to be noted that the bore 119 of safety sleeve 61 is preferably made to clear the metering sleeve periphery 80 , during the functioning of the tool 10 , by a radial clearance of from five to fifteen one - thousandths of an inch . the effect of this will be pointed out in describing the operation . fig6 illustrates a key - hole slot 125 which occurs occasionally in deep well drilling practice when drilling a deep well bore 126 . the section comprising this view is taken in a horizontal plane which passes through the &# 34 ; knee &# 34 ; of a &# 34 ; dog &# 39 ; s leg &# 34 ; well bore wherein the upper initially bored portion had drifted at a substantial angle from vertical , and , following an effort to correct this , had drifted in the opposite direction away from vertical in a lower section of the bore 126 . the problem occurs when the rig operator undertakes to withdraw the tools 127 from the dog &# 39 ; s leg bore 126 , and the drill string , 128 , smaller in diameter than the tools , cuts a narrow vertical , key - hole slot 125 about which a pair of narrowly spaced shoulders 129 automatically form which obstruct upward withdrawal of the drill string 128 and the tools 127 through the key - hole slot 125 formed in the well bore . the practice has been to run a bumper sub with a jar in the string 128 to loosen the tools 127 from the key - hole slot 125 by downward bumps administered alternately with upward jarring blows . the jar 10 is designed to perform both these functions which it does in the following manner . operational fig1 a , 2b , 2c , 2d , and 3 show the tool parts as related at the moment of striking an up - jarring blow by jar impact face 35 hitting jar impact face 93 . the drill string 128 , top sub 11 , outer tabular element 30 , and female hex spline sub 34 are tensioned in delivering the jarring up - blow and diversely diametered nut 90 , male hex spline sub 95 and bottom jar pin 101 are in straight aligned tension at the moment of their receiving and transmitting said up - jar blow to the key - hole captured tools 127 . the option is now presented to the rig operator of the tool 10 to lower the drill string 128 at a carefully regulated speed to bring impact face 41 into light engagement with impact face 100 signalling readiness to start another lifting of the sub 34 culminating in another up - jarring blow as shown in fig2 c . on the other hand , should the need occur for a bumper sub ( down jarring ) operation , the drill string may be lowered at a substantially higher speed and dependence placed on the safety sleeve 61 to prevent any excess in speed such as might damage the jar or the tools 127 being recovered . as the outer tubular element is being lowered following an up - jarring blow , the deeper counter bore 57 passes downward freely over the metering sleeve 77 until the close fitting cylinder 56 is pressed telescopically down over said sleeve with enough force to produce a vacuum in an upper portion of counter bore 57 , after which safety sleeve 61 starts being lowered over the upper end of metering sleeve 77 . the closeness of the fit between sleeve 77 and safety sleeve 61 , however , and the fact of their being separated by a very thin film of operating oil , will combine in lifting sleeve 61 until its upper end face 62 engages lower face 15 on top sub 11 after which it is thus propelled downwardly with the continued lowering of outer tubular element 30 until anvil face 41 comes to rest on face 100 . due to the friction between the metering sleeve 77 and safety sleeve 61 , the upper end face 62 of safety sleeve 61 will still be engaging the lower face 15 of top sub 11 and lower ground face 60 of sleeve 61 will be spaced upward from the upper ground face 58 of metering sub 31 by the same distance faces 15 and 62 are shown vertically separated in fig2 a . the frictional resistance offered by safety sleeve 61 to the downward movement of the outer tubular element 30 continues as long as measuring sleeve 77 remains covered by safety sleeve 61 . this also regulates the rate of descent of the inner tubular element 45 so as to prevent heavy tools such as drill collars suspended on bottom pin 101 from suddenly dropping and being caught up with a sudden snapping blow .	4
a building skeleton in accordance with the invention is essentially comprised of only rectangular profiled bars 2 , profiled i - bars 4 which are adapted in size and shape to the bars 2 , and intermediate elements in the form of connecting elements 6 and wall elements 8 disposed between and connecting adjacent profiled bars . the height h2 of the rectangular profiled bars 2 is preferably the same as their width b2 , so that in one embodiment , they are essentially square in cross section . the i - profiled bars 4 have a height h2 which is the same as the height h2 or the width b2 of the rectangular profiled bars 2 . the rectangular profiled bars 2 and the i - profiled bars 4 have only flat surfaces . at the center of at least one side and preferably of all of its outer sides , each rectangular bar has a longitudinal groove 10 that extends in the longitudinal direction and is undercut as seen in cross - sectional view . the outwardly facing sides of the transverse parts of the i - profiled bars also have respective grooves 10 formed in them . all of the longitudinal grooves 10 have the same cross - sectional shape and size . the longitudinal grooves 10 of the i - profiled bar 4 are alignable with the longitudinal grooves 10 of the rectangular profiled bar 2 when they are placed against each other in longitudinal direction with the grooves 10 of the adjacent bars above one another and opening onto one another , or the grooves 10 are arranged end - to - end with respect to each other , with one groove leading into the next one with successive bars along a path . the longitudinal grooves 10 are &# 34 ; undercut &# 34 ;, which in this case means that they have a smaller or narrower entry opening on their outer side than their width inside the depth of the groove . as a result , connecting elements 6 inserted into the grooves rest against opposing projections 12 of the longitudinal grooves 10 from the inside of the groove to the outside of the groove and the connecting elements can thus be anchored in the longitudinal grooves 10 . the longitudinal grooves 10 preferably have the t - shaped cross - sectional shape shown in fig1 with a rectangular cross section below the rib - like projections 12 , which are also rectangular in cross section . other cross - sectional shapes of the groove are also possible , for instance , an outwardly narrowing trapezoidal shape , a dovetail shape or some other shape which is larger or wider inside the groove than at the outside of the groove . the i - profiled bar 4 is comprised of a single web 14 with flat , smooth side surfaces and without lateral projection . the bar 4 includes transverse parts at the ends of the web 14 . longitudinal grooves 10 are formed symmetrically over the web 4 on the outer sides of the web ends . the rectangular profiled bar 2 can be a solid section . but , as shown in fig1 the bar 2 is preferably a hollow section . each transverse part or web 16 at the edge of the web of the i - shaped bar comprises a wall in which a longitudinal groove 10 is formed . that wall preferably has the same thickness as the rectangular profiled bar 2 in the region thereof forming its grooves 10 . in this way , the wall of the longitudinal groove 10 of an i - profiled bar 4 coincides at the front with the wall of a rectangular profiled bar 2 when these two profiled bars 2 and 4 are so placed end - to - end against each other that the longitudinal groove 10 of the i - profiled bar 4 is aligned with the longitudinal groove 10 of the rectangular profiled bar 2 . the two shapes of the profiled bars 2 and 4 are preferably comprised of aluminum but may , however , also be comprised of another metal , a plastic , reinforced plastic , or wood . longitudinal grooves 10 lying on the outer side of a building can serve as water discharge spouts for water of condensation or rain water and / or to receive end pieces 20 of outer wall plates 22 of the building . wall plates 22 can be fastened in outer longitudinal grooves 10 by fastening means ( not shown ), which can engage behind the projections 12 of the groove 10 or can be screwed into a fastening element present in the longitudinal groove 10 , or can be otherwise attached or screwed into the bottom of the longitudinal groove 10 . insulating material 23 can also be arranged in the hollow spaces . in a particular embodiment of the invention , two different cross - sectional sizes of rectangular profiled bars 2 and / or i - profiled bars 4 are provided . such additional rectangular profiled bars of different cross - sectional size and i - profiled bars of different cross - sectional size are also adapted in size and shape to each other so that their longitudinal grooves 10 are aligned when they are arranged adjoining each other end - to - end . preferably , all of the profiled bars of various sizes and shapes have grooves 10 of the same cross sectional size and shape . fig1 shows one such additional rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 . as seen in cross section , that bar 2 . 2 is identically developed to the rectangular profiled bar 2 described above . but it is so much smaller in cross section that , as shown in fig1 it can be inserted telescopically with a sliding seat into the hollow space in the rectangular profiled bar 2 . the height h 2 . 2 of the smaller rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 is equal to its width b 2 . 2 . the longitudinal grooves 10 of the different size rectangular profiled bars 2 and 2 . 2 all have the same cross - sectional shape and the same cross - sectional size . use of two or more rectangular profiled bars 2 and 2 . 2 , which can be inserted telescopically one within the other in the longitudinal direction of the bar , can take into account the weight loads which decrease with increasing height of the building . furthermore , building elements , for instance , beams , girders and roofs , can be placed or supported on the end surface of the rectangular profiled bars 2 of larger cross section which extend in the transverse direction of the profiled bar over the rectangular profiled bars 2 . 2 of smaller cross section . fig2 shows a rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 of smaller cross section , which may be the rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 of fig1 used as a building pillar or column . a rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 of the same size and shape in cross section as the pillar bar 2 . 2 is placed at an angle to and anchored by a connecting element 6 and by a tightening screw device 24 to the pillar bar 2 . 2 . the connecting element 6 is bent off at a right angle . one arm of element 6 extends into the longitudinal groove of the vertically arranged rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 , while its other arm extends into the longitudinal groove 10 of the horizontal rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 . the tightening screw device 24 clamps the vertical arm of the connecting element 6 against the projections 12 of the longitudinal groove 10 of the vertical rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 , into which groove the vertical arm of the connecting element 6 is inserted . an identical tightening screw device 24 can also fasten the horizontal arm of the connecting element 6 in the longitudinal groove 10 of the horizontal rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 . an i - profiled bar 4 . 2 serves as a rafter . with its oblique cut off end , it is placed against the upper end of the vertical rectangular profiled bar 10 . 2 of fig2 and is anchored to it by another fastening element 6 . the latter element 6 has arms which engage into the longitudinal grooves 10 of these two profiled bars 2 . 2 and 4 . 2 . the height h2 . 2 of the i - profiled bar 4 . 2 of fig2 is equal to the height h2 . 2 of the rectangular profiled bar 2 . 2 of smaller cross section . the cross - sectional shape and cross - sectional size of the four longitudinal grooves 10 of the i - profiled bar 4 . 2 , each of which is arranged in the transverse center of the respective side of the bar 4 . 2 , are the same as for all other profiled bars 2 , 4 and 2 . 2 . in this way , all longitudinal grooves 10 are alignable with each other when they are arranged end - against - end with respect to each other . the correspondingly smaller height h2 . 2 of the profiled bars 2 . 2 and 4 . 2 are present in fig2 . the height h2 or h2 . 2 of the rectangular profiled bars 2 and of the i - profiled bars 4 and 4 . 2 is preferably 80 , 100 , 120 , 140 or 160 mm . the thickness of the material in the case of all profiled bars 2 , 2 . 2 , 4 , 4 . 2 , 4 . 4 is preferably the same and , in the case of metal , is preferably between 2 mm and 6 mm . the projections 12 have a thickness 30 which is preferably equal to the thickness of the material , a height 32 of between 2 mm and 6 mm , a rectangular cross - sectional shape , and , in the case of each longitudinal groove 10 , a distance 34 apart of between 20 mm and 50 mm . below the projections 12 , the longitudinal grooves 10 have a width 36 which , symmetric to the projections 12 , is at least 2 mm greater than the distance between the ends of the projections 12 , and the grooves have a rectangular cross - sectional shape with a depth 38 of groove of between 4 mm and 12 mm below the projections 12 . fig3 shows an arrangement with a rectangular profiled bar 2 , an i - profiled bar 4 of the same height , and a next - larger i - profiled bar 4 . 3 , between the transverse parts 16 of which the other two profiled bars 2 and 4 can be inserted laterally . the longitudinal grooves 10 preferably have the rectangular cross - sectional shape shown in the drawings . however , other cross - sectional shapes such as dovetail shape or trapezoidal shape are also possible . fig4 shows how the rectangular profiled bars 2 and 2 . 3 of different sizes , but which are developed with the same shape and size grooves , as well as i - profiled bars developed correspondingly with identical shapes and identical grooves harmonize with and may be adapted to each other . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is preferred , therefore , that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein , but only by the appended claims .	4
in this description , the same reference numeral in different figs . is referring to the same entity . reference numerals of each fig . start with the same number as the number of that fig . for example , fig6 has numerals in the “ 600 ” category and fig7 has numerals in the “ 700 ” category , etc . thus , if discussing an entity in a fig . having a particular reference numeral not starting with the same number as that fig . one can easily refer back to the appropriate fig . exemplary embodiments of a computer - controlled connector panel system include a computerized system and method for controlling the manual insertion of one or more of a number of cable - connectors into , and / or removal of one or more of a number of cable - connectors from , a like number of lockable connector - receptacles arrayed in a connector - panel . each receptacle has its own dedicated locking sub - system including a locking arm and solenoid or motor for actuating that arm . when the locking arm is restraining an inserted connector , it prevents removal of that connector unless and until the appropriate computer command is transmitted to that particular locking sub - system to actuate its locking arm . the locking arm is unlocked only under computer control , whereby all locked arms at the time of power - failure remain locked during power outage . thus , in a large array of connections , where one connector can be unlocked at a time , embodiments of the computer - controlled connector panel ensure that any human attempt at manual removal of a connector shall result in removal of only the intended connector . this prevents accidental removal of a neighboring connector because all neighboring connectors remained locked in place . however , in alternative embodiments , more than one connector can be unlocked at the same time , if desired , which may be useful to do if the several connectors that are chosen to be concurrently unlocked are known to be making uncritical connections and , in addition , are positioned in the array not near each other so that potentially mistaken removals are not going to occur . fig1 is an exemplary diagram of a network 100 in which embodiments of the computer - controlled connector panel may be advantageously employed within a telecommunications company &# 39 ; s facility or within its customers &# 39 ; facilities . for example , company central office 101 , generic industrial - customer 102 , and specific hospital - customer 103 are examples of typical locations in which these embodiments may be advantageously employed . central office 101 includes connector - panel system 104 and local system database and monitoring 105 ; customer facility 102 includes connector - panel system 106 and local system database and monitoring 107 ; and , hospital customer 103 includes connector - panel system 108 and local system database and monitoring 109 . ( hereinafter each of these local system database and monitoring functions may be referred to as a “ controller ” or a “ local controller .”) as explained in more detail below , controllers 105 , 107 and 109 each controls its respective connector - panel system because each allows an authorized user located at its facility to send commands to its connector - panel system to cause particular locking - arms associated with particular connector - receptacles to change state . remote system database and monitoring system 110 ( hereafter “ remote controller 110 ”) is shown at the bottom of the diagram and is geographically distant from locations 101 , 102 and 103 . remote controller 110 , which can typically be located at a network operations facility of a telecommunications company , can be linked to controllers 105 , 107 and 109 through a network which can be the internet ( i . e ., a public network ) or some other suitable network . the communication links through network 111 , namely links 115 , 116 , 117 and 118 , can all be ethernet links , or other suitable communication paths . wire - line and / or wireless links can be used . the links 112 , 113 and 114 , internal to facilities 101 , 102 and 103 , respectively , each linking together its respective local controller and connector - panel system , can each be a usb connection or some other suitable connection . fig1 a is an exemplary diagram of a differently - organized network in which embodiments of the computer - controlled connector panel may be advantageously employed , and is presented as but one example of many possible variations . central office 101 , customer facility 102 and hospital 103 are identical to like - identified locations in fig1 . each location includes the same connector - panel system and local controller that is shown in fig1 ( i . e ., 104 and 105 shown in fig1 are included in 101 of fig1 a , etc .) the principal difference between fig1 and fig1 a is that there are separate networks 111 a characterized as a private network and 111 b characterized as a private - public network in fig1 a , with each separate network operating with its own , dedicated remote controller . although the different dedicated remote controllers can each be located at a different location , they are all under control of the same telecommunications company . private network 111 a connects remote controller 110 a ( including its database ) to both central office 101 and customer facility 102 via links 118 a , 115 a and on the other hand , where a customer may have public network access requirements as well as proprietary networking requirements , such as hospital customer 103 , it may be advantageous for that customer to have a communication capability via a different private - public combination network . for example , remote controller and database 110 b can be connected via private - public network 111 b ( such as a combination of lan and internet ) to hospital customer 103 via links 118 b and 117 b which are similar to , or the same as , links 118 and 117 , respectively , of fig1 . therefore , the single remote controller 110 of fig1 is not the only option for remote control of connector panels at various facilities , and other variations of network organization beyond those shown herein can be implemented , as may be needed . in the private network , network security techniques which are proprietary to the telecommunications company can be implemented . however , if the internet is to be used , those proprietary techniques may not be compatible . in that case , internet protocol ( ip ) security can be provided , for example , by secure shell v2 ( sshv2 ) and above , over ipsec . this software shall create a secure platform from which the system can be controlled . default operation under ssh can be constrained to usage of port 22 ssh v2 or higher and , under no circumstances , would it be permitted to default , or revert , to ssh v1 . the ipsec may default to encapsulating security payload ( esp ) where only the payload is encrypted and , if so , ipsec would allow for authentication header ( ah ) security if needed , where the header of the packet could also be encrypted . a command line interface ( cli ), may be accessed through ssh v2 , but only with telnet and other remote access applications disabled throughout the control network . file transfer functionality may take place through the secure copy ( scp ) or secure file transfer protocol ( sftp ) features which are provided by ssh . in this manner , commands transmitted over the internet for controlling , or unlocking , specific locking arms on specific panels in specific customer sites are carefully protected from nefarious hacking activity which , otherwise , could be problematic . fig2 is an exemplary block diagram of a generic computer which may be advantageously utilized in both remote controller 110 and controllers 105 , 107 and 109 of fig1 . the functionality of remote controller 110 can be similar to the functionality of any of the controllers 105 , 107 or 109 . computer 200 includes a bus 201 , a processor 202 , a main memory 203 , a read only memory ( rom ) 204 , a storage device 205 , an input device 206 , an output device 207 , and a communication interface 208 . the processor may include any type of conventional processor or microprocessor that interprets and executes instructions . main memory 203 may be a random access memory ( ram ) or another type of dynamic storage device that stores information and instructions for execution by processor 202 . rom 204 may include a conventional rom device or another type of static storage device that stores static information and instructions for processor 202 . the storage device 205 may include any type of magnetic or optical recording medium and its corresponding drive , such as a magnetic disk or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive . the input device 206 may include any conventional mechanism that permits an operator or user to input information to the computer , such as a keyboard , a mouse , a pen , voice recognition and / or biometric mechanisms , etc . the output device 207 may include any conventional mechanism that outputs information to the operator , including a graphical user interface ( gui ) display , a printer , a pair of speakers , etc . the communication interface 208 may include any transceiver - like mechanism that enables computer 200 to communicate with other devices and / or systems . for example , the communication interface 208 may include a modem or an ethernet interface for communicating via the internet or via a local area network ( lan ). alternatively , the communication interface 208 may include other mechanisms for communicating via network 111 . computer 200 generates commands for controlling locking sub - systems ( not shown in this fig .) located on connector - panel systems 104 , 106 and 108 in response to processor 202 executing sequences of instructions contained in a computer readable medium , such as main memory 203 . a computer - readable medium may include one or more memory devices and / or carrier waves . such instructions may be read into memory 203 from another computer - readable medium , such as a data storage device 205 , or from a separate device via communication interface 208 . execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory 203 causes processor 202 to perform the process steps described hereinbelow . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the computer - controlled connector panel system . thus , embodiments of the computer - controlled connector panel system or method are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . the primary difference between usage of a first computer equivalent to computer 200 in remote controller 110 and usage of a second one in local controller 105 , 107 or 109 is the size and the content of the databases associated with those computers . remote controller 110 , responsive to user / operator input via input device 206 , e . g ., a keyboard and mouse on a gui , can be used to control any or all of the cable - connector - locks ( not shown in this fig .) mounted in any of the connector - panel systems in central office 101 , customer facility 102 and hospital - customer 103 . therefore , the database of remote controller 110 is larger than those in each of the computers at locations 101 , 102 and 103 because it necessarily includes all relevant data contained in all of the databases associated with all three connector - panel systems at those locations . communication interface 208 in a computer 200 located in remote controller 110 , through its transceiver ( not shown ), sends appropriate commands via network 111 to the transceiver ( not shown ) of another communication interface 208 in another computer 200 located in , e . g ., one of local controllers 105 , 107 or 109 . the receiving controller then routes those commands to its connector - panel system to cause specific locking arms associated with specific connector - receptacles to change state from locked to unlocked , or vice versa . a pre - determined command hierarchy is necessary with the networked arrangement shown in fig1 because of potential conflict which otherwise might occur between conflicting commands concurrently provided by different users located at both the remote controller and at the local controllers . this hierarchy can be established using conventional networking techniques on a per - location basis , thereby avoiding potential command conflicts . for example , with respect to resolving conflicting commands emanating from remote controller 110 and local controller 105 , by pre - arrangement , remote controller 110 commands may be given priority over local controller 105 , while for conflicting commands emanating from remote controller 110 and local controller 107 , by pre - arrangement , local controller 107 commands may be given priority over remote controller 110 . fig3 is an exemplary block diagram of a fiber - optic connector - panel system of the type that is usable in fig1 . remote controller 110 and network 111 in fig3 are identical to their counterparts shown in fig1 . local system database and monitoring system 301 ( hereinafter “ controller 301 ”) is identical to any one of controllers 105 , 107 or 109 of fig1 . panel system 302 is equivalent to any one of panel systems 104 , 106 or 108 of fig1 . in this illustration , panel system 302 includes four separate panels 303 , 304 , 305 and 306 , each with its own ac / dc power unit 307 - 310 , respectively , and lock - control unit 311 - 314 , respectively . more or fewer panels 303 - 306 can be used per panel system and four are shown only for illustrative purposes . the ac / dc power units are connected to power bus 315 and the lock - control units are connected to controller 301 by a suitable link 316 such as , for example , a usb link . ac / dc power units 307 - 310 can be power supplies of standard design , configured for this application . they can convert ac power from power bus 315 to an appropriate level of dc power and / or can reduce the ac voltage from power bus 315 to a suitable ac voltage level , as may be needed , to power solenoids and motors ( not shown in this fig .). the solenoids or motors are associated , one to one , with cable - connector - receptacles ( not shown in this fig .) distributed across panels 303 - 306 . the solenoids or motors are used to move locking arms ( not shown in this fig . ), each arm associated with a different receptacle to generate a locked state or an unlocked state for that receptacle whereby a cable - connector ( not shown in this fig .) plugged into that receptacle can be locked in conductive contact or , when unlocked , the connector can be removed . more detail about this operation is presented below . control units 311 - 314 are designed to receive lock / unlock commands over bus 316 , which can be a usb bus . the commands originate with a user , typically a company technician tester , located at local controller 301 in a central office of a telecommunications company and / or a user located at remote controller 110 in a remote company office . a command is typically a digital signal in packet format and is addressed to one of the four control units 311 - 314 . each of control units 311 - 314 is also designed to convert that command to a higher “ lock command ” or “ unlock command ” voltage level to actuate a solenoid or motor . since that command was addressed to a specific locking - connector - receptacle in a specific panel as explained below , the converted command at the higher voltage level is simply sent to the solenoid or motor at the specific addressed receptacle to achieve the desired result . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a fiber - optic connector - panel , depicting an array of slots for connector - receptacle locking subsystems , the array having co - ordinates . although the connector - panel of fig4 is designated “ 303 ” for convenience purposes , any of connector - panels 303 - 306 of fig3 can be represented in this manner . connector - panel 303 may be a rectangular object having two sides , and a thickness , one side being shown in fig4 , and with capability to connect to cables on both sides of the panel . connector - panel 303 could be two or three feet wide by one or two feet high , or smaller , or larger . connector - panel 303 could have a thickness from approximately one inch to approximately six inches , more or less . the connector - panel can be made from various strong , insulating materials rated for communications use . other shapes , sizes and configurations could be used . connector - receptacle locking subsystem slots are arrayed across the surface of panel 303 and arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns . in the example shown , there are fifteen vertical columns designated by the numbers 1 - 15 and there are eleven horizontal rows designated by the letters a - k . there could be more or fewer columns and rows . in this particular example , that amounts to 165 different connector - receptacles each of which shall be part of its dedicated locking sub - system ( not shown in this fig .). this provides a convenient way of establishing a coordinate system for the array . for example , the connector - receptacle in the lower - right corner of the panel is identified by coordinates “ k15 ” which means the “ 15 th ” column and the “ k th ” row . other coordinate systems can be envisioned and used , and this is but one example . a coordinate system is needed because packet commands arriving from any of the controllers need to be addressed to specific receptacles , and a coordinate system permits the packet commands to address the correct receptacle . the databases in remote controller 110 and , in this instance , local controller 301 would contain these coordinates along with their corresponding connectors &# 39 ; usage and other information , to be discussed below . a packet command that is input by a technician at a particular controller ( i . e ., by typing into a keyboard at a gui ) is addressed to a specific connector - receptacle located on a specific locking sub - system on a specific panel that is selected because it corresponds to a particular connection which , for reasons relating to testing or other purposes , the technician wishes to make or break . the computer associated with that particular controller accesses its database to obtain the appropriate coordinates for that command . fig5 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a connector - receptacle locking subsystem , with attached cable - connector , shown locked by locking arm 504 . the subsystem would fit into a single slot of fig4 , such as slot k 15 . the subsystem comprises bulkhead ( i . e ., connector - receptacle ) 502 , solenoid 503 with its supporting structure , and locking arm 504 . the connector - receptacle 502 and solenoid 503 are physically supported by panel structure 505 . cable - connector 501 is shown connected to connector - receptacle 502 and locked in place . when solenoid 503 is energized , locking arm 504 is axially displaced wherefore it moves to the right in fig5 . ( in fig4 , locking arm 504 would move perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in the direction of the reader .) this axial displacement offers sufficient clearance so that connector 501 may be manually removed by a technician . the connection may be left open , or a different connector 501 may be substituted for the original , or the same connector can be reconnected . there is a backstop with spring sleeve 507 provided so that any recoil motion of the solenoid mechanism is appropriately dissipated when the solenoid is activated . each of the 165 locations identified by a unique coordinate in fig4 may likewise contain its own connector - receptacle locking subsystem . in this manner , connector 501 cannot be removed with locking arm in its locked position as shown , but can be removed after locking arm 504 is put into an unlocked state . fig6 depicts an alternative embodiment , using a motor instead of a solenoid . fig6 presents an exemplary schematic diagram of a connector - receptacle locking subsystem , with attached cable - connector , shown locked by locking arm 604 . this subsystem would also fit into a single slot ( coordinate space ) of fig4 , such as slot k 15 . the subsystem comprises bulkhead ( i . e ., connector - receptacle ) 602 , motor 603 with its supporting structure , and locking arm 604 . the connector - receptacle 602 and motor 603 are physically supported by panel structure 605 . cable - connector 601 is shown connected to connector - receptacle 602 and locked in place . when motor 603 is energized , locking arm 604 is rotationally displaced , thereby offering sufficient clearance for connector 601 to be manually removed . the connection may be left open , or a different connector 601 may be substituted for the original , or the same connector can be reconnected . in this manner , connector 601 cannot be removed with locking arm in its locked position as shown , but can be removed after locking arm 604 is put into a displaced state . fig7 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a database which may be stored in main memory 203 and / or storage device 205 of computer 200 in fig2 . the database depicted in fig7 contains co - ordinates 701 of all connector - receptacle locking subsystems for which that computer is responsible . for example , if the database under consideration is located in the computer 200 as contained within remote controller 110 as shown in fig1 , then all co - ordinate data of all connector - receptacle locking subsystems located in every panel in every panel system in every locale that is being networked with computer 200 shall be maintained in that database . but , if considering , for example , another computer 200 which is associated only with local controller 105 as shown in fig1 , then only the coordinates of all connector - receptacle locking subsystems located in every panel of connector - panel system 104 are included in that database . the database additionally may contain the identity 702 of the connected party . the database additionally may contain the status 703 of each locking arm . the database additionally may provide information 704 regarding presence or absence of a cable - connector in each connector - receptacle . this data can be gathered by using an infra - red transmitter / receiver 401 / 402 or 403 / 404 built into the walls of each slot associated with a receptacle subsystem as shown in fig4 a , where presence of a connector breaks the infra - red transmission - reception path and absence of the connector allows the transmitter / receiver to communicate . the database may additionally provide information 705 flagging the criticality of the connection as high , medium , low , not applicable ( n / a ), etc ., where , for example , connection al has hospital xyz as a connected party for which criticality information 705 is entered in the database as “ high .” the database additionally may provide information 706 about whether or not a companion cable on the opposite side of panel 303 is connected . the database additionally may provide information 707 about capacity for an alarm ( visual on a gui , or audio over loudspeakers , or both , etc .) which may be activated if connectors are erroneously unplugged . other data could also be tracked and reported as desired . or , an alarm can be provided whenever an unlocked state occurs , regardless of plugging / unplugging . in addition , the default state is the locked state . thus , if power is lost , the locking arms remain locked , and cables remain securely connected , during any power - outage . with respect to the opposite side of panel 303 , it should be understood that there are companion cables ( not shown ) to which cables on the first side of panel 303 , such as cables 506 and 606 , as shown in fig5 and 6 , are connected through the panel itself . signals flow between equipment connected to the ends of these cables , from one piece of equipment connected to the end of a first cable , through the first cable , through the first cable &# 39 ; s panel connection to the other cable &# 39 ; s panel connection , to the other cable and then via the other cable to the other piece of equipment connected at the end of that other cable . depending on direction of signal flow , either piece of equipment is signal source equipment or signal destination equipment . the companion cables may be connected by way of standard connectors which are not lockable as described herein because , typically , that side of the panel is generally left un - touched where mistaken disconnections are minimal . however , a protective shield with a lock and key can be fashioned to encapsulate all companion cables and offer extra security in that manner . further , the companion cables may be protected by lockable connector - receptacles similar , or identical , to those provided on the first side of the panel , described in detail herein , and akin to a mirror - image to the first side of the panel . in such a case , the panel thickness must be increased accordingly . it should be understood that every possible connection on either side of the panel need not necessarily be populated , and connections information 706 in the database sheds light on overall usage of the panel . without a cable connection on the reverse side of the panel corresponding to a particular coordinate , such as c 1 in fig4 , any connection made from a first piece of equipment via a first cable to the connector - receptacle at coordinate c 1 on the front side of the panel shall not offer a communication path to anything more than the panel itself , and not to a second piece of equipment . fig8 is a flowchart depicting a sequence of events and a methodology which may be performed in , or by , the operation of at least one embodiment of the computer - controlled connector panel . in act 801 , the user / technician logs - on to computer 200 by entering his / her access code and password . typically , only a very few employees of a telecommunications company with a central office in which this connector - panel system resides are allowed to make changes to the panel &# 39 ; s connections . in question block 802 the query is made : is the user authorized ? if an un - authorized person has intentions to sabotage and create havoc by removing cables , for whatever unacceptable reason , then that person shall be prevented by the present embodiments from proceeding . if “ no ” the process returns to the beginning and the user reattempts entry , or another user attempts entry . but , if “ yes ” the user is authorized to make changes to the panel &# 39 ; s cabling connections and the process moves to question block 803 . the question in block 803 determines if a second , authorized user is required for confirmation . if user confirmation by another employee is not required , the process moves to action block 805 , to be discussed below . on the other hand , if user confirmation is required by another employee , the process moves to question block 804 which determines if the second , authorized user is available , logged - on and ready to participate . if that is not the case , the process returns to the entry to question block 803 where , if the process maintains the requirement of an authorized , confirming user , the process iterates between question blocks 803 and 804 until that condition is satisfied . if returning , first , to action block 805 , the user accesses the database , thereby displaying all or part of the data shown in the database of fig7 on the gui ; the data can be displayed over multiple terminal screen presentations by way of scrolling in the usual manner . along with that data , dialog boxes or menu items are presented on the terminal screen by which the user can make a selection of a particular data entry , and thereby make a selection of a particular cable - connector - receptacle , e . g ., the receptacle corresponding to coordinate al in fig7 . then , the process moves to action block 807 where the user selects the appropriate action for that connector - receptacle by clicking in the appropriate dialog box or on the appropriate menu item . in this example corresponding to coordinate a 1 , locking arm status 703 can be changed from “ locked ” to “ unlocked .” the process then moves to action block 809 where the user reaches into the maze of connectors and manually removes the cable - connector from the ( only ) unlocked connector - receptacle , i . e ., that associated with coordinate a 1 in this example . a different cable - connector can be substituted , or the same connector can be reconnected , or nothing can be inserted in accordance with user discretion . the process then moves to action block 810 where the database which is stored in main memory 203 and / or storage device ( or backup storage ) 205 of computer 200 in fig2 is updated with the latest status of the connector - receptacle at coordinate a 1 . moreover , referring to fig1 , if the connector - panel system of this example is in a network configuration similar to that shown in fig1 , then the two databases that are associated , respectively , one with computer 200 located in a local controller ( 107 - 109 ) and the other with another computer 200 located in remote controller 110 , are both updated . upon completion of database updating , the process ends . the other path via action blocks 806 and 808 essentially mimics the action taken in the path taken through action blocks 805 and 807 . the principal difference between the action taken in the two paths is that the user in blocks 806 and 808 is gated by the other authorized , confirming user for each step taken . thus , prior to causing any action to occur ( e . g ., before unlocking a connector ) based on the user &# 39 ; s interacting with dialog boxes or menu items by manipulation of cursor / mouse , the other authorized , confirming user shall be required to confirm that particular action on a second terminal screen . in other words , the second user shall have to click on the same answer in the same dialog box on a separate terminal screen ( and this can be constrained in time to occur within a particular short time period , e . g ., within two seconds of the first user &# 39 ; s clicking ) in order for the locking arm ( in this example , associated with coordinate a 1 ) to be changed from a locked to an unlocked state . in the preceding specification , various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto , and additional embodiments may be implemented , without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow . for example , lockable connectors can be provided on one side of the panel , or can be provide on two sides of the panel , as discussed above . further , the order of steps or acts described herein need not take place exactly as presented or in the exact order presented — e . g ., the authorized user in fig8 could be eliminated entirely . therefore , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense .	6
the method of the present invention may be employed to approximate or simulate any ( n + 1 )- terminal ( where n ≧ 2 ) device models . by way of example and not by way of limitation , such devices include bipolar junction transistors ( bjt ), 3 - dimensional devices ( for example , finfet ; a mosfet transistor that includes a three dimensional fin structure ), heterostructure devices , optoelectronic devices , micro electromechanical systems ( mems ) and other devices , so long as the device functions are continuous . for the sake of simplicity of explanation and illustration , the method of the present invention will be described in two dimensions ( n = 2 ). those skilled in the art of device modeling or circuit simulation will recognize the utility of the method when n ≧ 2 . fig1 is a representative unpartitioned two - dimensional function domain . in fig1 , a function domain 10 relating to a function f ( x 0 , x 1 )— a function of the independent variables x 0 , x 1 — is illustrated with respect to axes x 0 and x 1 . points in function domain 10 may be referenced by calling out their coordinates ( x 0 , x 1 ). the value of function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at a given point in function domain 10 is indicated by the term f 0 x 1 . following this convention , the value of function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at x 0 = 0 and x 1 = 0 is indicated by the term f00 . the value of function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at x 0 = 1 and x 1 = 0 is indicated by the term f10 . the value of function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at x 0 = 1 and x 1 = 1 is indicated by the term f11 . the value of function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at x 0 = 0 and x 1 = 1 is indicated by the term f01 . fig2 is a representative for a two - dimensional function domain with accuracy partitions . in fig2 , function domain 11 is characterized as a unity square that is defined by a pair of diagonal corners , point 12 at ( 0 , 0 ) and point 16 at ( 1 , 1 ). function domain 11 is partitioned into a plurality of partitions or cells a , b , c , d . partitions a , b , c , d are accuracy partitions and are determined in a manner substantially similar to the method described for effecting accuracy partitioning by lewis [“ device model approximation using 2 n trees ”, by david m . lewis ; ieee transactions on computer - aided designs , vol . 9 , no . 1 ; january 1990 ]. that is , function domain 11 is recursively split using hyperplanes ( when n = 2 , hyperplanes are lines ) until predetermined error criteria are satisfied . the essence of accuracy partitioning function domain 11 is to assure that an interpolation in function domain 11 will yield an estimated solution for function f at a solution locus that is within a predetermined acceptable error of the actual solution of function f at that solution locus . the process of accuracy partitioning may be described as a binary space partition ( bsp ) operation . accuracy partitioning as employed with the method of the present invention is an example of a tree - based model approximation ( tbma ) method , as discussed above in the background of the invention portion of this description . tbma is a method to split the root partition , which is the function domain of interest , recursively . the function domain is partitioned continuously until the difference between the actual functional values and the interpolated values in all partitions meet the specified error criteria . when the error inside one partition is less than the specified tolerance , the division of that partition is stopped but division of the other partitions is continued unless they meet the error criteria also . as a result , smaller partitions appear at regions of the domain where the function is more nonlinear . on the other hand , if the function is approximately linear large partitions will be sufficient to give the required accuracy . the divided function domain is represented by a binary space partition ( bsp ) tree . each node in the bsp tree represents a convex subspace or a partition . the root partition is the whole function domain 11 . leaf partitions are sometimes referred to as cells . each bsp tree node stores a hyperplane that divides the space it represents into two halves , and stores references to two nodes that represent each half . in lewis &# 39 ; s work , the resulting bsp tree can be height compressed into a modified 2 n tree where n is the dimension of the function domain . the bsp tree is not compressed into a modified 2 n tree in present invention . function domain 11 has been accuracy partitioned to establish accuracy partitions or cells a , b , c , d . accuracy partition or cell a is defined by corners 12 and 13 [ i . e ., points ( 0 , 0 ) and ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 )]. accuracy partition or cell b is defined by corners 9 and 17 [ i . e ., points ( 0 . 5 , 0 ) and ( 0 . 75 , 1 )]. accuracy partition or cell c is defined by corners 7 and 15 [ i . e ., points ( 0 , 0 . 5 ) and ( 0 . 5 , 1 )]. accuracy partition or cell d is defined by corners 19 and 16 [ i . e ., points ( 0 . 75 , 0 ) and ( 1 , 1 )]. interpolating a function f at point 13 ( i . e ., point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 )), may be effected with respect to either accuracy partition a or accuracy partition b . with respect to accuracy partition a an interpolation function ƒ is : with respect to accuracy partition b an interpolation function { circumflex over ( ƒ )} is : f ^ ⁢ ⁢ ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) = f ⁢ ⁢ ( 0 . 5 , 0 ) + f ⁢ ⁢ ( 0 . 5 , 1 ) 2 [ 2 ] if the solutions to expressions [ 1 ] and [ 2 ] differ , there is discontinuity of the interpolation function { circumflex over ( ƒ )} at the boundary separating accuracy partitions a , b . this is dealt with using continuity partitions , as will be explained in detail in connection with fig4 . fig3 is a two - dimensional binary space partition representation of the function domain illustrated in fig2 . in fig3 , a bsp tree 20 is illustrated that represents divided function domain 11 ( fig2 ). tree 20 has a primary reference node 22 having a 1 - d ( i . e ., one - dimensional ) splitting hyperplane or a line : [ x 0 = 0 . 5 ]. a branch 24 from reference node 22 connects with a secondary reference node 26 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 1 = 0 . 5 ]. a branch 28 from reference node 22 connects with a secondary reference node 30 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 0 = 0 . 75 ]. a branch 32 from secondary reference node 26 connects with a leaf 33 representing accuracy partition or cell a . a branch 34 from secondary reference node 26 connects with a leaf 35 representing accuracy partition or cell c . a branch 36 from secondary reference node 30 connects with a leaf 37 representing accuracy partition or cell b . a branch 38 from secondary reference node 30 connects with a leaf 39 representing accuracy partition or cell d . one may observe that reference nodes 22 , 26 , 30 are related to intersections of partition edges with zero axes . reference node 22 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 1 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 . 5 , 0 ). reference node 26 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 0 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 , 0 . 5 ). reference node 30 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 1 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 . 75 , 0 ). inspecting fig3 with reference to fig2 , one may notice that branch 24 includes x 0 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 28 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 32 includes x 1 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 for x 1 = 0 . 5 and for all points below x 1 = 0 . 5 , viz ; accuracy cell a . branch 34 includes x 0 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 for all points above x 1 = 0 . 5 , viz ; accuracy cell c . branch 36 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 for x 0 = 0 . 75 and for all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 75 , viz ; accuracy cell b . branch 38 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 and for all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 75 , viz ; accuracy cell d . once a function domain has been accuracy partitioned , there is still a risk that the function may have discontinuities between two accuracy partitions because there are multiple possible interpolations of the value of a function at a particular point , that is f ( x 0 , x 1 ). fig4 is a representative two - dimensional solution domain with accuracy partitions and continuity partitions . in fig4 , a function domain 40 is illustrated as a unity square defined by a pairs of corners ( x 0 , x 1 ): ( 0 , 0 ) and ( 1 , 1 ). function domain 40 has been accuracy partitioned to establish accuracy cells a , c , d . an accuracy cell b was also established , as described and illustrated in connection with fig2 . however , evaluation of the function f ( x 0 , x 1 ) at point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) with respect to accuracy cells a and b yielded different results , thereby identifying a discontinuity ( as described earlier herein in connection with expressions [ 1 ] and [ 2 ]). point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) is a corner for accuracy cells a and c but an edge point for accuracy cell b . since point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) is in the middle of an edge of cell b between corner ( 0 . 5 , 0 ) and corner ( 0 . 5 , 1 ), point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) is referred here as a middle edge point of cell b . having identified a condition of discontinuity at middle edge point ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) of cell b , a discontinuity partitioning operation is performed , extending the intercell boundary between accuracy cells a , c ( a line between points ( 0 , 0 . 5 ) and ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 )) to intersect the next boundary encountered . in this exemplary illustration in fig4 , the intercell boundary between accuracy cells a , c is extended to the right hand boundary of accuracy cell b ( a line between points ( 0 . 75 , 0 ) and ( 0 . 75 , 1 )). in this manner , a pseudo boundary 42 is established ( indicated by a dotted line between points ( 0 . 5 , 0 . 5 ) and ( 0 . 75 , 0 . 5 )) dividing accuracy cell b into continuity cells e and f . a pseudo locus or pseudo point 44 is thus established at the new termination of the pseudo boundary at point . it should be kept in mind that fig2 and 4 are much - simplified exemplary function domain partitioning arrangements . for one thing , edge points may also occur in connection with vertically oriented intercell boundaries . another , more important consideration is that a typical evaluation or simulation using a tree - based model approximation ( tbma ) method involves many thousands of partitions or cells . even more important a consideration is that high - dimensional models ( n & gt ; 2 ) are very complex . nevertheless , as mentioned earlier herein , such tbma methods are preferred over actually solving modeling mathematical expressions for a large number of sample points . it is preferred that pseudo locus 44 be established at an interpolated locus , such as at point ( 0 . 75 , 0 . 5 ), because such a solution avoids discontinuity occurring at pseudo locus 44 . a complex process of evaluating placement of pseudo loci is described by lewis [“ device model approximation using 2 n trees ”, by david m . lewis ; ieee transactions on computer - aided designs , vol . 9 , no . 1 ; january 1990 ]. lewis performs repeated passes through the tree describing the function domain ( see , for example , tree 20 ; fig3 ). each pass first generates all constraints for every midpoint on every edge of all leaf partitions ( i . e ., each intercell boundary not coinciding with a boundary of the function domain ). duplicate restraints for a given locus are eliminated . the second part of each pass examines the points , and splits any leaf partition that has an edge point with more than one constraint . the process is repeated until no partitions are split , and each corner has at most one constraint . function values are then assigned to the corners resulting in a continuous interpolation function { circumflex over ( ƒ )}. lewis &# 39 ; method is complicated and time consuming . making repeated passes through the function domain for evaluating loci in not an inconsequential task when the table model in the function domain involves many thousands of partitions , as is common with many device or product simulation or evaluation programs . the present invention avoids repeated passes through the function domain and simplifies selection of pseudo loci for continuity partitions . the present invention simply establishes a continuity partition for each and every middle edge point encountered among the accuracy partitions or cells . fig5 is a two - dimensional binary space partition representation of the solution domain illustrated in fig4 . in fig5 , a bsp tree 50 ( n = 2 ) is illustrated that represents divided function domain 40 ( fig4 ). tree 50 has a primary reference node 52 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 0 = 0 . 5 ). a branch 54 from reference node 52 connects with a secondary reference node 56 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 1 = 0 . 5 ]. a branch 58 from reference node 52 connects with a secomdary reference node 60 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 0 = 0 . 75 ]. a branch 62 from secondary reference node 56 connects with a leaf 63 representing accuracy partition or cell a . a branch 64 from secondary reference node 56 connects with a leaf 65 representing accuracy partition or cell c . a branch 66 from secondary reference node 60 connects with a new continuity reference node 67 . a branch 68 from secondary reference node 60 connects with a leaf 69 representing accuracy partition or cell d . a branch 70 from new continuity reference node 67 connects with a leaf 74 representing continuity partition e . a branch 72 from new continuity reference node 67 connects with a leaf 76 representing continuity partition f . one may observe that reference nodes 52 , 56 , 60 are related to intersections of partition edges with zero axes . reference node 52 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 1 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 . 5 , 0 ). reference node 56 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 0 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 , 0 . 5 ). reference node 60 is related to intersection of a partition edge with the x 1 = 0 axis at a point ( 0 . 75 , 0 ). inspecting fig5 with reference to fig4 , one may notice that branch 54 includes x 0 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 58 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 62 includes x 0 &# 39 ; 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 0 . 5 for x 1 = 0 . 5 and for all points below x 1 = 0 . 5 , viz ; accuracy cell a . branch 64 includes x 0 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 for all points above x 1 = 0 . 5 , viz ; accuracy cell c . branch 66 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 for x 0 = 0 . 75 and for all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 75 , viz ; the horizontal expanse of continuity cells e , f ( old accuracy cell b ). branch 68 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 and for all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 75 , viz ; accuracy cell d . branch 70 includes all points within the horizontal expanse of continuity cells e , f , and for x 1 = 0 . 5 and all points less than x 1 = 0 . 5 . branch 72 includes all points within the horizontal expanse of continuity cells e , f , and d all points greater than x 1 = 0 . 5 . the present invention searches for edge points to determine if a continuity partition is needed for a leaf partition or a cell . a data structure that represents the connectivity of a grid is created during accuracy partition to keep track of all the edge points . fig6 is a schematic representation of data stored for representing the two - dimensional function domain ( unstructured grid ) with accuracy partitions illustrated n fig2 . in fig6 , a the connectivity data structure 80 includes a plurality of data elements arranged in columns 82 1 , 82 2 , 82 3 , 82 n and rows 84 1 , 84 2 , 84 m . the indicator “ n ” is employed to signify that there can be any number of columns in the connectivity data structure 80 . the inclusion of four columns 82 1 , 82 2 , 82 3 , 82 n in fig6 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of columns that may be included in the connectivity data structure of the present invention . the indicator “ m ” is employed to signify that there can be any number of rows in connectivity data structure 80 . the inclusion of three rows 84 1 , 84 2 , 84 m in fig6 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of rows that may be included in the connectivity data structure of the present invention . each respective data element may be identified by an indicator 90 nm wherein n indicates the column in which a respective data element is located , and m indicates the row in which the respective data element is located . thus , if rows 84 1 , 84 2 , 84 m in fig6 are designated as row 1 , row 2 , row 3 , respectively , and if columns 82 1 , 82 2 , 82 3 , 82 n in fig6 are designated as column 1 , column 2 , column 3 , column 4 , respectively , then data elements in fig6 may be labeled as indicated using the 90 nm indicators . using the 90 nm indicators , connectivity data structure 80 includes data elements 90 11 , 90 21 , 90 31 , 90 41 in row 1 . connectivity data structure 80 includes data elements 90 12 , 90 22 in row 2 . connectivity data structure 80 includes data elements 90 13 , 90 23 , 90 33 , 90 43 in row 3 . each data element 90 nm also includes at least one pointer to identify a next adjacent data element in connectivity data structure 80 . in the preferred embodiment of connectivity data structure 80 data elements 90 nm include row pointers to identify the next adjacent data element in a higher row and also include column pointers to identify the next adjacent data element in a higher column . fig6 is a graphic illustration to illustrate how connectivity data structure operates . precise details of how data is actually stored in a database or other data store are not discussed . any storage arrangement that permits operation as described in connection with fig6 is within the scope of the present invention . data element 90 11 includes a row pointer 110 pointing to data element 90 12 and a column pointer 210 pointing to data element 90 21 . data element 90 21 includes a row pointer 114 pointing to data element 90 22 and a column pointer 212 pointing to data element 90 31 . data element 90 31 includes a row pointer 118 pointing to data element 90 33 ( because the data storage site that would have contained a data element 90 23 is empty ) and a column pointer 212 pointing to data element 90 41 . data element 90 41 includes a row pointer 120 pointing to data element 90 43 ( because the data storage site that would have contained a data element 90 42 is empty ) and does not include a column pointer because there is not a data element located n a higher column in row 1 . data element 90 12 includes a row pointer 112 pointing to data element 90 13 and a column pointer 216 pointing to data element 90 22 . data element 90 22 includes a row pointer 116 pointing to data element 90 23 and does not include a column pointer because there is not a data element located in a higher column in row 2 . data element 90 13 includes no row pointer ( because there is not a data element located in a higher row in column 1 ) and a column pointer 218 pointing to data element 90 23 . data element 90 23 includes no row pointer ( because there is not a data element located in a higher row in column 2 ) and a column pointer 220 pointing to data element 90 33 . data element 90 33 includes no row pointer ( because there is not a data element located in a higher row in column 3 ) and a column pointer 222 pointing to data element 90 43 . data element 90 43 includes no row pointer ( because there is not a data element located in a higher row in column 4 ) and does not include a column pointer because there is not a data element located in a higher column in row 3 . inspecting fig6 in connection with fig2 reveals that data elements 90 nm in connectivity data structure 80 are coordinates of end points of partition boundaries of function domain 11 . data element 90 11 corresponds with point 12 . data element 90 21 corresponds with point 9 . data element 90 31 corresponds with point 19 . data element 90 41 corresponds with point 14 . data element 90 12 corresponds with point 7 . data element 90 22 corresponds with point 13 . data element 90 13 corresponds with point 18 . data element 90 23 corresponds with point 15 . data element 90 33 corresponds with point 17 . data element 90 43 corresponds with point 16 . accommodation of connectivity data structure 80 to adding a pseudo locus or point , such as pseudo point 44 ( fig4 ) is easily accomplished . to accommodate including pseudo point 44 one must enter at data element site 90 23 a position ( 0 . 75 , 0 . 5 ) and a new row pointer pointing to data element 90 33 ( not shown in fig7 ). further , row pointer 118 would be amended to point to new data element 90 23 . such amendments to a data base to accommodate insertion ( or even removal ) of data points to a function domain is easily accomplished without significantly increasing computer running time . to describe the novel data structure in n dimensions ( fig6 is a two - dimensional example ; n = 2 ), the new data structure represents the connectivity of a grid that is created during an accuracy partition operation to keep track of all edge points in n dimensions . each grid point ( x i 0 , x i 1 , . . . , x i n - 1 ) has n pointer fields that point to the adjacent grid points ( x j 0 , x j 1 , . . . , x j n - 1 ) in each orthogonal direction that satisfy the following conditions : not all grid points have n adjacent grid points that satisfy the above conditions in expressions [ 3 ] and [ 4 ] so some of their pointer fields are empty . fig6 illustrates a connectivity data structure for a two - dimensional grid ( n = 2 ). by inspection one may observe that connectivity data structure 80 ( fig6 ) consists of three sorted singly linked lists in the x 0 direction ( i . e ., rows 84 m ) and four linked lists in the x 1 direction ( i . e ., columns 82 n ). the present invention uses ( n - 1 )- dimensional kd - trees to keep records of the heads of all the linked lists , which make searching for an existing point or inserting a new point very efficient . ( originally , the name kd - tree stood for k - dimensional tree , the trees shown in fig7 would be called 1d - trees . nowadays , the original meaning is lost , and what used to be called a 1d - tree is now called a 1 - dimensional kd - tree .) kd - trees are special type of bsp tree . a kd - tree deals a set of points . it partitions the space by half - planes such that each point is contained in its own region . the present invention builds a ( n - 1 )- dimensional kd - tree for x i direction ( x i - coordinate ). each leaf of the kd - tree points to the head of a linked list in the x i direction . so n kd - trees are needed for an n - dimensional system . the connectivity data structure and kd - trees is created and updated during the process of binary space partition for both accuracy and continuity ( described above ). the data structure is used to identify edge points of a given cell and to determine whether a continuity partition is needed . in fig7 , an example of two one - dimensional kd - trees for constructing a two - dimensional grid data array is shown . a first one - dimensional tree 100 relates to x 0 - coordinate , which relates first tree to columns 82 n ( columns and rows will be referred to using the same reference numerals as are used in fig6 in order to simplify this explanation ). a second one - dimensional tree 130 relates to x 1 - coordinate , which relates first tree to rows 82 m . tree 100 has a primary reference node 102 having a splitting point : [ x 0 = 0 . 5 ]. a branch 104 from reference node 102 connects with a secondary reference node 106 having a hyperplane or a line : [ x 1 = 0 ). a branch 108 from reference node 102 connects with a secondary reference node 110 having a splitting point : [ x 1 = 0 . 75 ]. a branch 112 from secondary reference node 106 connects with a terminator 113 representing a column 82 , in a connectivity data structure 81 . a branch 114 from secondary reference node 106 connects with a terminator 115 representing a column 82 , in connectivity data structure 81 . a branch 116 from secondary reference node 110 connects with a terminator 117 representing a column 823 in connectivity data structure 81 . a branch 118 from secondary reference node 110 connects with a terminator 119 representing a column 82 n in connectivity data structure 81 . inspecting fig7 with reference to fig2 , one may notice that branch 104 includes x 0 = 0 . 5 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 108 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 5 . branch 112 includes x 0 = 0 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . branch 114 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . branch 116 includes x 0 = 0 . 75 and all points to the left of x 0 = 0 . 75 . branch 118 includes all points to the right of x 0 = 0 . 75 . tree 130 has a primary reference node 132 having a splitting point : [ x 1 = 0 . 5 ). a branch 134 from reference node 132 connects with a secondary reference node 136 having a splitting point : [ x 1 = 0 ]. a branch 138 from reference node 132 connects with a terminator 139 representing a row 84 m in a connectivity data structure 81 . a branch 142 from secondary reference node 136 connects with a terminator 143 representing a row 84 1 in a connectivity data structure 81 . a branch 144 from secondary reference node 136 connects with a terminator 145 representing a row 84 2 in connectivity data structure 81 . inspecting fig7 with reference to fig2 , one may notice that branch 134 includes x 1 = 0 . 5 and all points less than x 1 = 0 . 5 . branch 138 includes all points greater than x 1 = 0 . 5 . branch 142 includes x 1 = 0 and all points less than x 1 = 0 . branch 144 includes all points greater than x 1 = 0 . trees 100 , 130 provide a logical framework for assigning a given point ( x 0 , x 1 ) to a particular accuracy domain a , b , c , d in function domain 11 ( fig2 ) and locating data relating to that given point correctly in connectivity data structure 81 . trees 100 , 130 also provide a logical framework for locating data relating to pseudo loci ( e . g ., point 44 ; fig4 ) correctly in connectivity data structure 81 . the ease with which pseudo points may be included in a connectivity data structure as they are added pursuant to a continuity partitioning operation , and the low additional storage overhead required for the connectivity data structure or for additions to the connectivity data structure , are particular strengths of the present invention . trees 100 , 130 are only needed during grid generation and building of connectivity data structure to store information relating to the grid generated . trees 100 , 130 are not employed during table model evaluation or simulation . accordingly it is preferred that tables 100 , 130 be removed once generation of a table model grid is completed . that means that the only memory or storage overhead associated with the table model grid is a connectivity data structure containing point coordinates and pointer fields , as described in connection with fig6 ( connectivity data structure . 80 ) and fig7 ( connectivity data structure 81 ). inspection of connectivity data structure 80 reveals that points stored therein as data elements are corner points for partitions or cells . providing a connectivity data structure 80 permits easy determination of edge points in connection with further partitioning for continuity partitioning . that is , because the corners of each leaf partition or cell is known , edge points may be easily identified by searching the part of a linked list ( along a column or along a row ; i . e ., the edge ) between two adjacent corners . monotonicity of device models is important for the robustness of circuit simulators based on the newton - raphson algorithm . if a device model function is monotonically increasing or decreasing , then the slope is always positive or negative . by way of example and not by way of limitation , for a mosfet ( metal oxide silicon field effect transistor ) device , its drain - to - source current i ds always increases with an increase of v gs ( gate - to - source voltage ), v ds ( drain - to - source voltage ) and v bs ( base - to - source voltage ) in normal operating regions . so the 1 st order derivatives ( slopes ) of the function i ds ( v gs , v ds , v bs ) are always greater than zero , that is , the mosfet device always has positive conductance . this monotonicity property of an analytical model is typically tested before the release of the model . many circuit simulators check this property and generate a warning when non - monotonicity is detected . for multi - linear interpolation such as is practiced in using a table model to evaluate a device , it can be proved that as long as the values at grid points are monotonic and an interpolated function is continuous , then the interpolated function is also monotonic . proof is not included here for preserving simplicity in this disclosure . since interpolated values are used for the newly created grid points or corners ( i . e ., pseudo loci or points ) during continuity partition , monotonicity of a model could be destroyed during a continuity partitioning operation . that is to say , while a device model function ƒ ( x ) is monotonic , the interpolated function { circumflex over ( ƒ )}( x ) is not necessarily monotonic after a continuity partitioning operation . by way of example and not by way of limitation , values at point 44 ( fig4 ) may no longer monotonic after creation of continuity partitions e , f because an interpolated value is assigned to pseudo corner 44 . monotonicity preservation for table models using unstructured grid is not known by the inventor to have been addressed before . a grid refinement operation is provided by the preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention to solve this problem . the grid refinement operation first checks monotonicity of leaf partitions that have at least one corner that uses an interpolated value ( i . e ., a pseudo corner ). if a problem regarding monotonicity is detected , the grid refinement operation continues by going to the parent partition containing the leaf partition in which the problem was detected . this continuing to a parent partition continues until a partition without a single pseudo corner is reached . the partition having no pseudo corners will be the root of a subtree in the whole bsp ( binary space partition ) tree . the grid refinement operation then converts all pseudo corners within that subtree to regular corners , that is the grid refinement operation replaces interpolated values at pseudo corners with actual function values . fig8 is a schematic illustration of the grid refinement operation of the present invention showing a representative solution domain and an associated binary space partition tree representation . in fig8 , a parent partition 150 includes an accuracy partition a and continuity partitions b , c , d . accuracy partitions are indicated using dotted line format . continuity partitions b , c are in part defined by a pseudo corner 152 . continuity partitions c , d are in part defined by a pseudo corner 154 . a bsp ( binary space partition ) tree 160 describes accuracy partition a and continuity partitions b , c , d . bsp tree 160 included a root 162 from which depend a branch 164 and a branch 166 . branch 166 terminates in accuracy partition a . branch 166 terminates at a root 168 . root 168 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 170 , 172 . branch 170 terminates in continuity partition b . branch 172 terminates in a root 174 . rot 174 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 176 , 178 . branch 176 terminates in continuity partition c . branch 178 terminates in continuity partition d . the grid refinement operation checks continuity partitions b , c , d to ascertain whether any of those partitions involves a pseudo point . in checking continuity partition d , pseudo point 152 is noted and a check for monotonicity is performed . specifically , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , corners in partition d that are adjacent to pseudo point 152 are evaluated with respect to the function f represented by the grid containing partitions a , b , c , d . that is , function f is solved for points 170 , 172 . if function f is monotonic between points 170 , 172 , then pseudo point 152 remains unchanged . if , however , function f is not monotonic between points 170 , 172 , then the grid refinement operation goes from partition d to root 174 of bsp tree 160 . now the grid refinement operation evaluates partitions c , d as one partition . now the grid refinement operation checks partitions c , d . pseudo point 154 is noted and a check for monotonicity is performed . specifically , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , corners in partitions c , d that are adjacent to pseudo point 154 are evaluated with respect to the function f represented by the grid containing partitions a , b , c , d . that is , function f is solved for points 170 , 174 . if function f is monotonic between points 170 , 174 , then pseudo point 152 remains unchanged . if , however , function f is not monotonic between points 170 , 174 , then the grid refinement operation goes from root 174 of bsp tree 160 to root 168 . now the grid refinement operation evaluates partitions b , c , d as one partition . now the grid refinement operation checks partitions b , c , d . no pseudo points bound partition b , c , d . the grid refinement operation will then solve function f for points 152 , 154 and substitute those values for points 152 , 154 . substituting solved values for points 152 , 154 assures monotonicity . while grid refinement preserves monotonicity of device model functions , it could also introduce new step discontinuities on the boundary . continuity partition and grid refinement have to be performed in a loop until there is no need for grid refinement . fig9 is a flow chart illustrating the preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention . in fig9 , a method 200 begins with establishing acceptable error criteria for functions to be evaluated by a table model , as indicated by a block 202 . method 200 continues with performing an accuracy partitioning operation , as indicated by a block 204 . method 200 continues with performing a continuity partitioning operation , as indicated by a block 206 . method 200 continues with performing a grid refinement operation , as indicated by a block 208 . method 200 continues with re - performing a continuity partitioning operation , as indicated by return arrow 210 , in order to ensure that the grid refinement operation just performed did not introduce any discontinuities into the grid . method 200 continues with re - performing a grid refinement operation , as indicated by block 208 . the loop containing block 206 , block 208 and arrow 210 is carried out until both a continuity partitioning operation ( block 206 ) and a grid refinement operation ( block 208 ) are successfully performed on all partitions in the grid with no discontinuities or monotonicity problem noted . thereafter method 200 proceeds to step 212 , indicating that an acceptable table model has been established . the method for effecting continuity partitioning according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is summarized in the following procedure : ( a ) find number of middle edge points with real function values in the ith direction ; return to ( a )( 1 ) until all dimensions i are addressed ; ( 2 ) find the direction with the maximum number of middle edge points , i max ; ( 3 ) if there is still at least one middle edge point , ( a ) split the current partition on ( or perpendicular to ) the i max direction ; ( b ) assign an interpolated value to newly created grid points ( i . e ., pseudo points ) if there is any ; ( c ) insert newly created grid points into the linked list using kd - trees if there is any ; ( d ) create continuity partition ( right child ); ( e ) create continuity partition ( left child ), return to ( a )( 2 ) until all dimensions i are addressed ; ( 4 ) else ( i . e ., if there are no middle edge points associated with the partition ): there is an important aspect of the preferred embodiment of the present invention the preferred method of tree traversal that should be stressed . during a table model evaluation , a tree traversal finds the smallest partition ( cell or leaf partition ) that includes the given bias point . prior art methods use the root of the bsp tree are the starting point for tree traversal . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a prior art method for tree traversal . in fig1 , a representative bsp ( binary space partition ) tree section 220 includes a node 224 that depends from a branch 222 . branch 222 comes from higher in the tree ( not shown in fig1 ). a branch 226 and a branch 228 depend from root 224 . branch 226 terminates in a partition a . branch 228 terminates at a node 230 . node 230 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 232 , 234 . branch 232 terminates in a partition b . branch 234 terminates in a node 236 . node 236 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 238 , 240 . branch 238 terminates in a partition c . branch 240 terminates in a partition d . traversals of tree 220 may be effected for table model evaluation . prior art methods of traversing a bsp tree such as tree 220 involved a “ top down ” approach . that is , traversal begins at the top of the tree at the most basic root ( not shown in fig1 ), proceeds via various branches to reach node 224 , then proceeds down branches 228 , 234 240 and roots 230 234 to reach a partition , such as partition d . it has been found that changes of bias points between evaluations are often very small . sometimes the current and previous bias points are found in the same cell . the present invention uses a more efficient method that remembers the address of the cell that is last visited and uses it as the starting point of the tree traversal for the next evaluation . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the preferred method of tree traversal of the present invention . in fig1 , a representative bsp ( binary space partition ) tree section 250 includes a node 254 that depends from a branch 252 . branch 252 comes from higher in the tree ( not shown in fig1 ). a branch 256 and a branch 258 depend from node 254 . branch 256 terminates in a partition a . branch 258 terminates at a node 260 . node 260 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 262 , 264 . branch 262 terminates in a partition b . branch 264 terminates in a node 266 . node 266 is a root of a subtree defined by branches 268 , 270 . branch 268 terminates in a partition c . branch 270 terminates in a partition d . traversals of tree 250 may be effected for table model evaluation . the preferred method for traversing tree 250 is to begin from a remembered starting point , for example partition c , and move up the tree to the next node encountered , such as node 266 . then one proceeds to the other branch emanating from node 266 to reach partition d . if another partition is sought , then one proceeds further up tree 250 to another node , such as node 260 , but only so far up tree 250 as is necessary to reach a desired partition . useless traversal of higher levels of the bsp tree is thus avoided and tree traversal is effected in a more efficient speedy manner . it is to be understood that , while the detailed drawings and specific examples given describe preferred embodiments of the invention , they are for the purpose of illustration only , that the apparatus and method of the invention are not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims :	6
reference now should be made to the drawings , in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components . the inconsistency of information in cells can be a clue that indicates candidates for incorrect measurements , and the sound pressure of the wave from the sonar sensor determines incorrect readings among them . a sonar measurement is divided into two regions : the arc region and the free region . the arc region is the farthest area of measurement where the cells are marked as occupied because obstacles are probably located there . the cells in the free region , which is everything within the beamwidth of the sensor except the arc region , are generally marked as empty as the free region is free of obstacles . fig2 shows each region on a gridded field . when multiple sonar measurements overlap , inconsistency of information contained in cells may occur . depending on inconsistency , a cell is classified into two groups : the consistent cells ( c c ) and the inconsistent cells ( i c ). inconsistent cells in the arc region of reading i are defined as : where a ( i ) and f ( k ) are described in fig2 and i ( i ) is the index of sonar readings that each free region shares with the arc region of reading i . i ( i ) is defined as : i ( i )={ k \| a ( i )∩ f ( k )≠ ø for 1 ≦ k ≦ n ( k ≠ i )} ( 2 ) where n is the total number of sonar readings . unlike inconsistent cells , consistent cells are cells that contain only one type of information . inconsistent cells are classified into two groups : the uncertain cells ( fig3 a ) and the conflict cells ( fig3 b ). when some arc cells are inconsistent , these inconsistent cells are classified as uncertain cells u c . in addition , when all of the arc cells are inconsistent , they are classified as conflict cells f c . each cell is defined as follows : u c ( i )={ i c ( i ) for a ( i )≠ i c ( i )} ( 3 ) f c ( i )={ i c ( i ) for a ( i )= i c ( i )}. ( 4 ) eventually , above classification can be summarized as fig4 . it can be easily guessed that consistent and uncertain cells are caused by both correct and incorrect readings . for example , in fig3 a , both i and j are correct , and the uncertain cells u c ( i ) exists . thus , candidates for incorrect readings cannot be obtained from consistent and uncertain cells . unlike them , since conflict cells are always caused by incorrect sonar readings as indicated by the following theorem , the candidates can be acquired . proof : let us assume that conflict cells occur as shown in fig5 a . without any loss of generality , it is assumed that conflict cells of sonar reading i occur along with several other readings j 1 . . . j n . that is , #[ i ( i )]≧ 1 . if it is assumed that an obstacle is in the region where conflict cells occur , then some sonar readings among j 1 . . . j n in will be incorrect . sonar reading j 1 in fig5 b is incorrect as the obstacle is in the free region of j 1 . in addition , if it is assumed that there are no obstacles in the region where conflict cells occur , then the sonar reading i will be incorrect as there is nothing in the arc region of i as shown in fig5 c . therefore , conflict cells are always caused only by incorrect readings . theorem 1 indicates that incorrect readings are the only source of conflict cells . therefore , when conflict cells occur , candidates for incorrect measurements can be obtained . in the case of fig5 a , sonar readings i , j 1 and j n become the candidates . to determine incorrect readings among above candidates , the sound pressure of the wave from the sonar sensor is used . the sound pressure of the transmitted wave is expressed as sp t ( r , θ ) where r is the distance from the sensor to the obstacle and θ is the angle from the heading of the sensor . when θ = 0 , sp t ( r , 0 ) can be approximated as where ρ is the density of the air , c is the sound speed in air , u is the speed of vibration of the circular piston inside the sonar sensor , k is the wave number , and a is the radius of the circular piston . because a sonar sensor is often modeled as a plane circular piston ( see l . kleeman and r . kuc , “ sonar sensing ,” in handbook of robotics , edited by b . siciliano and o . khatib , springer , 2008 ), the sound pressure is expressed by equation ( 5 ) with more details provided in the paper “ l . e . kinsler , a . r . frey , a . b . coppens , and j . v . sanders , “ fundamentals of acoustics ”, new york : wiley , 2000 .” the far - field approximation ( r / a & gt ;& gt ; 1 ) ( see l . e . kinsler , a . r . frey , a . b . coppens , and j . v . sanders , “ fundamentals of acoustics ”, new york : wiley , 2000 ) produces equation ( 6 ), and merging constant terms reduces this to equation ( 7 ). equation ( 7 ) indicates that the sound pressure of the transmitted wave along the axis of its direction is approximately inversely proportional to r . the transmitting directivity ( d t ) or the directivity pattern ( see l . kleeman and r . kuc , “ sonar sensing ”, in handbook of robotics , edited by b . siciliano and o . khatib , springer , 2008 ) is required when considering the sound pressure of the transmitted wave off the axis of its direction . this is defined as : from equations ( 7 ) and ( 8 ), the sound pressure of the wave off the axis θ can be expressed as : the wave returns to the sensor after impinging on an obstacle located at ( r , θ ). as the wave travels a distance of 2r , the sound pressure sp r ′( r , θ ) just before the sonar sensor receives the wave can be expressed as : in a general indoor environment , a decrease due to the impingement against the obstacle frequently occurs . as the decrease is proportional to the reflection coefficient , which is constant for an obstacle of a specific material ( see l . e . kinsler , a . r . frey , a . b . coppens , and j . v . sanders , “ fundamentals of acoustics ”, new york : wiley , 2000 ), it is set as an unknown constant c 2 . thus , equation ( 10 ) becomes : as the returning wave is off the axis θ , the sound pressure finally detected at the sensor is decreased as a function of the receiving directivity ( d r ) or the sensitivity pattern ( see l . kleeman and r . kuc , “ sonar sensing ”, in handbook of robotics , edited by b . siciliano and o . khatib , springer , 2008 ), and the final detected sound pressure sp r ( r , θ ) can be expressed as : although c 3 is an unknown constant in equation ( 13 ), it is not necessary to consider it because it is canceled when sound pressure levels are compared with each other . the two terms d t ( θ ) and d r ( θ ) are required to derive the final detected sound pressure . for the purposes of this study , the directivity of the 600 series sensor ( s600 ) from senscomp inc was investigated . and the ma40b8 sensors from murata co ., ltd . was investigated . the ma40b8 is a piezoelectric transducer with a wider beamwidth and a lower cost than the s600 electrostatic transducer . detailed properties of piezoelectric and electrostatic transducers are provided by the paper “ l . kleeman and r . kuc , “ sonar sensing ,” in handbook of robotics , edited by b . siciliano and o . khatib , springer , 2008 .” s600 : as the s600 consists of just one module , d t and d r are the same . the directivity shown in fig6 a is from the manufacturer &# 39 ; s data sheet . as interest lies only in a beamwidth of 22 . 5 °, the directivity in the region of interest can be approximated by a 2nd - order polynomial as shown in fig6 b , using the following equation : eventually , when an obstacle is located in a cell ( r , θ ) relative to the sensor , the sound pressure recognized by the s600 is shown in fig8 a , and its equation is : ma40b8 : ma40b8 has both a transmitter and a receiver with directivities shown in fig7 a and 7c , respectively . as the half power beamwidth is about 45 °, the directivity in the region of interest can be approximated by 2nd - order polynomials as shown in fig7 b and 7d using these equations : based on these equations , the sound pressure recognized by the sonar sensor is shown in fig8 b and its equation is : in the derivation of equations ( 15 ) and ( 17 ), it is assumed that the excitation frequency f of the sonar sensor is fixed at the value given in the respective manufacturer &# 39 ; s data sheet ( e . g ., 50 khz for the s600 and 40 khz for the ma40b8 ). different frequencies change the directivity and alter the final detected sound pressure . therefore , if the sonar sensor is excited at a different frequency , the sound pressure must be recalculated for the appropriate directivity . it is supposed that conflict cells occur as shown in fig9 a . in this case , sonar reading i indicates that there may be obstacles in conflict cells , while sonar readings j 1 and j 2 indicate that there are no obstacles . for simplicity , the former reading ( i ) is referred to as a positive reading , and the latter ( j 1 , j 2 ) is referred to as a negative reading . in addition , if an obstacle exists in a conflict cell , the sound pressure obtained from a positive reading is denoted as sp p and the pressure from a negative reading is sp n . a comparison of sp p and sp n leads to the following conclusions . sp p ≧ sp n : if there is a real obstacle within the conflict cell , the negative reading can miss it as sp p ≧ sp n . hence , under the conservative perspective , it is reasonable to conclude that an obstacle is present . sp p & lt ; sp n : if there is a real obstacle within the conflict cell , a negative reading cannot miss it as sp p & lt ; sp n . thus , it is reasonable to conclude that no obstacle exists . in the comparison , the constant c 3 in equations ( 15 ) and ( 17 ) is canceled because there is c 3 on both sides of the inequality . in the case of fig9 a , five conflict cells occur as shown in red cells . assuming the use of ma40b8 transducers , the above comparison reveals that only the black squared cell of fig9 b can contain an obstacle . thus , the sonar readings j 1 and j 2 are incorrect because they have obstacles in their own free regions . this sound pressure comparison is used to determine whether obstacles exist in conflict cells . this eventually leads to a determination of whether sonar readings are correct . this is the cesp method , and is used to filter out incorrect readings to ensure there are no longer any conflict cells . after the conflict cells are removed , only consistent or uncertain cells remain . using this , the ml approach can be converted to a simple logic problem . when there are no conflict cells , the ml approach can be simplified to a light logic problem of o ( n ). as sonar sensors were originally designed to provide the distance to the closest obstacle in their beamwidth , their likelihood can be defined as : in equation ( 18 ), z i denotes the measurement of the sensor , m is the map , η is a normalizing term , and σ is the range uncertainty . the d ( n i ) is the distance to the nearest obstacle n i in the beamwidth , and is defined as : although more complicated likelihood was introduced in the paper “ s . thrun , “ learning occupancy grid maps with forward sensor models ”, autonomous robots , vol . 15 , 2003 , pp 111 - 127 ,” only equation ( 18 ) is sufficient for building a reliable grid map as it can handle the angular uncertainty of the sonar sensor as shown in experimental results . based on equation ( 18 ), the ml grid map is acquired through the following equation : where z ={ z 1 , . . . z n }. in the right hand side of equation ( 20 ), a static world assumption is used , indicating that other sensor measurements are conditionally independent when map m is given as in the papers “ s . thrun et al ., probabilistic robotics , mit press , 2002 ” and “ s . thrun , “ learning occupancy grid maps with forward sensor models ”, autonomous robots , vol . 15 , 2003 , pp 111 - 127 .” the log function is introduced for computational reasons in equation ( 21 ), and the application of simple algebra results in equation ( 22 ). the ml approach is to find the solution that minimizes the sum of quadratic functions . however , it suffers from two critical problems : erroneous map and heavy computational load . direct use of sonar measurements does not guarantee good quality ml grid maps because the ml approach suffers from the intrinsic over - fitting problem ( see c . m . bishop , pattern recognition and machine learning , springer , 2007 ). as approximately 55 % of sonar measurements are incorrect ( table . 1 ), the ml grid map will be over - fitted to those measurements and contain many errors . the problem , however , can be alleviated using the cesp method that rejects incorrect measurements . finding the solution to equation ( 22 ) is a huge - dimensional numerical optimization problem . as a map has 2 k dimensions , the solution requires o ( 2 k n ) computational complexity . the complexity , however , can be reduced to o ( n ) by approximation after removing conflict cells as shown below . a maximum approximated likelihood ( mal ) approach will now be described next . henceforth , it is assumed that only consistent and uncertain cells exist because conflict cells are removed by the cesp method . based on this assumption , the high - dimensional optimization problem is converted into one of simple logic . this requires an approximation of the likelihood . although the quadratic function in equation ( 22 ) is exactly minimum when z i = d ( n i ), the minimization is approximated by relaxing the margin ± β for the range uncertainty β shown in fig2 . that is , the single quadratic function of equation ( 22 ) is considered to be minimized when \| z i − d ( n i )\|≦ β , and then equation ( 22 ) can be converted to the following equation : thus , whenever n i is located in the arc region of a reading , the likelihood of the reading is approximately the maximum . the global solution to equation ( 22 ) is to minimize all f ( i ), which can be achieved when the closest obstacle of each sonar measurement is located in the arc region for that measurement . while the global solution is difficult to achieve or requires high - dimensional optimization for general cases , the following theorem shows that the global solution is easily obtainable when there are no conflict cells . theorem 2 : when conflict cells do not exist , each sonar reading can have its own closest obstacle inside its own arc region . proof : as it is assumed that conflict cells have been removed , it is only necessary to examine two cases : that in which only consistent cells exist ( case 1 ) and that in which both uncertain and consistent cells exist ( case 2 ). it is impossible for uncertain cells to exist alone . case 1 : when a sonar reading has only consistent cells as in fig1 a , it is trivial to determine that the closest obstacle can be located in the arc region of the reading . case 2 : when a sonar reading has both consistent and uncertain cells as in fig1 b , obstacles can be located in the arc region . in fig1 b , sonar reading i has uncertain cells in its arc region , but not all cells in the arc region are uncertain . therefore , without affecting other sonar readings , the sonar reading can have the closest obstacle in its arc region . in addition , sonar reading j 1 has uncertain cells in its free region . as the uncertain cells are not related to the arc region of sonar reading j 1 , it can also have the closest obstacle in its arc region . theorem 2 indicates that the global solution of equation ( 23 ) is achievable when there are no conflict cells , and the solution can be obtained by the simple logical process summarized in fig1 . when a cell is consistent , its state is set according to the information it contains . specifically , if the cell is in an arc region , it is set to the occupied state that corresponds to an obstacle . conversely , if the cell is in a free region , it is set to the empty state . when a cell is uncertain , the cell is considered empty . if the uncertain cells are set to the occupied state , the quadratic functions of the other sensors would increase and not be minimized . for example , setting the uncertain cells of the sonar reading i in fig1 b to the occupied state increases the quadratic function of the sonar reading j 1 , and the global solution is not possible . this simple process is called the mal approach , and it has a computational complexity of o ( n ) because it is just linear with the number of all measurements . if conflict cells exist as in fig1 c , the solution that minimizes the quadratic function of the sonar reading i always increases the function of j 1 or j 2 . as all of the conflict cells are removed by the cesp method , however , it is not necessary to consider this case . the cesp method and the mal approach are proposed based on the conflict cell . integrating the mal approach with the cesp method results in the cemal approach outlined in fig1 . as the cesp method and the mal approach can work incrementally , the procedure shown in fig1 is executed once each time a sonar reading occurs . after receiving the sonar reading , the process checks whether conflict cells occur ; if so , the cesp method is executed until no conflict cells remain , and then the mal process is executed . in the worst case , the complexity of the cemal approach is o ( n 2 ): o ( n 2 ) for the cesp method and o ( n ) for the mal approach . that is , the cesp method dominates the complexity . in one cycle , the cesp method checks whether the incoming reading causes conflict cells . this check may require that all other readings be checked . this is the worst case , and eventually the complexity becomes o ( n 2 ). in practice , however , the complexity of the cesp method is not o ( n 2 ) because once readings are filtered , they are no longer considered . moreover , the worst case only occurs when all sonar readings are accumulated within small areas ( e . g ., a robot stops in one position for a long time ). as the worst case can be avoided with a simple algorithm to prevent the robot from gathering measurements when it stops , the complexity of the cesp method can be regarded as o ( n ). experiments were conducted in various indoor environments using both the s600 and ma40b8 sonar sensors to verify the performance of the cemal approach . the configurations of the sonar sensors are shown in fig1 . seven experimental environments , designated as c # 1 , c # 2 , and h # 1 - 5 , were used . environments c # 1 and c # 2 were corridors , and environments h # 1 - 5 were home - like environments containing general household items , such as tables , chairs , couches , and electronic appliances . the ma40b8 experiments were conducted in all environments , while the s600 was used only in c # 1 , c # 2 , and h # 1 . the cell size used was 5 cm × 5 cm , and a set of sonar measurements was sampled at a frequency of 4 hz while the robot moved manually . the translational velocity of the robot was fixed at 150 mm / 8 and its rotational velocity was 25 deg / s . in addition , the maximum admissible range of the sonar sensor was limited to 4 m because this was sufficient to represent general indoor environments . as localization during mapping was not an issue of concern in this study , it was assumed that pose estimations were available , which rely on the extended kalman filter - based simultaneous location and mapping ( slam ) ( see s . ahn , j . choi , n . l . doh , and w . k . chung , “ a practical approach for ekf - slam in an indoor environment : fusing ultrasonic sensors and stereo camera ”, autonomous robots , vol . 24 ( 3 ), 2008 , pp . 315 - 335 ). due to space limitations , only two results for the ma40b8 and the s600 , respectively , are illustrated in this specification , while the other results are simply summarized in tables or graphs . the cemal approach vs . conventional grid mapping approaches will now be described next . the performance of cemal is compared with a number of representative grid mapping approaches : the posterior approach ( pt ), the dempster - shafer approach ( ds ), the fuzzy approach ( fz ), and the ml approach . as mentioned above , pt , ds , and fz require regulation of the update parameters . for pt , p ( c xy = o \| z i ) should be regulated , and is generally defined as where c xy denotes a cell , o is the occupied state , z i is the measurements of sonar reading i , γ ( θ ) is a weighting function of θ , δ ( r ) is a weighting function of r , and a pt and f pt are the maximum values for their respective weight functions and will be regulated . the weighting functions are defined as the following equation : where θ w is the beamwidth of the sonar sensor , and r u is the visibility radius for a smooth transition . as the maximum range of a measurement is 4 m , r u is set to half of this value . for ds , m ( c xy = 0 ) and m ( c xy = e ) should be controlled , and they are generally defined as the following equation : in equations ( 28 ) and ( 29 ), a ds and f ds are controllable , as they are for pt . for fz , μ o ( c xy ) and μ e ( c xy ) should be adjusted , and they are normally defined as the following equation : where a fz and f fz are adjustable . there is a physical interpretation of these tunable parameters in the paper “ m . ribo and a . pinz , “ a comparison of three uncertainty calculi for building sonar - based occupancy grids ,” robotics and autonomous systems , vol . 35 ( 3 - 4 ), 2001 , pp 201 - 209 .” among various parameter candidates , the value that maximizes the correct representation ratio ( crr ), which will be described in section 6 . 2 . 2 , is used to build a grid map . for ds in particular , a state that has the maximum of three values ( occupied , empty , and unknown ) is shown . the dombi operator ( see g . oriolo , g . ulivi and m . vendittelli , “ real - time map building and navigation for autonomous robots in unknown environments ”, ieee transactions on systems , man and cybernetics , part b , vol . 28 ( 3 ), 1998 , pp 316 - 333 ) and the bounded product operator are used with fz . the em algorithm is used with the ml approach to reduce the computational burden . data is combined from the lrf with a blueprint of each environment to create accurate reference maps ( see fig1 to 17a ) because the lrf and the blueprint complement each other . the blueprint compensates for obstacles that the lrf sometimes misses , and the lrf provides detailed information ( e . g ., furniture and electronic appliances ) that the blueprint does not contain . the results of the binary or trinary estimation approaches ( pt , ds , and fz ) are shown in fig1 , and 17 b to 17 d ). although the overall shape of each environment is captured successfully , it is obvious that the maps still contain errors where areas outside the boundary of the environment are marked as empty . moreover , in fig1 and 15b to 15 d ), it can be seen that the five narrow openings circled in fig1 and 15a are not successfully represented . the failure is the result of improper handling of the angular uncertainty and incorrect measurements . in particular , fig1 b to 14d show that parts of the inner area of the environment are repeatedly blocked because the ma40b8 has a wider beamwidth than that of the s600 . in fig1 d , the blocking is pronounced because the fz approach is more conservative in the occupied state . revising the parameters of each approach to emphasize occupied regions causes previously undetected obstacles to become visible but also results in the appearance of ghost obstacles . revising the parameters in the opposite direction makes ghost obstacles disappear while also causing some true obstacles to vanish . thus , these approaches have trade - offs that make it difficult to represent the environment . on the other hand , the results of the ml approach shown in fig1 a to 15e successfully represent the overall shape of the environment as well as the inner area without any parameter adjustment , even though erroneous parts in the outside area remain . specifically , in terms of representing the narrow openings , fig1 a to 15e are not satisfactory because incorrect measurements obstruct a clear representation . in contrast , fig1 a to 17f , which are the results of the cemal approach , are excellent compared to the other results in terms of map quality , in that the occupied regions are placed more accurately and the empty regions are shown more clearly . the narrow openings in particular are clearly represented . there are still a few erroneous sections indicated by dashed areas in fig1 a to 17f , because the cesp method does not completely remove all incorrect measurements . nevertheless , it is clear that the cemal approach has the best ability to represent the environment without adjusting parameters even with erroneous sonar measurements . two criteria are defined to evaluate and compare the performance of the mapping approaches quantitatively . the first is the correct representation ratio ( crr ), a type of reliability measure that indicates the map accuracy . the crr is given by the following equation : where a correct empty cell is a cell that is designated empty in both the reference map and the map being evaluated . the second criterion is the complete representation ratio ( mrr ), which shows how much the map succeeds in representing the environment . the mrr is a type of completeness measure and is given by the following equation : fig1 and 19 show that cemal has the best performance in terms of crr and mrr . the crr results indicate that a cemal map is 92 % accurate , and the mrr indicates that it represents about 96 % of the entire environment . thus , the cemal map is a faithful representation . table 2 shows the total computation time required to create the map using each approach . the ml approach requires a very long time despite using the em algorithm , and this makes it impractical for actual use . on the other hand , while the cemal approach is based on the ml approach , its execution time is comparable to the other estimation approaches . the cemal time is somewhat longer because cemal is a two - layered approach incorporating a filtering layer ( cesp method ) and a fusion layer ( mal approach ), while pt , ds , and fz , have only a fusion layer . even though it is longer , the cemal execution time is not prohibitive for practical use . therefore , the cemal approach is a good alternative considering the resulting map quality and the computation time . table . 3 shows the mean computation time for a single measurement to confirm the feasibility of the incremental cemal approach . the mean time of ma40b8 measurements is longer than that of s600 measurements because of the larger beamwidth . the cemal approach requires an average of 1 ms to process a measurement , and is thus quite practical for real - time operation . cemal approach vs . methods for coping with sonar sensor characteristics will now be described next . as described above , previous work regarding the sonar sensor characteristics can be grouped into filtering incorrect measurements and handling the angular uncertainty . therefore , the cemal approach was examined using these two considerations . in the foregoing description , previous work on rejection of incorrect sonar measurements was divided into three classes . for comparison with the cesp method , a representative method was selected from each of the four classes : rcd , ransac / gf , nvd , and spac . it is necessary to determine the actual state of all sonar readings to verify the performance of these methods . based on the reference map presented above , the state is likely to be incorrect when \| z i − d ( n i )\|& gt ; 150 mm . the correct decision ratio ( cdr ) was created based on the reference state of all sonar readings to indicate the proportion of measurements correctly determined through a filtering process . cdr is defined as the following equation : the numerator in equation ( 34 ) is the total number of measurements accurately determined to be correct or incorrect . as shown in fig2 , the cesp method has the best performance for correctly determining the state of measurements , with a cdr of about 88 %. this confirms that the cesp method is useful in practical applications for determining the true state of sonar readings . the spac method also has relatively good performance compared to the others . as both the cesp and spac methods are based on conflict cells , the results show the power of the conflict cell approach in filtering sonar measurements . in general , for dealing with the angular uncertainty , an environment is represented with the arc map ( see d . baskent and b . barshan , “ surface profile determination from multiple sonar data using morphological processing ”, international journal of robotics research , vol . 18 ( 8 ), 1999 , pp 788 - 808 ). the atm and dm methods show the best performance ( see b . barshan , “ directional processing of ultrasonic arc maps and its comparison with existing techniques ,” international journal of robotics research , vol . 26 ( 8 ), 2007 , pp 797 - 820 ). the performance of the atm , dm , and ac methods in representing the narrow openings indicated by dotted circles in fig2 a to 22a , which are shown in the lower left - hand portions of fig1 a to 15a , respectively , are compared with each other . the representation of narrow openings is investigated because the management of angular uncertainty is difficult to measure quantitatively . for a fair comparison , only the readings remaining after applying the cesp method were used . for the s600 , fig2 b to 22e show that all methods successfully map the narrow openings . for the ma40b8 , which has bigger angular uncertainty than the s600 due to wider beamwidth , however , the results of the other methods are not satisfactory because some narrow openings are blocked as shown in fig2 b to 22d . even with the ma40b8 , the cemal approach clearly expresses the narrow openings as shown in fig2 e . these results illustrate that the cemal approach can handle the angular uncertainty appropriately , and thus express narrow openings , regardless of the type of sonar sensor . the use of only two sonar sensors will now be described next . for reasons of cost , a low number of sonar sensors is desirable for a commercial service such as a robotic vacuum cleaner . to explore this possibility , only the two sonar sensors shown in fig1 are used for building a grid map with the cemal approach . as shown in fig2 a and 23b , the cemal approach faithfully represents the overall shape of the environment as well as accurately showing occupied regions . it does , however , omit some empty areas in the inner region of the environment because incorrect measurements are rejected and there are insufficient sonar measurements to cover the whole area . in other environments , results of the cemal approach are similar to fig2 a and 23b in terms of overall representation and partial omission . in future research , a way to reuse filtered incorrect measurements when there are insufficient sonar measurements is proposed . as a filtered reading is not entirely wrong and part of the reading contains useful information , reprocessing can compensate for a lack of measurements . it should be noted that the configuration of the sonar sensors may be critical to sonar measurements when using only two sensors . in our experiments , the robot followed the walls , and if its two sonar sensors are located on the front and rear , then almost all sonar measurements would be incorrect due to undesirable reflections ( see fig1 a to 1c ). because the cesp method is designed to select correct measurements , it does not produce usable results when almost all measurements are incorrect . as shown in fig1 , sonar sensors on the right and left sides of the robot were used to reduce the proportion of incorrect measurements . therefore , when only two sonar sensors are used to construct a grid map , their configuration should be carefully considered in order to obtain useful measurements . the present invention was started by asking what was the maximal level of grid map that could be built by sonar sensors . it began with the ml approach because of its suitability for dealing with the angular uncertainty of the sonar sensor . the ml approach , however , has two critical problems : the heavy computational load and erroneous parts . the first of these problems prevents general practical use of the ml approach , and the second severely degrades the quality of the ml grid map . to overcome the problems of the ml approach , it is essential to eliminate conflict cells by filtering out incorrect measurements that cause them . this led us to the cesp method using the sound pressure of the sonar sensor . after removing conflict cells by the cesp method , the high - dimensional optimization problem could be converted to the mal approach . integrating the mal approach with the cesp method results in the cemal approach . the cemal approach has computational complexity of o ( n ), which is very low compared to that of the ml approach o ( 2 k n ) and comparable to those of the binary and trinary estimation approaches ( both o ( n )). in addition , because the cesp method rejects most of the incorrect measurements , the quality of the cemal grid map is quite high , even using cheap sonar sensors . in situations where the number of sonar readings may not be sufficient , the cemal grid map faithfully represents the environment . furthermore , when acquiring an accurate map , the cemal approach does not require parameter adjustment if a fixed type of sonar sensor is used , even though parameters of binary or trinary estimation approaches require tuning whenever a different environment is used for building a grid map , even when the type of the sensor is fixed . several indoor experiments confirmed that the cemal approach is a good compromise between the quality of the map it produces and the computational complexity it entails . in addition , the cesp method is better than existing methods at determining the true state of sonar measurements . it can be useful for other sonar sensor applications , such as localization and obstacle avoidance , because it is simple and effective . there are two aspects of the present invention that should be noted . first , it was assumed that pose estimations were available . if the level of pose estimation error is excessive , the quality of the cemal grid map cannot be guaranteed . in our experiments , the maximum error between the real final pose and the estimated final pose was approximately 10 cm in both the x and y directions . second , the case of moving obstacles was not considered . all experiments were conducted in a static environment . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .	1
a fuse structure of the first embodiment is shown with fig3 a , fig3 b , fig3 c and fig3 d . fig3 a is top view of the fuse window of the present invention . fig3 b , 3c and 3 d are sectional views of fig3 a . fig3 b is a cross section of the first vertical line of fig3 a . fig3 c is a cross section of the second vertical line of fig3 a . fig3 d is a cross section of the second horizontal line of fig3 a . in the first embodiment , the first horizontal line h 1 , the second horizontal line h 2 , and the third horizontal line are arranged in order . the first vertical line v 1 , the second vertical line v 2 , the third vertical line v 3 and the fourth vertical line are arranged in order . the second vertical line v 2 is close to the third vertical line v 3 , to increase the distance between the first vertical line v 1 and the second vertical line v 2 , and the distance between the third vertical line v 3 and the fourth vertical line v 4 . [ 0021 ] fig3 b shows a substrate 300 . in fig3 a , a first conductive layer 371 is formed on part of the substrate 300 . the first conductive layer 371 starts from the third horizontal line h 3 along the second vertical line v 2 towards the third direction c , extends to the second horizontal line h 2 , turning towards the second direction b , and extends to the first vertical line v 1 . a second conductive layer 372 is formed on part of the substrate 300 . the second conductive layer 372 starts from the third horizontal line h 3 along the third vertical line v 3 towards the third direction c , extends to the second horizontal line , h 2 turning towards the first direction a , and extends to the fourth vertical line v 4 . the first conductive layer 371 and the second conductive layer 372 are tungsten or polysilicon . in fig3 b , a dielectric layer 360 is formed on the substrate 300 , the first conductive layer 371 and the second conductive layer 372 . the dielectric layer 360 is sio 2 . in fig3 d the openings are formed on the dielectric layer 360 to expose the first conductive layer 371 and near laser spot 310 side of the second conductive plug 372 , to put into a first conductive plug 381 and a second conductive plug 382 . the first conductive plug 381 and the second conductive plug 382 are tungsten or polysilicon . [ 0022 ] fig3 a and 3b show the laser spot 310 , a third conductive layer 373 , a fourth conductive layer 374 , a fifth conductive layer 375 and a sixth conductive layer 376 is formed on the dielectric layer 360 . the third conductive layer 373 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the third conductive starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the first vertical line v 1 towards the fourth direction d , extending to the second horizontal line h 2 . a fourth conductive layer 374 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the fourth conductive layer 374 starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the fourth vertical line v 4 towards the fourth direction d , extending to the second horizontal line h 2 . a fifth conductive layer 375 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the fifth conductive layer 375 starts from the third horizontal line h 3 along the first vertical line v 1 , towards the third direction c , extends near to the second horizontal line h 2 , turns towards the first direction a , extends to an intersection of the second vertical line v 2 and the second horizontal line h 2 turns towards the third direction c , and ends at the first horizontal line h 1 . a sixth conductive layer 376 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the sixth conductive layer 376 starts from the third horizontal line h 3 along the fourth vertical line v 4 , towards the third direction c , extends near to the second horizontal line h 2 , turns toward the second direction b , extends to an intersection of the third vertical line v 3 and the second horizontal line h 2 , turns toward the third direction c and ends at the first horizontal line h 1 . the third conductive layer 373 , the fourth conductive layer 374 , the fifth conductive layer 375 and the sixth conductive layer 376 are aluminum , copper - aluminum or polysilicon . a first conductive plug 381 penetrating the dielectric layer 360 , to electrically connect the third conductive layer 373 and the first conductive layer 371 . a second conductive plug 382 electrically connects the fourth conductive layer 374 and the second conductive layer 372 . the passivation layer is pe - teos sio 2 or si 3 n 4 . [ 0025 ] fig3 a is a top view of fuse window of the present invention . the fuse windows 390 have a plurality of fuse structures ( fig3 a only shows one fuse structure ). each fuse structure comprises fuse unit 320 , fuse unit 330 , fuse unit 340 fuse unit 350 , each with its own laser spot 310 . the fuse units 320 330 340 350 do not electrically connect to each other . a first laser spot is formed on the third conductive layer 373 of the first vertical line . a second laser spot is formed on the fifth conductive layer 375 of the first vertical line . a third laser spot is formed on the fourth conductive layer 374 of the fourth vertical line . a fourth laser spot is formed on the sixth conductive layer 376 of the fourth vertical line . [ 0026 ] fig3 a fig3 b and fig3 c laser beam 290 blows the laser spot 310 in the fifth conductive layer 375 of the fuse unit 350 . misalignment of the laser beam 290 or thermal shock from the laser blow process can damage part of the first conductive layer 371 . fig2 shows a traditional fuse structure in the same fuse area comprising four fuse units . the distance between fuse units of the first embodiment is more than the prior art , thus experiencing less damage from the laser blow process . in first embodiment of the present invention the distance between the laser spot 310 of the fuse unit 350 and adjacent to the first conductive layer 371 is 1 . 33 times that prior of the art . the second embodiment of the present invention is depicted in fig4 a fig4 b fig4 c and fig4 d . fig4 a is a top view of the fuse window of the present invention . fig4 b , 4c and 4 d are sectional views of fig4 a . fig4 b shows a cross section of the first vertical line of fig4 a . fig4 c shows a cross section of the second vertical line of fig4 a . fig4 d shows a cross section of the third vertical line of fig4 a . in the second embodiment , the first horizontal line h 1 the second horizontal line h 2 the third horizontal line h 3 and the fourth horizontal line h 4 are arranged in order . the first vertical line v 1 , the second vertical line v 2 , the third vertical line v 3 , the fourth vertical line v 4 the fifth vertical line v 5 , the sixth vertical line v 6 and the seventh vertical line v 7 are arranged in order . in fig4 b shows a substrate 400 . in fig4 a an eleventh conductive layer 471 ( dotted line ) is formed on part of the substrate 400 , wherein a layout of eleventh conductive layer 471 starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the first vertical line v 1 towards the fourth direction d , extended to the second horizontal line h 2 , turning towards an intersection of the second vertical line v 2 and the third horizontal line h 3 . a twelfth conductive layer 472 ( dotted line ) is formed on part of the substrate 400 , wherein a layout of twelfth conductive layer 472 starts from the fourth horizontal line h 4 along the fourth vertical line v 4 towards third direction c , extending to the third horizontal line h 3 , turning towards an intersection of the third vertical line v 3 and the second horizontal line h 2 . a thirteenth conductive layer 473 ( dotted line ) is formed on part of the substrate 400 , wherein a layout of thirteenth conductive layer 473 starts from the fourth horizontal line h 4 along the fourth vertical line v 4 towards third direction c , extending to the third horizontal line h 3 , turning towards an intersection of the fifth vertical line v 5 and the second horizontal line h 2 . a fourteenth conductive layer 474 ( dotted line ) is formed on part of the substrate 400 , wherein a layout of fourteenth conductive layer 474 starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the seventh vertical line v 7 towards fourth direction d , extending to the second horizontal line h 2 , turning towards an intersection of the sixth vertical line v 6 and the third horizontal line h 3 . the seventh conductive layer 471 , the twelfth conductive layer 472 , the thirteenth conductive layer 472 and the fourteenth conductive layer 474 are tungsten or polysilicon . in fig4 b a dielectric layer 360 is formed on the substrate 300 , the seventh conductive layer 471 , the twelfth conductive layer 472 , the thirteenth conductive layer 472 and the fourteenth conductive layer 474 . the dielectric layer 360 is sio 2 in fig4 d the openings are formed on the dielectric layer 360 to expose the seventh conductive layer 471 and near laser spot 410 side of the fourteenth conductive plug 474 , to put into a eleventh conductive plug 491 and a fourteenth conductive plug 494 . the eleventh conductive plug 491 and the fourteenth conductive plug 494 are tungsten or polysilicon . the openings are formed on the dielectric layer 360 to expose the twelfth conductive layer 472 and near laser spot 410 side of the thirteenth conductive plug 473 , to put into a twelfth conductive plug 492 and a thirteenth conductive plug 493 . the twelfth conductive plug 492 and the thirteenth conductive plug 493 are tungsten or polysilicon . in fig4 a a fifteenth conductive layer 475 , a sixteenth conductive layer 476 , a seventeenth conductive layer 477 , a eighteenth conductive layer 478 , a nineteenth conductive layer 479 and a twentieth conductive layer are formed on the dielectric layer 360 and part of the laser spot 410 . a fifteenth conductive layer 375 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the fifteenth conductive layer 375 starts from an intersection of the third vertical line v 3 and fourth horizontal line h 4 , extending to an intersection of the second vertical line v 2 and the third horizontal line h 3 . a sixteenth conductive layer 476 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the sixteenth conductive layer 476 starts from an intersection of the second vertical line v 2 and first horizontal line h 1 , extending to an intersection of the third vertical line v 3 and the second horizontal line h 2 . a seventeenth conductive layer 477 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the seventeenth conductive layer 477 starts from an intersection of the sixth vertical line v 6 and the first horizontal line h 1 , extending to an intersection of the fifth vertical line v 5 and the second horizontal line h 2 . an eighteenth conductive layer 478 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the eighteenth conductive layer 478 starts from an intersection of the fifth vertical line v 5 and the fourth horizontal line h 4 , extending to an intersection of the sixth vertical line v 6 and the third horizontal line h 3 . a nineteenth conductive layer 479 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the nineteenth conductive layer 479 starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the first vertical line v 1 towards fourth direction d , extending to the fourth horizontal line h 4 . a twentieth conductive layer 480 is formed on part of the dielectric layer 360 , wherein a layout of the twentieth conductive layer 480 starts from the first horizontal line h 1 along the fourth vertical line v 4 towards the fourth direction d , extending to the fourth horizontal line h 4 . the fifteenth conductive layer 475 , the sixteenth conductive layer 476 , the seventeenth conductive layer 477 , the eighteenth conductive layer 478 , the nineteenth conductive layer 479 and the twentieth conductive layer are aluminum , copper - aluminum alloy or polysilicon . the eleventh conductive plug 491 electrically connects the fifteenth conductive layer 475 and eleventh conductive layer 471 . the twelfth conductive plug 492 electrically connects the sixteenth conductive layer 476 and twelfth conductive layer 472 . the thirteenth conductive plug 493 electrically connects the seventeenth conductive layer 477 and thirteenth conductive layer 473 . the fourteenth conductive plug 494 electrically connects the eighteenth conductive layer 478 and fourteenth conductive layer 474 . an angle between the fifteenth conductive layer 475 and the third horizontal line h 3 is 15 to 75 degrees . an angle between the sixteenth conductive layer 476 and the first horizontal line h 1 is 15 to 75 degrees . an angle between seventeenth conductive layer 477 and first horizontal line h 1 is 105 to 165 degrees . an angle between eighteenth conductive layer 478 and third horizontal line h 3 is 105 to 165 degree . the passivation layer is pe - teos sio 2 or si 3 n 4 . [ 0031 ] fig4 a is a top view of the fuse structure of the present invention . the fuse windows 490 have a plurality of fuse structures ( fig4 a only shows one fuse structure ). each fuse structure comprises six fuse units , fuse unit 420 , fuse unit 421 , fuse unit 422 , fuse unit 423 , fuse unit 424 and fuse unit 425 . each fuse unit has its own laser spot 410 . fuse units 420 , 421 , 422 , 423 , 424 , 425 do not electrically connect to each other . an eleventh laser spot is formed on the fifteenth conductive layer 475 . a twelfth laser spot is formed on the nineteenth conductive layer 479 . a thirteenth laser spot is formed on the sixteenth conductive layer 476 . a fourteenth laser spot is formed on the twentieth conductive layer 480 . a fifteenth laser spot is formed on the seventeenth conductive layer 477 . a sixteenth laser spot is formed on the eighteenth conductive layer 478 . in fig4 a fig4 b and fig4 c , laser beam 290 blows the laser spot 410 in the fuse unit 425 of the eighteenth conductive layer 478 . misalignment of the laser beam 290 or thermal shock from the laser blow process can damage part of the thirteenth conductive layer 473 . fig4 e shows a traditional fuse structure in the same fuse area comprising six fuse units . the distance between fuse units of the second embodiment is longer than the prior art , thus allowing less damage from the laser blow process . in the second embodiment of the present invention the distance between the laser spot 410 of the fuse unit 425 and adjacent the thirteenth conductive layer 473 is 1 . 5 times that in the prior art . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	7
the process and apparatus of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the figure which illustrates one preferred system for the separation of air . referring now to the figure , feed air 1 is cleaned of dust and other particulate matter by passage through filter 2 . filtered feed air 3 is compressed by passage through compressor 4 to a pressure generally within the range of from 70 to 170 psia . compressed feed air 5 is then cleaned of high boiling impurities such as water , carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons , by passage through purifier 6 . cleaned , compressed feed air 7 is cooled to near liquefaction temperature by indirect heat exchange in heat exchanger 8 with product and waste streams from the columns . cleaned , compressed and cooled feed air 9 is then introduced into first column 10 which is the higher pressure column of a double rectification column plant . column 10 generally is operating at a pressure within the range of from 50 to 150 psia . a minor fraction 40 of the feed air is withdrawn from the middle of heat exchanger 8 , expanded in turbine 41 and introduced into lower pressure column 13 at a point below the nitrogen withdrawal points but above the argon column feed withdrawal point within column 10 the feed air is separated by rectification into nitrogen - rich vapor and oxygen enriched liquid . nitrogen rich vapor 11 is passed through conduit means from column 10 to main condenser 12 , which is preferably within second column 13 , which is the lower pressure column of the double column rectification plant . main condenser 12 may also be physically located outside the walls of column 13 . within main condenser 12 nitrogen rich vapor 11 is condensed by indirect heat exchange with reboiling column 13 bottom liquid . resulting nitrogen rich liquid 14 is passed through conduit means to column 10 as reflux . a portion 15 of the resulting nitrogen - rich liquid , generally within the range of from 20 to 50 percent , is passed into column 13 at or near the top of the column . oxygen enriched liquid 16 is removed from first column 10 and passed into argon column top condenser 17 wherein it is partially vaporized by indirect heat exchange with argon column top vapor . resulting vapor and liquid are passed into column 13 as streams 18 and 42 respectively at points below the nitrogen withdrawal points but above the argon column feed withdrawal point . second column 13 operates at a pressure less than that of first column 10 and generally within the range of from 12 to 30 psia . within second column 13 the fluids introduced into the column are separated by rectification into nitrogen - rich and oxygen rich components which are recovered respectively as nitrogen and oxygen products . oxygen product may be recovered as gas and / or liquid having a purity generally exceeding about 99 percent . gaseous oxygen product is removed from second column 13 at a point above main condenser 12 , passed as stream 19 through heat exchanger 8 , and recovered as stream 20 . liquid oxygen product is removed from second column 13 at or below main condenser 12 and recovered as stream 21 . nitrogen product , having a purity generally exceeding about 99 . 9 percent , is removed from the top of second column 13 at a pressure generally within about 3 psi of atmospheric pressure as stream 22 , passed through heat exchanger 8 and recovered as stream 24 . the pressure of stream 22 as it is removed from second column 13 is preferably as low as possible but sufficiently higher than atmospheric pressure so as to ensure passage of nitrogen product out of the plant without need for auxiliary pumping . waste nitrogen stream 25 , necessary for proper operation of the separation system , is also removed from second column 13 , passed through heat exchanger 8 and vented as stream 23 . stream 25 is taken from second column 13 at a point below the point where nitrogen stream 15 is introduced into the column as mentioned previously , the air separation system of this invention further comprises recovery of crude argon . referring back to the figure , a vapor stream 26 is withdrawn from an intermediate point of second column 13 where the argon concentration is at or close to a maximum , generally about 10 to 12 percent . if second column 13 were a trayed column , stream 26 would be at a pressure generally about 3 psi greater than that of the pressure of steam 22 . stream 26 is passed into and up third , or argon , column 27 , operating at a pressure within the range of from 12 to 30 psia , wherein it becomes progressively enriched in argon by countercurrent flow against descending liquid . argon enriched vapor 28 is passed from argon column 27 to top condenser 17 wherein it is partially condensed by indirect heat exchange with partially vaporizing oxygen - enriched liquid 16 . resulting partially condensed argon - enriched fluid 29 is passed to separator 30 . argon rich vapor 31 is recovered from separator 30 as crude argon product having an argon concentration generally exceeding 96 percent while liquid 32 is passed from separator 30 into argon column 27 as descending liquid . liquid accumulating at the bottom of argon column 27 , having an oxygen concentration exceeding that of stream 26 , is passed as stream 33 into second column 13 . the flow of vapor through argon column 27 is effected by the pressure difference , generally about 4 psi , between the pressure of stream 26 and the pressure of stream 28 . in a trayed column , stream 26 would typically be at a pressure about 5 psi greater than atmospheric . thus , stream 28 would be at a pressure of about 1 psi greater than atmospheric and crude argon product stream 31 would be recovered at only slightly above atmospheric . as discussed previously a major operating cost of a double column rectification system is the power cost for the feed compression . a significant amount of this power requirement is due to system pressure drops . the apparatus and process of this invention employs a defined arrangement of vapor - liquid contacting elements within the lower pressure column of the double column system . the defined novel arrangement enables the simultaneous attainment of markedly reduced compression energy requirements without encountering operating difficulties or substantially increased capital costs . referring back to the figure , the vapor - liquid contacting elements within second column 13 are essentially exclusively packing 43 in the section of the column below the point from where stream 26 is taken while the vapor - liquid contacting elements in the remainder of the column comprise trays 44 . generally at least 25 percent of the height of the second column within which vapor - liquid contact is carried out comprises packing . preferably the lower pressure column contains exclusively packing vapor - liquid contacting elements below the point from where stream 26 is taken and exclusively trays in the remainder of the column . the defined packing is situated in column 13 from the point where stream 26 is removed down to the point where stream 19 is removed . the packing used in conjunction with the present invention may be any suitable random or structured packing , although structured packing is preferred for demanding separations such as the separation of air . among random packing one can name ring or saddle like elements whereas structured packing can include corrugated sheet with openings and surface textures or screen material . any suitable commercially available trays may be used with the present invention . among such trays one can name bubble cap trays and sieve trays . the invention attains its very advantageous , and normally mutually exclusive , benefits simultaneously , by taking advantage of certain physical chemistry effects at the area of the main condenser wherein substantially pure nitrogen and substantially pure oxygen are in heat exchange relation . the change in vapor pressure with change in temperature is different for almost pure oxygen and almost pure nitrogen . the change in vapor pressure of the nitrogen is approximately three times that of the oxygen for the same small change in temperature . a small reduction in the pressure at the bottom of the lower pressure column will result in a small reduction in the saturation temperature of the boiling oxygen . for a constant temperature difference across the main condenser , this translates into an equal reduction in the saturation temperature of the condensing nitrogen stream at the top of the higher pressure column . however , because of the nature of the vapor pressure temperature relationship , this small temperature reduction results in a reduction in pressure of the condensing nitrogen at the top of the higher pressure column which is about three times greater than the original reduction in pressure at the base of the lower pressure column . accordingly , due to this multiplier effect , the invention enables a marked decrease in the overall feed compression energy requirements while maintaining capital costs much below what would otherwise be required if the entire column contained packing . the oxygen rich bottom liquid of the lower pressure column is boiled at a pressure not more than about 4 psi greater than the pressure at the top of the lower pressure column and of stream 22 . furthermore , the pressure at the intermediate point from where the argon column feed stream is taken is sufficiently above atmospheric to ensure the recovery of crude argon product at superatmospheric pressure thus avoiding the potential for air contamination or the need for compression of the crude argon product . the pressure at this intermediate point is not more than 3 . 5 psi greater than the pressure at the top of the lower pressure column and of stream 22 . as mentioned previously , the vapor - liquid contacting elements within the lower pressure column are essentially exclusively packing in the lower section . the vapor - liquid contacting elements in the remainder of the lower pressure column comprise trays ; preferably they are essentially exclusively trays , but they may comprise a combination of trays and packing . in particular , it may be advantageous to also utilize packing in the top section of the lower pressure column above the waste nitrogen withdrawal point , since that column section has relatively little separation volume . thus , the added energy savings associated with the use of packing can be gained at relatively low capital cost . the vapor liquid contacting elements within the higher pressure column and the argon column may be essentially exclusively trays , essentially exclusively packing or any combination of trays and packing . however , depending on the pressure of the feed stream to the argon column , the argon column should contain sufficient packing to ensure superatmospheric conditions at the top of the argon column . by enabling the attainment of a very large reduction in compression energy requirements with only a small amount of packing , the invention enables the operation of much of the double column plant and argon column with trays thus enabling a significant reduction in capital costs while also markedly reducing operating costs . this is especially the case when an existing trayed plant is retrofitted since the investment in trays has already been made . in this situation only a small part of the plant need be changed to packing yet very significant power cost reductions are attained . the following examples are computer simulations of the invention . they are presented for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting . a double column rectification plant similar to that shown schematically in the figure is operated for the separation of feed air . the lower pressure column has structured packing below the argon column feed stream takeoff and sieve trays in the remainder . the vapor - liquid contacting elements within the argon column are all trays . nitrogen vapor is taken from the top of the lower pressure column at a pressure of 16 . 5 psia . the pressure at the bottom of the column is 20 . 3 psia thus enabling the requisite heat exchange in the main condenser to occur at a nitrogen pressure of 76 . 5 psia . in order to carry out this operation , the feed air is compressed to only 85 psia which is a 5 percent reduction over that which would be required by an all trayed plant , but with very little equipment modification required . moreover the pressure at the argon column feed takeoff is 19 . 9 psia resulting in a pressure at the top of the argon column of 16 . 0 psia , thus ensuring superatmospheric crude argon recovery . the rectification plant of example 1 is modified to replace trays with packing in the portion of the lower pressure column above the waste nitrogen takeoff point , and the air separation process is repeated . nitrogen vapor is taken from the top of the lower pressure column at a pressure of 16 . 5 psia . the pressure at the bottom of the column is 19 . 7 psia thus enabling the requisite heat exchange in the main condenser to occur at a nitrogen pressure of 74 . 5 psia . in order to carry out this operation , the feed air is compressed to only 83 psia , which is a 6 percent reduction over that which would be required by an all trayed plant . the pressure at the argon column feed takeoff is 19 . 3 psia resulting in a pressure at the top of the argon column of 15 . 3 psia , thus ensuring superatmospheric crude argon recovery . now by the use of the apparatus and process of this invention one can attain a marked decrease in compression energy requirements for a double column air separation plant while largely avoiding the increased costs associated with structured packing , and also ensuring proper operation of an argon column . while the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments , it is recognized by those skilled in the art that there are other embodiments of the invention within the spirit and scope of the claims .	8
in the following detailed description , certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 usc 112 , but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims . referring to fig1 , the puzzle apple slicer 10 according to the present invention comprises a generally annular holder grip 12 having a central opening 14 sized to allow apples or other similarly sized fruits or vegetables to pass through , i . e . on the order of four inches in diameter . an evenly spaced array of six radially extending slicer blades 16 each preferably made of stainless steel is disposed within the opening 14 affixed at their inner ends to a casing ring 18 . the outer ends 20 are embedded in the holder grip 12 . the holder grip 12 includes an inner holder body 22 molded of a tough molded plastic such as abs to securely anchor the outer ends 20 of the blades 18 . an overmold layer 24 of a softer elastomeric material such a tpe enclosed the outer regions of the holder body 20 providing a better gripping surface . an embossed pattern 26 similar to the shape of the slicer blades 16 . the six slicer blades 16 are advantageously formed by three double bladed pieces 28 connected by a curved segment 30 matched to the outside diameter of the ring 18 , which are spot welded to the ring 18 to form a unitary blade assembly . according to the present invention , each blade 16 is formed with a circumferentially extending protrusion feature 32 , here shown as in a partially circular shape intermediate the length of the main straight portion of each blade 16 . the features 32 simultaneously cut matched channels 34 and ridges 36 into the apple 38 ( fig6 , 6 a ) as well as the core plug 38 cut by ring 18 . since the features 36 are partially circularly shaped , and preferably are greater than semicircle , the channels 34 and ridges 36 interlock to each other to resist pulling away from each other . thus , the interfit cut wedges 40 are held together thereby but may be disassembled by axial sliding movement as seen in fig6 a . this provides a three dimensional puzzle for amusement of children and others . the apple wedges 40 are also uniquely shaped for decorative effect in fruit salads , etc . other fruits such as pears or portions of fruit such as melons may be sliced using the apple slicer . according to the invention or vegetables such as potatoes .	1
fig1 illustrates a sinker 10 in an open position that can releasably clamp around a line 11 . the sinker 10 ( or float , but hereinafter referred to primarily as a sinker only ) comprises two members , an upper half 12 and a lower half 13 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 to 8 , the halves 12 and 13 are hinged about point 14 such that the two halves 12 and 13 can open , receive a line 11 , and close around or on the line 11 ( e . g . as seen in fig2 ). each of the halves 12 and 13 comprise an inner 15 made of a high or low density material . the density of the inner material 15 largely determines whether the sinker 10 sinks of floats in water . for example , if the inner material 15 is high density ( e . g . lead ) the sinker 10 will sink in water , and if the inner material 15 is low density ( e . g . a floatation chamber or hollow plastic member ) the ‘ sinker ’ 10 will instead be a float ( although this is referred to as a ‘ sinker ’, no limitation is meant thereby ). each half 12 and 13 also has a jacket 16 that receives and retains the inner material 15 . the jacket 16 is preferably made of plastic , or any other suitable material , such that the halves 12 and 13 are hinged at point 14 by a flexible or resilient portion of the jacket 16 . the jacket 16 may be made entirely of a flexible or resilient material , or alternatively , only the hinged point 14 may be flexible or resilient . the hinge is preferably a live hinge and may either protrude externally , or be recessed ( as shown in the figures ). the jacket 16 also has a locking means in the form of a tab 17 on the upper half 12 that locks with a corresponding portion 18 on the lower half . the locking tab 17 has an aperture 19 which receives a protrusion 20 on the corresponding portion 18 as shown in fig2 to 5 and fig8 . it is envisaged that other locking means could also be implemented , such as a locking tab without an aperture that engages with a lip or edge on the lower half , or a hook , latch , twisted tie , etc . the jacket has apertures , or eyelets , 21 that receive a corresponding portion of the inner material 15 and retain the material 15 within the jacket 16 . the jacket 16 also referably is shaped to align the inner material 15 . this is shown as an indentation in fig8 , and also as a ridge 22 in fig9 that is received by a corresponding depression 23 in the inner material 15 ( although fig9 is for a different embodiment this feature could also apply to the embodiment shown in fig2 to 8 ). each of the halves 12 and 13 have a raised portion 24 which is received by a corresponding recessed portion 25 when the sinker 10 is in the closed position ( this is best illustrated in fig8 ). when the two halves 12 and 13 are in the closed position , the inner surface of the two halves 12 and 13 defines a channel 26 through which the line 11 passes ( also best illustrated in fig8 ). the raised and recessed portions 24 and 25 are adjacent the channel 26 to facilitate aligning the line 11 with the channel 26 , and also to prevent the line 11 from wedging in the channel 26 . a further advantage of the raised and recessed portions 24 and 25 is that they provide the sinker 10 with more support and strength in the closed position . for example , any force applied to one half is spread across the hinge 14 , the locking tab 17 , and the raised and recessed portions 24 and 25 , as opposed to just the hinge 14 , the locking tab 17 . as the hinge 14 and locking tab 17 are made of plastic , the added strength / support of the raised and recesses portions 24 and 25 can therefore be significant . as illustrated in fig2 to 4 , 5 d , 5 e , and 9 a surface 27 is provided on which branding or advertising can be stamped , moulded , printed , or attached to . an example with branding present is illustrated in fig9 . furthermore , the jacket 16 may be coloured and / or textured to provide a particular look and feel sinker , other than could usually be provided with a standard single material sinker , such as those made of lead . for example , the jacket 16 may be coloured to indicate different size or weight sinkers , and may be textured to provide additional grip to the operator . illustrated in fig9 is a different embodiment of the invention . the embodiment in fig9 doesn &# 39 ; t have a hinge or hinged portion 14 , and instead is in two discrete halves which clip together . other than having an addition locking means instead of a hinge , the embodiment in fig9 is very similar to that illustrated in fig1 to 8 . it can be realised from fig9 that the inner material 15 can be removed from the jacket 16 and replaced relatively easily . the inner material 15 is aligned by the ridge 22 and depression 23 . the area surrounding the apertures 21 of the jacket 16 are temporarily deformed ( pushed back ) to allow the inner material 15 to pass and then return to their original position holding the inner material 15 in place . the inner material may have indentations 28 which correspond with the portion of the jacket 16 surrounding the apertures 21 , the indentations 28 aid to enable engagement of the inner material 15 by the jacket 16 . although the only view of the inner material 15 separated from the jacket 16 is shown in the embodiment shown in fig9 , this is not to be regarded as limiting as the inner material 15 could also be removed from the jacket 16 shown in the embodiments in fig1 to 8 in a similar manner . the removal and replacement of the inner material 15 allows not only replacement of the inner material if it gets damaged ( e . g . corroded ), but also allows the nature of the sinker 10 to be changed by inserting a different inner material 15 . for example , the inner material 15 could be easily changed from a high density material to a low density material , or vice versa . in use , the sinker 10 of the invention can quickly and easily be placed on a line 11 by opening the sinker 10 ( if it is closed ), placing the line 11 in the channel 26 , closing the sinker 10 , and using the sinker 10 as desired . then , to remove the sinker , the sinker 10 is opened and removed from the line 11 . no cutting , tying , or alteration of the line is necessary to apply or remove the sinker 10 . furthermore , the sinker 10 is completely reusable . the sinker can even be applied when the line is in use . for example , if the bait is moving with current , a sinker 10 can be added to the line above water and it will run down the line to the trace . although the sinker 10 has typically been explained with use to being applied around a line , it is also envisaged that the sinker 10 could be constructed so that it is applied onto the line ( i . e . does not move on the line ). this could be effected by changing the diameter or layout of the channel , or by adding a clamping , or restricted portion . the sinker 10 may be scaled up or down to match any appropriate situation , including both commercial and / or domestic applications . the size of the sinker 10 can be altered to accommodate different lines , and or suit the sinker 10 for different applications . the materials described above are not to be regarded as limiting as other suitable materials that are readily available could also be used . it is to be understood that the terminology employed above is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the foregoing embodiments are intended to be illustrative of the invention , without limiting the scope thereof . the invention is capable of being practised with various modifications and additions as will readily occur to those skilled in the art . throughout this specification , including the claims , where the context permits , the term “ comprise ” and variants thereof such as “ comprises ” or “ comprising ” are to be interpreted as including the stated integer or integers without necessarily excluding any other integers .	0
fig1 - 6 illustrate a system of six cordless , portable devices and tools which utilize one or more of the same interchangeable , rechargeable battery packs 10 as the source of power . each tool or device is shown with one or more pack receiving pockets which receive the pack or packs and provides electrical connections to the tool or device . fig1 depicts a lightweight grass shear 11 adapted to cut relatively narrow swaths of grass ; fig2 shows a lantern 12 ; fig3 a screwdriver 13 ; and fig4 a lightweight shrub trimmer 14 . the versatility of the system is further illustrated with reference to tools and devices having heavier load requirements , as later explained , and as seen in fig5 and fig6 showing a cordless sprayer 133 having two packs 10 and a heavy duty hedge trimmer 135 having three packs 10 and each with a corresponding number of the standardized pockets . each tool or device provides a handle formation . referring to fig7 and 8 , battery pack 10 , in the embodiment illustrated , has a generally rectangular , flat boxlike shape , i . e ., a rectangular parallelepiped shape , and has rectangular , generally flat , side wall surfaces 16 and 17 . pack sides 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , formed by side components 21a , 21b , 22a , 22b , 23a , 23b , 24a and 24b , provide a groove 25 which encircles the pack . pack 10 of the present embodiment has its own latch as will be described . however , if the latch is made a part of the tool or device housing groove 25 can be used to receive the latch and retain the pack . a pair of standard rigidly mounted ac blades or prongs 26 , 27 extend from surface 16 and are oriented parallel to the central long axis of pack 10 with the prongs being located at a position intermediate the length and width of the wall surface 16 . the blades are on opposite sides of , and offset different distances from , the longitudinal centerline of the pack for a purpose to appear . located between prongs 26 , 27 is a switch actuator 28 which is engaged by a post member 113 in tool pocket 91 to switch the pack circuitry from the charging to the discharging mode when pack 10 is installed in a manner to be described later . side surface 21 is provided with a resilient latch member 20 which is adapted to engage a ledge portion of the tool pocket in order to hold the pack in place . fig9 shows the outer pack body member 40 separated from pack body member 60 to show the internal components of the battery pack 10 . members 40 and 60 are essentially a pair of secured rectangular pan - shaped clam shell members . the internal components illustrated in fig9 and 26 include rechargeable nickel - cadmium sub - c batteries 31 , 32 , 33 , capacitor 35 , printed circuit board 36 , switch 37 , diode bridge 154 and resistors 157 , 158 . such circuitry minimizes weight and heat . members 40 and 60 are approximately 2 inches by 41 / 2 inches by 1 / 2 inch , have a wall thickness of about 1 / 8 inch and are preferably molded of an impact resistant , flame retardant polycarbonate . the interior wall surfaces of member 40 are provided with upper circuit board locators 57 , 58 into which circuit board 36 slides into place during assembly . the interior of the top wall also includes two spike members 48 , 49 which are positioned over switch 37 as shown in fig1 to hold the switch in a rattle - proof , shock proof manner . a recessed area is provided in the front wall surface 21a of member 40 to accommodate latch 20 . the recessed area and associated structural members will be described in conjunction with the description of latch 20 . body member 60 is provided with battery locating ribs that aid in locating the batteries during assembly and also serve to keep the batteries in position during use and thereby reduce rattling . the interior of member 60 is also provided with lower circuit board locators 77 , 78 which are aligned with upper circuit board locators 57 , 58 and serve as a means of locating the circuit board during assembly and keeping the circuit board in position during use . a pair of live ribs 80 , 81 span the width of member 60 and provide compartments for batteries 31 , 32 , 33 . live ribs 80 , 81 are designed to be resilient and absorb shock from the batteries when the pack is accidentally dropped on either end . structural ribs 82 , 83 also serve to define compartments for batteries 31 , 32 , 33 . the structural ribs 82 , 83 are rigid and are designed to lend strength to the overall construction of the pack . the body members are snap fitted together and are then ultrasonically welded together . member 60 is provided with two slots through which ac prongs 26 , 27 protrude . an aperture 90 is aligned over switch actuator 28 to expose the latter to a switch activating post 113 in the tool pocket as described later . the prong slots and aperture 90 are located off the centerline of member 60 to facilitate the construction of a dual pack as illustrated in fig5 and 6 and described later . member 60 also has a recess 59 for accommodating latch 20 which will now be described . latch 20 in one embodiment was molded from an acetal resilient plastic material . latch 20 provides a front notched surface 164 and a smooth front surface 171 . intermediate the length of the front surface is a latch groove 167 which is positioned so as to align with power pack groove 25 when latch 20 is in its normally non - depressed position in pack 10 . latch 20 also provides latch alignment members 160 and restraining knobs 163 . as best shown in fig1 , during assembly of pack 10 , latch 20 slides into place with alignment members 160 against structural rib 83 on member 60 of pack 10 . after latch 20 is positioned in member 60 , member 40 is snap - fitted and ultrasonically welded to member 60 so that the upper portion of latch 20 resides within recess 50 of member 40 . when latch 20 is in its normally non - depressed position , front surfaces 164 and 171 essentially form a continuation of pack side member 21 as best shown in fig7 and 8 . the installed latch is adapted to hold pack 10 in place within pocket 91 by engagement of latch groove 167 and pocket lip 125 which is co - extensive with the latch . when pack 10 is pivoted or hinged into place in the manner previously described , pocket lip 125 initially engages smooth front surface 171 and causes resilient latch 20 to bend at point p ( fig1 ) to the depressed position shown in fig1 . upon full insertion of pack 10 into pocket 91 , lip 125 will fall into groove 167 thereby allowing latch 20 to return to its non - depressed position ( fig7 ). knobs 163 on latch 20 are adapted to engage cavity wall surfaces 182 in member 40 when the latch is in its non - depressed position thereby preventing the latch from being pulled outwardly from the pack 10 beyond its normal position . the battery pack unit 10 just described is adapted to fit into any one of the pockets , in any of the tools and devices which are part of the family of devices made according to the invention . what is next to be described is the pocket construction which can be employed singly or plurally in the devices and tools made according to the invention , so that any pocket can accept any pack which allows any pack to be used with any tool or device in the family in single and plural groups as required . the receiving pocket 91 for the standardized pack 10 is depicted in fig1 - 14 and 21 - 23 . in the embodiment being used for illustration , the standardized pocket 91 is formed as an integral part of the tool clam shell housing 93 . pocket 91 can be formed in the housing of each tool or device at a point where the battery pack 10 can be easily inserted into the pocket and provide overall tool balance . pocket 91 is also adapted to provide means for locating and holding in place a standardized pocket liner 100 which is illustrated in fig1 - 18 . in order to receive liner 100 , each housing for the particular tool or device includes a plurality of liner locators 95 which extend from the housing interior wall surfaces of pocket 91 and are adapted to engage locator grooves 101 in liner 100 . a front housing wall member 92 of pocket 91 is provided with a recess 99 which is adapted to receive a projection 105 on liner 100 as a further means for locating and holding in place liner 100 . pocket 91 is devoid of guideways and the like which enables the pack to be tiltably inserted and removed and to pop out when unlatched as elsewhere discussed . it should be emphasized here that so far as is known , there has not been available in the marketplace a coordinated family of cordless , portable tools and devices having varying power requirements and in which each tool or device in the family has a housing which both forms a handle and mounts battery power consuming apparatus and in which such housing is adapted with one or more standardized outwardly opening pockets to accept a comparable number of identical battery packs with each pack having a battery recharging circuitry , ac type prongs and switching mechanism enabling the pack to be recharged from a household receptacle or to be used to power the device or tool . a part of the present invention resides in providing a variety of portable cordless devices each of which can be powered by one or more removable rechargeable identical battery packs . in what is believed to be a departure from prior art practices , the battery receiving pocket in each housing includes the same base plate or liner member which provides a means for standardizing the location of the base and side peripheral planes of the pocket and for standardizing the positioning and securement of the ac prong receptacle openings in the tool and device . thus a standardized outwardly opening pocket is achieved which can be used over a wide range of portable cordless tools and devices , e . g ., grass shears , lanterns , sprayers , hedge trimmers , and the like . referring particularly to fig1 - 20 , the pocket liner 100 , which is a common component of each tool or device and serves as a base wall in pocket 91 , includes a flat outer surface 107 , an inwardly inclined surface 108 , a lip portion 109 , and an extension 105 . flat surface 107 is adapted to engage the flat inner wall surface of battery pack 10 when pack 10 is inserted into the pocket . surfaces 108 , 109 are adapted to facilitate the pivotal insertion and removal of pack 10 as later described . surface 107 provides two prong receiving chamfered slots 111 , 112 . as later explained , the circuitry provides for the internal battery pack to be normally connected to the ac prongs for recharging . however , the battery pack and device housing pocket are also provided with means to switch the internal battery pack circuitry to connect the ac prongs to the battery for discharge and use as a power source whenever the pack is inserted in the pocket . in this regard , it may be noted that switch activation post 113 is located between slots 111 and 112 . when pack 10 is fully inserted into pocket 91 , post 113 engages switch actuator 28 so as to switch the circuitry of pack 10 into the discharging mode . contact spring holders 121 , 122 provide in a central portion thereof post members 123 , 124 which are each adapted to receive a contact spring 115 as best shown in fig1 and 20 . contact spring 115 is a curved leaf spring of resilient conductive metal having a loop locator portion 110 , a retainer member 116 , a u - shaped prong engagement portion 126 , and a wire lead solder contact 114 . loop 110 is adapted to be press - fitted over one of post member 123 , 124 . when loop 110 is pressed into place , resilient retainer member 116 locates on post member 123 or 124 in order to hold contact spring 115 in place . prong engagement portion 126 is normally in the external position shown in fig1 . as pack 10 is pivoted into pocket 91 , one of prongs 26 , 27 contacts spring 115 and bends it until pack 10 is fully inserted ( fig2 ). spring 115 is thus adapted to provide exceptionally reliable electrical contact with the leading edges of ac prongs 26 , 27 . wire lead solder contact 114 of contact spring 115 is adapted to electrically connect spring 115 to the appropriate wire leads of the tool motor or other device apparatus . screw bosses 119 , 120 serve as means to secure together two liners in the dual pocket version which will be described later with reference to fig2 and 25 . the method of insertion and removal of pack 10 into pocket 91 is best illustrated in fig2 and 23 with respect to a typical grass shear 11 adapted with a single pocket 91 and battery pack 10 according to the invention . the shear 11 is held by one hand with the pocket 91 facing downwardly . with the other hand , the operator picks up pack 10 with prongs 26 , 27 facing upwardly . the end 23 of the pack 10 opposite latch 20 is then inserted into pocket 91 with surface 17 of pack 10 resting on pocket ledge 94 and with pack surface 16 residing proximate incline surface 108 . pack 10 is now rocked about ledge 94 until the side surface 16 of pack 10 lies flush against flat surface 107 of liner 100 ( fig2 ). during this rocking movement , prongs 26 , 27 enter chamfered slots 111 , 112 until prongs 26 , 27 engage and bend contact springs 115 . also , during this rocking motion , spring activation post 113 engages switch actuator 28 . when pack 10 is fully inserted , pocket lip 125 engages latch groove 167 in order to hold pack 10 in place without requiring guideways or the like . thus the front receptacle portion of the pocket formed by the portions 108 and 109 of the liner , housing wall 92 and ledge 94 locates the pack for insertion , supports the pack during the rocking movement and holds the forward end of the pack securely in place . it should be noted that the internal spring for switch 37 ( fig1 ) and contact springs 115 ( fig1 ) are both compressed by latching of pack 10 . thus pack 10 tends to tilt and pop out when unlatched . the removal of pack 10 from pocket 91 becomes a two - step operation which provides a degree of protection against accidental unlatching or dropping of pack 10 . first , latch 20 is depressed so that latch groove 167 disengages pocket lip 125 and by the mentioned spring action and possible force of gravity , dependent on how the tool or device is positioned , pack 10 moves to and is held in a partially removed position as illustrated by fig2 . thus , if latch 20 is accidentally depressed , pack 10 can move to the partially removed position and remain there until reinserted or removed . fig5 , and 25 illustrate use of dual packs and pockets for tools or devices having high energy demands . the two - pack pocket 130 is adapted to receive two of the battery packs 10 with the packs &# 39 ; inner surfaces and ac prongs facing each other . since the ac prongs on each battery pack 10 are offset from the longitudinal centerline of the pack , the opposing prongs of the two battery packs when inserted into pocket 130 interfit permitting a much more compact arrangement than would otherwise be possible and substantially reducing the bulk and weight of the tool . the assembly of pocket 130 is facilitated by the mating of male bosses 119 , 119 &# 39 ; with female bosses 120 , 120 &# 39 ;. screws 128 , 129 are inserted into countersunk holes 127 ( fig1 ) which are located at the base of female bosses 120 , 120 &# 39 ;. screws 128 , 129 secure the bosses and , in conjunction with extensions 105 , 105 &# 39 ;, serve to hold together liners 100 , 100 &# 39 ; in a parallel spaced relation . an important feature of pocket 130 is the interfitting of contact spring holders 121 , 122 , 121 &# 39 ;, 122 &# 39 ;. as best shown in fig1 , contact spring holders 121 , 122 are located offset from the centerline of liner 100 so that when liners 100 , 100 &# 39 ; are interconnected by their respective bosses 119 , 120 , 119 &# 39 ;, 120 &# 39 ; in the assembly of a two pack pocket 130 , the contact spring holders 121 , 122 , 121 &# 39 ;, 122 &# 39 ; interfit so that the liners 100 , 100 &# 39 ; can be closely nested together to form pocket 130 . the two - pack pocket 130 accommodates tools or devices with higher energy demands than the single pack tools illustrated in fig1 - 4 . a representative tool requiring a two pack pocket 130 is the heavy duty garden sprayer 133 illustrated in fig5 and adapted to receive two oppositely disposed vertically end oriented packs 10 . a heavy duty hedge trimmer 135 requiring even more energy is illustrated in fig6 . trimmer 135 is adapted to receive three packs 10 with one pack generally horizontal and fitting in a bottom pocket as in the tools of fig1 - 4 and two packs generally vertically side oriented fitting in opposite side pockets generally as shown in fig2 . tool balance is achieved in all of the embodiments . the electrical circuitry of a typical multiple pack tool or device illustrated in fig1 and the pack circuitry is illustrated in fig2 . in fig1 , power consuming device 153 is illustrated as being a heavy duty device adapted to hold up to three battery packs 10 which are connected through manually operable switch 150 to the load unit of device 153 by the electrical contacts 115 . packs 10 are connected in parallel so that only one switch 150 needs to be located on device 153 . although a multiple pack tool or device will normally be operated with a battery pack 10 in each pack pocket , the parallel circuitry enables the operator to run the multiple pack tool or device with one or more of the pockets empty , though series circuitry can be employed . in all the embodiments illustrated , it is recognized that in the typical tool or device the operator trigger or other type on - off switch 150 is suitably placed for operator control as shown in fig1 - 6 . the charging and discharging circuitry of pack 10 will now be described with reference to the schematic circuit diagram 140 of fig2 . a double - pole , double - throw switch 37 is adapted to place the circuitry in either a charging or discharging mode . switch 37 includes six terminals 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 . ac terminals 141 , 142 are connected to the charging circuitry . dc terminals 145 , 146 are connected to the discharge circuitry . common terminals 143 , 144 are connected directly to the ac prongs 26 , 27 and are , in the preferred embodiment , continuations of the prongs themselves . movable contacts 151 , 152 are spring loaded in such a manner that they normally connect ac terminal 141 to terminal 143 and ac terminal 142 to terminal 144 as depicted in fig2 . the charging circuitry comprises ( 1 ) a capacitor 35 which is adapted to drop the input voltage ; ( 2 ) a diode bridge full wave rectifier 154 ; ( 3 ) batteries 31 , 32 , 33 connected in series ; ( 4 ) a bleed resistor 157 which is selected to quickly bleed by completing a rc circuit with a short time constant ; and ( 5 ) a surge resistor 158 which prevents the diode bridge 154 from receiving a large surge when capacitor 35 is completely discharged . the discharge circuitry is , of course , a direct connection between ac prongs 26 , 27 ( terminals 143 , 144 ) and batteries 31 , 32 , 33 . the described pack circuitry has several practical advantages in that such full wave rectification circuitry minimizes both weight and internal heat . pack 10 can essentially be encapsulated , though aperture 90 is preferably designed to provide sufficient clearance , both for member 28 and to vent pack 10 in the event of extraneous battery gases . in contrast , recharging circuitry of other types , e . g ., half - wave rectification , would both increase weight and temperature and require positive venting . as described previously , when battery pack 10 is assembled , switch actuator 28 is disposed between prongs 26 , 27 in aperture 90 . when pack 10 is fully inserted into a standard tool pocket 91 , switch activation post 113 is positioned so as to align with aperture 90 and depress switch actuator 28 . the depression of actuator 28 compresses the return spring in switch 37 and places pack 10 in a discharge mode . at all times when pack 10 is not fully inserted into a pocket 91 , pack 10 will be in the charging mode . this safety feature aids in preventing accidental discharge of pack 10 as well as preventing accidental shortage . pack 10 is plugged into a standard ac receptacle during charging , as previously explained , and uniquely complies with all known requirements relating to maximum weight for unsupported devices plugged into ac wall receptacles and maximum moment arms which can be exerted on the prongs when they are plugged into the receptacle . in the preferred embodiment , pack 10 , including all of its components , weighs approximately 7 . 82 ounces . when pack 10 is plugged into a standard vertically aligned ac receptacle , the moment produced is approximately 4 . 4 inch ounces . when pack 10 is plugged into a horizontally aligned ac receptacle , the moment is approximately 4 . 9 inch ounces . in the embodiment shown , pack 10 has a width of about 2 inches , a length of about 41 / 2 inches , and a thickness of about 1 inch . of particular significance is the fact that the pack is easy to grasp and handle and the particular arrangement of components allows the pack to be safely inserted in a standard receptacle whether the receptacle openings are vertically oriented or horizontally oriented . thus , it can be seen that pack 10 provides a very useful configuration for multiple use , interchangeability and as a self - contained battery charger and still meets requirements for unsupported household receptacle rechargeable devices . while recharging of the pack from a household receptacle is contemplated in the preferred embodiment , it is also contemplated , while not being shown , that the pack can be recharged in a suitable recharging stand . for example , such a stand may contain a suitable horizontal receptacle to receive and connect the pack prongs for recharging as well as actuate the switch 37 with the stand receptacle being connected to a separate ac supply . also , such a stand may contain suitable circuitry for reducing the available ac voltage as , for example , in overseas use where higher receptacle voltages are experienced . additionally , such a stand could employ supplemental fast charging circuitry to reduce the time required for recharging . from the foregoing , it can be seen that the system of the invention thus provides both a unique battery pack as well as a unique battery pack pocket construction suited to economical mass production and which lend themselves to interchangeability of any pack with any pocket , multiple use of any pack with any tool or device , grouping of packs in plural groups for increasing available power , providing for any pack to be recharged simply by plugging into a typical 110 - 120 volt ac household receptacle and maintaining tool balance . in summary , the invention now provides a unique system especially suited to portable cordless tools for which widespread application is envisioned . while single , two and three pack applications have been illustrated , it is , of course , apparent that a greater number of packs could be employed and that the specific pack and pocket constructions could be otherwise standardized without departing from the invention as hereafter claimed . also , with other methods of recharging , it is apparent that the pack itself could be both larger and heavier while retaining many advantages of the invention . while the use of a separate standardized pocket liner or base member secured between clam shell housing halves is a preferred construction , it is also envisioned that a standardized pocket base plane could be established by molding the pocket base plate as part of the tool or device housing .	8
there are three embodiments which relate to the method of stopping the bend at a selected angle . in the first embodiment the bending arm is powered manually and uses a simple cylinder to stop the bending arm at the desired angle . the second embodiment is powered by a hydraulic cylinder and uses a stop with a spring loaded extension . the extension provides information indicating to the operator where to stop the bending process before the part is bent too far . the third embodiment is also powering by a hydraulic cylinder but uses a control valve to stop an air source providing power to a hydraulic pump which stops the bending arm . the first embodiment is shown in fig1 . here bending apparatus 10 is attached to mount 12 and the repeatable angle apparatus 11 attached the bending apparatus . support arm 16 is attached extending outward from base 14 . bending apparatus 10 is manually operated by lever arm 18 . lever arm 18 is attached to bending arm 20 which bends stock 21 . the end of bending arm 20 opposite to lever arm 18 and the center of forming disk 23 have aligned holes sized to receive pivot pin 22 . this permits rotating forming disk 23 and bending arm 20 around pin 22 . forming disk 23 has a groove 23 a sized to receive a portion of the circular cross - section of cylindrical shaped stock 21 . a centered hole in angle indicator disk 24 also mates with and receives pin 22 permitting the disk to rotate around the pin . stop 24 a , which is cylindrical in shape , is attached near the periphery of angle indicator disk 24 extending upward into the path of bending arm 20 . stop 24 a limits the rotation of bending arm 20 to the stop location . this is required because in order to repeat a bend angle bending arm 20 must stop at the same rotation angle for each successive part . this also requires that angle indicator disk 24 be locked at this rotation angle and secured with enough force that the disk cannot be rotated manually past this angle by any force that can be exerted using lever arm 18 . index marks 25 , and numbers described hereinafter , are used to set up apparatus 11 to make a predetermined size bend after the proper rotation angle has been determined by trial and error for a particular stock . angle indicator disk 24 is then rotated to and locked at that angle . the lock is provided by disk lock 29 hereinafter described . disk lock 29 , shown in fig2 , is the same for all three embodiments of the invention . here cylinder shaped extension 28 is attached perpendicular to angle indicator disk 24 with their respective centers aligned and the extension located below the disk . the rotation of extension 28 and attached angle indicator disk 24 are locked against rotation with respect to bending apparatus 10 with a predetermined force by disk lock 29 . disk lock 29 has a support structure 30 with a split opening 30 a on the end opposite to the attachment end extending past cylinder 28 with hole 30 b enclosing the cylinder . a split 30 a into hole 30 b permits changing the hole size . hole 30 b is sized slideably fit around cylindrical extension 28 from angle indicator disk 24 unless the split opening 30 a is partially closed . threaded bolt 30 c engages mating threaded hole 30 d in rod 30 e . handle 30 f is slideably mounted through hole 30 g which extends through the end of rod 30 e . with this arrangement rotating rod 30 e using handle 30 f will change the spacing of split opening 30 a and change the gripping force of disk lock 29 on extension 28 and its attached angle indicator disk 24 . for this embodiment the gripping force provided by disk lock 29 is greater than the force that can be exerted manually against stop 24 a using lever arm 18 . support structure 30 is attached to right angle bracket 32 by four bolts 30 h through aligned mating holes and secured by mating nuts . right angle bracket 32 has bolts 32 a which extend through mating holes in the bracket , and pointer 34 is secured by mating nuts to attach the pointer to right angle bracket 32 . right angle bracket 32 and pointer 34 are secured to bending arm 16 with the pointer directed to the outer edge of disk 24 to indicate the angle of bending arm 20 . fig5 shows index marks 25 and numbers 25 a around the periphery of the angle indicator disk 24 . locating pointer 34 opposite to a larger number 25 a will result in a larger bend angle . numbers are used here rather than angles because the resulting angle for any given number will change for stock with different characteristics . to set up a predetermined angle disk lock 29 , described hereinafter , is released using handle 30 f and angle indicator disk 24 then positioned the disk at a predetermined angular location . for manual powered bending operation disk lock 29 is then tightened using handle 30 f until a gripping force greater than lever 18 can produce is produced . any number of stock items with the same characteristics can then be bent to the same angle using this set - up . fig6 shows apparatus 10 and apparatus 11 in the second embodiment with hydraulic cylinder 40 c being used to rotate bending arm 20 . for hydraulic powered bending operation disk lock 29 is still locked however this is done primarily to indicate the location of the desired bend angle , since the hydraulic power provided will always be great enough to overcome the lock . hydraulic cylinder 40 c has a return spring to return the cylinder to the recessed position when pressure is removed . fig3 shows apparatus 11 , and fig4 , and 5 show details of stop 24 b . the stop arrangement used in the second embodiment essentially provides an indication that the bending arm 20 is within a defined second angle adjacent to the desired first angle provided by the stop location . this defined second angle is provided by the apparatus shown in fig4 . here stop 24 b has a hole 24 b 1 extending through stop 24 a perpendicular to its length with the portion on the end of the hole adjacent to bending arm 20 being larger than the opposite end . head 24 b 4 is sized to slideably fit within the larger portion of hole 24 b 1 . the portion of insert 24 b adjacent to head 24 b 4 is reduced in size to accommodate coiled spring 24 b 3 . the end of hole 24 b 1 opposite to bending arm 20 and the portion of insert 24 b 2 within that portion of the hole are both reduced in size with that portion of the insert 24 b slideably engaging the adjacent portion of the insert . this prevents insert 24 b from being forced outward through than end of hole 24 b 1 by spring 24 b 3 . insert 24 b 2 , spring 24 b 3 and hole 24 b 1 are arranged to permit slideable movement of the insert within the hole and permit head 24 b 4 to slideably move from the location shown in fig4 to a location where the outer end of head 24 b 4 is flush with hole 24 b 1 . retainer 24 b 5 prevents spring 24 b 3 from ejecting insert 24 b 2 when bending arm 18 is not adjacent to stop 24 b . chain 24 b 6 secures retainer 24 b 5 to stop 24 b . with this arrangement after bending arm 20 has rotated until it touches insert 24 b 2 , the arm will then compress spring 24 b 3 until head 24 b 4 is flush with the adjacent end of hole 24 b 1 . the angle that bending arm 20 travels trough from the location where bending arm 20 first touches insert 24 b 4 until head 24 b 2 is flush with hole 24 b 1 defines the second angle rotation . the location of bending arm 20 where head 24 b 4 is flush with hole 24 b 1 is the selected and locked first angle . the first angle is selected and locked using the same approach and arrangements in the second embodiment as was used in the first embodiment . the second angle interval will permit the operator to respond any time before bending arm 20 bears against stop 24 where it would begin to rotate angle indicator disk 24 . however since angle indicator disk 24 can rotate there will be no damage to any part of apparatus 10 as would occur in current bending apparatus . this second angle adjacent to the selected and locked first angle essentially gives the operator an angle interval to stop the bending arm were there is no possibility of having to reset the angle indicator disk 24 . in the third embodiment shown in fig7 and 8 , electrically powered air compressor 38 provides compressed air to control valve 36 through air hose 38 a , and air hose 38 b provides air from the control valve to foot control assembly 40 . this contrasts with the second embodiment where air compressor 38 provides air directly to foot control assembly 40 . essentially control valve 36 in embodiment 3 is substituted for stop 24 b in the first embodiment . as mentioned hereinabove the pneumatic powered system hydraulic cylinder 40 c requires a spring return for proper operation , which is a common configuration . control valve 36 has a spring loaded projection 36 a facing bending arm 20 . a control valve having the required characteristics is manufactured by pneumadyne inc . part no . all - 30 - 44 . when extension 36 a is extended air can flow through control valve 36 from air hose 38 a to air hose 38 b . when control valve extension 36 is depressed by bending arm 20 control valve 36 will close and prevent air from flowing from air hose 38 a to air hose 38 b which will stop the advance of bending arm 20 at that angular rotation as hereinafter described . this arrangement will also repeat the same bend angle for stock having the same characteristics until angle indicator disk 24 is rotated and control valve 36 repositioned at a different angle . foot control assembly 40 has a base 40 a containing a hydraulic fluid storage tank and an air driven pneumatic pump controlled by the position of foot control 40 b . a foot control assembly having the required characteristics for foot control 40 b is manufactured by shin fu of taiwan for bva hydraulics part # pa1500 . hydraulic fluid pumped by assembly 40 is forced through hose 40 d to hydraulic cylinder 40 c . with this arrangement when bending arm 20 depresses control valve extension 36 a , the flow of air to rotate bending arm 20 will automatically stop . this will result in the same bend angle being formed successively in stock having similar characteristics . again the location of control valve 36 can be determined by trial and error for stock with any given characteristics identical to the previous procedures used to obtain the previous stop locations . the fact that cylinder 40 c has a return spring permits resetting the cylinder by merely releasing pressure to the cylinder using foot control 40 b after the hydraulic fluid flow is stopped . incorporating repeatable bending apparatus into conventional bending apparatus , which can be either lever or hydraulically powered , requires only simple apparatus to obtain the same angle bend for any number of successive bends of stock which have the same characteristics . the set - up is also simple requiring only rotating and locking the disk at a predetermined location relative to the disk numbers and index marks . the required disk location can easily be determined by trial and error , and once determined can be provided to the user as part of a plan . this greatly simplifies constructing apparatus requiring a number of equal angle bends in a number of similar stock pieces . the above embodiments are just a few examples of the modifications and changes that are possible and would readily occur to one skilled in the art , therefore it is contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention . it will be understood that this disclosure , in many respects , is only illustrative . changes may be made in details , particularly in matters of shape , size , material , and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is as defined in the language of the appended claims .	1
this invention describes the use of custom efuse programming for recovery of potential memory yield loss in complex processor devices containing cache memory . this custom programming is better in cost and testing time than earlier techniques . the read and write operations associated with memories in complex processor devices sometimes need to be given additional margins in order to function properly . process variations may cause the timing of the differential sense read circuits and the critically timed write circuit elements used in such memories to be outside the requirements for proper operation . in these situations , the memory can be made usable by increasing the memory timing . this leads to recovery of memory yield . this technique is referred to as the memory trimming or memory slow - down . electrical fuses ( efuse ) are widely used for redundant ram repair and die - identification ( die - id ). supplemental bits may be incorporated in the die - id chain portion of the efuse network to control slow down of the read and write operations of the memories . conventional memory designs provide two or more pins dedicated to features commonly referred to as design - for - test ( dft ) pins . this invention includes the use of these dft pins . drive of the dft pins in a prescribed manner causes incremental additional margins in the timings of the read and write operations of the memories . this slows down the read and write operations . the cell output nodes of efuses in the die - id intended for this purpose drive these pins . this enables discretionary control of memory slow - down . efuses are easily programmed during wafer probe testing . the effect of the programming may be tested initially without actually programming the efuses using a soft test feature . fig3 illustrates the procedure of this invention for memory testing of an individual die to determine optimal programming of the efuse driven cache memory dft pins . in block 301 the efuses are soft programmed to select the highest speed read and write memory iteration . full memory test 302 follows for this test iteration # 1 . memory functionality query 303 determines whether for a yes result to store this programming iteration in block 314 or for a no result to apply soft test iteration # 2 in block 305 . this soft test iteration # 2 is the next slower memory speed . another full memory test 306 follows for test iteration # 2 . memory functionality query 307 determines whether for a yes result to store 314 this programming choice # 2 or for a no result to result apply the next soft test iteration . this process repeats until a final soft programming in iteration # z representing the slowest memory speed in block 309 . final memory functionality query 311 determines whether for a yes result to store 314 this programming choice # z or for a no result to reject the die 313 as not functional at slowest usable speed . from block 314 , die testing proceeds to the flow of fig5 described later . fig4 illustrates an example of the hardware in a programmable device containing cache memory . processor element 400 resides on a chip with logic functions 405 and cache memory 407 . the efuse controller 401 drives three efuse chains 402 , 403 and 404 . chain 402 contains the efuses that program special features of the logic functions 404 . chain 403 contains the efuses that form the die - id 406 for later automatic chip identification during testing . claim 403 also includes the dft efuses that act to trim the memory interface portion for optimal yield . chain 404 contains the efuses that perform special redundancy repair 408 within the cache memory 407 . the return loop for all three chains is shown collectively by path 409 returning to the efuse controller 401 . fig5 illustrates the procedure for wafer testing and programming the full complement of efuses on a given die . step 500 is the memory testing illustrated in fig3 . step 501 reads desired memory and non - memory programming data passes this to the efuse controller ( see 401 of fig4 ). step 502 applies the programming data to the efuse chains using the soft program feature . step 503 evaluates the detailed non - memory efuse programming for each die for overall yield . step 504 selects the optimal programming options . step 505 begins the final programming operations by regenerating the programming data . step 506 subjects the efuses for each chain to program pulses . these efuses are blown according to the regenerated program data input . step 507 reads out the program results . step 508 compares these results to the desired data . if results are satisfactory ( yes result 510 ), programming is complete at block 511 . if results are unsatisfactory ( no result 509 ), then the program returns to step 505 . this repeats step 506 for efuses which were to be blown but incorrectly remained unblown . this repeats until all efuses are properly blown ( yes result 510 ). fig6 illustrates a typical cache memory structure to which efuse memory trimming can be applied . the memory array 600 includes a dense set of memory cells arranged in rows and columns . a pair of bit lines 620 with double rail data ( data true and complement ) is routed through each column . memory address bits 611 include row address bits 603 and column address bits 605 . row address decoder 604 receives row address bits 603 and drives the corresponding row line . column address decoder / multiplexer 606 receives column address bits 605 and selects the corresponding pair of bit lines 620 . writing to the memory is active when wz signal 612 is low . input / output block 610 drives write data on dual rail bit lines 620 through the column decoder / multiplexer 606 . writing takes place only on words addressed by the active word line 618 and the active column addressed by column decoder / multiplexer 606 . read / write control input 613 controls both the read and write cycle timing . efuse inputs 607 and 608 represent all of the efuse program lines to the memory for the respective write and read programming . efuse inputs 607 and 608 can be as few as two lines but the need to extend the programming options to plural lines for plural read and write options is clear . efuse inputs 607 and 608 correspond to known design - for - test dft inputs with allow for memory slow - down in the write and the read cycle respectively . reading from the memory is active when wz signal 612 is high . reading uses differential sense amplifiers of block 602 to receive a small dual rail differential signal on the bit lines 620 . the polarity this differential signal indicates the data stored at the addressed location . timing control input 613 controls the timing of a read strobe placed during the read cycle and efuse input 608 provides a design - for - test dft input allowing for memory slow - down in the read cycle according to the present invention . output data is latched in the output buffer portion of the input / output block 610 and read out at input / output bus 619 . read cycle slow down gives additional time for a larger bit - line differential signals to build up before committing the read via a read strobe pulse . this read strobe pulse , delayed according to efuse programming , drives the sample once and lock - on in the latch portion of block 602 . slowing down the write cycle allows more time for the address bits to become stable and for build up of increased amplitude in the dual rail drive signal . this signal is generated in the word line driver portion of block 602 . in the write cycle the design objective is to open the cell , write data to it , then close it in the minimum time to maximize performance and minimize power . the closing time for a write is determined by efuse programming . physically there is a maximum speed at which this can be accomplished . the design task targets the maximum speed with an incremental amount of margin . the dft pins 607 and 608 are used as efuse inputs . these provide the ability to incrementally slow down both the read and write operations so that devices fabricated from weak transistors will function properly at a slightly lower memory speed . fig7 illustrates a timing diagram showing the principles of memory slow - down via efuse programming . one complete cycle for a memory read is depicted in read cycle 701 . one complete cycle for a memory write is depicted write cycle 702 . pre - charge cycles 703 and 704 at the later portion of each of these cycles is devoted to equalization , during which each pair of bit lines is forced to the most positive voltage level in the circuit . the read cycle 701 and write cycle 702 are further divided into three time intervals . system clock 617 synchronizes all memory operations . memory timing and control block 609 internally generates other timing signals . memory designs differ in many timing details . memory clock 700 illustrates one such timing signal with timing edges adjustable via efuse programming to determine ( a ) read strobe timing and ( b ) write interval closure . if read strobe may be placed early in read cycle and write interval closure may be placed early in write cycle , then the system clock frequency can be increased . at the start of read cycle 701 initiated at time 705 by system clock 617 , the row / column decoders take in a valid memory address 706 and generate row and column addresses for bit cells within a specific word . with read / write signal wz 707 high , indicating a read cycle , system clock 617 initiates the build - up of a bit line read voltage signal 710 . the addressed bit cells place voltages representing the stored data on the small dual rail bit - lines . these differential voltages will be detected by the differential sense amplifiers ( 602 of fig6 ) and latched by action of a strobe pulse placed in time at an optimum point during time interval 709 for data detection . four time options 711 , 712 , 713 and 714 are illustrated during time interval 709 as possible efuse programming choices . one of the strobe pulses 711 through 714 will be used for the optimal value of sense voltage amplitude 710 . in a write cycle 702 , read / write signal wz 717 is low and the system clock 617 initiates the build - up of a bit line write drive signal 720 . at write interval start time 715 the row / column decoders take in a valid memory address 716 and generate a valid decode to address bit cells within each word . bit line drivers ( 602 of fig6 ) place a relatively large dual rail voltage differential representing the data to be written and stored the addressed bit cells on bit - lines 620 . these differential voltages will close at an optimum point during time interval 720 for forcing the bit latches into the store state . four time options 721 , 722 , 723 and 724 during interval 719 are shown as possible efuse programming choices . one of the write pulse closing times 721 through 724 will be used for the optimal value of write differential voltage amplitude 720 .	6
as one of the main components of a crude unit process , corrosion control plays a vital role in maintaining system integrity . this invention provides a way to optimize the corrosion control component of the crude unit through optimizing one or more system parameters in a process stream of the crude unit . this optimization includes measuring properties associated with those parameters in the process stream . the corrosion control program of the invention is designed to reduce corrosion of refinery processing equipment and subsequent fouling due to deposition of corrosion byproducts . a typical corrosion control program includes components such as a neutralizing amine , a filming inhibitor , a caustic solution , etc . such corrosion control chemicals are traditionally injected into the system based upon measurements derived from grab samples and analyzed in the lab or some flow indication on the unit . this invention provides an automated method of adjusting chemical injection into the system . in a preferred embodiment , the method of the invention includes a controller operable to receive and process information and provide instructions to various components ( e . g ., chemical injection pumps ). the term “ controller ” refers to a manual operator or an electronic device having components such as a processor , memory device , digital storage medium , cathode ray tube , liquid crystal display , plasma display , touch screen , or other monitor , and / or other components . the controller is preferably operable for integration with one or more application - specific integrated circuits , programs , computer - executable instructions or algorithms , one or more hard - wired devices , wireless devices , and / or one or more mechanical devices . moreover , the controller is operable to integrate the feedback , feed - forward , or predictive loop ( s ) of the invention . some or all of the controller system functions may be at a central location , such as a network server , for communication over a local area network , wide area network , wireless network , internet connection , microwave link , infrared link , and the like . in addition , other components such as a signal conditioner or system monitor may be included to facilitate signal transmission and signal - processing algorithms . preferably , the controller includes hierarchy logic to prioritize any measured or predicted properties associated with system parameters . for example , the controller may be programmed to prioritize system ph over chloride ion concentration or vice versa . it should be appreciated that the object of such hierarchy logic is to allow improved control over the system parameters and to avoid circular control loops . in one embodiment , the method includes an automated controller . in another embodiment , the controller is manual or semi - manual . for example , where the crude refining process includes one or more datasets received from a various sensors in the system , the controller may either automatically determine which data points / datasets to further process or an operator may partially or fully make such a determination . a dataset from a crude unit , for instance , may include variables or system parameters such as oxidation - reduction potential , ph , levels of certain chemicals or ions ( e . g ., determined empirically , automatically , fluorescently , electrochemically , colorimetrically , measured directly , calculated ), temperature , pressure , process stream flow rate , dissolved or suspended solids , etc . such system parameters are typically measured with any type of suitable data capturing equipment , such as ph sensors , ion analyzers , temperature sensors , thermocouples , pressure sensors , corrosion probes , and / or any other suitable device or method . data capturing equipment is preferably in communication with the controller and , according to alternative embodiments , may have advanced functions ( including any part of the control algorithms described herein ) imparted by the controller . data transmission of measured parameters or signals to chemical pumps , alarms , or other system components is accomplished using any suitable device , such as a wired or wireless network , cable , digital subscriber line , internet , etc . any suitable interface standard ( s ), such as an ethernet interface , wireless interface ( e . g ., ieee 802 . 11a / b / g / x , 802 . 16 , bluetooth , optical , infrared , radiofrequency , etc . ), universal serial bus , telephone network , the like , and combinations of such interfaces / connections may be used . as used herein , the term “ network ” encompasses all of these data transmission methods . any of the described devices ( e . g ., plant archiving system , data analysis station , data capture device , process station , etc .) may be connected to one another using the above - described or other suitable interface or connection . in an embodiment , system parameter information is received from the system and archived . in another embodiment , system parameter information is processed according to a timetable or schedule . in a further embodiment , system parameter information is immediately processed in real - time / substantially real - time . such real - time reception may include , for example , “ streaming data ” over a computer network . referring now to the figures , fig1 depicts a diagram of a preferred embodiment of the invention . it should be appreciated that the particular configuration of the crude unit is not critical to the invention and fig1 illustrates one possible configuration . fig1 shows a typical atmospheric distillation tower system 100 of a crude unit that includes overhead heat exchanger bank 102 , accumulator 104 , distillation tower 106 , and pumparound heat exchangers 108 a and 108 b . in this embodiment , a dew point water sample is obtained at the indicated point and a sample of accumulator boot water is obtained at the indicated points on fig1 . these samples are measured and analyzed for the system parameters of ph , chloride ion concentration , and iron ion concentration . fig1 shows values of 5 . 8 for ph and 93 ppm for chloride ion concentration at the dew point water sample point and values of 6 . 7 and 10 , respectively , at the accumulator boot sample point . the measurement differences at these two sample points require a corresponding algorithm to adjust chemical injection . the preferred location in the crude unit for determining ph and chloride ion concentration is a dew point water sample , usually derived from the overhead heat exchangers of the distillation tower . another advantage of determining ph from the dew point water is that the ph probe encounters lower levels of contaminants and fewer solid particles and oil droplets resulting in less frequent fouling . the term “ dew point ” refers to the point of initial condensation of steam to water or the temperature at which a phase of liquid water separates from the water vapors and liquid hydrocarbons and begins to form liquid water as the vapors cool . though possible to use the accumulator water boot to measure ph and chloride ion level , a level of accuracy is usually sacrificed because data is diluted or masked by the full volume of steam and weak acids and bases that have condensed downstream of the water dew point . in a preferred embodiment , dew point water is analyzed for ph and chloride . it is advantageous to analyze dew point water rather than overhead accumulator water for ph and chloride because the dew point water is typically cleaner and provides a faster response with more accurate measurement of these system parameters . testing usually reveals a dramatic difference between water samples from these two locations . on many units , the dew point chloride concentration may be several hundred ppm , while a similar sample taken from overhead accumulator water may , at the same time , be from 10 to 50 ppm . for example , dew point water may have a ph of 5 . 8 and a chloride ion concentration of 93 ppm ; whereas , the accumulator boot water of the same unit may have values of 6 . 7 and 10 , respectively . likewise , it is possible to measure iron ( or other metals , such as copper , molybdenum , nickel , zinc ) ion concentration from the dew point water . the preferred location for determining iron or other metal ion concentration is at the accumulator water boot because these ions indicate corrosion has taken place and metal has been removed from an internal component in the system upstream of the sample point . it should be appreciated that any suitable method may be used for obtaining the dew point water sample . for example , devices for obtaining the dew point water sample are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 335 , 072 , titled “ overhead corrosion simulator ” and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 425 , 267 , titled “ corrosion simulator and method for simulating corrosion activity of a process stream ,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in alternative embodiments , different fluid or system parameters or other constituents present in the system could be measured and / or analyzed . representative measured parameters or constituents include ph ; chloride ion ; other strong and weak acids , such as sulfuric , sulfurous , thiosulfurous , carbon dioxide , hydrogen sulfide ; organic acids ; ammonia ; various amines ; and liquid or solid deposits . various methods of measuring such parameters are contemplated and the invention is not limited to one particular method . representative methods include , but are not limited to those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 326 , 482 , titled “ on - line acid monitor and neutralizer feed control of the overhead water in oil refineries ”; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 324 , 665 , titled “ on - line method for monitoring chloride levels in a fluid stream ”; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 302 , 253 , titled “ on - line acid monitor and neutralizer feed control of the overhead water in oil refineries ,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in response to the measured system parameters , fig1 shows exemplary introduction points for neutralizers , filming inhibitors ( sometimes referred to herein as “ filmers ”), and caustic agents . these points are labeled “ neutralizer based on acid or ph ,” “ filmer based on iron ,” and “ caustic based on chloride .” it should be appreciated that such chemicals may be added at any suitable location in the system , but are preferably added at the indicated point on fig1 . in this embodiment , neutralizer and filming inhibitor is added upstream of overhead heat exchanger bank 102 and caustic agent is added into the crude oil charge of atmospheric distillation tower system 100 . according to a preferred embodiment , introduction of such chemicals into the system are adjusted continuously . in other embodiments , chemical introduction is adjusted intermittently or in relation to a schedule as determined for each individual system . neutralizer ( s ), caustic agent ( s ), and filming inhibitor ( s ) may be introduced to the system using any suitable type of chemical feed pump . most commonly , positive displacement injection pumps are used powered either electrically or pneumatically . continuous flow injection pumps are sometimes used to ensure specialty chemicals are adequately and accurately injected into the rapidly moving process stream . though any suitable pump or delivery system may be used , exemplary pumps and pumping methods include those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 066 , 199 , titled “ method for injecting treatment chemicals using a constant flow positive displacement pumping apparatus ” and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 195 , 879 , titled “ improved method for injecting treatment chemicals using a constant flow positive displacement pumping apparatus ,” each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . representative neutralizers include but are not limited to 3 - methoxypropylamine ( mopa ) ( cas # 5332 - 73 - 0 ), monoethanolamine ( mea ) ( cas # 141 - 43 - 5 ), n , n - dimethylaminoethanol ( dmea ) ( cas # 108 - 01 - 0 ), and methoxyisopropylamine ( miopa ) ( cas # 37143 - 54 - 7 ). as a caustic agent , a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide is typically prepared in a 5 to 10 % concentration ( 7 . 5 to 14 ° baume ) for ease of handling and to enhance distribution once injected into the crude oil , or desalter wash water , for example . concentration may be adjusted according to ambient conditions , such as for freeze point in cold climates . filming inhibitors or filmers used in conjunction with this invention in a crude unit corrosion control program are typically oil soluble blends of amides and imidazolines . these compounds offer good corrosion control with minimal effects on the ability of the hydrocarbons in the system to carry water . fig2 shows a flowchart of a preferred embodiment of controlling the introduction of neutralizer ( s ) into the system based upon measured ph , labeled method 200 . box 202 represents the measuring device or analyzer that provides information related to the ph of the dew point ( or accumulator ) water . the analyzer ( e . g ., controller or operator ) determines whether the ph is within an optimum range ( 5 . 8 to 6 . 0 in this example ) as shown in box 204 . if the ph is within the predetermined optimum range , the logic follows the “ yes ” path and continues measuring and analyzing . if the ph is not within this range , the method includes determining whether the ph is below 5 . 8 , as represented by box 206 , or above 6 . 0 , as represented by box 208 . if the ph is below 5 . 8 , the method includes increasing the neutralizer pump by , for example , 5 % or 10 %, as shown by box 210 . if the ph is above 6 . 0 , the method includes decreasing the neutralizer pump by , for example , 5 % or 10 %, as shown by box 212 . it should be appreciated that a suitable ph control or optimal range should be determined for each individual system . the optimum range for one system may vary considerably from that for another system . it is within the concept of the invention to cover any possible optimum ph range . in different embodiments , changes in the neutralizer pump are limited in frequency . preferably , adjustment limits are set at a maximum of 1 per 15 min and sequential adjustments in the same direction should not exceed 8 . for example , after 8 total adjustments or a change of 50 % or 100 %, the pump could be suspended for an amount of time ( e . g ., 2 or 4 hours ) and alarm could be triggered . if such a situation is encountered , it is advantageous to trigger an alarm to alert an operator . other limits , such as maximum pump output may also be implemented . it should be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention to cause any number of adjustments in any direction without limitation . such limits are applied as determined by the operator . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention as method 300 for controlling the introduction of caustic agent ( s ) into the system driven by the chloride ion concentration signal . box 302 represents the measuring device or analyzer that provides information related to the chloride ion concentration of the dew point water . the analyzer ( e . g ., controller or operator ) determines whether the chloride ion concentration is within an optimum range ( 50 to 100 ppm in this example ) as shown in box 304 . if the chloride ion concentration is within the predetermined optimum range , the logic follows the “ yes ” path and continues measuring and analyzing . if the chloride ion concentration is not within this range , the method includes determining whether the chloride ion concentration is below 50 ppm , as represented by box 306 , or above 100 ppm , as represented by box 308 . if the chloride ion concentration is below 50 ppm , the method includes decreasing the caustic pump by , for example , 20 %, as shown by box 310 . if the chloride ion concentration is above 100 ppm , the method includes increasing the caustic pump by , for example , 20 %, as shown by box 312 . it should be appreciated that a suitable or optimal chloride ion concentration range should be determined for each individual system . the optimum range for one system may vary considerably from that for another system . it is within the concept of the invention to cover any possible optimum chloride ion concentration range . in different embodiments , changes in the caustic pump are limited in frequency . preferably , adjustment limits are set at a maximum of 1 per 30 min and sequential adjustments in the same direction should not exceed 4 . for example , after 4 total adjustments or a change of 50 % or 100 %, the pump could be suspended for an amount of time ( e . g ., 2 or 4 hours ) and alarm could be triggered . if such a situation is encountered , it is advantageous to trigger an alarm to alert an operator . other limits , such as maximum pump output or maximum sodium contribution to the system may also be implemented . it should be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention to cause any number of adjustments in any direction without limitation . such limits are applied as determined by the operator . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention as method 400 for controlling the introduction of filming inhibitors into the system driven by the iron ion concentration signal . other metallurgy , such as monel , titanium , brass , etc . may be used in some systems . in these cases , rather than an iron ion concentration signal , the appropriate metal ion ( e . g ., copper , nickel , zinc , etc .) concentration signal would be detected and analyzed . box 402 represents the measuring device or analyzer that provides information related to the iron ion concentration of the accumulator boot water . the analyzer ( e . g ., controller or operator ) determines whether the iron ion concentration is within an optimum range ( 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 ppm in this example ) as shown in box 404 . if the iron ion concentration is within the predetermined optimum range , the logic follows the “ yes ” path and continues measuring and analyzing . if the iron ion concentration is not within this range , the method includes determining whether the iron ion concentration is below 0 . 05 ppm , as represented by box 406 , or above 1 . 0 ppm , as represented by box 408 . if the iron ion concentration is below 0 . 05 ppm , the method includes decreasing the filming inhibitor ( i . e ., filmer ) pump by , for example , 5 %, as shown by box 410 . if the iron ion concentration is above 1 . 0 ppm , the method includes increasing the filmer pump by , for example , 5 %, as shown by box 412 . metal ions commonly exist in two or more oxidation states . for example , iron exists in fe 2 + and fe 3 + as well being present in soluble states ( ionic and fine particulate ), insoluble states ( i . e ., filterable ), etc . analysis and control of metal ions includes measurement or prediction of any combination ( or all ) of such permutations present in the system . in different embodiments , changes in the filming inhibitor pump are limited in frequency . preferably , adjustment limits are set at a maximum of 1 per 30 min and sequential adjustments in the same direction should not exceed 4 . for example , after 4 total adjustments or a change of 50 % or 100 %, the pump could be suspended for an amount of time ( e . g ., 2 or 4 hours ) and alarm could be triggered . if such a situation is encountered , it is advantageous to trigger an alarm to alert an operator . other limits , such as maximum pump output may also be implemented . it should be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention to cause any number of adjustments in any direction without limitation . such limits are applied as determined by the operator . fig5 depicts an embodiment of the invention as method 500 for controlling the override of the introduction of neutralizer ( s ), caustic agent ( s ), and filmers into the system driven by the corrosion rates derived from one or more corrosion probes or other corrosion rate sensing device at any point in the system . most crude units use electrical resistance - type corrosion probes located at the inlet and / or the outlet of the overhead heat exchangers . although any type of corrosion - sensing device is contemplated , the above - mentioned type is preferred . box 502 represents the one or more corrosion probes that provide information related to the corrosion rates in the system . the analyzer ( e . g ., controller or operator ) determines whether the corrosion rate is greater than a predetermined rate ( 25 mpy in this example ) as shown in box 504 . the actionable corrosion rate is typically determined on a case - by - case basis by a skilled artisan and is dependent on a multitude of system factors . if the corrosion rate is less than a predetermined acceptable rate , the logic follows the “ no ” path and continues measuring and analyzing . if the corrosion rate is above the predetermined acceptable rate , the method includes overriding all other programming and triggering an alarm , as shown by box 506 . in alternative embodiments , rather than an override other programming could be modified as determined by an operator or controller . in this example , the override includes increasing the neutralizer , caustic agent , and filmer pump rates by , for example 20 %, as shown by box 508 . in other embodiments , the pump rates are changed individually as determined by an operator or controller . although the corrosion probes ( e . g ., electrical resistance corrosion probes , linear polarization probes , and / or any other suitable method for determining metal loss ) may be placed at any convenient location in the system , preferably they are placed in historically reliable locations in the system . in addition , if , for example , 2 overrides are activated over a 12 hr period , a reliability check is typically initiated to ensure that the corrosion probes are operating properly . if such a situation is encountered , it is advantageous to trigger an alarm to alert an operator . other limits , such as maximum pump output may also be implemented . it should be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention to cause any number of adjustments in any direction without limitation . such limits are applied as determined by the operator . the foregoing may be better understood by reference to the following examples , which are intended for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . an exemplary embodiment of the invention would consist of a cluster of on - line analyzers in an explosion - proof box receiving a sample of water from a dew point water - sampling device . data generated by these analyzers would be appropriately conditioned to send a control signal to various process chemical injection pumps . a programmable logic controller ( plc ) programmed by a skilled artisan would convert the raw data into pump control signals . a typical system would include one or more of the following components : chloride analyzer ; iron analyzer ; corrosion rate monitoring device ; conductivity ; ph meter ; dew point water sample device ; class i , div ii explosion proof enclosure ; plc capable of multiple inputs / outputs ; logic programming to convert chloride , ph , and iron data into pump speed control ; and wireless or hard - wired connections from plc to pumps . this instant invention would provide improvement in control for each of three test parameters of chloride ion concentration , ph , and iron ion concentration . of these three , chloride is usually the most damaging if not properly controlled . the graph in fig6 demonstrates how the invention would be capable of improving the control of chloride ion concentration ( the dotted line indicates optimum concentration ). a similar concept of better control through the method of the invention will apply to ph , iron ion concentration , and other system parameters ultimately resulting in corrosion rates reduced from previous levels and extending equipment run length . fig6 shows a number of spikes of chloride concentration above the upper control limit from actual data from a crude unit . chloride spikes are damaging to equipment and an ex post facto examination of the data will reveal increased corrosion and fouling during these episodes . such spikes are more frequent and damaging when the crude slate is switched to a challenging or opportunity crude . increased chloride ion concentration usually occurs with a concomitant increase in corrosion of the processing equipment and subsequent fouling due to deposition of corrosion byproducts . the section of the graph in fig6 labeled “ implement control ” demonstrates how the method of the invention would be used to stabilize chloride ion concentration when more frequent data is available to minimize ( or eliminate ) disruptions . the graph of fig7 illustrates ph and chloride ion concentration values tracked over time for an actual crude unit ( the dotted lines indicate optimum concentrations ). it can be seen that a drop in the ph value usually accompanies upward spikes for chloride ion concentration . such drops in ph typically result in increased corrosion and subsequent fouling ( due to corrosion byproducts ) of the heat exchanging equipment . the section of the graph labeled “ implement control ” demonstrates how the method of the invention would be used stabilize chloride ion concentration and ph , thus reducing corrosion and fouling in the system . smoothing variation of the incoming chloride values allows for tighter ph control and more stable and predictable chemical usage . it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its intended advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims .	2
a first main embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to fig 1 a - 1 e . fig1 a discloses a cross section of a display element of a non - emissive display , here an electrophoretic display of reservoir type in accordance with prior art , comprising a pixel part 1 and a reservoir part 2 . a display is built up by a plurality of such pixel elements , being driven by active matrix driving . the driven pixel element comprises a layer of electrophoretic material 5 , such as a transparent , translucent or light coloured solution carrying dark coloured , absorbing particles , being arranged between a front layer 3 and a back layer 4 , being an active plate . in the pixel part 1 , on said back layer , a reflecting element 6 is arranged to reflect ambient light falling onto the display and entering through the electrophoretic layer 5 , and in the reservoir part 2 , on said front layer a blocking element 7 is arranged to block ambient light from entering directly into the reservoir part of the display device . depending on the state of driving , the coloured particles of the electrophoretic layer 5 may move in and out of the visible pixel part and thereby generate a desired visible grey level of the pixel part . as indicated above , in this display , ambient light is allowed to pass through the electrophoretic layer 5 and onto the back layer , being an active plate . according to the invention the intensity of the incident light falling onto the pixel part 2 may be measured , this being a measure of the grey scale level of the pixel . this may be done by using a photo - sensor 8 b , 8 c , 8 d , 8 e . according to a first alternative , as shown in fig 1 b , the photo - sensor 8 b may be positioned in the reservoir part 2 of the display element , adjacent to the pixel part 1 . in this case , light is detected by the photo - sensor 8 b after being reflected by the reflecting element 6 in the pixel part 2 . a portion of the incident light is absorbed by the coloured particles being present in the pixel part , and hence the photo - sensor signal detected will be dependant upon the amount of coloured particles present in the pixel part 2 . according to a second alternative , as shown in fig1 c , a photo - sensor 8 c is located adjacent to the reflecting element 6 on the back layer 4 of the display device . a part of the incident light will be absorbed by the coloured particles present in the pixel part 1 , and hence the detected photo - sensor signal will be altered accordingly . preferably , the photo - sensor 8 c is situated at the edges of the pixel , or even on top of an electrode within the pixel part , where the light loss will be limited . this alternative has the advantage that the photo - sensor 8 c is situated on the active substrate , whereby integration is possible . according to a third alternative , as shown in fig1 d , the photo - sensor 8 d is arranged directly above the reflecting element of the pixel part 1 . this alternative has the advantage that the photo - sensor 8 d may detect light falling into all portions of the pixel part , and hence , the photo - sensor 8 d may measure the actual total light absorption of the pixel . according to a fourth alternative , as shown in fig1 e , the photo - sensor 8 e is arranged directly above the reflecting element of the pixel part 1 , in the form of a grid or other pattern . in this case , the photo - sensor 8 e may provide a good measure of the average light absorption in the pixel , whilst only minimally reducing the brightness of the pixel . a second main embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to fig2 a - 2 b . fig2 a and fig2 b both disclose a cross section of a display element or pixel 10 of an electrophoretic display of electronic ink type . this display element comprises a layer 111 comprising a plurality of microcapsules , said layer 11 being arranged between first and second electrodes 12 , 13 arranged for active matrix driving , forming pixels . each microcapsule comprises an amount of electrophoretic material , such as a clear fluid carrying light coloured as well as dark coloured particles , being oppositely charged ( it is also possible to use light and dark charged particles with fluids of complementary colours ). thereby the position of the light and / or dark particles within the microcapsule may be altered by applying an electric field over it , and hence it may be controlled whether the pixel shall be light ( light particles positioned on the viewing side of the microcapsules and / or dark particles positioned away from the viewing side of the microcapsules ) or dark ( dark particles positioned on a viewing side of the microcapsules and / or light particles positioned away from the viewing side of the microcapsules ). further , the first electrode is arranged on an optical foil 14 and the second electrode 13 is arranged on a tft substrate 17 . in electrophoretic displays of electronic ink type , it is generally not possible for incident light to pass through the electrophoretic layer , and hence measuring of the grey scale level of the display is preferably made by measuring the amount of scattered light from a pixel . according to a first alternative , a photo - sensor 15 is positioned above the first electrode 12 , on the foil side of the display . the photo - sensor 15 is protected by means of a black matrix 16 , being positioned above said photo - sensor 15 , in order to prevent detection of direct incident light upon the photo - sensor . thereby , light scattered from white particles of the microcapsules in a pixel region is arranged to be detected by the photo - sensor 15 . since a part of the incident light may have been absorbed by dark particles in the pixel , the amount of scattered light will vary , depending on the amount of black particles in the pixel area . according to a second alternative of the second main embodiment , a photo - sensor 15 is positioned on or adjacent to the pixel electrode on the tft substrate 17 . in this case , the display is to be viewed from the tft substrate side of the display device . as above , detection of direct light is prevented by a black matrix protecting the photo - sensor . as above , some of the incident light will be absorbed by black particles in the pixel , and hence the amount of scattered light as well as the photo - sensor signal is altered accordingly . preferably , the photo - sensor is situated at the edges of the pixel , or even on top of electrodes within the pixel . this alternative has the advantage that the photo - sensor may detect light falling into all portions of the pixel part , and hence , the photo - sensor may measure the actual total light absorption of the pixel . moreover the photo - sensor may be arranged directly above the pixel , in the form of a grid or other pattern in the same way as in fig1 e . in this case , the photo - sensor may provide a good measure of the average light absorption in the pixel , whilst only minimally reducing the brightness of the pixel . for some applications it may be suitable to correct the display in accordance with ambient light intensity , and for this purpose two possible solutions will hereinafter be described . according to a preferred embodiment , the intensity of the incoming light is monitored by a plurality of photodiodes , arranged around the periphery of the display in order to determine what the local brightness of the incident light across the display is . the photodiodes may even be arranged within the display , however not being covered by electrophoretic particles . alternatively , the incident light distribution may be measured across the entire display area , just before the grey level is set , by removing all electrophoretic particles from the display , and using this measurement as a reference to set the pixel grey level . in this case , a pixel memory unit may be incorporated in the display , in order to carry out a comparison with the reference level during grey scale level setting . methods to include pixel memory are well known for example in the preferred poly - si technology , and will therefore not be closer described herein . a method for applying a photo - sensor feedback from the above described photo - sensors in order to set grey levels in an electrophoretic display in accordance with the invention will hereinafter be described . similar approaches can be envisaged for applying a photo - sensor feedback to any of the other bi - stable displays described above , which fall within the scope of this invention , i . e . electrochromic ( ec ) displays , cholesteric textured liquid crystal ( ctlc ) displays , hybride switchable mirror ( hm ) displays and some types of guest - host systems . even if there are several ways of creating grey levels in electrophoretic displays ( disclosed in the prior art ), they all rely on the basic principle that charged particles respond to an electrical field and its polarity , and hence the polarity of the field determines whether the pixel becomes brighter or darker when the field is applied . according to an embodiment of this invention , the output from the above photo - sensor is used to determines the polarity of an applied field . an example of a schematic circuit carrying out this operation is disclosed in fig3 . determine whether the new grey level is brighter or darker than the previous grey level . according to a first embodiment , this may be determined by a signal processing approach , where the new grey level value is compared with the current grey level value , which is stored in a frame memory . according to a second embodiment , the current grey level may first be measured using the actual output of the photo - sensor , and compare it with the new grey level . this may be carried out either one pixel at a time , or preferably one row at a lime , and this would require a much smaller pixel / row memory and an external comparator . according to a third embodiment , the comparison of new grey level data and current grey level data may be carried out directly at pixel level , requiring no external memory or comparator . once the outcome of step 1 is determined , the pixel electrode is connected either to the positive or negative voltage . in the example of fig3 , this is achieved by addressing one of the switching tfts ( tft 1 or tft 2 ). depending on the implementation , this may be carried out by addressing a single addressing line or using two separate addressing lines . here , the output of the photo - sensor is compared with the expected output for the new grey level , and is if necessary adjusted for ambient light as described above . when the output of the photo - sensor reaches the expected value for the new grey level , the voltage is removed from the pixel . this may be done by either isolating the pixel from the power line or by switching off the power lines , depending on implementation . if necessary , it is possible to continue to monitor the photo - sensor output after the grey level has been fixed . in this case , if any drift in the grey level is noticed , for example beyond a predetermined grey level range , it would be possible to once again restore the desired grey level by repeating step 1 - 4 described above , using the same image data . photo - sensor feedback may also be used to provide a more uniform grey level in a non - emissive display according to this invention , and specifically an electrophoretic displays . in this case , the output of the photo - sensor is used to modify the pixel addressing voltage , as is illustrated in fig4 a - 4 b . pixels , which are on average brighter will create a higher photo - current in the photo - sensor than pixels , which are on average darker . if a portion of this current is used to discharge the voltage across the pixel ( and its associated storage capacitor ), those pixels which are too bright will receive on average a lower voltage , as their pixel voltage will reduce more rapidly . this causes them to switch off less quickly , whereby they will reach a lower brightness that normal at the end of a driving period . in contrast , those pixels which are too dark will receive on average a higher voltage , as their pixel voltage will reduce more slowly . this causes them to switch more quickly , whereby they reaches a higher brightness than normal at the end of the driving period . in this way , as bright pixels are darkened and dark pixels are brightened , the perceived uniformity of the display is improved . in this case , there is no need to measure the absolute light output and compare this to a reference value . hence , a non - emissive display device according to the invention and specifically an electrophoretic display device have been achieved , which avoids problems with grey scale accuracy and drift by monitoring the grey scale level within the pixel and using an associated optical feedback signal to set the grey scale to the desired level . the feedback may either be completely used to set the grey scale , or could be used to fine tune an already set grey level , or could be used to prevent a set grey level from further drifting with time . this will be feasible as the non - emissive display and specifically the electrophoretic display according to the invention , may use an active matrix for driving , and the transistors of the active plate may be used to realise the grey scale detection and feed - back circuits . this is particularly suitable is a poly - si process is used to form the active matrix , since cmos transistor ( p - type and n - type ) and photodiodes are readily available but may also be implemented in a - si technology , by using diodes or mim diodes or by using mono - crystalline si ( for example in micro - display applications ). whilst in the above only grey levels are discussed , the invention is also applicable to full colour display devices , and specifically to electrophoretic full colour displays which use either a colour filter approach or intrinsic colouring of the pixels ( for example by using particles of different colours within the electrophoretic display ) in order to provide a full colour display . it shall be noted that the term non - emissive display device as used in this invention shall be construed as a display device which operate using electro - optical modes , whereby scattering and / or absorption of light is arranged to occur within the pixel cell . it shall also be noted that the present invention may be used with several kinds of non - emissive displays , other than the electrophoretic display described above . for example , the invention may be used with displays based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals ( pdlc ), cholesteric textured liquid crystals ( ctlc ), guest - host systems ( g - h ) electrochromic systems , “ gyricon ” systems ( trademark of xerox corp .) and hybride switchable mirror systems ( hm ), as for example described in the patent application pct / ib01 / 02516 .	6
the wide area network is evolving to one that integrates virtual circuit switching ( label swapping ) for flows with conventional datagram forwarding . a first step along that road was described by ipsilon by newman , p et al , in ip switching - atm under ip , ieee trans . on networking , vol 0 . 6 , no . 2 , april 1998 , which : a ) uses a classification algorithm to detect flows among the influx of ip packets ; b ) uses ip datagram forwarding to determine where to send the packet ; c ) creates a virtual circuit connection through the switch to the same place that the ip packet is being sent ; d ) transmits the vci of that connection to the upstream switch with an indication that subsequent packets should be encapsulated with that vci ; and e ) arranges that incoming packets encapsulated with that vci are switched not routed . we have modified this concept to provide flow switching on local area networks ( lans ) that use ethernet . fig1 illustrates a switch that handles a flow between two hosts , h and k . usually , ethernet addresses are of hosts rather than endpoints of flows . our design uses ethernet addresses to also identify flows on the lan . it is exactly as if the switch contains one virtual host for every flow . the ethernet address of that virtual host , referred to here as v , is temporarily assigned from a block of locally administered ethernet addresses . packets of a flow from host h to host k pass through the virtual host v . the source and destination addresses in packets leaving h are h and v respectively . packets traveling from v to k have source and destination addresses equal to v and k . the switch performs ethernet address swapping as follows : a ) the destination address of an incoming packet is moved into the source address field ; and b ) a new destination address is obtained from a “ vc forwarding table ” held within the switch . the technique is compatible with existing applications of ethernet because in effect all we have done is to add extra ( virtual ) hosts to the network . whereas the ipsilon technique used a classification algorithm to detect flows among ip packets , we have experimented with the idea that the host application should make that decision . we have added a single byte , vc — flag , in the general socket structure of our hosts to say that the application wants special service for the flow of packets passing through the socket . the presence of that flag tells the socket software to use a virtual host ethernet address instead of the destination ethernet address implied by the ip header . the switch does traditional ethernet packet forwarding on all packets except those that are addressed to a virtual host . packets addressed to a virtual host are switched using data in a vc forwarding table . the first packet for a new flow causes an entry to be made in the vc forwarding table based upon the ip destination contained in the packet . by this means we have created in the local area a sufficient means to provide quality communication service on a per - flow basis . when the technique is matched to flow switching in a wide area network the user has full benefit of end - to - end flow switching , from a socket in one host to a socket in another . this has been achieved with minimal impact on host software , no interference with existing applications , and complete compatibility with existing ethernets . the ethernet frame format illustrated above consists of a destination address , source address and protocol type indicator followed by the payload and a frame check . in the following diagrams which describe how ethernet addresses are manipulated during switching , we are only interested in the destination and source addresses . so ethernet packets will be represented thus : certain ethernet addresses are used to identify flows . this is done in such a way that network software in the host computers connected to the network work under the impression that the ethernet , as always , is a device for sending datagrams ( individual packets ) from one computer to another . an ethernet switch that supports flows behaves as if it contains within it one virtual host for every flow . fig2 illustrates a flow that passes through one ethernet switch between hosts h and k . the flow is represented in that switch by virtual host v . host h is connected by an ethernet to port p 1 of switch s , and p 2 is connected by ethernet to host k . within the switch , incoming packets with destination address v are routed according to the table shown in the lower block . packets arriving with host address h are rejected if they did not come from port p 1 . likewise , packets from k are rejected if they did not come from port p 2 . the packet forwarding process first copies the destination address ( v ) of the incoming packet into the source address of the outgoing packet and then it copies the new destination address from the table . host k is the destination for packets coming from h , and host h is the destination for packets coming from k . the same procedure applies when switches are connected in tandem . fig3 illustrates the case when there are two switches , a first switch s 1 and a second switch s 2 , between hosts h and k . in fig3 , host h and virtual host v interact as described above for fig2 . however , unlike in fig2 , in fig3 , virtual host v and ports p 1 and p 2 are in first switch s 1 and port p 2 of virtual host v is connected by an ethernet to a port p 3 of second switch s 2 . as a result , within first switch s 1 , incoming packets with destination address v are routed according to the table shown in the block in first switch s 1 . second switch s 2 also has a port p 4 that is connnected by ethernet to host k . likewise , within second switch s 2 , incoming packets with destination address w are routed according to the table shown in the block in second switch s 2 . therefore , packets arriving from host h are rejected if they did not come from port p 1 , packets arriving from virtual host v are rejected if they did not come from port p 3 , and packets arriving from virtual host w are rejected if they did not come from port p 4 . conversely , in the opposite direction , packets arriving from host k are rejected if they did not come from port p 4 , packets arriving from virtual host w are rejected if they did not come from port p 2 , and packets arriving from virtual host v are rejected if they did not come from port p 1 . as is usual with ethernet switches , the ip addresses and ethernet addresses of hosts attached to a particular port are discovered by scanning packet source addresses or by using arp . the packet forwarding table used by each virtual host is constructed by examining the header of the first ip packet in a flow . of course , virtual hosts do not really exist , even as processes within a switch . it is just that the actions of a switch as seen from outside are exactly as described by the model . internally the switch uses a combination of technologies found today in ip routers and virtual circuit switches . it is a table - driven process that stores packets in queues , processes their headers and transfers them to the appropriate output ports with appropriate attention to the quality of service appropriate to each traffic class . the same technique can be used for point to multipoint flows , as shown in fig4 . in this example , host h is the root of a multicast tree that transmits packets to the two hosts k and l . the forwarding table now has three rows , one for each host in the multicast , and a third column indicates which host is the “ root ” of the multicast tree . packets coming from h are copied to each of the hosts given in the other rows of the table . packets addressed to v from k and l may either be rejected or propagated upstream depending upon the permission stated in the “ perm ” column . note that if k and l do transmit packets upstream , h must examine the ip header to determine the source of each packet . in fig4 , host h , virtual host v and host k interact as described above for fig2 . however , in fig3 , virtual host v also has a port p 3 that is connected by an ethernet to host l . likewise , within second switch s 2 , incoming packets with destination address v are routed according to the table shown in the block in switch s . therefore , packets arriving from host h are rejected if they did not come from port p 1 , packets arriving from virtual host v are rejected by host k if they did not come from port p 3 , and packets arriving from virtual host v are rejected by host l if they did not come from port p 3 . conversely , in the opposite direction , packets arriving from host k are rejected if they did not come from port p 2 , packets arriving from host l are rejected if they did not come from port p 3 , and packets arriving from virtual host v are rejected if they did not come from port p 1 . an example of a virtual circuit signaling connection set - up protocol follows . a protocol for setting up a connection between two hosts , for example , h and k in any of fig2 , 3 or 4 , takes place in three stages . first h requests that the connection be made , then k accepts the request and causes a virtual circuit to be created , and finally h confirms that indeed there is a connection . the connection request is sent as an ordinary ip datagram from h to k . the accept message is sent as a signal , which is a message from h to k that is flagged for special attention in each of the network nodes along the way . as this signal progresses through the network a ( full duplex ) virtual circuit is created between h and k . finally , the confirmation message from h is transmitted over the new virtual circuit . a socket number is an identifier chosen by a host to represent one end of a connection . socket numbers for successive conversations should be different one from another so that a long time will elapse between repeated use of any one socket number . this allows any messages involved in a connection set - up to be retransmitted without ambiguity . for ipv4 the socket number is synonymous with port number as used by tcp or udp . in other words , as is well known in art , a port number is associated with a socket number , and this association of a port number to a socket can change over time . see , for example , w . r . stevens “ unix network programming ”, prentice hall software series , april 1990 , chapter 6 , “ berkeley sockets ”, pages , 258 – 304 . the connection , accept and confirm message are coincident with the ip packets which normally start a tcp virtual circuit connection on the internet . a tcp session begins with the following 3 - way handshake : client host h chooses a port number and sends a syn message to server host k . k chooses a port number , and sends a syn message to h . h can then use the connection , and sends an ack message to k . k then understands that it can also use the connection . implementation of the tcp virtual circuit as a switched flow at layer 2 takes place concurrently with step two of this handshake . no extra packets need be transmitted . the embodiments described above advantageously protect the confidentiality , integrity and authenticity of a conversation represented by a flow . as used herein , protecting “ confidentiality ” means preventing unauthorized access to the contents of the flow . protecting “ integrity ” means preventing the unauthorized manipulation or alteration of the flow . protecting “ authenticity ” means providing some assurance that the purported source of a packet is the actual source of the packet . as shown in fig2 , the vc fowarding table stores a list of allowed hosts ( real and virtual ) from which packets may come , and to which packets may be sent . also , switch s stores the port number through which switch s communicates with each host . when a packet from h arrives at switch s through port p , switch s searches the vc forwarding table for a record that correlates the source address of the packet with the port number through which the packet has arrived . if such a record is not found in the vc forwarding table , then the packet is rejected . in other words , if a packet arrives through the wrong port or from an unknown source , then the authenticity and / or integrity of the packet is suspect , and the packet is rejected . this should be implemented for both virtual and real host addresses in all of the switches handling a flow to maximize security . the above description is meant to illustrate , and not limit , the scope of the present invention . for example , although ethernet and internet protocols were discussed in illustrating various embodiments , any suitable protocols can be used in accordance with the present invention . other embodiments of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure .	7
referring firstly to a first preferred embodiment of a keyboard of the present invention , the keyboard 100 includes a plurality of input keys 110 which may be alphabetical keys 1 ; 11 , numerical keys 112 , function keys 113 , control keys 114 and other appropriate keys . the input keys 110 ( including generally the alphanumeric keys , function keys and control keys ) are mounted on a keyboard housing 120 which may be rigid , flexible , foldable or resilient . it will be noted from the description below that the locations of the input keys 100 are reconfigurable at various predetermined locations to be determined by a user . a more detailed cross - section of the key arrangements of the keyboard 110 are shown in fig2 a and 2b as well as fig4 a - 4 h . referring , for example , to fig2 b to 4 b , the input keys 110 include a body 115 with a pair of resilient arms 116 with inverted hooks . the keys 110 are mounted on the housing of the keyboard against spring bias 117 and the pair of resilient arms are provided to guide the movement of the keys along a direction to actuate and de - actuate the keys 110 . as shown in fig4 b to 4 f , the input key 110 includes a cap portion 118 and the stem portion 119 . an operator activates the input key 110 by pressing downwards on the top of the cap 118 which then moves the stem portion 119 downward to make contact with or trigger the associated detection means on the keyboard or apparatus . a hard plastic key housing 120 may be provided to receive the key body 115 . a collar means may be formed on the housing to surround the stem to allow guided relative translation movements of the key body 115 along the actuation direction . a washer 150 , for example , a soft plastic washer , is inserted into the stem portion 119 to shield the detection circuitry on the keyboard housing 120 to prevent dust or other contaminants from entering the electrical contact areas and to hold the keys in place . each of the input keys 110 are generally provided with physical indicia to enable an operator to identify and select the appropriate keys . such physical indicia may , for example , include two dimensional or three - dimensional labels corresponding to the symbols representing the alphabets , numerals and control or function options . to enable flexible reconfigurability , each input key 110 is provided with a characteristic identification means which , when incorporated or coupled with the corresponding detection means provided on the keyboard or apparatus , will provide sufficient identification information enabling the decision circuitry , for example , the embedded microprocessor , to be informed of the specific key being actuated . in the present preferred embodiments and as shown more particularly in fig8 a to 9 c , each input key 110 includes an identification board 130 which includes a pair of contact pads 131 , 132 on the underside which is the side opposite the detection board 200 on the keyboard housing 120 . the contact pads 131 , 132 include , for example , contact conductive bumps for more effective and reliable contact and are disposed so that their projections coincide with a specific grid combination on the corresponding detection means on the keyboard detection circuitry as shown in fig8 c and 9c . the detection means as shown in the present embodiments include a matrix of orderly arranged conductive grid array 140 . for example , the physical locations of the conductive bumps formed on the underside of the identification board 130 of fig8 a correspond to row 1 column 1 and row 1 column 5 of the detection grid array 140 of fig8 c . similarly , the projection of the identification conductive bumps 131 , 132 on the input keys of fig9 a corresponds to locations row 1 column 1 and row 3 column 3 of the detective grid array , as shown in fig9 c . by providing the resilient arms 116 as shown in fig2 b , the input keys 110 can be detachably removed from one location on the keyboard to another without tools . as the physical indicia and the identification means are attached with the individual input keys , the relocated keys will bring with their relocation the associated identification characteristics . thus , for example , the alphabet key “ a ” in the conventional qwerty keyboard can be relocated to position , say , for example , y , of the new keyboard as reconfigured according to the wish of the operator . referring to fig1 showing in more detail the detection grid array 140 as described in fig8 c and 9c , it will be noted that the detection grid array 140 includes a plurality of conductive pads 141 arranged in an orderly manner . more specifically , the present detection grid array 140 example includes a total of 25 conductive pads arranged in a square grid array comprising 16 conductive pads arranged on the outer square , 8 conductive pads arranged on the intermediate square and a single conductive pad in the innermost squares . in order to provide the maximum contact area for each conductive pad 140 on the detection means and to provide a simplified signal routing for ascertaining a particular combination of conductive pads for specific key identification , the detection means in the present embodiments comprises three overlapping layers 210 , 220 and 230 . in the lower most layer 210 , a grid array with 16 conductive pads arranged along the outside edges is laid out . in the second circuit board 220 , a total of 8 conductive pads are distributed on the outer edges of a square corresponding to the intermediate square as shown in fig6 b and 10 are provided . at last , a third circuit board 230 with a single conductive pad for identification must be provided . the three circuit boards are plied together so that the collective conductive pads are disposed together to form an orderly square grid or matrix manner 140 as shown in fig1 . an example circuit board layout of the first circuit board layer 210 is shown in fig5 a and 5b . the corresponding second circuit layer layout 220 is shown in fig6 a and 6b and the third layer 230 comprising a single conductive pad is shown in fig7 a and 7b . while the formation of the detection means by the use of the overlying circuit boards will simplify signal routing , it will be understood that the detection means or the detection circuitry can be formed on a single or a multi - layered circuit board with appropriate signal routing . also , the circuit boards for the detection circuitry or means can be rigid or flexible circuit boards while flexible boards are preferred as their use can reduce the overall thickness of the detection circuitry . in assembling the detection circuitry , the three detection circuit boards with common guiding means , for example , guiding apertures or other appropriate means are assembled together and the output signals , through the signal tracks 250 , from each of the circuit boards are combined together for determining the identity of the input g being actuated . in the present example , as there are 25 detection conductive pads , a total of 25 c 2 combinations are available for individual key identifications . on the other hand , where a smaller number of key combinations are required , for example , when 16 c 2 or 8 c 2 , are required , a single circuit board may be sufficient to provide the necessary combinations . of course , the actual number of boards and the number of conductive boards distributed on each identification circuitry will also depend on the minimum acceptable spacing between adjacent conductive pads and the maximum foot - print acceptable for each key detection circuitry . when the input key of fig2 b is to be removed from the keyboard , the pair of resilient arms are to be pressed towards each other to provide sufficient clearance for the removal passage of the key body . as the locking arms are resilient with a pair of inverted hooks at their lowest extremes , the keys can be reinserted and engaged on the keyboard at the appropriate key location and locked in place . referring now to fig3 a and 3b showing a second preferred embodiment of the present invention , the keyboard 200 housing is provided with a plurality of interconnected tracks 210 so that the keys are slidably movable along the channels or tracks . by moving the input keys , for example , in a manner as shown in fig3 a , the keys can be relocated . as the input keys are provided with identification means similar to the keys of the first embodiment , and a similar detection circuit board is provided underneath the input keys , the input keys can be identified by the underlying detection circuitry irrespective of the instantaneous location of the keys . of course , the tracks are provided with location indication means confirming that the input keys are in proper alignment with the underlying detection circuitry to ensure proper identification . thus , with the use of a keyboard housing having a plurality of interconnecting key channels or tracks , the keys can be reconfigured by sliding along those tracks and channels while minimizing the risk of key loss . it will be noted that while electrical identification means by way of a pair of conductive bumps are formed on the lower side of each individual input keys , it will be understood that other identification means , for example , optical or pattern recognition means can be used so that a specific pattern can be formed on the underside of the input key and a corresponding pattern recognition means can be used to ascertain the specific identity of the keys being actuated . fig1 a - e shows a plurality of combinations of the conductive bumps indicating the possible variation of the foot - prints of the conductive bumps on the input key corresponding to the detection grid arrays . of course , the conductive grids may be connected with a conductive track or specific resistors so that the identity of the keys can be identified by the range of resistance measured between the two conductive bumps . as a further example , the identity of the input keys can be identified by other electrical characteristics such as , for example , resistance or impedance between contact terminal for identification purpose without loss of generality . [ 0070 ] fig1 a to 13 g show in more detail a first preferred embodiment of a removable key sub - assembly of the present invention . the key 310 includes an upper housing ( or an outer cap ) 311 , a resilient member 312 , an intermediate member 313 , an inner housing 314 and an identification means 315 . the identification means 315 includes a contact member which is equivalent to the identification board 130 described above and includes a pair of identification contact pads 131 , 132 on the underside for making contact with the circuitry on the main keyboard housing . the contact member of the identification means is attached to the bottom of the inner housing 314 so that the contact pads on the contact member will make electrical contacts with the electronic circuitry on the keyboard housing when the inner housing 314 is adequately depressed . the intermediate member 313 has a wing - shaped extension at its lateral sides so that the intermediate member 313 has generally a t - shaped cross - section . to assemble the removal key 310 , the deformable t - shaped intermediate member 313 is inserted into the inner housing 314 through the side aperture 316 of the inner housing 314 . the lateral dimension of the t - shaped intermediate member 313 being designed so that when the key sub - assembly 310 is inserted onto the key receptacle 322 of the keyboard housing 321 , the protruding portions of the t - shaped intermediate member 313 will be trapped by a catching mechanism ( 325 , 326 ) formed on the inner surface of the key receptacle 324 , thereby generally preventing the intermediate member 313 to move relative to the catching member . after the intermediate member 313 has been inserted into the inner housing 314 , the resilient member 312 is placed onto top surface of the intermediate member 313 and in the confined space between the outer cap 311 and the intermediate member 313 . the outer cap 311 is then mounted onto the inner housing 314 . a pair of latching mechanism 317 formed on the inside of the outer cap 311 and the inner housing 314 will cause the two housings to attach , for example , by snap - fit , thereby forming a sub - assembly of a removable key comprising the parts 311 - 315 . when the removable key sub - assembly 310 has been formed , the resilient member 312 , which can for example include a bell - shaped silicone or rubber member or a spring , is being trapped between the intermediate member 313 and the outer housing or the outer cap 311 . furthermore , the intermediate member is movable along the axial direction of and relative to the inner housing between the top and bottom ends of the side apertures 316 . on the keyboard housing 321 , there are formed a plurality of removable key receptacles 322 . two key receptacles have been shown in the figure as a convenient example . the key receptacle 322 includes a peripheral wall 323 which is shaped and dimensioned to correspond to that of the inside of the lower part of the outer housing 311 . the key receptacle 322 includes a catching mechanism comprising protrusions 325 and 326 on opposite sides of the key receiving aperture 324 . the catching mechanism comprises the protrusion 325 and 326 which are dimensioned so that when the removal key sub - assembly 310 is inserted into the aperture 324 of the key receptacle 322 , the protruding edges of the intermediate member 313 will be caught and trapped by the catching mechanism so that the intermediate member will be prevented from moving along the axial direction of the aperture 324 . when the outer cap 311 is depressed , parts 311 , 314 and 315 will move downwards relative to the key receptacle 322 until the identification means makes contact with the circuit board on the keyboard housing . as the intermediate member 313 is restrained from moving along the axial direction of the aperture 322 , the space between the top of the intermediate member 313 and the outer cap is reduced , thereby axially compressing the resilient member 312 . when the downward depressing force has been removed from the outer cap 311 , the stored resilient energy in the resilient member will be released , thereby pushing the outer cap 311 and the connected parts 314 and 315 , away from the circuitry on the keyboard housing , thereby terminating the contact . it will be appreciated that the catching mechanism 325 and 326 and the engaging portions on the t - shaped intermediate member are made for easy insertion and removal while at the same time provides sufficient resistance to prevent inadvertent release of the removable key sub - assembly 310 when the stored compression energy is released from the resilient member 312 . [ 0078 ] fig1 a to e show in more detail a second preferred embodiment of a removable key sub - assembly 330 of the present invention . similar to the structure of the first preferred embodiment of a removal key sub - assembly 310 described above , a removable key sub - assembly 330 includes an outer housing 331 , a resilient member 332 , an intermediate member 333 , an inner housing 334 and contact identification means 335 . the components in this sub - assembly 330 are generally identical to that of the first preferred embodiment 310 with the primary exception of the inner housing 334 . instead of the intermediate member 333 being engaged with a latching mechanism formed on the receptacle , the inner housing 334 includes engagement means 337 for latching with corresponding engaging means on the key receptacle 344 . hence , the structure of this removal key sub - assembly 330 is generally identical to the first preferred embodiment 310 except that a movement limitation means 337 is formed on the inner housing 336 . the movement limitation means 337 and the inner housing 336 in the present embodiment includes protruding teeth formed on opposite sides of the inner housing 336 which are to be trapped or caught by restraining means or latching mechanism formed in the key receptacle 344 which limits the upward axial freedom of movement of the inner housing 336 . the intermediate member 333 has a generally t - shaped cross - section with protruding parts the dimension of which exceeds that of the peripheral wall of the key receptacle 344 . thus , the peripheral wall of the key receptacle 344 will restrict the range of downward movement of the intermediate member 333 . thus , when the key sub - assembly 330 is inserted into the key receptacle 344 , the catching means on the key receptacle 334 will restrict the upward movement of the inner housing 336 while the upper edges of the peripheral wall of the key receptacle 344 will prevent excess downward axial movement of the intermediate member 333 . when the outer cap 331 is being depressed , the entire sub - assembly 330 will move downwards until the intermediate member 333 is being restrained by the peripheral wall 345 at which point the outer cap 331 , the inner housing 334 and the contact identification means 335 will move further downwards with the intermediate member 333 will begin to be detached from the other parts of the sub - assembly . when the depression force acting on the outer cap 331 has been removed , the compressive energy stored in the resilient member 332 will be released , thereby moving the sub - assembly upwards . after the sub - assembly has moved axially upwardly for a predetermined range , the limiting means on the receptacle may prevent further upward movement of the inner housing and the stored energy in the resilient member will continue to move the outer cap 331 further upwards until all the stored energy has been released . while the present invention has been explained by reference to the preferred embodiments described above , it will be appreciated that the embodiments are only illustrated as examples to assist understanding of the present invention and are not meant to be restrictive on its scope . in particular , the scope , ambit and spirit of this invention are meant to include the general principles of this invention as inferred or exemplified by the embodiments described above . more particularly , variations or modifications which are obvious or trivial to persons skilled in the art , as well as improvements made on the basis of the present invention , should be considered as falling within the scope and boundary of the present invention . furthermore , while the present invention has been explained by reference to a keyboard , it should be appreciated that the invention can apply , whether with or without modifications , to other device or apparatus without loss of generality .	7
in carrying out my invention i will first refer to fig3 where the various parts of the electric plug are illustrated . the inner member a , has a cylindrical body 1 with an annular flange 2 at one end , see also the isometric showing of the member a in fig6 . an axial bore 3 extends throughout the length of the member a and the cylindrical body 1 has two spaced apart annular grooves 4 for a purpose later to be described . an electrode carrier b , is shown in fig2 and 4 , and it has a base 5 with a central axially extending projection 6 , integral with the base . an end view of the projection 6 is shown in fig4 . disposed around the central projection 6 and spaced a slight distance from the three sides of the projection are wire strand receiving projections 7 , 8 and 9 , and these parallel the central projection 6 and are equal in length . each of these three projections has a center , longitudinally extending bore therein for receiving the metal strands of the three wires carried by the cable c , see also fig2 . the three bores are indicated at 10 , 11 and 12 in fig4 . the electrode carrier b , has another axial extending projection 13 integral with the base 5 and being receivable in the bore 3 of the inner member a , see fig3 . the projection 13 has three longitudinally extending grooves in its outer surface for receiving the three wires in the cable c . one of these grooves is shown at 14 in fig3 . the three wires extend along the grooves and into associate radially extending grooves in the base 5 . at this point the coverings for the three wires are removed and the bore metal strands of these wires are passed through the bores 10 , 11 and 12 in the three projections 7 , 8 and 9 , respectively , and are then folded over the outer ends of these projections and then back along their outer surfaces and received in longitudinal grooves 14 in these projections , see fig4 where the grooves 14 are shown and fig5 where the bore wire strands of one of the wires is illustrated . the ends of the strands are received in recesses 15 in the base 5 , see fig2 . the electric plug has three electrodes d , e and f , as shown in fig1 and 3 . these electrodes are substantially identical to each other and therefore a description of one will suffice for all . the electrode d , in fig3 has an offset portion 16 and a shoulder 17 with a hook - shaped outer end 18 . in the sectional view of fig2 and the isometric view of fig1 the shanks of the three electrodes extend through openings 19 in the closed end 20 of an end cap g . this end cap has an integral cylindrical portion 21 which receives the electrode carrier b . in order to make certain that the end cap g , is properly aligned with the electrode carrier b , and that the two are in proper registration , the end cap has a longitudinally extending key 22 , on the inner cylindrical surface of the portion 21 that registers with and is received in the key way 23 in the electrode carrier b . the key 22 also extends into a longitudinal groove 24 in the rim of the annular flange 2 of the inner member a , see fig3 . in this manner the three parts , a , b and g are properly and angularly aligned with each other when they are in assembled position as indicated in fig2 . when the electrode carrier b , is received in the end cap g , the closed end 20 thereof will have its inner surface press down upon the shoulders 17 of the three electrodes d , e and f , and bring them into electrical contact with the bare wire strands of the three wires . a top cap h , will interconnect the inner body a , and the electrode carrier b to the end cap g , in the manner shown in fig2 but before describing this in further detail it is best to set forth the structure of the novel cable securing means . in fig2 , 6 , and 7 , i show the cylindrical portion 1 of the inner member a provided with a recess 25 on its inner surface and with an opening 26 leading from the recess to the exterior surface of the portion 1 . the cylindrical body 1 also has a slot 27 , see fig6 in alignment with the opening 26 and communicating with the recess 25 . the cable gripping apparatus includes a cable gripping member j that has a tongue 28 , bent at right angles to the main portion of the member and extending through the opening 26 , see fig7 . a nut - carrying member 29 has an opening 30 for receiving the tongue 28 of the cable gripping member j , and it has a nut 31 secured thereto , see fig7 . a bolt 32 is received in the nut and the opposite end of the bolt has a groove 33 received in a slot 34 in the member j . the member j and the bolt 32 with its associate parts are placed as a unit in the recess 25 of the body 1 of the inner member a , so that the tongue 28 will project through the opening 26 and the nut 31 and bolt 32 will extend through the slot 27 . just before this is done , a metal sleeve k , see fig3 is slipped over the cylindrical body 1 of the inner member a , and it has an opening 35 for receiving the nut 31 and bolt 32 , as shown in fig7 and it has a second opening 36 for receiving the tongue 28 . the under - surface of the cable gripping member j has prongs 37 for gripping the portion of the cable c received in the inner member a . fig2 shows annular portions 38 of the metal sleeve k depressed for forming annular inwardly extending ridges received in the annular grooves 4 in the cylindrical portion 1 of the inner member a . when the cable gripping member j , is assembled in the inner member a , in the manner just described , a spacing member l of the shape shown in fig6 is inserted into the widened portion 25a of the recess 25 in the cylindrical body 1 and the member l has a slot 39 for receiving the nut 31 and bolt 32 . the three wires of the cable c are attached to the electrode carrier b , in the manner already described and then the axial projection 13 of the carrier is inserted into the bore 3 of the inner body a , at which point both the carrier and the inner body are inserted into the end cap g , as a unit . the three electrodes d , e and f have previously been inserted through the openings 19 in the end cap and the insertion of the electrode carrier b into the end cap will bring the bare wire strands of the three wires into electrical contact with the electrodes as already explained . the top cap h has a central opening 40 for receiving the metal sleeve k and the inner body a . the top cap has a threaded interior cylindrical portion 41 , see fig2 designed to be threaded onto the exteriorly threaded portion 42 of the end cap g , see also fig3 . when the top cap is screwed into place on the end cap g , all of the parts of the electric plug will be securely fastened in place . note from fig2 and 5 that the end cap g has longitudinally extending partitions 43 that enter the spaces 44 separating the sides of the three projections 7 , 8 and 9 from their adjacent projections 44 , see fig4 . this arrangement seals off the three bare wire strands of the three wires from contacting each other . the head of the bolt 32 projects through the opening 35 in the metal sleeve k , and the bolt has a kerf 46 to receive a screw driver bit when the operator wishes to rotate the threaded bolt shank in the nut 31 . this will move the bolt carrying member 29 against the spacing member l , and will force the cable gripping member j down upon the cable c to force the prongs 37 into the cable sheathing and prevent the accidental removal of the cable from the electric plug . the tongue 28 prevents the accidental removal of the cable from the member b .	7
the principal construction of a device for deforming preforms 1 into containers 2 is illustrated in fig1 and fig2 . the device for forming the container 2 consists essentially of a blow molding station 3 which is provided with a blow mold 4 into which a preform 1 can be placed . the preform 1 may be an injection molded part of polyethylene terephthalate . for facilitating a placement of the preform 1 into the blow molds 4 and for facilitating a removal of the finished containers 2 , the blow mold 4 is composed of mold halves 5 , 6 and a bottom part 7 positioned by means of a lifting device 8 . the preform 1 can in the area of the blow station 3 be held by a transport mandrel 9 which , together with the preform 1 , travels through a plurality of treatment stations within the device . however , it is also possible to place the preform 1 directly into the blow mold 4 through tongs or other manipulating means . for facilitating a compressed air supply , underneath the transport mandrel a connecting piston 10 is arranged which supplies compressed air to the preform 1 and simultaneously effects a sealing action relative to the transport mandrel 9 . in a modified construction it is basically also conceivable to use fixed compressed air supply lines . stretching of the preform 1 takes place in this embodiment , by means of a stretching rod 11 , which is positioned by a cylinder 12 . in accordance with another embodiment , a mechanical positioning of the stretching rod 11 is carried out through curved segments ; in particular , it is useful if a plurality of blow molding stations 3 are arranged on a rotating blow wheel . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the stretching system is constructed in such a way that a tandem arrangement of two cylinders 12 is made available . from a primary cylinder 13 , the stretching rod 11 is initially , prior to the beginning of the actual stretching procedure , moved into the area of a bottom 14 of the preform 1 . during the actual stretching process , the primary cylinder 13 is positioned with extended stretching rod , together with a carriage 15 supporting the primary cylinder by a secondary cylinder 16 or a cam control . in particular , it is intended to use the secondary cylinder 16 with cam control in such a way that a guide roller 17 , which while the stretching process is carried out slides along a cam track , predetermines an actual stretching position . the guide roller 17 is pressed by the secondary cylinder 16 against the guide track . the carriage 15 slides along two guide elements 18 . after closing of the mold halves 5 , 6 arranged in the area of carriers 19 , 20 has been carried out , the carriers 19 , 20 are locked relative to each other by means of a locking device 20 . for adapting to different shapes of an opening section 21 of the preform 1 , according to fig2 , the use of separate threaded inserts 22 in the area of the blow mold 1 is provided for . fig2 shows , in addition to the blow molded container 2 , also in broken lines , the preform 1 and schematically a container bubble 23 which is developing . fig3 shows the basic construction of a blow molding machine which is provided with a heating section 24 as well as a rotating blow wheel 25 . starting from a preform inlet 26 , the preforms 1 are transported by means of transfer wheels 27 , 28 , 29 into the area of the heating section 24 . a heating element 30 as well as a blower 31 are arranged along the heating section 24 in order to adjust the temperature of the preforms 1 . after a sufficient thermal conditioning of the preforms 1 , the preforms are transferred to the blow wheel 25 in whose area the blow stations 3 are arranged . the finished blow molded containers 2 are conveyed by additional transfer wheels to an output section 32 . in order to be able to deform a preform 1 in such a way that the container 2 has material properties which ensure that a long use of the foodstuff , especially beverages , is made possible , special method steps have to be adhered to when heating and orienting the preforms 1 . moreover , advantageous effects can be achieved by adhering to special dimensioning rules . different synthetic materials can be used as thermoplastic material . for example , pet , pen or pp can be used . the expansion of the preform 1 during the orienting process takes place by supplying compressed air . the compressed air supply is divided into a pre - blowing phase , in which gas , for example compressed air , with a low pressure level is supplied and , into a subsequent principal phase in which gas with a higher pressure level is supplied . during the pre - blowing phase , typically compressed air is used with a pressure in intervals of 10 bar to 25 bar and with a pressure in intervals of 25 bar to 40 bar during the principal blowing phase . in fig3 it can also be seen that , in the illustrated embodiment , the heating section 24 is formed of a plurality of circumferential revolving transport elements 33 which are arranged in a row in the manner of a chain and are guided by guide wheels 34 . it is especially intended to stretch out an essentially rectangular basic contour by the chain - like arrangement . in the illustrated embodiment , in the area of the extension of the heating section 24 facing the transfer wheel 21 and an input wheel 35 , a single guide wheel 34 having a relatively large dimension , and in the area of adjacent guides , two guide wheels 36 having comparatively smaller dimensions are used . however , other types of guides are also conceivable . for facilitating an arrangement of the transfer wheel 29 and the input wheel 35 which is as tight as possible , the illustrated arrangement is found to be especially useful because three guide wheels 34 , 36 are positioned , namely , the smaller guide wheels 36 in the area of the transition to the linear patterns of the heating section 24 , and the larger guide wheel 34 immediately in the transfer area to the transfer wheel 29 and the input wheel 35 . alternatively , for the use of chain - like transport elements 33 it is possible , for example , to use a rotating heating wheel . after blow molding of the containers 2 , the containers 2 are guided by a discharge wheel 37 out of the area of the blow molding stations 3 , and through the transfer wheel 28 and a discharge wheel 38 to the delivery section 32 . in the modified heating section 24 illustrated in fig4 , due to the larger number of heating elements 30 , a greater quantity of preforms 1 can be thermally conditioned per unit of time . the blowers 31 conduct cooling air into the area of cooling air ducts 39 which are located opposite the corresponding heating elements 30 and discharge the cooling air through outlet openings . by the arrangement of the discharge directions , a flow direction for the cooling air essentially transversely of the transport direction of the preforms 1 is realized . the cooling air ducts 39 can have , in the area of surfaces located opposite the heating elements 30 , reflectors for the heating radiation ; it is also possible to realize a cooling of the heating elements by the discharged cooling air . fig5 shows a schematic representation of a regulating system for the heating elements 30 or , respectively , for radiator tubes in an outer control circuit , and for one or more parameters concerning the blow gas supply in an inner regulating circuit . the regulating system is constructed in the form of a cascade regulation . an outer regulating circuit determines , by means of the measuring device 41 , and following the blowing station 3 , the wall thickness 2 of the container 2 , to at least a predetermined vertical level , and supplies this actual value to the input of a wall thickness regulator 42 . basically , any other or additional parameters can be measured and taken into consideration by the regulation . the immediate input value for the wall thickness regulator 42 is the regulating difference between a predetermined wall thickness and the measured wall thickness . a starting value of the wall thickness regulator 42 constitutes the desired value for an inner temperature regulating circuit . the difference between the starting value of the wall thickness regulator 42 and a temperature value measured by a temperature sensor 44 of the preform 1 on a predetermined vertical level is supplied as direct control value to a temperature regulator 43 . the innermost and , thus , fastest regulating circuit of the cascade regulation illustrated in fig8 [ sic ] comprises one or more blow gas regulators 45 . the blow gas regulator 45 can be constructed for regulating , for example , a pressure and / or a volumetric flow of the blow gas . a regulating difference between an actual value made available by a sensor 46 to the blow gas regulator 45 , and the respectively regulated blow gas parameter is made available as the actual value , which results as a starting value of a corresponding regulating section 47 . at least one of the regulators 42 , 43 , 45 is advantageously constructed with an integral behavior for avoiding regulation differences . in accordance with another regulating variation , the regulation takes into consideration a dead time behavior of the regulation system on the basis of the lengths of the transport paths of the preforms 1 or the containers 2 . in this connection , it is being taken into consideration that a delay known in dependence on the transport speed between a regulation value change and a change of the starting value , is present . as an alternative to the cascade - like realization of the regulation concept illustrated in fig5 , any other regulation structures can be realized . in cascade - like structures it has been found useful to regulate quickly changeable process parameters in the inner circuits , and to regulate slowly changing process parameters in the outer regulating circuits . at least one of the measurement values supplied by the sensors 41 , 44 , 46 is supplied to a simulation model 48 . moreover , the simulation model 48 has one or more sensor inlets 49 for taking into consideration any additional information with respect to the blow molding process . moreover , the simulation model has one or more model outlets 50 which facilitate influencing the regulating behavior . in accordance with an embodiment , the regulating characteristic is changed by means of one of the regulators 42 , 43 , 45 through the model outlet 50 . in accordance with another embodiment , it is also being considered as an alternative or supplement to influence the input value of at least one of the regulators 42 , 43 , 45 . this influencing can be carried out in addition to the influence caused by the sensors 41 , 44 , 46 . it is also possible to replace at least one of the signals of the sensors 41 , 44 , 46 with a value available at the model outlet 50 . when the regulation is carried out , the simulation model 48 makes it possible to take complex relationships between the individual parameters into consideration . in particular , delays , dead times and non - linearities can be taken into consideration . moreover , the simulation model 48 also makes it possible to include process values into the regulation which could not be measured directly by measurement technology or could be measured only by difficult or expensive measurement technology . the regulation of a container manufacture can take place , for example , on the basis of a predetermined pressure pattern for the blow pressure . if in a comparison of the measured values with the values generated by the simulation model , deviations in at least one of the measured parameters are recognized , for example , for each of the product cycles , the starting point for supplying the pre - blowing pressure can be changed and / or it is possible to increase or decrease the speed of the stretching process in a suitable manner . this can be carried out particularly by predetermining the respective travel speed of the stretching rod into the preform 1 to be stretched . it is also being considered to carry out an adjustment or the temperature profile and / or the heating power . by using the simulation model 48 , it is especially possible to coordinate the measured results of the bottle simulation with the properties of actually blow molded bottles . the use of the simulation model 48 is possible , on the one hand , within the framework of control alone . in particular , however , it is intended to make available a back - coupled regulating system which is incorporated into the control of a blow molding machine . by a regulation of this type , it is also particularly possible to take into consideration changes in the ambient conditions . as an alternative or supplement to the use of the simulation model 48 shown in fig5 , it is also possible to use the simulation model in accordance with the illustration in fig6 . in that case , information concerning a temperature profile 52 is supplied to the simulation model 48 . the measuring device 41 measures the wall thickness or a wall thickness distribution in the area of the blow molded container 2 , and is supplied to a difference computation 53 . the difference computation 53 receives as the starting value 54 of the simulation model 48 , intended values for the wall thickness or a wall thickness distribution . a corresponding deviation 55 is supplied to a difference input of the simulation model 48 . taking into consideration the information which has been taken in , the simulation model 48 makes available the correction values 57 for the temperature profile . the temperature profile typically concerns the temperature distribution of the preform 1 in its longitudinal direction and / or the temperature distribution between the inner or outer limitations of the preform walls . consequently , the deviation between simulated values for the wall thickness and actually measured process parameters with respect of the wall thickness is evaluated .	1
fig1 illustrates , in simplified schematic crosssectional form , an exemplary antenna system 10 employing a plurality of reflector and feed elements , which may be aligned by the present alignment technique . in this example , the respective feed elements 11a and 11b feed high frequencies electromagnetic energy to respective reflectors 12a and 12b which reflect the energy to reflector 12c . reflector 12c rotates on an axis that directs energy from either feed to flat reflector 13a . in this example , reflectors 12a - c are elliptical reflectors . while not shown in fig1 the system 10 will typically include structural elements for securing each reflector in position , and some adjustment means permitting some movement of each reflector during an alignment procedure , and a means for securing the reflector position within this limited range of movement . the invention can be used to align each of the reflectors of the system 10 . fig2 a and 2b illustrates the modification to the reflectors to allow alignment in accordance with the invention . the invention involves the use of a pre - drilled hole 26 in the reflector , here exemplary reflector 12a , to insert a shaft 30 with a front surface mirror 32 bonded normal to the shaft centerline 34 as shown in fig2 a . the mirror 32 has defined thereon a reticle 33 as is shown in fig2 b centered at the shaft axis . the front surface mirror 32 is then used to reflect images of an alignment telescope 40 by conventional auto - collimation or auto - reflection techniques . as is well known , auto - collimation occurs when the alignment telescope is focused on the reflector surface so that the reflected image of the telescope is exactly in register with its reticle pattern . auto - reflection occurs when the alignment telescope is focused to reveal the image of the auto - reflection target , and this image registers with the telescope reticle pattern . reflected laser beams can also be used . in prior alignment techniques , angular alignment of the mirror surface has been an unknown , causing significant alignment errors if the mirror was not truly oriented at 90 ° to the reflector axis or central ray . the present invention provides a method for ascertaining the angular orientation of the reflector surface mirror in relation to the reflector axis and , therefore , substantially eliminates or minimizes alignment errors . the reference hole 26 of depth l is established before or during the fabrication of the reflector surface . for example , a solid boss 24 may be cast as an integral part of the reflector , or may be welded or bonded to the rear surface of the reflector . the center axis , i . e ., the axis of rotation , of the parabolic reflector surface is then determined using conventional techniques . typically , several points are measured and located on the reflector surface away from the axial position . these points and their measured positions are then used to best fit the theoretical parabolic surface contour to the measured points , allowing the position of the center axis to be determined by calculation . the hole 26 is then bored in the reflector and through the boss 24 at this calculated position on the reflector surface . the position of the hole 26 need not be precise , as the error from a lateral offset from the true axis causes only a very small alignment error . subsequent reflector surface verification measurements are conducted relative to the centerline of the hole 26 . best - fit calculations of the reflector surface may indicate an angular error ( due to manufacturing tolerances ) of the hole centerline 34 . however , this presents no problem as the error magnitude and direction can be considered in subsequent reflector alignment procedures . the front surface mirror 32 is bonded to the shaft 30 and normal to its centerline 34 using auto - collimation , auto - reflection or laser reflection techniques . the angular error amplitude and direction of the mirror orientation in relation to the shaft axis can then measured and considered in subsequent alignment procedures if desired . for example , the central ray or laser reflected beam on the following reflector target can be offset , knowing the distance between the reflectors and the angular error of the hole and the angular error of the shaft mirror 32 . the shaft axis is indicated by a cross - hair reticle 33 , which may be used in the subsequent alignment procedures . as shown in fig2 a , the shaft 30 has a cross - sectional dimension in an area intermediate the shaft ends which is reduced in relation to the cross - sectional dimension of the shaft ends . this construction ensures that the contact between the shaft and the wall defining the hole occurs at the shaft ends , and not somewhere intermediate the shaft ends . extended analysis and consideration of mirror alignment with the reference hole 26 would be unnecessary if line - to - line contact between the shaft 30 and hole surfaces could be achieved , since true alignment of the mirror with the reflector would then be assured . in some configurations this is possible by light interference tolerancing or heat shrink assembly techniques . however , achieving line - to - line contact is impractical in most cases due to size limitations or the desirability of mirror 32 and shaft 30 removal and ease of assembly . a clearance between the shaft 30 and hole 26 is then necessary . a retaining force supplied by a set screw 36 or other spring loaded device is also necessary to prevent motion between the shaft 30 and hole 26 during subsequent reflector alignment procedures . although a single set screw ( spherical ended ) 36 is shown in fig2 multiple in - line screws may be used to decrease the possibility of the contact torque from cocking the shaft 30 in the hole 21 . a spherical ended set screw is used to minimize the twisting force applied to the shaft as the set screw 36 is tightened . it is recognized that if a shaft - to - hole clearance exists , the hole and shaft centerlines 27 and 32 ( fig4 ) may not be coincident . angular and lateral translations of the mirror shaft 30 will occur . maximum lateral translation errors are easily calculated and considered in the final alignment procedure ; however , these are typically very small and are generally ignored . the angular errors are not insignificant , and the following error analysis equation should be considered . the angular error φ is a function of the clearance , c , the length of the mirror shaft , l , and the static coefficient of friction between the mating surfaces . referring to fig3 and 4 , α is the angle determined by a line normal to the curved surfaces at the contact point , d x =( c / 2 ) sin α = the shaft end displacement in the x direction ; d y is the shaft end displacement in the y direction . by definition , the static coefficient of friction μ = tan α . for small angles , sinα = tanα . then : the maximum angular error defined by equation ( 3 ) is graphically depicted by fig5 as a function of the shaft length , and for many values of shaft end displacement d x . it should be noted that there are practical limitations of clearances , i . e ., there is danger of shaft seizure or scoring if clearances are too small , for example , less than 0 . 002 inches , in the case of aluminum on aluminum . the static coefficient of friction , μ , can be reduced by proper selection of contact surface materials and finishes . also , the contact surfaces can be wet or dry film lubricated . wet lubricants are generally undesirable due to their affinity for contaminants , causing seizure or scoring . dry film lubricants containing molybdenum disulfide or polytetrefluorethylene ( trademarked teflon ) are considered ideal for reducing the static coefficient of friction . therefore , due to practical limitations above , d x is limited to values over approximately 0 . 001 inch . also , due to the asymptotic characteristic of the length function in equation ( 3 ) and depicted in fig5 lower maximum shaft angle errors are limited to 5 to 10 arc second ranges . in most cases of rf reflector alignment , this error will be considered adequate . it should be noted at this point that the best alignment telescopes available today cannot resolve much better than 4 arc seconds . to align a reflector in accordance with the generalized system described above includes the following steps : 1 . forming an opening of depth l in the reflector aligned with its nominal center axis ; 2 . determining the lateral and angular offset of the hole axis with the center axis ; 3 . fabricating a shaft which will slip into the reflector hole with limited clearance , and preparing a mirror surface on one end thereof which is nominally at 90 ° to the shaft axis ; 4 . measuring the lateral and angular offset of the mirror from the shaft axis ; 6 . applying a locking force to prevent motion between the shaft and hole during the subsequent alignment procedures ; 7 . employing the shaft mirror in conventional alignment procedures such as auto - collimation , autoreflection or laser reflection procedures , in which the errors measured in steps 2 and 4 can be taken into account if necessary for the particular application ( if unnecessary , steps 2 and 4 can be omitted ). during this step the position of the reflector is adjusted to its aligned position and secured in place . in systems involving millimeter through visible light frequencies or beam waveguides ( multiple series reflectors ), much greater accuracies than 5 to 10 arc seconds will be necessary . to achieve this accuracy , a variation of the basic approach described above can be utilized . referring to fig6 a and 6b , the method involves moving the vertical centerline 31 of the shaft by imposing an initial bias force , f b , prior to imposing the shaft locking force f ( e . g ., by the shaft locking screw similar to screw 36 of fig2 a ) as shown in fig5 a and 5b . this biasing force need not be greater than the shaft weight but must be out - of - plane with the final shaft locking force f ; i . e , the biasing set screw must not be in the same plane determined by the hole centerline and the locking screw axis . the bias set screw should be disposed between 5 ° and 85 ° from the locking screw , say about 45 °. after the biasing force has been applied , the final positioning force is applied . the resultant shaft force will then be the vector sum and the maximum shaft error φ will be as defined by equations ( 1 - 3 ). when the initial biasing force is removed , the shaft ends will assume a new position sliding in the same angular direction ( point p in fig6 a - 6b ). this new equilibrium position will result in a zero angular error if the coefficient of friction at the shaft ends are the same . this is true because the final resting points of the shaft ends are determined by the coefficients of friction between the contacting surfaces only . if the coefficients of friction are not the same , then the error angle is : where μ 1 = maximum coefficient of friction , and μ 2 = minimum coefficient of friction . conservatively , the maximum variation in the coefficient of friction between similar surfaces machined at the same time should not exceed 15 %. the above error equation then becomes : by dividing equation ( 3 ) by equation ( 5 ), it is apparent that at least an order of magnitude decrease in angular error will result ( physical dimensions and static coefficient of friction being identical ). using the bias method of shaft installation and by careful selection of materials and design configuration , maximum angular errors less than one arc second can be achieved ( 0 . 31 inches one mile away subtends an angle of one arc second ). fig7 illustrates how the modified method may be implemented , showing a shaft 50 inserted in hole 52 . two spherical set screws 54 and 56 can be tightened against the shaft 50 to exert the respective bias and locking forces . a mirror 58 with centered reticle 60 is positioned on the shaft end . to align a reflector in accordance with the modified system described above includes the following steps , many of which are in common with the generalized method described above : 1 . forming an opening of depth l in the reflector aligned with its nominal center axis ; 2 . determining the lateral and angular offset of the hole axis with the reflector axis : 3 . fabricating a shaft which will slip into the reflector hole with limited clearance , and preparing a mirror surface on one end thereof which is nominally at 90 degrees to the shaft axis ; 4 . measuring the lateral and angular offset of the mirror from the shaft axis ; 7 . applying a shaft locking force against the shaft which is out of plane with the bias force ; 8 . releasing the bias force so that the contact points at the shaft end will slide in the same angular direction . 9 . employing the shaft mirror in conventional alignment procedures such as auto - collimation , autoreflection or laser reflection procedures to align the reflector . while the invention has been described in the context of a method for aligning a reflector , it will be appreciated that the invention has broad application , in a general sense to align a shaft in a hole . it is understood that the above - described embodiments are merely illustrative of the possible specific embodiments which may represent principles of the present invention . other arrangements may readily be devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention .	6
as illustrated in fig1 an apparatus for treating metal articles , such as cans 10 , in accordance with the invention includes a preclean bath 12 , a clean bath 14 , a rinse bath 16 , a treatment bath 18 , a rinse bath 20 , and a deionized wash bath 22 . conveying means illustrated by the lines and arrows 24 transports the cans 10 in a conventional manner through the baths . a master control unit 26 is connected to various sensors and controls within the baths 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 to control various conditions of the baths and thus optimize the process . for articles like the illustrated cans 10 , the baths employ conventional sprays ( not shown ) for bathing the inside and outside surfaces of the articles . for other articles , such as automobile bodies , coils , and the like , the conveyor mechanism may immerse the articles into the baths . additionally , the six baths are illustrated as an example for one proposed can manufacturing line wherein the cans must meet rigid conditions suitable for containing beverages and the like for consumption ; other articles may require less than the illustrated six baths . the preclean bath 12 generally utilizes water with a small amount of cleaning agent or detergent therein for removing metal filings , debris , and lubricating oils used in manufacture of the cans . typically , the bath 12 will include a bath level sensor 30 , a temperature sensor 31 , a ph or conductivity sensor 32 , a circulation pump sensor 33 and a riser flow sensor 34 . the bath is controlled by a cleaner supply valve 37 and / or a rinse water valve 38 . in the cleaning bath 14 , the cans are bathed with solution containing acid and fluoride components to further clean and etch the metal surfaces of the cans to prepare the metal surfaces for reception of protective coatings . the cleaning bath includes a ph sensor 40 , a fluoride sensor 41 , a bath low level sensor 42 , a temperature sensor 43 , a first drum or storage tank empty sensor 44 for the acid supply , a second drum or storage tank empty sensor 45 for the flouride supply , a circulation pump sensor 46 and a riser flow sensor 47 . controls in the cleaning bath 14 include a first chemical pump 50 for pumping acid from the first drum or storage tank to the bath , and a second chemical pump 52 for pumping the second chemical or fluoride component from the second drum or storage tank . the rinsing bath 16 rinses the cans with fresh water to remove the acid and fluoride materials from the cans prior to entering the treatment bath 18 . the rinsing bath will include sensors , such as bath low level sensor 60 , ph sensor 61 , circulation pump sensor 62 and riser flow sensor 63 . controls in the bath 16 include a fresh water valve 67 for adding fresh water to the bath when the bath concentration rises above a preset value . the treatment bath 18 bathes the cans in a solution containing chemicals for rendering the surface of the aluminum corrosion resistant as well as to produce an adherent surface for subsequent lacquering or painting . a typical treatment will include zirconium or titanium in conjunction with a tannic acid or other ingredients . sensors within the treatment bath include a bath low level sensor 70 , a ph sensor 71 , a temperature sensor 72 , a drum empty sensor 73 , a circulation sensor 74 , and a riser flow sensor 75 . controls in the treatment bath 18 include a chemical pump 78 for pumping additional treating solution when the bath concentration becomes lower than the set point . the rinse bath 20 rinses the cans after treating in the bath 18 with fresh water to remove the treating solution . the bath 80 includes a bath low level sensor 80 , a conductivity sensor 81 for detecting when the water is becoming excessively contaminated , a circulation sensor 82 , and a riser flow sensor 83 . controls within the rinse bath 20 include a water valve 87 for admitting additional water when the conductivity is too high . the deionized water wash bath 22 is utilized to remove chemicals from the cans and to leave a clean surface after drying . the wash bath 22 includes a bath low level sensor 90 , a conductivity sensor 91 , a circulation sensor 92 and a riser flow sensor 93 . deionized water is continuously pumped into the bath 22 to maintain the contaminant level of the bath at a low level . sensors will detect failure within the bath to signal faulty operation . the master control unit 26 is in the form of a cabinet with a front door 100 . a horn 102 and a beacon 104 are mounted on top of the cabinet . the door 100 contains four horizontally extending panels or horizontal arrays , shown in fig2 including an upper horizontal panel 106 containing designs or pictorial representations 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 and 113 pictorially illustrating the preclean bath 12 , the cleaning bath 14 , the rinsing bath 16 , the treatment bath 18 , the rinse bath 20 and the deionized wash bath 22 , respectively . a representation or pictorial design 116 of the conveyor extends through the bath designs 108 - 113 to present a representation of the entire process . representations 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 and 123 of the circulation pumps for the respective baths 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 are incorporated in the representation of the respective baths for circulating the bath to sprayers which are also illustrated pictorially above the bath representations . a representation 126 of the ph sensor 32 is included in the bath representation 108 , representations 127 and 128 of ph and fluoride sensors 40 and 41 are illustrated in the representation 109 of the cleaning bath , a representation 129 of the ph sensor 61 is included in the rinse bath representation 110 , a representation 130 of the ph sensor 71 is included in the treatment bath representation 111 , a representation 131 of the conductivity sensor 81 is included in the rinse bath representation 112 , and a representation 132 of the conductivity sensor 91 is included in the recirculating di bath representation 113 . the preclean bath representation 108 additionally includes valve representations 136 and 137 for cleaner and rinse water flow control valves , the clean bath representation 109 includes storage drum representations 139 and 140 together with chemical pump illustrations 141 and 142 for the respective acid and fluoride chemical storage and feeding facilities to the cleaning stage , the treatment bath representation 111 includes a representation 144 of a supply drum , and a representation 146 of a chemical pump for pumping treating chemical from the drum 144 . incorporated within each bath representation 108 - 113 are a plurality of light indicators , some of which indicate status conditions and others of which indicate warning or alarm conditions . status condition led &# 39 ; s , which are turned on to indicate a true condition , include led &# 39 ; s 150 disposed within the respective circulation pumps 118 - 123 for indicating operation thereof , led &# 39 ; s 151 disposed adjacent the respective valve representations 136 , 143 and 148 indicating operation thereof , led &# 39 ; s 152 and 153 disposed adjacent the chemical pump representations 141 , 142 and 146 indicating operation of the corresponding chemical pump and blend times , respectively , and led &# 39 ; s 154 disposed within the respective bath representations 108 - 113 and associatively indicated relative to the corresponding conductivity , ph and fluoride sensor representations for indicating an acceptable bath concentration . warning light indicators , which are flashed or blinked when on , include led &# 39 ; s 160 disposed within each respective bath representation 108 - 113 below the top bath level for indicating a low bath level , led &# 39 ; s 161 disposed within the respective baths 108 , 109 and 111 for indicating an excessive bath temperature , led &# 39 ; s 162 disposed within the sensor representations 126 - 132 for indicating sensor malfunction , and led &# 39 ; s 163 disposed within the corresponding baths 108 - 113 and associatively depicted relative to the respective sensors 126 - 132 for indicating a weak bath concentration . alarm led &# 39 ; s 168 , which are blinked or flashed along with horn and beacon operation , are disposed within each of the baths 108 - 113 and associatively illustrated with respect to the sensors 126 - 132 for indicating that the bath concentration is out of an acceptable range . the beacon 104 and the alarm 102 are also operated when a drum empty condition is sensed , a temperature error is sensed , a sensing system error , a bath low level , or a flow error is sensed . the pictorial representations 108 - 113 also contain wording identifying the particular bath as well as identifying the particular display function of the led &# 39 ; s to supplement the identification of the function . a horizontal array of display and manual control or selecting units 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 and 186 is positioned immediately below the array of pictorial representations 108 - 113 . the units 180 - 186 correspond to the bath representations 108 - 113 and are directly aligned vertically with respect thereto to clearly indicate the relationship therebetween ; since the cleaning bath 109 contains a dual set of controls , i . e ., acid and fluoride controls , two of the control units 181 and 182 pertain to the bath 109 with the respective acid and fluoride control units being positioned vertically below representations in the bath 109 of the respective acid and fluoride controls . each control unit 180 - 186 includes a three digit numerical display 190 , a ten position bcd selector switch 192 for selecting values to be displayed on the display 190 , a pair of push button switches 194 and 196 for incrementing and decrementing set point values and a four position selector or switch 198 for selecting a mode . the three digit display indicates a numerical value of the variable or constant selected by the display select switch 192 . the value displayed is in engineering units , ( i . e ., ph units , micro - siemens , etc .). where indicated on the display select switch label , a multiplier must be applied to the display value . the ten positions of each display select switch 192 indicates variables , constants , blank spaces , d or m . variables are the values being read from the bath sensing devices , such as the bath ph sensors , bath fluoride sensors , or bath conductivity sensors . only one variable is usually displayed per control module . for control units 185 and 186 , this variable is conductivity , for units 180 , 181 , 183 and 184 , this variable is bath ph and for control unit 182 , this bath variable is bath fluoride . constants are values that are entered into the controller by the operator . there are usually five constants per control unit including the set point of the ph , fluoride or conductivity ; high alarm set point ; low alarm set point ; feed time ; and blend time . not all control units have every function ; for example , only control units 181 , 182 and 184 have feed and blend time intervals that can be set , and the control unit 186 for deionized water only has a high alarm set point in addition to the variable display position of its display select switch 192 . in addition , all of the display select switches 192 have a position d used for diagnostics , and the switches in units 180 , 181 , 183 and 184 have m positions for setting midpoints of the ph range . the display select positions are set forth in table i . each mode select switch 198 has four positions , standby , monitor , time cycle , and auto . when in the standby mode , a control unit disables all functions controlling equipment to prevent operation of the corresponding bath . all power is removed from the corresponding led &# 39 ; s associated with that control unit and bath . the three digit display is blank except for the decimal point . in the monitor mode , the digital display 190 and the led &# 39 ; s are operated in accordance with the switch 192 and monitored conditions . the pumps , solenoids and alarms for that particular control unit remain inoperative . in the timed cycle , a control unit switches operation of the corresponding bath to a conventional cam timer ( not shown ) that periodically activates the corresponding valve , pump or solenoid . the cam timer is set to replenish the bath at a rate approximating the average chemical consumption . the alarm beacon and horn are inactive in this mode as are the blend , ok , weak and high alarm and sensing system error led &# 39 ; s in the graphics panel . in the auto mode , the bath is controlled under normal operating conditions and all systems are active . table i__________________________________________________________________________ fluoride conductivity conductivity conductivity ph control ofph chemical chemical chemical control of alarming of fresh watercontrol control control fresh water rinse d . i . water rinse__________________________________________________________________________blank blank blank blank blank blankbath ph bath fluoride bath conductivity bath conductivity blank bath ph activity millisiemens microsiemens mv × 100 × 10 × 100ph set point fluoride activity conductivity conductivity blank ph set point set point set point set point mv × 100 millisiemens microsiemens × 10 × 100concentration fluoride high concentration contamination bath conductivity contaminationhigh alarm alarm set point high alarm high alarm microsiemens high alarmset point set point set point × 10 set pointconcentration fluoride low concentration contamination conductivity contaminationlow alarm alarm set point low alarm low alarm high alarm low alarmset point set point set point set point set pointchemical chemical feed chemical feed blank blank blankfeed time time timeminutes × 10 minutes × 10 minutes × 10chemical chemical blend chemical blend blank blank blankblend time time timeminutes × 10 minutes × 10 minutes × 10blank blank blank blank blank blankd d d d d dm blank blank blank blank m__________________________________________________________________________ the display set push button switches 194 and 196 are utilized to change the set points or constants associated with the corresponding control unit and bath . when the mode select switch is not in standby for units 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 and 186 and the display select switch 192 selects the desired display value which is desired to be set or changed , pressing of button 194 will increase the display or set point value and pressing button 196 will decrease the display or set value . below the horizontal array of control units 180 - 186 , there is mounted a main control plate 210 which contains a main power on / off switch 212 , a lamp test push button switch 214 , a processor error indicator light 216 , a high cabinet temperature indicator light 218 , a low battery indicator light 220 , a horn and beacon acknowledge push button switch 222 and a display function select key switch 224 . the main power switch 212 controls all external power to the controller . when this switch is in the off position , all outputs are disabled except that power is maintained to the processor . the processor includes its own battery to retain set points which have been entered in the event of power disruption . the lamp test push button is used to test the led &# 39 ; s and indicator lights when the mode select switches are in the standby position . the processor error light 216 indicates when there is a problem with the central processing unit of the controller . the high cabinet temperature light indicates when the internal temperature of the cabinet is too high and is set at a suitable point , such as 50 ° c ., to avoid operation of the controller circuitry at a temperature above its safe operating temperature . the low battery light indicates when the memory backup battery for the controller is in need of replacement . the horn acknowledge push button switch 222 is used to turn the horn off . when an alarm condition developes , the horn sounds and the beacon flashes , and the button 222 can be depressed to turn off the horn and the beacon . the corresponding flashing led lamp in the graphics panel 106 continues to flash until the problem is corrected . the display function select key switch 224 is used to enable set points to be changed . this switch is normally left in its &# 34 ; display setpoints and variables &# 34 ; position where the display set push button switches 194 and 196 are disabled thus enabling only display of the set point and variable values on the displays 190 . to change a setpoint , the key must be inserted in the display function select key switch 224 and the switch turned to the &# 34 ; change setpoints &# 34 ; position where the set points can be stepped up or down by the switches 194 and 196 . an optional supplemental display panel 230 is mounted below the main control panel 210 . the display panel 230 contains additional digital displays such as display 232 indicating the quantity of fresh water consumed , display 234 indicating the quantity of effluent discharged , display 236 indicating the quantity of fluid backflow , display 238 indicating the weekly or monthly consumption of fresh water , display 240 indicating the quantity of consumption of a first chemical , display 242 indicating the quantity of consumption of a second chemical , display 244 indicating quantity of consumption of a third chemical , and display 246 indicating the total number of cans passed through the processing line . the displays may be reset daily , weekly or monthly or on varied schedules in accordance with the operator &# 39 ; s wishes . the electrical circuitry for the bath controlling system is illustrated in fig3 and includes a programmable controller 250 such as model mini - plc - 2 / 15 from allen - bradley company , 747 alpha drive , cleveland , ohio 44143 . the programmable controller includes a central processing unit or microprocessor 252 which is operated under the control of an operating system program stored within read only memory ( rom ) 254 . the programmable controller additionally includes a time base 255 and a random access memory ( ram ) 256 where user program instructions and data are stored and utilized , portions of the ram are utilized by the operating system program under user program control for input and output tables , timers , and counters . an erasable programmable read only memory 258 is optionally included to store the program instructions and starting point data for transfer to the ram during start up after loss of power or disconnection . the controller 250 can include up to sixteen cards 260 - 275 each of which may have eight inputs or outputs or a mixture of inputs and outputs for a total maximum of 128 inputs and outputs . in order to enable more than 128 inputs and outputs , program controlled multiplexing techniques are provided . outputs from card 261 are connected to respective common junctions of one sides of seven respective groups of sensing switches , only two groups illustrated generally at 278 and 280 in fig3 . the groups define respective channels which generally correspond to the seven control units 180 - 186 of fig2 ; i . e ., the sensing switches in each group conveniently are associated with a respective control unit or bath but some switches for some control units having a large number of sensing switches may be in another channel associated with a bath or control unit having only a small number of sensing switches . each group of switches includes the four contact pairs of the corresponding bcd switch 192 , the contact pairs of the corresponding display set switches 194 and 196 and three of the contact pairs of the corresponding mode select switch 198 ( the other position of switch 198 is determined by the absence of the other three contacts ) of the corresponding channel control unit 180 - 186 ( only one contact 192 being illustrated as an example in fig3 . additionally , sensing switches in each of the stages , such as the circulation sensing switch 33 are included in each corresponding group , or another group if the corresponding channel is full . the master control switches 214 , 222 and 224 are connected in any group or channel with available space . the opposite side of each switch in the groups of switches is connected together with the corresponding switch in each of the other groups to a respective input of input cards 262 and 263 . thus the switches in the control units 180 - 186 , the switches in the master control panel 210 and the sensing switches in the baths 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 are connected in a switch matrix . output cards 265 and 266 form a data bus 282 which is connected in common with data inputs of latched decoded drivers 284 which operate the digital displays 190 of the control units 180 - 186 . outputs of the output card 264 are connected to the enable or gate control inputs of the respective latched circuits 284 to select the latched driver 284 into which the information on bus 282 is to be stored . only two of the seven latched drivers 284 and displays 190 are shown in fig3 . the warning and alarm led &# 39 ; s in the graphics display of panel 106 are arranged in a matrix wherein seven groups of the blinking led &# 39 ; s ( only two groups are indicated generally at 290 and 292 in fig3 ) each have one side thereof connected to a respective output of the output card 272 for selecting operation of that group . each led in each group is connected on its other side together with the corresponding led &# 39 ; s in the other groups to a respective terminal of a relay card 273 which has the opposite side of each relay therein connected to ground . conveniently , the led &# 39 ; s in each group are selected to correspond to a respective control unit of the units 180 - 186 and the processes depicted thereabove in panel 106 . the corresponding led of each of the groups as selected by the relay card 273 is activated only when the corresponding channel , or group , is selected by the output card 272 . since the channels are cyclically selected , as explained below , over a period of about one second , the led will flash during its selection and be off for the period of selection of other groups . analog inputs are connected to analog input cards 267 and 268 . control outputs and outputs to non - blinking led &# 39 ; s are provided by outputs of output cards 269 , 270 and 271 as well as any remaining outputs from the output cards utilized in the multiplexing . additional cards 260 , 274 and 275 may be provided for connecting a printer or another computer to the controller 250 . operation of the controller and thus the apparatus can be understood from the program as illustrated in fig4 . the operating system of the controller , during normal operation , continuously cycles through the instructions which have been programmed into the ram 256 . at the start of each cycle , the operating system will first read data from all inputs and place this data in a corresponding location within ram 256 called an input table . after inputting data into the input table , the operating system will operate the outputs in accordance with data that is stored within an output table in ram 256 . this operating system procedure which occurs every cycle is illustrated by the step 300 in fig4 . also in the step 300 , any memory location that has been set up as a timer will be updated to the corresponding absolute time value referenced from the turn on of the timer until the timer reaches its maximum value whereat time elapsed bits are accordingly set . after updating the actual inputs and outputs of the cards as well as the timer readings , the operating system will sequentially go through the program instructions contained within ram to perform the operation thereof . it is noted that in the program instructions , inputs and outputs are performed by reading or writing corresponding bits in the input or output table portion of ram 256 . in the first step 302 , the program calls for the reset of the master timer if it has timed out . as shown for timing line 304 in fig5 the master timer is set to operate for a period of about 900 milliseconds before timing out and being reset during the subsequent update . from step 302 , the program proceeds to step 306 where channel input windows are determined , and if true , are utilized to set the corresponding channel bit in the output table controlling the output card 261 . the channel input windows correspond to specific timing ranges of the master timer 304 as illustrated by the timing marks 308 , 309 , 310 , 311 , 312 , 313 and 314 in fig5 . in step 316 , output windows are set by setting the memory table output corresponding to output card 264 when the master timer has a timing range as indicated by the respective timing marks 318 , 319 , 320 , 321 , 322 , 323 and 324 . the input table locations corresponding to input cards 262 and 263 are read in step 326 during output windows 318 - 324 and stored into memory storage locations corresponding to the respective input channel . there is a delay in operation of the output card 261 , passage of signals from output card 261 through corresponding switch groups 278 and 280 and operation of input card 262 . the time difference between input window 308 and output window 318 corresponds to this delay time required for output card after receiving data selecting channel 1 to produce a signal on the corresponding output and for this signal to pass through the corresponding switches of switch bank 278 back to inputs of input cards 262 and 263 , and for input cards 262 and 263 to operate to present channel 1 data for being read by the controller processor . additionally , the timing window 318 is made narrower in time than the time window 308 in order to avoid timing variations and irregularities such as may be caused by line capacitance , cross talk , etc . on the output lines from card 261 . thus , as shown by timing marks 328 , 329 , 330 , 331 , 332 , 333 and 334 , each channel will be read during each cycle of the master timer . the duration of each of the windows 318 - 324 as well as each of the windows 308 - 314 are selected to be at least about equal to two or more cycles of the controller through the program to thus insure that input data for all channels is updated each cycle of the master timer . the output table corresponding to output card 264 is conveniently used for marking the reading windows or channel to avoid additional window tables for reading as well as output . in the next step 336 , analog block transfer functions are set . during the next operating system update step 300 in the next cycle , the analog inputs of cards 267 and 268 will be sequentially converted to digital data and stored in corresponding memory locations . the stored switch input information is processed and decoded in step 338 . for example , the data corresponding to each of the switches 192 is decoded from its bcd format and used to set a corresponding memory bit to indicate the particular function called for by the switch 192 for each channel . set point counter memory locations are stepped up or down in step 340 in accordance with depression of the corresponding display set switch 194 or 196 if the key switch 224 is in a position permitting the setting of set points . additionally , the mode switch must be in the timed cycle monitor , or auto position for the units 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 and 186 . the program contains fast and slow timers which determine the rate of step up and step down ; the fast timer is operated by depressing the horn acknowledge button 222 when a push button 194 or 196 is operated . the digital analog values which are stored in memory from the reading of the analog cards are processed in step 342 to convert the read values to appropriate values corresponding to engineering units desired to be displayed . the stored digital analog readings may be multiplied or divided and may be adjusted by an offset to provide the appropriately scaled value for the display . this new computed value is then stored within yet another corresponding memory location . in the subsequent step 344 , the appropriate channel display value selected in accordance with an output channel window 318 - 324 and in accordance with the function called by the corresponding switch 192 , is passed to the memory output table corresponding to output cards 265 and 266 . it is noted that the same channel output windows 318 - 324 are utilized for output cards 264 , 265 , and 266 since similar delays of the output cards result in the data on data buss 282 from cards 265 and 266 and the enabling bit from card 264 being applied to drivers 284 at the same time . further , the display for each corresponding channel is selected to be one window behind the read channels 328 - 334 so that the displayed data will correspond to data read during the previous window . in step 346 , the outputs controlling the process are operated . if the values detected by sensors 126 - 132 indicate the need for fresh water , acid , flouride or treating chemical and the corresponding mode switch 198 is in the auto mode , then a corresponding timer in ram is set and the corresponding valve 137 , 143 or 148 , or pump 141 , 142 or 146 is operated by energizing the corresponding output from cards 269 , 270 and 271 for the period of the corresponding timer . if all the mode switches 198 are in the standby mode and the lamp test switch 214 is depressed , then in step 350 the program will jump to step 352 where the outputs for all the led &# 39 ; s are rendered high to turn all the lamps or led &# 39 ; s 150 , 151 , 152 , 153 , 154 , 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 , 168 and 220 on . the alarm and warning condition led &# 39 ; s will be on continuously rather than blinking . thus the led &# 39 ; s and lamps can be tested . when step 350 is false , the program proceeds to step 354 where an output bit in the memory table for output card 272 is set during the corresponding blinking led channel 360 , 361 , 362 , 363 , 364 , 365 and 366 which are determined from the bits indicating windows 318 - 324 . in the illustrated example , each led channel , corresponding to the respective control unit 180 - 186 , is selected to be the same as the read channel 328 - 334 ; however , the channel need not be the same but may be delayed such as for the display output channels 318 - 324 . in step 356 , alarm and weak bath condition bits set in previous step 346 corresponding to the appropriate led window are passed on to the output table which controls relay card 273 during the corresponding led channel window 360 - 366 of step 354 . in step 358 , conditions read in the step 326 corresponding to low bath level ( led &# 39 ; s 160 ), empty chemical drum ( led &# 39 ; s 164 ), sensing system error ( led &# 39 ; s 162 ), or temperature error ( led &# 39 ; s 161 ) are passed on to the output table corresponding to relay card 273 . in steps 356 and 358 , the led &# 39 ; s are only lit or operated for the short time that the channel is true during a complete timing period 304 . this results in a flashing or blinking of the corresponding led &# 39 ; s to indicate a warning or alarm condition . it is noted that the timing periods for the acceptable channels are separated by sufficient time to allow voltages on transmitting lines to decrease and increase to thus avoid cross talk or coupling between lines which could produce flickering or false activation of led &# 39 ; s . in the following step 368 , bits are set in the output table for output cards 269 , 270 and 271 corresponding to led &# 39 ; s which indicate non - warning or non - alarm conditions such as bath ok ( led &# 39 ; s 154 ), feed pump on ( led &# 39 ; s 152 ), circulation pump on ( led &# 39 ; s 150 ), valve on ( led &# 39 ; s 151 ), and blend cycle on ( led &# 39 ; s 153 ). additionally the battery low bit operating led 220 may be set in an extra output such as from card 272 . the existence of a true for an alarm condition from any of the alarm values from any of the channels together with the absence of a lock - out for that particular condition results in a beacon / horn timer being activated which in turn causes the appropriate bit to be rendered high in the output table corresponding to the horn operation . the initiation of an alarm condition in step 370 causes the horn and beacon to be operated until the horn acknowledge button 222 is depressed whereupon the lockout bit is set for that particular alarm condition . this prevents resetting of the horn timer causing the horn and beacon to be turned off . correction and subsequent removal of the alarm condition bit will result in resetting of the lockout bit to enable subsequent alarms for that condition to operate the horn and beacon . each alarm condition has its own lockout bit so that acknowledgement of one alarm condition will not be effective to acknowledge other alarm conditions which may subsequently appear ; thus , each new alarm condition must be acknowledged separately to turn off the horn and beacon . from either step 352 or step 370 , the program proceeds to step 372 where any printing and / or data transfer to associated computers takes place , if the system is so designed . printers and data highway connections to other computers through cards 260 , 274 and 275 are optional . at the end of the last step , the operating system automatically returns to the cycle start to thus continuously cycle through the program steps . the above - described embodiment describes a system employing seven channels . however , systems with less than seven channels can be designed ; for example , a system only controlling a cleaning bath 14 and a treatment bath 18 utilizing three channels can be used where pre - cleaning is not controlled and the rinsing and washing steps are not monitored or controlled for the particular washer . additionally , the above - described apparatus and process utilizes a ph sensor 71 in the treatment bath 18 . a conductivity sensor can be substituted for the ph sensor where appropriate for the particular treatment bath . the temperature sensors 31 , 42 and 72 may be either analog sensors wherein high alarm values are set in the same manner as for the ph and conductivity sensors , or the temperature sensors may be simple temperature operated switches which are sensed in the same manner as the control switches . in the accompanying appendix , there is listed a program for one embodiment of a can treating process . the program is in ladder diagram for an allen - bradley programmable controller model mini - plc - 2 / 15 . since many modifications , variations and changes in detail may be made to the above - described embodiment , it is intended that all matter described above and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	6
referring to the drawings , fig1 is a block diagram of an inverter portion of a vscf power system . in this embodiment , the inverter 10 is used to convert dc power to a high quality , three phase 400 hz ac output . an inverter drive logic waveform pattern generator 12 provides 12 pulse width modulated switching signals which control the operation of six transistors forming the three output power poles of the inverter 10 . signals upaon and upaoff are used to control the upper transistor of power pole a by turning it on and off , respectively . signals loaon and loaoff control the lower switching transistor of power pole a by turning it on and off , respectively . signals upbon , upboff , lobon and loboff perform similar control functions for the phase b power pole output switches . similarly , signals upcon , upcoff , locon and locoff control the operation of the upper and lower switching transistors for the phase c power pole . these low level ttl signals are buffered by a driver circuit 14 and are also delivered by way of bus 16 to an idl built - in - test circuit 18 . the output of driver 14 feeds a base 4 56 , 738 drive circuit 20 which in turn controls the inverter switching transistors . the idl switching pattern signals are under - lapped and time corrected for inverter on / off switching delays by the idl waveform pattern generator in accordance with three inverter power pole feedback signals which are delivered to the idl waveform pattern generator by way of line 22 . an external clock provides a clock signal to the idl waveform pattern generator and the idl built - in - test circuit by way of line 24 . a power controller computer 26 receives various test signals produced by the idl built - in - test circuit on line 28 , which is generally designated as a multiplexed output bitmux . individual test signals produced by the idl built - in - test circuit are selected by the power controller by way of signals bma , bmb and bmc on lines 30 , 32 and 34 , respectively . the power controller computer analyzes signal bmuxout for one time interval ( one inverter output cycle ), which is defined by signal phase b 30 deg on line 35 . fig2 is a schematic diagram of an idl built - in - test circuit constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention . the circuit includes a plurality of jk flip - flop circuits with data lock - out 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 and 52 . these circuits are identical and each one includes a jk flip - flop circuit 54 and a pair of and circuits 56 and 58 connected as illustrated for circuit 36 . an external clock signal is applied to each circuit by way of the line labeled clk . jk flip - flop circuit 36 combines a first inverter drive logic pulse width modulated switching signal upaon on line 60 with a second inverter drive logic pulse width modulated switching signal upaoff on line 62 to produce a first intermediate signal on line 64 . circuit 38 combines signals loaon on line 66 and loaoff on line 68 to produce a second intermediate signal on line 70 . circuit 40 combines signals upbon on line 72 and upboff on line 74 to produce a third intermediate signal on line 76 . circuit 42 combines signals lobon on line 78 and loboff on line 80 to produce a fourth intermediate signal on line 82 . circuit 44 combines signals upcon on line 84 and upcoff on line 86 to produce a fifth intermediate signal on line 88 . circuit 46 combines signals locon on line 90 and locoff on line 92 to produce a sixth intermediate signal 94 . exclusive or gate 96 is used to combine the first and second intermediate signals to produce a first composite signal on line 98 . exclusive or gate 100 combines the third and fourth intermediate signals to produce a second composite signal on line 102 . exclusive or gate 104 combines the fifth and sixth intermediate signals to produce a third composite signal on line 1 06 . the first , second and third composite signals are combined by nand gate 108 to produce a first test signal bit1 on line 110 . jk flip - flop circuit 48 is used to combine the first and second intermediate signals on lines 64 and 70 to produce a second test signal bpha on line 112 . jk flip - flop circuit 50 is used to combine the third and fourth intermediate signals on lines 76 and 82 to produce a third test signal bphb on line 114 . jk flip - flop circuit 52 is used to combine the fifth and sixth intermediate signals on lines 88 and 94 to produce a fourth test signal bphc on line 116 . exclusive or gate 118 receives the second and third test signals , bpha and bphb , and produces a combined signal on line 120 . exclusive or gate 122 receives the combined signal and the fourth test signal bphc to produce an output which is inverted by inverter 124 to produce the fifth test signal bit2 on line 126 . a multiplexer 128 receives the five test signals and passes one of those five test signals through type d flip - flop 130 to the power controller computer 26 in fig1 . the computer selects which of the five signals is to be analyzed by providing signals on lines 30 , 32 and 34 . signal bitmux then comprises the selected one of the five test signals . the circuit of fig2 utilizes the twelve pulse width modulated inverter drive logic switching pattern signals to produce five unique built - in - test signals through the use of simple clocked logic operations . the operations performed by this circuit are defined in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________bit logic operations__________________________________________________________________________bmc bmb bma bitmux function__________________________________________________________________________0 0 0 bit2 ( a xor b ) xor c0 0 1 bit1 d0 1 0 bpha a0 1 1 bphb b1 0 0 bphc c__________________________________________________________________________upa = f1 ( upaon , upaoff ) upb = f1 ( upbon , upboff ) upc = f1 ( upcon , upcoff ) loa = f1 ( loaon , loaoff ) lob = f1 ( lobon , loboff ) loc = f1 ( locon , locoff ) a = f1 ( upa , loa ) b = f1 ( upb , lob ) c = f1 ( upc , loc ) d = ## str1 ## where f1 ( x , y ) is defined : x y clk f1 ( x , y ) __________________________________________________________________________0 0 rising q ( n - 1 ) 0 1 rising a1 0 rising a1 1 rising q ( n - 1 ) __________________________________________________________________________ the built - in - test circuit utilizes the normal characteristics of a basic inverter drive logic switching pattern in the production of the five built - in - test signals . fig3 and 4 illustrate typical normally operating inverter drive logic waveform switching patterns as well as the five derived built - in - test signals . complete switching patterns are illustrated for the four signals relating to the output phase a of an inverter while only the upper switch on signals are shown for phases b and c . the remaining signals for phases b and c can be readily derived based on the normal operating characteristics of the signals wherein : 1 ) only one phase a , b , or c switches at any time . 4 ) upper on is the complement of lower on except for an underlap time . 5 ) upper off is the complement of lower off except for an underlap time . the waveforms of fig3 show that signal bit2 is a composite of signals bpha , bphb and bphc . the four signals upaon , upaoff , loaon and loaoff are used to produce signal bpha . signals bphb and bphc are produced similarly by combining the switching pattern signals for phases b and c , respectively . fig4 illustrates the waveforms of fig3 with an expanded time scale . the first pulse in signal upaon is shown to have a duration equal to t pw - t ul , wherein t pw is the actual pulse width and t ul is an underlap time . the first pulse in signal loaoff is seen to have a duration equal to t pw + t ul . as shown by vertical lines 132 and 134 , the upper and lower transistor switching pattern signals are combined to produce a first pulse in test signal bpha which has a width of t pw , the actual idl pulse width with the underlap removed . test signal bit1 has pulses having durations equal to the underlap time t ul as illustrated by vertical lines 136 and 138 . the five output test signals of the built - in - test circuit of fig2 which result from several fault conditions are shown in fig5 through 7 . fig5 shows the output signals for a single fault , signal upaon stuck low . note the irregular pulse patterns on signals bit1 , bit2 , and bpha . signal bit2 has only 36 pulses per inverter output period instead of the 54 pulses expected signal bit1 has 26 pulses per period with 108 expected . isolation to the faulty phase is easily performed by inspection of signals bpha , bphb and bphc . signal bpha has no pulses while 18 were expected for normal conditions . signals bphb and bphc have normal waveforms . it is noted that the slightly irregular input pattern present on signals upaoff , loaon and loaoff is the result of the idl pattern generator reacting to the idl feedback signals under this fault condition . fig6 shows the built - in - test circuit output for a double fault , signals upaon and upaoff stuck low . fig7 shows the built - in - test output signals for a quadruple fault , signals upaon , upaoff , loaon and loaoff all stuck low . in each case , the fault condition is detected as an abnormal waveform on signals bit1 and bit2 and the faulty phase is successfully isolated by an analysis of signals bpha , bphb and bphc . built - in - test circuits constructed in accordance with this invention combine six normally complementary pulse width modulated inverter drive logic signal pairs into six intermediate signals . the use of a jk flip - flop circuit with data lock - out logic to perform this combination guarantees that the inputs must be opposite in order for the output to toggle . for normal conditions , each of the six intermediate signals is identical to the corresponding on signal input . these six signals are combined in accordance with the functions of table 1 to produce five built - in - test signals which are illustrated in fig3 and 4 . the built - in - test circuit enables a power controller computer to monitor all timing aspects of the twelve inverter drive logic outputs in real time by analysis of only one signal bit1 . if an abnormal waveform occurs , such as a signal having a wrong pulse width or missing pulses , signal bit2 can be interrogated for a polarity problem and signals bpha , bphb and bphc can be interrogated to isolate the faulty phase . signal bit1 is a composite signal of all twelve inverter drive logic signals representing the pole drive switching points of the switching poles . underlap between the upper and lower drives can be measured along with whole drive pulse widths ( t pw - t ul ) the signal does not contain the actual pole drive polarity as the other built - in - test signals do . in the preferred embodiment of this invention , signal bit1 has 108 pulses per period . signal bit2 is a composite signal of all twelve inverter drive logic signals representing the pole drive polarity of the switching pole . note that underlap between the upper and lower signals is not measurable in this signal . the signal normally has 54 pulses per period . in addition , any underlap time inserted into the waveform between the upper and lower signals is removed so the actual control signal without underlap distortion can be analyzed . signals bpha , bphb and bphc each represent a composite of four inverter drive logic signals for one inverter power pole . these signals represent the pole drive polarity . underlap between the upper and lower signals is not measurable in these signals . in the preferred embodiment , these signals have 18 pulses per period . signal bitmux is the ultimate output signal of the built - in - test circuitry and is a single multiplexed signal controlled by inputs bma , bmb and bmc . selection of any of the five built - in - test signals can be made . the multiplexed output is synchronized to the inverter drive clock signal to prevent glitches on the output signal . the circuits and methods of this invention produce a single output which simultaneously monitors all twelve inverter drive logic signals . using simple techniques which can be easily implemented in a digital gate array , actual inverter drive logic pattern generator chip output signals are monitored such that any faulty phase of the inverter can be isolated . the output signals actively reflect both single and multiple fault conditions . in addition , the outputs permit analysis of either the underlap and the idl signals or the undistorted control signals with the underlap removed . although this invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiment , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover such changes .	7
wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . referring to fig1 , a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown . an interface 1 with universal serial communication comprises a switching device 11 , a medium device 12 receiving data from the switching device 11 , and a data restoring device 13 receiving data transmitted from the medium device 12 . wherein , a single signal line is provided with intercommunication within the switching device 11 , the medium device 12 , and the data restoring device 13 , so that the data could be transmitted and the serial communication is obtainable . herein , the switching device 11 includes an encoder 111 , an error coefficient generator 112 , an error beyond value generator 113 , and a calculator 114 that is connected to the encoder 111 , the error coefficient generator 112 , and the error beyond value generator 113 . the encoder 111 receives the data so as to transform the data into a binary number . concurrently , the error coefficient generator 112 generates an error coefficient according to the binary number and concurrently the error beyond value generator 113 generates an error beyond value . thus , the binary number , the error coefficient , and the error beyond value are input into the calculator 114 for being further integrated into a calculating result and hence output . continuingly , the medium device 12 receives the calculating result from the calculator 114 and transforms the calculating result into a correspondent pulse wave for outputting . especially , an amount of the pulse wave equals the calculating result integrated and output by the calculator 114 . herein , the medium device 12 , or the signal line that is provided for transmitting data and obtaining the serial communication , could adopt wireless or wired transmission . the wireless transmission could be wi - fi , wi - max , gsm / gprs , rf , or infrared rays ; the wired transmission could be coaxial cable , twisted - pair cable , power line , or optical fibers . as to the data restoring device 13 , a frequency divider 131 for receiving the pulse wave output from the medium device 12 , a counter 132 connected to the frequency divider 131 , and a decoder 133 connected to the counter 132 are included . accompanying with fig2 , the frequency divider 131 isolates low frequency pulse waves from high frequency pulse waves in the pulse waves . thereby , the low frequency pulse waves are served as synchronic signals , and the counter 132 analyzes the high frequency pulse wave for counting an amount of the pulse wave . while the binary number from the switching device 11 is achieved in the counter 132 via the amount of the pulse waves dividing the error coefficient , the decoder 133 thence restores the binary number to the original data . in operation , the data is transmitted into the switching device 11 for the encoder 111 to receive . thereby , the encoder 111 encodes the data into binary numbers that are suited to the pc or other like devices . wherein , the binary numbers generated by the encoder 111 × error coefficient + error beyond value = an output number . every digit in the binary numbers is called a bit . at most of each bit generates the binary number as a numb , and the output number is an n , thereby bringing about the following formula : for example , when the transmitted data ( 1100 ) 2 , the transmitting formula of each bit is as follows : when a transmitting bandwidth is ξ , f s shows a speed adopted to the pulse wave that is encoded after the calculator 114 of the switching device 11 transmitting the data . thereby , a further formula is achieved as follows : accordingly , a lowest bandwidth is maintained during the data transmission . cooperating with the data that is transformed into the binary numbers , the coefficient generator 112 preferably generates an error coefficient in accordance with an instant environmental condition in time of transmission . a relative relationship between the transmission environment and the error coefficient is shown in form 1 as follows . additionally , the error beyond value generator 113 generates an error beyond value , and a relative relationship between the error beyond value and the error coefficient is shown in form 2 as follows . accordingly , when the binary numbers generated by the encoder 111 multiply the error coefficient then plus the error beyond value , a calculating result is able to be integrated and output . referring to fig3 , the data that is transformed into the binary number could be further converted to packets for transmission . fig4 shows a definition of a data zone of the transmitted data . form 3 presents detecting codes in an error zone for detecting errors . when the medium device 12 receives the calculating result output from the calculator 114 , the calculating result would be transformed in accordance with the amount of the pulse wave so as to be output . therefore , the amount of the pulse wave is equal to the calculating result integrated and hence output by the calculator 114 . for example , the data to be transmitted ( 4 ) 10 & lt ;=& gt ;( 0100 ) 2 . wherein , “ 0100 ” is shifted leftward for 3 bits in accordance with the practical environment . as it should be , the leftward shifting quantity of the bit is decided by a test result in time of the practical operation . namely , the data ( 4 ) 10 times ( 8 ) 10 equals ( 32 ) 10 . afore decimal numbers could be also expressed by ( 0100000 ) 2 in a binary form . herein , the binary form is conventionally adopted , and the decimal form is adopted in the present invention . thereby , ( 32 ) 10 or ( 0100000 ) 2 decides the number of the pulse waves . whereby , a formula for the pulse waves could be achieved as follows : n =( 4 ) 10 ×( 8 ) 10 +( 8 / 2 ). favorably , the medium device 12 sends the equal pulse wave . further , the speed f s of the pulse wave is not limited . a higher speed results in a wider bandwidth ω ; a lower speed results in a narrower bandwidth . a formula for calculating the bandwidth ω is shown as follows : ω = f s 8 ( bit / time )/ nx . a formula for calculating the relative amount of the pulse wave in the medium device 12 is shown as follows : the amount of the pulse wave = n ( the binary number × the error coefficient + the error beyond value ) thereby , after the frequency divider 131 , the counter 132 , and the decoder 133 receiving the pulse waves output by the medium device 12 , the binary number is thence restored by the calculator 114 so as to achieve the original data . namely , the data is previously altered into the binary numbers ( ex . ( 1011 ) 2 ). the practical operation is as follows : achieve a result calculated via the formula n =( 10 ) 2 × error coefficient + error beyond value and send the same result , thereby allowing the result to be decoded by the data restoring device 13 . accordingly , the data including one bit are transmitted . achieve a result calculated via the formula n =( 10 ) 2 × error coefficient + error beyond value and send the same result , thereby allowing the result to be decoded by the data restoring device 13 . accordingly , the data including one bit are transmitted . achieve a result calculated via the formula n =( 01 ) 2 × error coefficient + error beyond value and send the same result , thereby allowing the result to be decoded by the data restoring device 13 . accordingly , the data including one bit are transmitted . achieve a result calculated via the formula n =( 10 ) 2 × error coefficient + error beyond value and send the same result , thereby allowing the result to be decoded by the data restoring device 13 . accordingly , the data including one bit are transmitted . in a fifth transmission , “ ” is transmitted , namely , the transmission is complete . achieve a result calculated via the formula n =( 11 ) 2 × error coefficient + error beyond value and send the same result , thereby allowing the result to be decoded by the data restoring device 13 . accordingly , all of the data are transmitted . the binary data of n bits are all suited to afore process . as it should be , a reverse operation is also available . consequently , when the binary data restored by the data restoring device 13 is ( 01 ) 2 , one bit is now transmitted and the accordant value is “ 0 ”. when the binary data restored by the data restoring device 13 is ( 10 ) 2 , one bit is now transmitted and the accordant value is “ 1 ”. when the binary data restored by the data restoring device 13 is ( 11 ) 2 , one bit is now transmitted , which represents that a controlling code is achieved , thereby ending the packets . when the binary data restored by the data restoring device 13 is ( 00 ) 2 , it means that anonymous noise is incurred and the noise should be ignored . accordingly , each packet represents that one single bit is transmitted , so 1 bytes ( or 8 bits ) represent that 8 packets are sent , and n bit represents that n packet are sent . at a final stage , a packet of ( 11 ) 2 is transmitted . after the final , the data of one bit is transmitted . both “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” represent a new start of the data transmission . for example , when the “ data ”=( 1010 ) 2 is transmitted , the packets to be output are arranged as a sequence as follows . fig5 - 1 shows the transmitted data is “ 1 ”; fig5 - 2 shows the transmitted data is “ 2 ”; fig5 - 3 shows the transmitted data is “ 1 ”; fig5 - 4 shows the transmitted data is “ 0 ”; fig5 - 5 shows the transmission is ended . as a result , when the decoder 133 restores the calculating result to the original data accordingly to afore formulas , one transmission is finished . herein , the process of the present invention could be summarized as follows . a data is transmitted into the switching device 11 for turning into the binary numbers . then , the binary numbers cooperate with the error coefficient and the error beyond value for achieving the calculating result . when the calculating result is received by the medium device 12 , the calculating result is further transformed into the correspondent amount of the pulse waves , so that the pulse waves would be sent to the data restoring device 13 . additionally , the counter 132 in the data restoring device 13 is able to count the number of the pulse waves . in the practical application , the data might be interfered by any anonymous noise during the transmission , so that the subsequent amount of the pulse waves is subject to change . for solving this problem , the decoder 133 allows the amount of the pulse waves provided by the counter 132 to divide the error coefficient . thence , the divided result would be rounded to an integer , and this integer is the binary numbers sent by the calculator 114 . thus , the binary number could be reversed to the original data . obviously , the present invention allows the error of the amount of the pulse waves to be limited within a certain scope , thereby restraining the noise . to sum up , the present invention particularly utilizes the medium device to receive the data from the switching device for transmitting the same to the data restoring device . therefore , the transmitting rate is ensured to be consistent , so user avoids setting the baud rate . accordingly , the application of the interface in the communication would not be difficult , the structure of the interface is simplified , and the present invention is widely applicable . the calculation of the error coefficient and the error beyond value restrains the noise in time of transmission . therefore , the desired data could be transmitted correctly and reliably . while we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention , it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention .	6
the preferred embodiment of the present squelch system 10 , shown in fig1 is comprised of a conventional prior art squelch circuit 12 connected in parallel with a phase locked loop circuit 14 . the receiver am detector output signal is applied through noise filter 16 to noise detector 18 . noise filter 16 is suitably a band pass type with a pass band of approximately 6 to 9 khz for the present embodiment where this squelch system is used in an airborne receiver for the arinc communications system . since normal modulation frequencies are in the range of 350 to 2500 hz they are not passed by noise filter 16 . the output of noise detector 18 is applied to low pass filter 20 where the average , or alternately the peak value , of the noise is recovered , the output of low pass filter 20 being here termed the noise signal . the noise signal is compared in comparator 22 against a noise reference voltage level set by a voltage divider 24 connected across voltage source v 1 . the output from comparator 22 is applied through or gate 28 to control squelch gate 30 via line 28a . squelch gate 30 is effective to interrupt or pass the receiver am detector output signal at terminal 8 in response to the signal on line 28a . thus , if low pass filter 20 generates a noise signal indicating that noise or difference frequencies in the pass band of noise filter 16 are present on terminal 8 , comparator 22 will generate a first squelch signal which when applied through or gate 28 will fail to open squelch gate 30 and thus fail to pass the signals at terminal 8 to line 30a at the output of the squelch gate . if the signals at terminal 8 comprise solely noise then this action is valid . however , if the signals at terminal 8 comprise difference frequencies in the 6 to 9 khz band then this action is invalid and missed communications might result when squelch gate 30 fails to open . phase locked loop circuit 14 is provided to cure the above problem . circuit 14 is comprised of the phase locked loop 26 connected between terminal 8 and or gate 28 . phase locked loop 26 preferably has a capture range which covers the pass band of noise filter 16 . thus , for the present embodiment wherein noise filter 16 has a pass band of 6 to 9 khz a capture range for phase locked loop 26 of 5 . 5 to 9 . 5 khz is practical . since the receiver am detector has a wider bandwidth than noise filter 16 and phase locked loop 26 is connected directly to receive the output of the receiver am detector , the phase locked loop capture sensitivity can be matched to a 6 db aural signal plus noise divided by noise ## equ1 ## ratio . thus , if a difference frequency in the 5 . 5 to 9 . 5 khz band is present on terminal 8 , phase locked loop 26 will capture that frequency when at a 6 db aural ## equ2 ## ratio on terminal 8 . the error signal for phase locked loop 26 is a second squelch signal taken at line 26a and applied through or gate 28 to squelch gate 30 via line 28a . upon capture of a difference frequency by phase locked loop 26 the error signal becomes such that when applied through or gate 28 to squelch gate 30 , the latter gate opens and connects line 30a to terminal 8 . line 30a is , of course , connected to a suitable transducer which converts the modulation at terminal 8 to a form intelligible to the aircraft crew members and instruments , as appropriate . although the circuit of fig1 provides excellent squelch performance when used in the arinc communications environment , there is a situation which theoretically could cause a problem . specifically , in the event multiple difference frequencies in the 5 . 5 to 9 . 5 khz capture range of the phase locked loop occur simultaneously the phase locked loop could fail to capture and missed communications could result if two of such difference frequency signals were of equal amplitude . however , it is extremely remote that multiple difference frequencies in the 5 . 5 to 9 . 5 frequency band would simultaneously occur and the possibility that if they do that two of them would be of equal amplitude is so remote as to make the probability essentially zero that the phase locked loop would fail to capture for these reasons . thus , the system of fig1 provides excellent squelch service and essentially guarantees that no missed communications will occur . refer now to fig2 which illustrates a further improvement . certain elements of fig2 are identical or similar to like elements of fig1 and are accordingly denoted by the same numeral plus 100 . the squelch system of fig2 consists of a generally conventional squelch circuit 110 , similar or identical to the generally conventional squelch circuit 10 of fig1 and is comprised of noise filter 116 , noise detector 118 , low pass filter 120 , comparator 122 and voltage divider 124 connected as a reference voltage across the v 1 voltage source . squelch circuit 110 is paralleled by phase locked loop circuit 114 which is comprised of phase locked loop 126 . circuits 110 and 114 and the operation and functions thereof are similar to like circuits of fig1 and need not be extensively described here again . briefly , circuit 110 generates a relatively low level first squelch signal from comparator 122 when noise or difference frequencies in the band pass of noise filter 116 are present at terminal 108 , otherwise a relatively high level output is generated . circuit 114 generates a relatively high level signal only if a difference frequency in the capture range of phase locked loop 126 appears at terminal 108 , otherwise a relatively low level signal is generated . the output signals from circuits 110 and 114 are combined in or gate 128 and the resulting signal applied as one input to and gate 46 . low pass filter 40 , comparator 42 and voltage divider 44 which represents a reference for comparator 42 , comprise a third circuit which generates a relatively high signal whenever a valid carrier appears on terminal 108 , otherwise a relatively low output signal is generated . the elements within dash line box 50 including these latter elements plus and gate 46 , which receives the outputs from or gate 128 and comparator 42 , comprises a threshold switch which insures that squelch gate 130 remains closed until the carrier level has exceeded the threshold set by the value of the reference voltage level from voltage divider 44 . thus , the addition of threshold switch 50 to the sqelch system ensures that squelch gate 130 will be closed to interrupt communications from terminal 108 to line 130a until there is a valid carrier at terminal 108 at a satisfactory ## equ3 ## ratio . in the squelch system actually built , a standard , commercially available solid state phase locked loop was used for block 26 of fig1 and block 126 of fig2 together with a number of passive elements external to the solid state device for setting the loop parameters . the solid state device is made by exar integrated systems , inc ., p . o . box 62229 , sunnyvale , ca 94088 and the raytheon corp ., semiconductor division , 350 ellis st ., mountain view ca 94042 and is designated as their part number xr2211 . this device is ideally suited for the present embodiments in that pertinent loop parameters , as stated above , such as center frequency , capture range , tracking range and lock time can be easily adjusted to the particular application by selection of a small member of external passive elements as known to those familiar with this device . the device provides a logic output and its complement to indicate when the phase locked loop is locked . the system designer thus has a choice of loop output signals of either sense for comparator 42 , thus providing flexibility in the choice of other circuit elements . also as known to those skilled in the art , the ## equ4 ## ratio of lock - occurrence can be controlled by a simple change of input noise bandwidth so that capture or lock - occurrence will coincide with the desired aural ## equ5 ## ratio of the receiver . as previously mentioned , it is important and desirable that the capture range of the phase locked loop encompass the pass band of the noise filter . in the present embodiment a single standard phase locked loop device was available to cover this frequency band . in some applications where the pass band of the noise filter is wider than the capture range of conveniently available phase locked loop devices , multiple phase locked loop devices might be used to cover the noise filter pass band , with the phase locked loop devices being connected in parallel and their outputs being connected together through an or gate . this and other modifications and alterations of our invention should suggest themselves to those skilled in the art from a reading and study of the above description of the preferred embodiments of the invention . accordingly , the invention is to be limited only by the true spirit and scope of the appended claims .	7
the pcsk9 gene ( or narc - 1 gene ) encodes the narc - 1 protein or polypeptide . the narc - 1 protein is translated as a pre - protein which is autocatalytically processed into a mature narc - 1 protein . the sequence of the narc - 1 gene has been described in patent applications wo 01 / 57081 and wo 02 / 14358 , and partly characterized in seidah et al ( 2003 ). the residues of the narc - 1 catalytic site consist in asp - 186 , ser - 188 , his - 226 , asn - 317 and ser - 386 . narc - 1 presents two zymogen processing sites : a first one comprising residues 78 to 82 and having a primary cleavage site located at position 82 ; a second one comprising residues 138 to 142 and having a putative secondary cleavage site located at position 142 . the biological function of narc - 1 and the implication of this protein in hypercholesterolemia and lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders were unknown . within the context of this invention , the pcsk9 gene locus designates all pcsk9 sequences or products in a cell or organism , including pcsk9 coding sequences , pcsk9 non - coding sequences ( e . g ., introns , 5 ′ and 3 ′ utr ), pcsk9 regulatory sequences controlling transcription and / or translation ( e . g ., promoter , enhancer , terminator , etc . ), as well as all corresponding expression products , such as pcsk9 rnas ( e . g . mrna ) and narc - 1 polypeptides ( e . g ., a pre - protein and a mature protein ). the term “ gene ” shall be construed to include any type of coding nucleic acid , including genomic dna , complementary dna ( cdna ), synthetic or semi - synthetic dna , as well as any form of corresponding rna . the term gene particularly includes recombinant nucleic acids encoding narc - 1 , i . e ., any non naturally occurring nucleic acid molecule created artificially , e . g ., by assembling , cutting , ligating or amplifying sequences . a pcsk9 gene is typically double - stranded , although other forms may be contemplated , such as single - stranded . pcsk9 genes may be obtained from various sources and according to various techniques known in the art , such as by screening dna libraries or by amplification from various natural sources . recombinant nucleic acids may be prepared by conventional techniques , including chemical synthesis , genetic engineering , enzymatic techniques , or a combination thereof a particular example of a pcsk9 gene comprises seq id no : 1 . the indicated positions in a pcsk9 gene and a narc - 1 protein refer to the positions in the sequences of seq id no 1 and seq id no 2 , respectively . the term “ hybridize under stringent conditions ” means that two nucleic acid fragments are capable of hybridization to one another under standard hybridization conditions described in sambrook et al ., molecular cloning : a laboratory manual ( 1989 ) cold spring harbor laboratory press , new york , usa . more specifically , “ stringent conditions ” as used herein refer to hybridization at 65 ° c . in a hybridization buffer consisting of 250 mmol / l sodium phosphate buffer ph 7 . 2 , 7 % ( w / v ) sds , 1 % ( w / v ) bsa , 1 mmol / l edta and 0 . 1 mg / ml single - stranded salmon sperm dna . the invention concerns an isolated or recombinant pcsk9 gene comprising an alteration causing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . the altered pcsk9 gene comprises an alteration leading to a decrease or a complete loss of narc - 1 activity , or to a new narc - 1 activity . this decrease , loss , or new activity can be due to the decrease or loss of the activity of narc - 1 enzyme , to the decrease of narc - 1 stability ( either at the stage of nucleic acid or proprotein or protein ), to a change of substrate specificity of narc - 1 or to the disturbance or impediment of the narc - 1 polymerization . this decrease or loss of narc - 1 activity can be due to a narc - 1 alteration leading to a decrease or loss of the pro - narc - 1 maturation , either at the first cleavage or the second one or both . the alteration can also affect the catalytic activity by modifying the catalytic site of narc - 1 or its substrate recognition site . furthermore , the alteration can affect the splicing of the narc - 1 mrna , leading to an alternative splicing product . the invention concerns an isolated or recombinant pcsk9 gene or fragment thereof comprising an alteration , wherein said alteration reduces , modifies or abolishes the activity of narc - 1 . preferably , said alteration is a nucleotide substitution . more preferably , said nucleotide substitution leads to an amino acid change in narc - 1 protein . preferably , said amino acid change is located at ( e . g ., within ) the catalytic site of the narc - 1 protein and decreases its catalytic activity , or is located at a zymogen processing site of narc - 1 and decreases its autocatalytic cleavage . in an other preferred embodiment , said amino acid change is located near the catalytic site of the narc - 1 protein and decreases its catalytic activity or near the zymogen processing sites of narc - 1 and decreases its autocatalytic cleavage . alternatively , the alteration may affect the splicing of narc - 1 mrna . more specifically , said alteration can be is a substitution at nucleotide 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 . more preferably , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a t → a substitution at nucleotide 625 of seq id no 1 , a t → c substitution at nucleotide 890 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof . in a further embodiment , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a substitution at nucleotides 476 - 478 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 482 - 484 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 488 - 490 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 485 - 490 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 548 - 553 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 479 - 481 , 491 - 493 and 578 - 580 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 620 - 622 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 656 - 658 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 671 - 673 of seq id no 1 , a substitution at nucleotides 920 - 922 of seq id no 1 , and a substitution at nucleotides 1193 - 1195 of seq id no 1 . the invention also concerns an isolated or recombinant pcsk9 gene or fragment thereof comprising at least one alteration , wherein said alteration is selected from the group consisting of the polymorphisms listed in table 2 and in table 4 . the invention relates to an isolated or purified narc - 1 protein or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration , wherein said alteration reduces , modifies or abolishes the activity of narc - 1 . preferably , the alteration is located at the catalytic site of the narc - 1 protein and decreases its catalytic activity or at a zymogen processing site of narc - 1 and decreases its autocatalytic cleavage . in an other preferred embodiment , the alteration is located near the catalytic site of the narc - 1 protein and decreases its catalytic activity or near the zymogen processing sites of narc - 1 and decreases its autocatalytic cleavage . more preferably , said alteration can be selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 , a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 and a combination thereof . still more preferably , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 by an arginine ( s127r ), a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( f216l ) and a combination thereof . in a further embodiment , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue tyrosine at position 78 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue valine at position 80 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue leucine at position 82 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues valine at positions 79 , 80 and 81 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues alanines at positions 102 and 103 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues valine at position 79 , lysine at position 83 , and leucine at position 112 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue methionine at position 126 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue proline at position 138 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 143 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue histidine at position 226 of seq id no 2 , and a substitution of the residue asparagine at position 317 of seq id no 2 . preferably , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue tyrosine at position 78 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( y78a ), a substitution of the residue valine at position 80 of seq id no 2 by an alanine or a leucine ( v80a or v80l ), a substitution of the residue leucine at position 82 of seq id no 2 by an alanine , a valine or a proline ( l82a , l82v or l82p ), a substitution of the residues valine at positions 79 , 80 and 81 of seq id no 2 by an arginine , an arginine and a leucine , respectively ( v79r , v80r and v81l ), a substitution of the residues alanines at positions 102 and 103 of seq id no 2 by arginines ( a102r and a103r ), a substitution of the residues valine at position 79 , lysine at position 83 , and leucine at position 112 of seq id no 2 by an isoleucine , a methionine , a proline , respectively ( v79i , k83m and l112p ), a substitution of the residue methionine at position 126 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( m126a ), a substitution of the residue proline at position 138 of seq id no 2 by a tyrosine ( p138y ), a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 143 of seq id no 2 by a proline ( i143p ), a substitution of the residue histidine at position 226 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( h226a ), and a substitution of the residue asparagine at position 317 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( n317a ). alternatively , said alteration can be selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue arginine at position 218 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue arginine at position 237 of seq id no 2 and a combination thereof , more preferably a substitution of the residue arginine at position 218 of seq id no 2 by a serine ( r218s ) or a substitution of the residue arginine at position 237 of seq id no 2 by a tryptophane ( r237w ) or a combination thereof . the invention also relates to an isolated or purified narc - 1 protein or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration , wherein said alteration is selected from the group consisting of an insertion of a residue leucine at position 15 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue arginine at position 46 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( r46l ), a substitution of the residue alanine at position 53 of seq id no 2 by a valine ( a53v ), a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 474 of seq id no 2 by a valine ( 1474v ), a substitution of the residue glutamic acid at position 670 of seq id no 2 by a glycine ( e670g ) and a comination thereof . the invention also relates to an isolated or purified narc - 1 protein or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration disclosed in table 4 . the invention further relates to a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a narc - 1 protein or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration according to the present invention , a vector comprising said nucleic acid , a host cell comprising said vector or said recombinant nucleic acid , and a non - human host organism comprising said recombinant nucleic acid , said vector or said host cell . therefore , the invention concerns an isolated or recombinant pcsk9 gene and / or narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration causing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , said alteration reducing , modifying or abolishing the activity of narc - 1 . in this context , by modifying is intended a change of specificity of the narc - 1 protein . optionally , said alteration decreases or abolishes the stability of the narc - 1 protein . optionally , said alteration decreases or abolishes the stability of mrna encoding narc - 1 . optionally , said alteration reduces the transcription rate of the pcsk9 gene . optionally , said alteration decreases or abolishes the activity of the narc - 1 protein . optionally , said alteration decreases or abolishes the specificity of narc - 1 for at least one of its natural substrates . optionally , said alteration introduces a new specificity of narc - 1 for an unusual substrate . said unusual substrate is preferably involved in cholesterol and / or lipoprotein metabolism . optionally , said alteration hinders or prevents the narc - 1 polymerization . optionally , said alteration affects the catalytic site of narc - 1 . optionally , said alteration affects substrate recognition site of narc - 1 . optionally , said alteration affects the processing of pro - narc - 1 in narc - 1 . more particularly , said alteration reduces or prevents the autocatalytic cleavage at one of the two zymogen processing sites or at both zymogen processing sites . optionally , said alteration modifies the association between the narc - 1 and its prosegment , for example by increasing or decreasing their interaction . by “ decrease ”, it is intended within the context of this invention that the assessed parameter is between 10 % and 90 % of the parameter value with a wild - type narc - 1 protein in a wild - type environment . more preferably , said assessed parameter is between 25 % and 75 % of the parameter value with a wild - type narc - 1 protein in a wild - type environment . by “ abolish ”, it is intended within the context of this invention that the assessed parameter is less than 10 % of the parameter value with a wild - type narc - 1 protein in a wild - type environment . more preferably , said assessed parameter is less than 5 % of the parameter value with a wild - type narc - 1 protein in a wild - type environment . still more preferably , said assessed parameter is less than 1 % of the parameter value with a wild - type narc - 1 protein in a wild - type environment . in a particular embodiment , said alteration decreases or abolishes the catalytic activity of narc - 1 . preferably , said alteration is located near the catalytic site of the narc - 1 protein . preferably , this alteration is located near a residue of the catalytic site selected from the group consisting of aspartic acid at position 186 , serine at position 188 , histidine at position 226 , asparagine at position 317 and serine at position 386 . more preferably , this alteration is located near the histidine in position 226 . alternatively , said alteration can be located at one or several residues of the catalytic site selected from the group consisting of aspartic acid at position 186 , serine at position 188 , histidine at position 226 , asparagine at position 317 and serine at position 386 . in an other preferred embodiment , said alteration decreases the autocatalytically cleavage of the narc - 1 protein . preferably , said alteration is located near the zymogen processing sites of narc - 1 . said zymogen processing sites are located at positions 78 - 82 and 138 - 142 . alternatively , said alteration can be located at one or several residues of the zymogen processing sites of narc - 1 . in terms of amino acid sequence , the term “ near ” designates , within the context of this invention , an alteration located at less than 90 amino acids , preferably 60 - 30 amino acids , more preferably 20 amino acids , from one residue of the catalytic site or the zymogen processing site . it is also intended that the term “ near ” does not include residues that form part of the catalytic site or of the zymogen processing site , as defined in the present invention . in terms of nucleotide sequence , the term “ near ” indicates that the alteration is located at less than 270 nucleotides , preferably 180 - 90 nucleotides , more preferably 60 nucleotides , from one nucleotide comprised in a codon encoding a residue of the catalytic site or of the zymogen processing site . such alteration preferably changes the codon , thereby changing the amino acid at that position in the protein sequence . in a particular embodiment , the invention concerns an isolated or recombinant pcsk9 gene and / or an isolated or purified narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration , said alteration being preferably located at the following positions : 1 - 30 , 32 - 66 , 68 - 77 , 83 - 225 , 227 - 532 and 534 - 692 of seq id no 2 . said alteration of the pcsk9 gene can be a mutation ( e . g ., a nucleotide substitution ), a deletion or an addition of at least one nucleotide . preferably , said alteration is a point mutation . more preferably , said mutation is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the nucleotide at position 625 and / or 890 . more preferably , said mutation is selected from the group consisting of a t → a substitution at nucleotide 625 of seq id no 1 , a t → c substitution at nucleotide 890 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof . in this regard , a specific object of the invention concerns a polynucleotide sequence of seq id no 1 or a polynucleotide comprising a fragment of seq id no 1 , said polynucleotide comprising either the nucleotide a at position 625 or the nucleotide c at position 890 or a combination thereof . an other specific object of the present invention concerns a polynucleotide sequence of seq id no 3 or a polynucleotide comprising a fragment of seq id no 3 , said polynucleotide comprising either the nucleotide a at position 5158 or the nucleotide c at position 13539 or a combination thereof . a fragment of a pcsk9 gene designates any portion of at least about 8 consecutive nucleotides of a sequence as disclosed above , preferably at least about 15 , more preferably at least about 20 nucleotides , further preferably of at least 30 nucleotides . fragments include all possible nucleotide length between 8 and 100 nucleotides , preferably between 15 and 100 , more preferably between 20 and 100 . said fragment can be useful as primer or probe for identifying an alteration of the pcsk9 gene in a sample of a subject or for genotyping a pcsk9 polymorphism , preferably a polymorphism disclosed in table 2 . said fragment can be a reagent of a diagnostic kit . the alteration of the narc - 1 protein can be a substitution , a deletion or an addition of at least one amino acid . preferably , said alteration is a substitution . more preferably , said substitution is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 and a combination thereof . still more preferably , said substitution is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 by an arginine ( s127r ), a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( f216l ) and a combination thereof . in this respect , a specific object of this invention concerns a polypeptide sequence of seq id no 2 or a polypeptide comprising a fragment of seq id no 2 , said polypeptide comprising either the residue arginine at position 127 or the residue leucine at position 216 or a combination thereof . the invention also concerns a polynucleotide encoding said altered narc - 1 protein . a fragment of a narc - 1 protein designates any portion of at least about 8 consecutive amino acids of a sequence as disclosed above , preferably at least about 15 , more preferably at least about 20 amino acids , further preferably of at least 30 amino acids . fragments include all possible nucleotide length between 8 and 100 amino acids , preferably between 15 and 100 , more preferably between 20 and 100 . said fragment can be useful for preparing antibodies . the invention also relates to an antibody specific of a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration according to the present invention . in a preferred embodiment , said alteration causes hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . more preferably , the invention relates to an antibody specific of a narc - 1 protein comprising a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 by an arginine ( s127r ) or a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( f216l ) or a combination thereof . furthermore , the invention relates to an antibody specific of a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration selected from the group consisting of an insertion of a residue leucine at position 15 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue arginine at position 46 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( r46l ), a substitution of the residue alanine at position 53 of seq id no 2 by a valine ( a53v ), a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 474 of seq id no 2 by a valine ( i474v ), a substitution of the residue glutamic acid at position 670 of seq id no 2 by a glycine ( e670g ) and a comination thereof . moreover , the invention relates to an antibody specific of a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration disclosed in table 4 , preferably selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue tyrosine at position 78 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue valine at position 80 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue leucine at position 82 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues valine at positions 79 , 80 and 81 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues alanines at positions 102 and 103 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residues valine at position 79 , lysine at position 83 , and leucine at position 112 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue methionine at position 126 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue proline at position 138 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 143 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue histidine at position 226 of seq id no 2 , and a substitution of the residue asparagine at position 317 of seq id no 2 . more preferably , said alteration is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue tyrosine at position 78 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( y78a ), a substitution of the residue valine at position 80 of seq id no 2 by an alanine or a leucine ( v80a or v80l ), a substitution of the residue leucine at position 82 of seq id no 2 by an alanine , a valine or a proline ( l82a , l82v or l82p ), a substitution of the residues valine at positions 79 , 80 and 81 of seq id no 2 by an arginine , an arginine and a leucine , respectively ( v79r , v80r and v81l ), a substitution of the residues alanines at positions 102 and 103 of seq id no 2 by arginines ( a102r and a103r ), a substitution of the residues valine at position 79 , lysine at position 83 , and leucine at position 112 of seq id no 2 by an isoleucine , a methionine , a proline , respectively ( v791 , k83m and l112p ), a substitution of the residue methionine at position 126 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( m126a ), a substitution of the residue proline at position 138 of seq id no 2 by a tyrosine ( p138y ), a substitution of the residue isoleucine at position 143 of seq id no 2 by a proline ( i143p ), a substitution of the residue histidine at position 226 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( h226a ), and a substitution of the residue asparagine at position 317 of seq id no 2 by an alanine ( n317a ). by “ specific ” is intended binds specifically the altered polypeptide and essentially does not bind specifically the wild - type polypeptide or the binding of the two forms can be discriminated . another object of the present invention is an altered pcsk9 gene having at least one nucleotide mutation at a position listed in table 2 . more particularly , the invention concerns an altered pcsk9 gene having the leucine stretch modification , the corresponding encoded narc - 1 protein and the use thereof . a further aspect of this invention resides in novel products for use in diagnosis , therapy or screening of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . these products comprise nucleic acid molecules encoding a narc - 1 polypeptide according to the present invention , vectors comprising the same , recombinant host cells and expressed polypeptides . a further object of this invention is a vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a narc - 1 polypeptide comprising an alteration according to the present invention . the vector may be a cloning vector or , more preferably , an expression vector , i . e ., a vector comprising regulatory sequences causing expression of a narc - 1 polypeptide from said vector in a competent host cell . these vectors can be used to express a narc - 1 polypeptide according to the present invention in vitro , ex vivo or in vivo , to create transgenic or “ knock out ” non - human animals , to amplify the nucleic acids , to express antisense rnas , etc . the vectors of this invention typically comprise a narc - 1 coding sequence according to the present invention operably linked to regulatory sequences , e . g ., a promoter , a polya , etc . the term “ operably linked ” indicates that the coding and regulatory sequences are functionally associated so that the regulatory sequences cause expression ( e . g ., transcription ) of the coding sequences . the vectors may further comprise one or several origins of replication and / or selectable markers . the promoter region may be homologous or heterologous with respect to the coding sequence , and provide for ubiquitous , constitutive , regulated and / or tissue specific expression , in any appropriate host cell , including for in vivo use . examples of promoters include bacterial promoters ( t7 , ptac , trp promoter , etc . ), viral promoters ( ltr , tk , cmv - ie , etc . ), mammalian gene promoters ( albumin , pgk , etc ), and the like . the vector may be a plasmid , a virus , a cosmid , a phage , a bac , a yac , etc . plasmid vectors may be prepared from commercially available vectors such as pbluescript , puc , pbr , etc . viral vectors may be produced from baculoviruses , retroviruses , adenoviruses , aavs , etc ., according to recombinant dna techniques known in the art . in this regard , a particular object of this invention resides in a recombinant virus encoding an altered narc - 1 polypeptide according to the present invention . the recombinant virus is preferably replication - defective , even more preferably selected from e1 - and / or e4 - defective adenoviruses , gag -, pol - and / or env - defective retroviruses and rep - and / or cap - defective aavs . such recombinant viruses may be produced by techniques known in the art , such as by transfecting packaging cells or by transient transfection with helper plasmids or viruses . typical examples of virus packaging cells include pa317 cells , psicrip cells , gpenv + cells , 293 cells , etc . detailed protocols for producing such replication - defective recombinant viruses may be found for instance in w095 / 14785 , w096 / 22378 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 882 , 877 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 013 , 516 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 861 , 719 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 278 , 056 and w094 / 19478 . a further object of the present invention resides in a recombinant host cell comprising a recombinant pcsk9 gene according to the present invention or a vector as defined above . suitable host cells include , without limitation , prokaryotic cells ( such as bacteria ) and eukaryotic cells ( such as yeast cells , mammalian cells , insect cells , plant cells , etc .). specific examples include e . coli , kluyveromyces or saccharomyces yeasts , mammalian cell lines ( e . g ., vero cells , cho cells , 3t3 cells , cos cells , etc .) as well as primary or established mammalian cell cultures ( e . g ., produced from lymphoblasts , fibroblasts , embryonic cells , epithelial cells , nervous cells , adipocytes , etc .). more particularly , the invention contemplates liver and small intestine and cells thereof or derived thereof . the present invention also relates to a method for producing a recombinant host cell expressing a narc - 1 polypeptide comprising an alteration according to the present invention , said method comprising ( i ) introducing in vitro or ex vivo into a competent host cell a recombinant nucleic acid or a vector as described above , ( ii ) culturing in vitro or ex vivo the recombinant host cells obtained and ( iii ), optionally , selecting the cells which express and / or secrete said narc - 1 polypeptide . such recombinant host cells can be used for the production of narc - 1 polypeptides according to the present invention , as well as for screening of active molecules , as described below . such cells may also be used as a model system to study hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . these cells can be maintained in suitable culture media , such as dmem , rpmi , ham , etc ., in any appropriate culture device ( plate , flask , dish , tube , pouch , etc .). the invention now provides diagnosis methods based on a monitoring of alteration at the pcsk9 gene locus in a subject . within the context of the present invention , the term “ diagnosis ” includes the detection , monitoring , dosing , comparison , etc ., at various stages , including early , pre - symptomatic stages , and late stages , in adults , children and pre - birth . diagnosis typically includes the prognosis , the assessment of a predisposition or risk of development , the characterization of a subject to define most appropriate treatment ( pharmaco - genetics ), etc . a particular object of this invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an alteration in the pcsk9 gene locus in said sample , the presence of said alteration is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . preferably , said alteration is a nucleotide substitution . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . a particular object of this invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an alteration in the narc - 1 mrna in said sample , the presence of said alteration is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . preferably , said alteration is a nucleotide substitution . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . an additional particular object of this invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an alteration in the narc - 1 polypeptide in said sample , the presence of said alteration is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . preferably , said alteration is an amino acid substitution . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . an other particular object of this invention resides in a method of assessing the response of a subject to a treatment of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an alteration in the pcsk9 gene locus , in the narc - 1 mrna or in the narc - 1 polypeptide in said sample , the presence of said alteration is indicative of a particular response to said treatment . preferably , said alteration is a nucleotide or amino acid substitution . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of assessing the response of a subject to a treatment of adh . a further object of the present invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an alteration in the pcsk9 gene , the ldl receptor gene and / or the apolipoprotein b gene in said sample , the presence of said alteration is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . similarly , the alteration can also be detected at the protein level . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . an alteration in the gene may be any form of mutation ( s ), deletion ( s ), rearrangement ( s ) and / or insertions in the coding and / or non - coding region of the locus , alone or in various combination ( s ). mutations more specifically include point mutations , as disclosed above . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the alteration is a nucleotide or amino acid substitution . the detection of the presence of an altered pcsk9 gene or an altered narc - 1 mrna sequence according to the present invention can be performed by sequencing all or part of the pcsk9 gene , polypeptide or rna , by selective hybridisation or by selective amplification , for instance . a more specific embodiment comprises detecting the presence of a polymorphism as disclosed in table 2 in the pcsk9 gene sequence or narc - 1 mrna of a subject . more particularly , the alteration of the pcsk9 gene locus is detected through an haplotype segregating with the mutation causing adh , more preferably the haplotype ( polymorphisms b ( absence of insertion ), h , i , m and u of table 2 ). preferably , the alteration detected in the pcsk9 gene locus or narc - 1 mrna is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the nucleotide t at position 625 and 890 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof , more preferably a t → a substitution at position 625 of seq id no 1 , a t → c substitution at position 890 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof . alternatively , the alteration detected in the pcsk9 gene locus or narc - 1 mrna can also be selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the nucleotide a at position 898 and a substitution of the nucleotide c at position 953 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof , more preferably a a → t substitution at position 898 of seq id no 1 , a c → t substitution at position 953 of seq id no 1 and a combination thereof . preferably , the alteration detected in the narc - 1 protein is selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 and a combination thereof , more preferably a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 of seq id no 2 by an arginine ( s127r ) or a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 of seq id no 2 by a leucine ( f216l ) or a combination thereof . alternatively , the alteration detected in the narc - 1 protein can also be selected from the group consisting of a substitution of the residue arginine at position 218 of seq id no 2 , a substitution of the residue arginine at position 237 of seq id no 2 and a combination thereof , more preferably a substitution of the residue arginine at position 218 of seq id no 2 by a serine ( r218s ) or a substitution of the residue arginine at position 237 of seq id no 2 by a tryptophane ( r237w ) or a combination thereof . an object of the present invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an altered narc - 1 rna and / or polypeptide expression , the presence of said altered narc - 1 rna and / or polypeptide expression is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . an object of the present invention resides in a method of assessing the response of a subject to a treatment of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an altered narc - 1 rna and / or polypeptide expression , the presence of said altered narc - 1 rna and / or polypeptide expression is indicative of a particular response to said treatment . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . altered rna expression includes the presence of an altered rna sequence , the presence of an altered rna splicing or processing , the presence of an altered quantity of rna , etc . these may be detected by various techniques known in the art , including by sequencing all or part of the narc - 1 rna or by selective hybridisation or selective amplification of all or part of said rna , for instance . altered narc - 1 polypeptide expression includes the presence of an altered polypeptide sequence , the presence of an altered quantity of narc - 1 polypeptide , the presence of an altered tissue distribution , etc . these may be detected by various techniques known in the art , including by sequencing and / or binding to specific ligands ( such as antibodies ), for instance . a further object of the present invention resides in a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an altered narc - 1 activity , the presence of said altered narc - 1 activity is indicative of the presence of or predisposition to hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders . preferably , said altered narc - 1 activity is a decreased narc - 1 activity . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . a further object of the present invention resides in a method of assessing the response of a subject to a treatment of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject , the method comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) detecting the presence of an altered narc - 1 activity , the presence of said altered narc - 1 activity is indicative of a particular response to said treatment . preferably , said altered narc - 1 activity is a decreased narc - 1 activity . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of detecting the presence of or predisposition to adh . an object of the present invention resides in a method of genotyping at least one polymorphism of the pcsk9 gene , preferably listed in table 2 , comprising ( i ) providing a sample from the subject and ( ii ) determining the identity of the allele of said polymorphism in said sample . preferably , the identity of the allele is determined by performing a hydridization assay , a sequencing assay , a microsequencing assay , an allele - specific amplification assay . the present invention also relates to a method of determining the existence of an association between a polymorphism and a disease or disorder , comprising the steps of : ( i ) genotyping at least one polymorphism of the pcsk9 gene , preferably one listed in table 2 , in a population having said disease or disorder ; ( ii ) genotyping said polymorphism : in a control population ; and , ( iii ) determining whether a statistically significant association exists between said disease or disorder and said polymorphism . as indicated above , various techniques known in the art may be used to detect or quantify altered pcsk9 gene or rna expression or sequence , including sequencing , hybridisation , amplification and / or binding to specific ligands ( such as antibodies ). other suitable methods include allele - specific oligonucleotide ( aso ), allele - specific amplification , southern blot ( for dnas ), northern blot ( for rnas ), single - stranded conformation analysis ( ssca ), pfge , fluorescent in situ hybridization ( fish ), gel migration , clamped denaturing gel electrophoresis , heteroduplex analysis , rnase protection , chemical mismatch cleavage , elisa , radio - immunoassays ( ria ) and immuno - enzymatic assays ( iema ). some of these approaches ( e . g ., ssca and cgge ) are based on a change in electrophoretic mobility of the nucleic acids , as a result of the presence of an altered sequence . according to these techniques , the altered sequence is visualized by a shift in mobility on gels . the fragments may then be sequenced to confirm the alteration . some others are based on specific hybridization between nucleic acids from the subject and a probe specific for wild - type or altered pcsk9 gene or rna . the probe may be in suspension or immobilized on a substrate . the probe is typically labelled to facilitate detection of hybrids . by “ specific hybridization ” is intended a hybridization under stringent conditions . some of these approaches are particularly suited for assessing a polypeptide sequence or expression level , such as northern blot , elisa and ria . these latter require the use of a ligand specific for the polypeptide , more preferably of a specific antibody . sequencing can be carried out using techniques well known in the art , using automatic sequencers . the sequencing may be performed on the complete pcsk9 gene or , more preferably , on specific domains thereof , typically those known or suspected to carry deleterious mutations or other alterations . amplification may be performed according to various techniques known in the art , such as by polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), ligase chain reaction ( lcr ), strand displacement amplification ( sda ) and nucleic acid sequence based amplification ( nasba ). these techniques can be performed using commercially available reagents and protocols . preferred techniques use allele - specific pcr or pcr - sscp . amplification usually requires the use of specific nucleic acid primers , to initiate the reaction . in this regard , a particular object of this invention resides in a nucleic acid primer useful for amplifying sequences from the pcsk9 gene or locus . such primers are preferably complementary to , and hybridize specifically under stringent conditions to nucleic acid sequences in the pcsk9 gene locus . particular primers are able to specifically hybridise under stringent conditions with a portion of the pcsk9 gene locus that flank a target region of said locus , said region comprising an alteration according to the present invention , more particularly a substitution of the nucleotide t at position 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 or a polymorphism listed in table 2 , preferably said target region being altered in certain subjects having adh . a aspect of this invention includes a pair of nucleic acid primers , wherein said pair comprises a sense and a reverse primers , and wherein said sense and a reverse primers specifically amplify a pcsk9 gene or rna or a target region thereof , said region comprising an alteration according to the present invention , more particularly a substitution of the nucleotide t at position 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 or a polymorphism listed in table 2 , preferably said target region being altered in certain subjects having hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disoders . in a more specific embodiment , the invention relates to a nucleic acid primer , wherein said primer is complementary to and hybridizes specifically under stringent conditions to a portion of a pcsk9 coding sequence ( e . g ., gene or rna ), wherein said portion comprising an alteration according to the present invention , more particularly a substitution of the nucleotide t at position 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 or a polymorphism listed in table 2 . preferably , said alteration is present in certain subjects having hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disoders . in this regard , particular primers of this invention are specific for altered sequences in a pcsk9 gene or rna . by using such primers , the detection of an amplification product indicates the presence of an alteration in the pcsk9 gene locus . in contrast , the absence of amplification product indicates that the specific alteration is not present in the sample . more preferably , said primers comprises the nucleotide at position 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 , or the nucleotide at position 5158 and / or 13539 of seq id no 3 . alternatively , said primers comprises one polymorphism listed in table 2 . typical primers of this invention are single - stranded nucleic acid molecules of about 5 to 60 nucleotides in length , more preferably of about 8 to about 25 nucleotides in length . the sequence can be derived directly from the sequence of the pcsk9 gene locus . perfect complementarity is preferred , to ensure high specificity . however , certain mismatch may be tolerated . a particular detection technique involves the use of a nucleic acid probe specific for wild - type or altered pcsk9 gene or rna , followed by the detection of the presence of a hybrid . the probe may be in suspension or immobilized on a substrate or support ( as in nucleic acid array or chips technologies ). the probe is typically labelled to facilitate detection of hybrids . in this regard , a particular embodiment of this invention comprises contacting the sample from the subject with a nucleic acid probe specific for an altered pcsk9 gene locus , and assessing the formation of an hybrid . in a particular , preferred embodiment , the method comprises contacting simultaneously the sample with a set of probes that are specific , respectively , for wild type pcsk9 gene locus and for various altered forms thereof . in this embodiment , it is possible to detect directly the presence of various forms of alterations in the pcsk9 gene locus in the sample . also , various samples from various subjects may be treated in parallel . a further particular object of this invention resides in a nucleic acid probe specific for a pcsk9 gene or rna . within the context of this invention , a probe refers to a polynucleotide sequence which is complementary to and capable of specific hybridisation under stringent conditions with a ( target portion of a ) pcsk9 gene or rna , and which is suitable for detecting polynucleotide polymorphisms , preferably the polymorphism associated with pcsk9 alleles which predispose to or are associated with adh . probes are preferably perfectly complementary to the pcsk9 gene , rna , or target portion thereof . probes typically comprise single - stranded nucleic acids of between 8 to 1000 nucleotides in length , for instance of between 10 and 800 , more preferably of between 15 and 700 , typically of between 20 and 500 . it should be understood that longer probes may be used as well . a preferred probe of this invention is a single stranded nucleic acid molecule of between 8 to 500 nucleotides in length , which can specifically hybridise under stringent conditions to a region of a pcsk9 gene or rna that carries an alteration . a specific embodiment of this invention is a nucleic acid probe specific for an altered ( e . g ., a mutated ) pcsk9 gene or rna , i . e ., a nucleic acid probe that specifically hybridises under stringent conditions to said altered pcsk9 gene or rna and essentially does not hybridise under stringent conditions to a pcsk9 gene or rna lacking said alteration . specificity indicates that hybridisation to the target sequence generates a specific signal which can be distinguished from the signal generated through non - specific hybridisation . perfectly complementary sequences are preferred to design probes according to this invention . it should be understood , however , that certain mismatch may be tolerated , as long as the specific signal may be distinguished from non - specific hybridisation . particular examples of such probes are nucleic acid sequences complementary to a target portion of the pcsk9 gene or rna carrying the nucleotide at position 625 and / or 890 of seq id no 1 , the nucleotide at position 5158 and / or 13539 of seq id no 3 , a polymorphism listed in table 2 , or a mutation disclosed in table 4 . the sequence of the probes can be derived from the sequences of the pcsk9 gene and rna as provided in the present application . nucleotide substitutions may be performed , as well as chemical modifications of the probe . such chemical modifications may be accomplished to increase the stability of hybrids ( e . g ., intercalating groups ) or to label the probe . typical examples of labels include , without limitation , radioactivity , fluorescence , luminescence , enzymatic labelling , etc . as indicated above , alteration in the pcsk9 gene locus may also be detected by screening for alteration ( s ) in narc - 1 polypeptide sequence or expression levels . in this regard , a specific embodiment of this invention comprises contacting the sample with a ligand specific for an altered narc - 1 polypeptide and determining the formation of a complex . different types of ligands may be used , such as specific antibodies . in a specific embodiment , the sample is contacted with an antibody specific for an altered narc - 1 polypeptide and the formation of an immune complex is determined . various methods for detecting an immune complex can be used , such as elisa , radio - immunoassays ( ria ) and immuno - enzymatic assays ( iema ). in a specific embodiment , the method comprises contacting a sample from the subject with ( a support coated with ) an antibody specific for an altered form of a narc - 1 polypeptide , and determining the presence of an immune complex . in a particular embodiment , the sample may be contacted simultaneously , or in parallel , or sequentially , with various ( supports coated with ) antibodies specific for different forms of a narc - 1 polypeptide , such as a wild - type and various altered forms thereof . particular examples of such specific ligands are antibodies specific for altered narc - 1 polypeptide sequence resulting from any mutation in position 127 and / or 216 , more particularly a substitution of the residue serine at position 127 by an arginine ( s 127r ) or a substitution of the residue phenylalanine at position 216 by a leucine ( f216l ) or any combination of those mutations . the invention also relates to a diagnostic kit comprising products and reagents for detecting in a sample from a subject the presence of an alteration in the pcsk9 gene or in the narc - 1 protein , in the narc - 1 rna or polypeptide expression , and / or in narc - 1 activity . optionally , said diagnostic kit further comprises reagents for detecting in a sample from a subject the presence of an alteration in the ldl receptor and / or the apolipoprotein b . said diagnostic kit according to the present invention comprises any primer , any pair of primers , any nucleic acid probe and / or any antibody described in the present invention . said diagnostic kit according to the present invention can further comprise reagents and / or protocols for performing a hybridization , amplification or antigen - antibody immune reaction . the present invention also provides novel targets and methods for the screening of drug candidates or leads . such drug candidates or leads are useful for developping a treatment against hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis , and / or cvd . preferably , such drug candidates or leads are useful for developping a treatment against adh . the methods include binding assays and / or functional assays , and may be performed in vitro , in cell systems , in animals , etc . functional assays comprise , but are not limited to , the cleavage of a substrate . the in vitro assays , cell - based assays and animal - based assays involve a narc - 1 protein , preferably a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration according to the present invention . optionally , said assays comprise a control with a natural narc - 1 protein . for cell systems , cells can be native , i . e ., cells that normally express the narc - 1 polypeptide , as a biopsy or expanded in cell culture . preferably , these native cells are derived from liver or small intestine . alternatively , cells are recombinant host cells expressing narc - 1 , more particularly a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration according to the present invention . the invention relates to methods for identifying of the target proteins of the narc - 1 protein , preferably a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration according to the present invention . the invention relates to methods for screening of compounds that modulate the narc - 1 activity . such compounds , for example , can increase or decrease affinity and / or rate of binding of the narc - 1 protein to the substrate , compete with substrate for binding to the narc - 1 protein , or displace substrate bound to the narc - 1 protein . preferably , the invention concerns methods for screening of compounds that increase or restore the natural narc - 1 activity . by “ natural ” narc - 1 activity is intended the activity of the wild - type narc - 1 protein . furthermore , the invention concerns methods for screening of compounds that inhibit the activity of the altered narc - 1 comprising an alteration changing the substrate specificity and , thereby generating new substrates . said compounds are able to block the activity of the altered narc - 1 for its new substrate . therefore , the present invention concerns a method of selecting biologically active compounds , said method comprising contacting a test compound with an altered pcsk9 gene or an altered narc - 1 protein or fragment thereof of at least 15 consecutive residues comprising an alteration , wherein the alteration reduces , modifies , or abolishes the activity of narc - 1 , and determining the ability of said test compound to modulate the expression and / or activity of said gene or protein or fragment . a particular object of this invention resides in a method of selecting biologically active compounds , said method comprising contacting in vitro a test compound with a pcsk9 gene or narc - 1 polypeptide , preferably a pcsk9 gene or a narc - 1 polypeptide , or a fragment thereof of at least 15 consecutive residues , comprising an alteration according to the present invention , and determining the ability of said test compound to bind said pcsk9 gene or narc - 1 polypeptide . binding to said gene or polypeptide provides an indication as to the ability of the compound to modulate the activity of said target , and thus to affect a pathway leading to hypercholeterolemia , more particularly adh , and lipid and / or lipoprotein metabolism disorders in a subject . in a preferred embodiment , the method comprises contacting in vitro a test compound with a narc - 1 polypeptide or a fragment thereof , preferably a narc - 1 polypeptide or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration according to the present invention , and determining the ability of said test compound to bind said narc - 1 polypeptide or fragment . the fragment preferably comprises a substrate - binding site of the narc - 1 polypeptide . a particular object of this invention resides in a method of selecting compounds active against hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , said method comprising contacting in vitro a test compound with a narc - 1 polypeptide or a fragment thereof of at least 15 consecutive residues , preferably a narc - 1 polypeptide or a fragment thereof comprising an alteration according to the present invention , and determining the ability of said test compound to bind said narc - 1 polypeptide or fragment thereof . the narc - 1 polypeptide or fragment thereof may be used in essentially pure form , in suspension , or immobilized on a support . in a futher particular embodiment , the method comprises contacting a recombinant host cell expressing narc - 1 polypeptide , preferably a narc - 1 polypeptide comprising an alteration according to the present invention , with a test compound , and determining the ability of said test compound to bind said narc - 1 polypeptide and / or to modulate the activity of narc - 1 polypeptide . the determination of binding may be performed by various techniques , such as by labelling of the test compound , by competition with a labelled reference ligand , two - hybrid screening assay , etc . modulation of activity includes , without limitation , the inhibition or activation of the autocatalytic processing of pro - narc - 1 , and / or the inhibition or activation of the substrate cleavage , more particularly a synthetic substrate comprising a zymogenic processing site . a further object of this invention resides in a method of selecting biologically active compounds , said method comprising contacting in vitro a test compound with a narc - 1 polypeptide , preferably a narc - 1 polypeptide comprising an alteration according to the present invention , and determining the ability of said test compound to modulate the activity of said narc - 1 polypeptide . a further object of this invention resides in a method of selecting biologically active compounds , said method comprising contacting in vitro a test compound with a pcsk9 gene , preferably a pcsk9 gene comprising an alteration according to the present invention , and determining the ability of said test compound to modulate the expression of said pcsk9 gene . the invention also concerns methods of selecting biologically active compounds using a non - human transgenic animals expressing a narc - 1 protein , preferably a narc - 1 protein comprising an alteration according to the present invention . optionally , said non - human transgenic animals can be homozygote or heterozygote for the altered pcsk9 gene . said methods comprise ( i ) administrating a test compound to said non - human transgenic animal , and ( ii ) determining the ability of said test compound to modulate the narc - 1 activity . said narc - 1 activity can be assessed by determining the plasmatic concentration of cholesterol and / or lipoparticules ( vldl , idl , ldl ), by determining the plasmatic enzymatic activity of narc - 1 , by analyzing some tissues ( liver , small intestine ), by determining the lipoprotein kinetics . the enzymatic activity of narc - 1 can be determined with synthetic substrate , such as described in seidah et al ( 2003 ). the above screening assays may be performed in any suitable device , such as plates , tubes , dishes , flasks , etc . typically , the assay is performed in multi - wells plates . several test compounds can be assayed in parallel . furthermore , the test compound may be of various origin , nature and composition . it may be any organic or inorganic substance , such as a lipid , peptide , polypeptide , nucleic acid , small molecule , etc ., in isolated or in mixture with other substances . the compounds may be all or part of a combinatorial library of products , for instance . the test compounds can be an antisense or an rnai . the test compounds can be competitive or suicide substrates . by “ suicide substate ” is intended a compounds that , after binding narc - 1 protein , the reactive group forms an irreversible bond with narc - 1 rendering it inactive . the invention contemplates methods of treatment of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis and / or cvd . preferably , the invention relates to methods of treatment of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and / or lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders due to an alteration of narc - 1 protein . the invention also relates to a method of treating or preventing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis and / or cvd in a subject , the method comprising administering to said subject a functional ( e . g ., wild - type ) narc - 1 polypeptide or a nucleic acid encoding the same . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of treating or preventing adh . the invention concerns the use of a functional narc - 1 polypeptide or a nucleic acid encoding the same , in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis and / or cvd in a subject . more preferably , the invention concerns a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing adh . the invention also relates to a method of treating or preventing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis and / or cvd in a subject , the method comprising administering to said subject a compound that modulates narc - 1 expression and / or activity . more preferably , the invention concerns a method of treating or preventing adh . the invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound that modulates narc - 1 expression and / or activity . the invention relates , generally , to the use of a compound that modulates narc - 1 expression and / or activity in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , lipid and lipoprotein metabolism disorders , atherosclerosis and / or cvd in a subject . more preferably , the invention concerns a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing adh . the present invention demonstrates the causal link between hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , and an alteration of the pcsk9 gene locus . the invention thus provides a novel target of therapeutic intervention . various approaches can be contemplated to restore or modulate the narc - 1 activity or function , more particularly normal narc - 1 activity or function , in a subject , particularly those carrying an altered pcsk9 gene locus . supplying wild - type function to such subject is expected to suppress phenotypic expression of hypercholesterolemia , more particularly adh , in a pathological cell or organism . the supply of such function can be accomplished through gene or protein therapy , or by administering compounds that modulate narc - 1 activity . if the alteration of narc - 1 protein leads to a decrease or loss of narc - 1 activity , the treatment consists in administering a biologically active compound which increases or restores the narc - 1 activity . said biologically active compound can be a natural narc - 1 protein . alternatively , said compound can be an activator of the narc - 1 protein . said compound can also increase the expression of narc - 1 protein . if the alteration of narc - 1 protein leads to a new specificity for a substrate , the treatment consists in administrating a biologically active compound which inhibits the activity of the altered narc - 1 protein . said compound can decrease the expression of narc - 1 protein . for example , such compounds can be an antisens or an rnai of pcsk9 gene comprising the alteration causing adh . alternatively , said compound can be an inhibitor of the altered narc - 1 protein . said compound can compete with the substrate or can be a suicide substrate . further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in the following experimental section , which should be regarded as illustrative and not limiting the scope of the present invention . the references cited in the present application are all incoporated herein by reference . the inventors mapped a third locus hchola3 at 1p32 and now report two mutations in the pcsk9 gene causing adh . pcsk9 encodes narc - 1 ( neural apoptosis regulated convertase ). its mutations lead to reduced activation of the enzyme . lipoprotein kinetics in probands revealed an overproduction of apob100 - rich particles showing that the pathogenic origin of the disease is hepatic . in conclusion , narc - 1 is a newly identified human subtilase that contributes to cholesterol homeostasis and is the first example of a dominant disease associated with a defect in a member of the large subtilase family . to identify the hchola3 locus ( formerly fh3 ), that the inventors mapped ( varret et al , 1999 ) to 1p34 . 1 - p32 ( omim603776 ) and was confirmed by hunt et al . in a large utah kindred ( hunt et al , 2000 ), the inventors performed positional cloning using the originally linked family and 23 french families in which the implication of the ldlr and apob genes had been excluded . family hc92 was identified through the proband ( hc92 - ii - 7 ) who belongs to a multiplex adh pedigree from which twenty - nine family members were sampled and tested in parametric linkage analyses . in the reduced pedigree studied in the linkage analysis , 12 subjects presented with total cholesterol levels above the 97 . 5 th percentile when compared with other french individuals matched by age and sex ( steinmetz , 1990 ) ( mean total cholesterol : 3 . 63 g / l ± 0 . 68 , mean ldl - cholesterol : 2 . 87 ± 0 . 72 g / l ). the inventors excluded linkage to the ldlr and apob genes [ lod scores at − 14 . 05 and − 10 . 01 ( θ = 0 . 0 ), respectively ]. the family was genotyped for 8 genethon markers in the 1p34 - p32 region ( fig1 ). the inventors obtained highly significant lod scores with a maximum of 4 . 26 ( θ = 0 . 0 ) at d1s2742 that reached 4 . 80 in the multipoint analyses ( table 1 , fig3 a ). haplotype analysis identified a 5 . 9 mb critical interval between d1s231 and d1s2890 . the critical interval that our team had previously reported in the hc2 family ( varret et al , 1999 ) was between markers d1s472 and d1s211 , thus more distal . reexamination of haplotype data ( fig2 ) showed that all affected subjects of the hc2 family also shared the same haplotype between markers d1s2722 and d1s2890 except hc2 - ii - 5 . this “ affected ” subject presented a recombinational event at d1s211 thus providing the centromeric boundary of the region described in 1999 . therefore all family members were reinvestigated . hc2 - ii - 5 ( who refuses treatment ) was the only subject who showed a significant variation ( a marked elevation of triglycerides ) and thus no longer conforms with the inclusion criteria . the inventors established the physical map of the candidate region between d1s197 and d1s2890 covered by 82 overlapping bac sequences released from the human genome project . the region between d1s197 and d1s2890 contains 41 genes among which 8 encode interesting functional candidates with respect to lipid metabolism : eps 15 ( epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate - 15 ), osbpl9 ( oxysterol binding protein - like 9 ), scp2 ( sterol carrier protein 2 ), lrp8 ( low density lipoprotein receptor - related protein 8 ), dhcr24 ( 24 - dehydrocholesterol reductase ), prkaa2 ( protein kinase , amp - activated , alpha 2 catalytic subunit ), dab1 ( disabled homolog 1 ) and pcsk9 ( encoding narc - 1 ). this neural apoptosis regulated convertase 1 is a novel putative proprotein convertase ( pc ) belonging to the subtilase subfamily ( seidah et al , 2003 ). a related protein is the subtilisin kexin isoenzyme - 1 ( ski - 1 )/ site - 1 - protease ( sip ) known to play a key role in cholesterol homeostasis through the processing of the sterol regulatory element - binding proteins ( srebps ) ( brown & amp ; goldstein , 1999 ; elagoz et al , 2002 ). the cdna spans 3617 bp encoding a 692 amino acid protein . narc - 1 was mapped to 1p33 - p34 . 3 . the inventors precisely localized its cdna using the blast program ( http :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / blast /) in the hchola3 interval as follows : tel - d1s231 - d1s2661 - d1s417 - d1s2652 - pcsk9 - d1s475 - d1s200 - d1s2742 - cen . systematic bidirectional sequencing of the 125 exons of the first seven candidates revealed no mutation in probands . by sequencing the 12 exons of pcsk9 the inventors identified in family hc92 a t → a substitution in exon 2 at nucleotide 625 predicting a substitution at codon 127 of arginine for the conserved serine ( s127r ), thereby creating a mnli cleavage site ( fig3 b , fig4 ). hc92 family members and 100 controls were tested for the substitution . it was absent in the 200 control chromosomes indicating that it is not a polymorphism . it was found in the 12 affected family members and in subject hc92 - iv - 3 who has a total cholesterol level in the 90 th percentile when compared to other french individuals matched by age and sex . thus , the penetrance in the family is estimated at 0 . 94 . interestingly , the s127r mutation was also found in the proband of hc2 and cosegregated with the disease in the family except in subject hc2 - ii - 5 , confirming that he had been misclassified in the linkage analyses previously reported ( varret et al , 1999 ). to assess the possible recurrence of this mutation , the inventors tested 5 intragenic polymorphic markers that the inventors had identified in pcsk9 ( 4 snps and a gct repeat ) in both families . the same haplotype segregated with the s127 r mutation in both the hc2 and the hc92 family : ( polymorphisms b ( absence of insertion ), h , i , m , and u ) ( tables 2 and 3 ). furthermore , a unique haplotype was also obtained for the extragenic markers surrounding pcsk9 ( d1s2661 , d1s417 , d1s475 , d1s200 and d1s2742 ) in both families . these results show that despite the absence of records and different geographical origins , the families share a common ancestor . the possibility of a french founder effect was ruled out since the mutation was not found in 22 other french adh probands . through systematic bidirectional sequencing of the 12 exons of the pcsk9 gene in 22 adh probands , a second mutation ( f216l ) was identified in the proband of the hc60 family ( fig2 c ) who died from myocardial infarction at 49 y . o ( fig3 d , fig4 ). this mutation segregated with the adh phenotype in the family and was not found in 200 control chromosomes . no major rearrangement was found in any of the probands by southern blot ( data not shown ). thus , mutations in pcsk9 have been found in 12 . 5 % of the adh families tested . the inventors also identified 25 polymorphisms present in different probands and on control chromosomes from subjects with normal cholesterol levels ( table 2 ). these variations and their respective frequencies in the french population are listed in table 2 . it should be noted that none of these polymorphisms give rise to new donor or acceptor splice sites ( score calculated according to senapathy et al .) ( senapathy et al , 1990 ; shapiro & amp ; senapathy , 1987 ). in order to unravel at the molecular level the consequences of the s127r and f216l mutations , the inventors introduced them in the human pcsk9 cdna ( seidah et al ., 2003 ). the inventors also obtained four other mutants , namely s127a , s127p , 15 — 16insl ( polymorphic variant where an extra leucine is added in the signal peptide hydrophobic stretch ) and the active site mutant h226a ( seidah et al ., 2003 ). the cdnas encoding wild type ( wt ) narc - 1 and its mutants containing a c - terminal v5 epitope , were transiently transfected in hek293 cells . a 4h pulse with 35 s - labelled met and cys was followed by immunoprecipitation of the cell lysates and the media with a v5 mab ( seidah et al ., 2003 ). the inventors have previously shown that pronarc - 1 is synthesized as a 72 kda precursor that undergoes two zymogen cleavage events . the first one is rapid and occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum ( er ) at the yvvvl 82 ⇓ site , giving rise to the 63 - 65 kda n1 product and the 14 kda prosegment ( pro ). the second one occurs with much lower efficacy at the putative phvdy 142 ⇓ site and gives rise to the presumably active 58 kda n2 enzyme ( brown & amp ; goldstein , 1999 ). by storm quantitation the inventors estimate that both s127r and f216l mutations lead to ˜ 3 - fold lower levels of n2 . in addition , the secreted level of n1 was about 2 - fold lower for the s127r mutant . interestingly , while the s127a mutant shows a similar behavior , the s127p resembles wt . finally , the 15 — 16insl allelic variant seems to give rise to a ˜ 2 - fold higher percentage of ni and n2 products , suggesting that more active narc - 1 is produced . the inventors have identified a new gene implicated in adh by positional cloning . linkage analyses were performed on two large french pedigrees : hc92 and hc2 in which the implication of the ldlr and apob genes had been excluded . a maximum lod score of 4 . 26 was obtained for d1s2742 in family hc92 . haplotype analysis restricted the region of linkage to a 5 . 9 mb interval between markers d1s231 and d1s2890 at 1p32 . our team had previously reported the localization of hchola3 at 1p32 - p34 . 1 by . linkage analysis performed on the hc2 family ( varret et al , 1999 ). in this family , the critical interval was flanked by markers d1s472 and d1s211 and was thus more distal as compared to the one identified with the hc92 family . reexamination of haplotype data showed that all affected subjects of the hc2 family also shared the same haplotype between markers d1s2722 and d1s2890 except ( hc2 - ii - 5 ). this “ affected ” subject presented a recombinational event at d1s211 thus providing the centromeric boundary of the region described in 1999 . therefore ( hc2 - ii - 5 ) was reinvestigated . the new lipid measurements showed the same elevated cholesterol but also marked elevation of triglycerides . this alteration can be explained by recent knowledge of a notable alcohol intake that presently prohibits proper assessment of the subject &# 39 ; s status with respect to the family trait . identification of the s127r pcsk9 gene mutation in all other affected members of the hc2 family and its absence in ( hc2 - ii - 5 ) confirmed that he had been misclassified for the genetic analyses . identification of the s127r pcsk9 gene mutation in the hc92 family also helped to clarify the genetic status of the 8 children that had been sampled but not included in the linkage analyses . these results comforted the conservative approach that the inventors had chosen ( total cholesterol above the 97 . 5 th percentile when compared with sex - and age - matched french population ) and that also allowed for reduced penetrance . this last parameter was confirmed since the s127r pcsk9 gene mutation was identified in ( hc92 - iv - 3 ) who has a total cholesterol level in the 90 th percentile ( when compared to other french individuals matched by age and sex ), and had higher cholesterol levels when compared to the levels of his non - affected sisters ( 2 . 5 th percentile for hc92 - iv - 1 and 30 th percentile for hc92 - iv - 2 ). thus , the penetrance can now be estimated at 0 . 94 in the family when considering the inclusion criteria that were applied . this characteristic of a pcsk9 gene mutation is also found with ldlr gene mutations ( hobbs et al , 1989 ; sass et al , 1995 ) and more generally accounts for the variability of the hypercholesterolemic phenotype ( evaluated by common clinical and biological criteria ) that can be due to the effect of environmental factors or of modifier genes . haplotype analysis showed that a unique haplotype segregated with the s127r mutation in both the hc92 and hc2 families . therefore , it can be assumed that despite the absence of records and different geographical origins , the families share a common ancestor . the possibility of a french founder effect can be ruled out since the mutation was not found in a total of 22 other french probands ( data not shown ). narc - 1 is a novel convertase recently cloned by two pharmaceuticals companies ( narc - 1 , millenium pharmaceuticals and lp251 , eli lilly ). it was first identified via the cloning of cdnas upregulated following apoptosis induced by serum deprivation in primary cerebellar neurons . narc - 1 was more precisely characterized recently by seidah et al . who used short conserved segments of the ski - 1 catalytic subunit as baits and the protein blast program to identify this convertase in a patented database ( seidah et al , 2003 ). it is synthesized as a soluble zymogen that undergoes autocatalytic intramolecular processing in the endoplasmic reticulum ( er ) at the primary cleavage site yvvvl ⇓ kee 85 indicative of the enzymatic specificity ( seidah et al , 2003 ) of narc - 1 . prosegment cleavage is necessary for narc - 1 exit from the er . the s127r mutation resides between the primary and putative secondary zymogen processing sites of pronarc - 1 , while f216l is located close to the active site ( h226 ). notably , the s127r mutation creates an rgd site that may be involved in integrin binding ( ruoslahti , 1996 ). while only the s127r mutant causes reduction in the secreted level of n1 , both the s127r and the f216l mutations result in reduced production of the enzymatically active n2 . furthermore , the kinetics of vldl , idl and ldl apo b 100 performed in adh subjects carrying the s127r mutation showed an overproduction from the liver of apo b100 - rich lipoproteins . thus , the dominance of the disease shows that narc - 1 is a rate - limiting enzyme involved in cholesterol homeostasis in the liver . although most enzymopathies are recessively inherited , dominance is reported in some highly regulated or tissue specific enzymes . this is observed in two types of porphyria : aip ( acute intermittent porphyria ) ( desnick et al , 1985 ) and pct ( porphyria cutanea tarda ) ( felsher et al , 1982 ), that are caused by a porphobilinogen deaminase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase deficiency , respectively . however , contrary to porphyria , pcsk9 gene defects seem highly penetrant . narc - 1 belongs to the 9 - membered mammalian subtilase family in which only one other member was known to carry a disease - causing mutation : a compound heterozygosity in the pc1 gene results in obesity and endocrinopathy due to impaired prohormone processing ( mim 162150 ). however , heterozygosity for one of the mutations is silent thus suggesting a recessive transmission ( jackson et al , 1997 ). although pcs activate a wide variety of proteins , it is notable that none of them was linked so far to a dominant human disease . narc - 1 is thus unique in this respect and may lead to the discovery of others . while the related convertase ski - 1 / s1p plays a key role in regulating cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis through the processing of srebp1 and srebp2 , the precise implication of narc - 1 in cholesterol homeostasis is still under investigation . interestingly , narc - 1 is mainly expressed in the liver and small intestine both of which play key roles in cholesterol synthesis and regulation ( seidah et al , 2003 ). since apo b 100 levels are regulated post - translationally ( bostrom et al , 1988 ), it is possible that narc - 1 could inactivate apo b100 and hence decrease the level of ldl . indeed , a putative site lieigl ⇓ egk 668 of apo b100 is proposed which would respect the primary and secondary structure requirements of narc - 1 processing selectivity ( seidah et al , 2003 ). this may thus explain the reported 70 kda form of apo b100 that is observed to occur under stressful cellular conditions ( cavallo et al , 1999 ). the crucial role of narc - 1 is revealed by the hypercholesterolemia that occurs when the gene is mutated resulting in a decreased narc - 1 activation . the identification of narc - 1 substrate ( s ) will help to elucidate novel disease mechanisms and constitute a target ( s ) for new intervention strategies to limit elevation of ldl particles and prevent morbidity and mortality from premature atherosclerosis . the french hypercholesterolemic families were recruited through the 8 lipid clinics of the national network for adh (“ réseau national de recherche sur les hypercholestérolémies familiales ”). probands were ascertained among consecutive patients of the clinics . inclusion criteria for probands were : total cholesterol above the 97 . 5 th percentile when compared with sex - and age - matched french population ( steinmetz , 1990 ), ldl cholesterol above 1 . 9 g / l or 1 . 6 g / l for children , triglycerides below 1 . 5 g / l , personal or documented familial xanthomas , and / or arcus corneae , and early cvd . lipid measurements were repeated to ascertain the existence of primary isolated hypercholesterolemia due to elevated ldl . family history and pedigrees were investigated . informed consent was obtained for all subjects included in this study . family hc2 has been previously reported and described at length ( varret et al , 1999 ). functional tests showed normal binding , internalization and degradation of ldl particles in fibroblasts from the probands ( hc2 - ii - 9 ) ( hobbs et al , 1989 ). five other families ( hc35 , hc60 , hc92 , hc122 , hc243 ) were studied representing 26 affected and 26 unaffected subjects . for affected subjects , mean total and ldl cholesterol were 3 . 27 g / l ± 0 . 77 and 2 . 47 ± 0 . 76 g / l , respectively . dna was isolated from whole blood samples as previously described ( collod et al , 1994 ). all families were tested with polymorphic markers of the ldlr and apob genes . for the ldlr , two intragenic markers ( d19s584 in intron 1 and the ( ta ) n in exon 18 ) and two flanking markers ( d19s394 and d19s221 ) were studied . the 5 ′ hvr ( tg repeat ) and 3 ′ hvr ( vntr ) were studied for the apob gene and screening for the r3500q mutation as reported ( rabes et al , 1997 ). genotyping at 1p34 - p32 was performed using 11 microsatellites from the genethon map ( d1s472 , d1s2722 , d1s211 , d1s197 , d1s231 , d1s2661 ; d1s417 , d1s475 , d1s200 , d1s2742 , d1s2890 ) as reported ( collod et al , 1994 ). parametric linkage analyses were performed with accepted parameters of adh : dominant transmission of the trait , penetrance of 0 . 9 for heterozygotes , and a frequency of the disease allele of 1 / 500 . the mlink and linkmap programs ( ott , 1991 ), and the vitesse program ( o &# 39 ; connell & amp ; weeks , 1995 ) were used to perform the two - point and multipoint lod score analyses . microsatellite allele frequencies were calculated among the unrelated family members . linkage was investigated with the assumption of equal female - to - male recombination rates . microsatellites of the 1p34 - p32 region were localized on sequences of the human genome project , a physical map of the region was in agreement with the one published by ucsc : http :// www . genome . ucsc . edu . repeat masker and genscan programs allowed the prediction and the identification in the genbank database of positional candidate genes . the blast program ( http :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / blast /) was used to localize precisely the candidate genes . the intron / exon structure of the 8 finctional candidates was determined and primers designed with the mac vector ® software . 137 primer pairs were chosen at approximatively 100 bp surrounding each exon boundary . pcrs were performed with thermostable dna polymerase from larova biochemic gmbh ( germany ) on geneamp ® pcr system 9600 ( perkin elmer ). fluorescent sequencing was carried - out with big dye terminator version 1 . 0 on geneamp ® pcr system 9700 ( perkin elmer ) apparatus , under conditions supplied by the manufacturer . electrophoregrams were analyzed using sequencing analysis ® 3 . 4 and seqed ®. primers designed to study the 12 exons of narc - 1 , and their conditions of amplification are available on request . major rearrangements for narc - 1 were investigated by southern blot as reported ( collot et al , 1994 ). a rapid detection method of the s127r mutation using pcr amplification followed by digestion by mnll was developped . after amplification of exon 2 , the 543 bp pcr product was digested by 5u mnli enzyme . after electrophoresis on a 2 % agarose gel , fragments of 208 , 203 and 60 bp were distinguished in the normal allele , while fragments of 208 , 143 and 60 bp appeared in the mutated alleles ( the 203 bp normal fragment was divided in fragments of 143 and 60 bp and the two 60 bp fragments generated comigrated ). segregation analysis of this mutation in families hc2 and hc92 and analysis of 200 chromosomes from unaffected persons of french descent were tested both by sequencing and by the mnll - digestion . hek293 cells were transiently transfected with pires2 recombinant vectors ( seidah et al , 2003 ) expressing wild type hnarc - 1 - v5 ( wt ) or its mutants h226a , f216l , s127r , s127a , s127p and 15 — 16insl (+ l ). 24h later the cells were pulse - labeled with [ 35 s ] easytag express mix for 4h . cell extracts and media were immunoprecipitated with a v5 antibody and the precipitates resolved by sds - page on an 8 % glycine gels . eps15 , nm 13 001981 ; osbpl9 , nm — 024586 ; scp2 , nm — 002979 ; lrp8 , nm — 004631 ; dhcr24 , nm — 014762 ; prkaa2 , nm — 006252 ; dabi , nm — 021080 ); narc - 1 : human ax207686 ( gi : 15422368 ); mus musculus : ax207688 ; rattus norvegicus ax207690 . austin , m a ., king , m c ., bawol , r d ., hulley , s b . & amp ; friedman , g d . am . j epidemiol . 125 , 308 - 318 ( 1987 ). beghin l . et al j . lipid res . 41 , 1172 - 1176 ( 2000 ). bostrom , k . & amp ; al j biol . chem . 263 , 4434 - 4442 ( 1988 ). brown , m s . & amp ; goldstein , jl . proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 96 , 11041 - 11048 ( 1999 ). burnett , j . r . et al . arterioscler . thromb . vasc . biol . 17 , 2589 - 2600 ( 1997 ). cavallo , d ., rudy , d ., mohammadi , a ., macri , j . & amp ; adeli k . j biol . chem . 274 , 23135 - 23143 ( 1999 ). cobelli , c ., toffolo , g . & amp ; fodter , d . m . am . j . physiol . 262 , e968 - e975 ( 1992 ). desnick , r . j . ; ostasiewicz , l . t . ; tishler , p . a . ; mustajoki , p . j . clin . invest . 76 , 865 - 874 , ( 1985 ). egusa , d ., brady , w ., grundy , s . m & amp ; howard , b . v . j . lipid res . 24 , 1261 - 1267 ( 1983 ). elagoz , a ., benjannet , s ., mammarbassi , a ., wickham , l . & amp ; seidah n g . j . biol . chem . 277 , 11265 - 11275 ( 2002 ). felsher , b . f ., carpio , n . m . ; engleking , d . w . & amp ; nunn , a . t . n . eng . j . med . 306 , 766 - 769 ( 1982 ). fredrickson , d s ., levy , r i . & amp ; lees , r s . n . eng . j med . 276 , 273 - 281 ( 1967 ): ginsberg , h . n ., le , n . a . & amp ; gibson j . c . j clin . invest . 75 , 614 - 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860 ( 1998 ). rabes , j p . et al . hum . mutat . 10 : 160 - 163 ( 1997 ). rice , t ., vogler , g p ., laskarzewski , p m ., perry , t s . & amp ; rao , d c . hum . biol . 63 , 419 - 439 ( 1991 ). ruoslahti , e . annu . rev . cell . dev . biol . 12 , 697 - 715 ( 1996 ). saint - jore , b . et al . eur . j . hum . genet . 8 , 621 - 630 ( 2000 ). sass , c ., giroux , l m ., lussier - cacan , s ., davignon , j . & amp ; minnich , a . j biol . chem . 270 , 25166 - 71 ( 1995 ). seidah , n g . et al . proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 100 , 928 - 933 ( 2003 ). senapathy , p ., shapiro , m b . & amp ; harris , n l . methods enzymol . 183 , 252 - 278 ( 1990 ). shapiro , m b . & amp ; senapathy , p . nucleic acids res . 15 , 7155 - 7174 ( 1987 ). steinmetz , j ., cholesterol total . in : siest g , henny j , schiele f ( eds ). références en biologie clinique . elsevier , 1990 . paris , pp 190 - 209 . varret , m . et al . am . j . hum . genet . 64 , 1378 - 1387 ( 1999 ). [ 0195 ] table 1 regional lod scores obtained in the hc92 family lod score at θ locus distance 1 0 . 00 0 . 001 0 . 01 0 . 05 0 . 10 0 . 20 0 . 30 0 . 40 z max θ max d1s2722 . . . 2 . 17 2 . 17 2 . 13 1 . 96 1 . 75 1 . 31 0 . 87 0 . 44 2 . 17 0 . 00 d1s211 0 . 025 − 0 . 77 1 . 53 2 . 46 2 . 86 2 . 77 2 . 22 1 . 48 0 . 67 2 . 86 0 . 05 d1s197 0 . 063 − 1 . 73 − 1 . 72 − 1 . 62 − 1 . 20 − 0 . 86 − 0 . 48 − 0 . 26 − 0 . 11 − 0 . 11 0 . 40 d1s231 0 . 014 1 . 08 1 . 08 1 . 08 1 . 06 1 . 00 0 . 81 0 . 57 0 . 30 1 . 08 0 . 00 d1s417 0 . 036 3 . 12 3 . 11 3 . 08 2 . 89 2 . 61 1 . 93 1 . 16 0 . 43 3 . 12 0 . 00 d1s200 0 . 007 2 . 50 2 . 49 2 . 45 2 . 25 1 . 98 1 . 44 0 . 87 0 . 33 2 . 50 0 . 00 d1s2742 0 . 007 4 . 26 4 . 26 4 . 21 3 . 97 3 . 61 2 . 67 1 . 79 0 . 77 4 . 26 0 . 00 d1s2890 0 . 013 0 . 84 1 . 29 2 . 08 2 . 54 2 . 52 2 . 05 1 . 35 0 . 58 2 . 54 0 . 05 [ 0196 ] table 2 polymorphisms identified in the pcsk9 gene position polymorp . nucleotidic seq id amino acid nb of indiv . exon name variation n o 3 variation tested frequency 1 a c → t 916 5 ′ utr 113 0 . 119 b leu stretch 1022 - 1042 15_16insl 113 0 . 168 insctg (+ l ) c g → t 1116 r46l 113 0 . 022 d c → t 1120 s47s 113 0 . 016 e c → t 1137 a53v 113 0 . 124 2 f t → c 4824 intronic 100 0 . 040 3 g g → a 7464 intronic 25 0 . 016 4 h g → c 13327 intronic 100 0 . 548 i g → c 13349 intronic 100 0 . 547 j g → a 13406 intronic 100 0 . 063 k g → a 13559 intronic 100 0 . 052 l c → a 13626 intronic 100 0 . 076 m a → g 13632 intronic 100 0 . 382 5 n g → a 13753 intronic 23 0 . 020 o c → t 13781 intronic 23 0 . 280 p a → g 13932 intronic 23 0 . 240 q a → c 13993 intronic 23 0 . 170 8 r t → c 19444 intronic 20 0 . 175 9 s t → c 19576 intronic 113 0 . 137 t g → a 19657 v460v 113 0 . 128 u a → g 19697 i474v 113 0 . 141 10 v c → t 20845 intronic 24 0 . 040 w a → g 20846 intronic 24 0 . 146 11 x a → g 22769 intronic 20 0 . 030 12 y a → g 24633 e670g 79 0 . 082 [ 0197 ] table 3 haplotypes of affected subjects from the three adh families markers in 1p32 region pcsk9 exon 1 exon 4 exon 9 family mutation d1s417 polym . b polym . h polym . i polym . m polym . u d1s200 d1s2742 hc92 s127r 2 no g g a a 3 6 hc2 s127r 2 no g g a a 3 6 hc60 f216l 4 no c c g g — 3 marker haplotypes surrounding the mutations of pcsk9 : markers are given in physical order from telomere ( left ) to centromere ( right ). a common disease haplotype segregates with the s127r mutation in both the hc92 and the hc2 family .	0

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