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according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a comprehensive digital residential entertainment system can provide access to multimedia content over an in - home broadband data network coupled to a variety of information appliances . a primary broadband data network is implemented over twisted pair ( category 5 or better ) wiring in conjunction with ethernet switch technology operating , in an embodiment , at a minimum of 100 mbps . in general , twisted pair wiring is easier and cheaper to install than the coaxial wiring that is typically installed in homes to distribute video content . when used with ethernet switch technology , twisted pair wiring is capable of supporting the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video , such as direct digital broadcast satellite tv or digital cable tv , as well as , simultaneously supporting a wide range of multimedia applications and services . within the digital residential entertainment system , the primary broadband data network can be supplemented and extended by the addition of plug - in modules for other lower bandwidth data networking technologies , such as home phoneline networking alliance ( homepna ) version 2 . 0 , homerf shared wireless access protocol ( home rf swap ), ieee 802 . 11 , bluetooth , and other similar technologies . for example , homepna version 2 . 0 allows for the multiplexing of 10 mbps of data over existing phone wiring in the home without interfering with analog telephony services operating over the same telephone wiring . homerf , ieee 802 . 11 and bluetooth are wireless data , or voice / data , technologies . within the digital residential entertainment system , homepna , homerf , ieee 802 . 11 and bluetooth can principally be used for transmitting lower bandwidth multimedia content , such as audio content , as opposed to entertainment quality audio - video transmitted over the primary broadband data network . as newer technology emerges that improves the performance characteristics of homepna and โ wireless โ technology , entertainment quality audio - video can be supported over what is defined today as lower bandwidth technologies . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the digital residential entertainment system is based on a client / server architecture . a core element of the system is a broadband multimedia gateway ( bmg ) that can operate both as a multimedia gateway and content server within a client / server architecture . it contains an ethernet switch that , in a typical embodiment , is capable of data communications of at least 100 mbps per switch port . the bmg can receive video , audio and other forms of multimedia content from a variety of broadcasts ( e . g ., direct digital broadcast satellite tv , digital cable tv , terrestrial broadcast analog and / or digital tv ), intranet , and internet sources . as used to describe embodiments of the present invention , the term โ multimedia โ encompasses video , audio , audio - video , text , graphics , facsimile , data , animation , and combinations thereof . the bmg can deliver multimedia content to a wide range of information appliances , such as digital televisions , computers , sound systems , electronic book displays , and graphical data tablets . a digital residential entertainment system can include a bmg that has multiple tuner / demodulators which receive broadcast multimedia content and send the received multimedia content to the ethernet switch of the bmg . for example , in an embodiment having multiple tuner / demodulators , each tuner / demodulator can be coupled to a respective switch port of the ethernet switch . in another embodiment , the multiple tuner / demodulators have a shared communication link to a switch port of the ethernet switch . upon receiving multimedia content , the bmg can transmit the multimedia content through the ethernet switch over the twisted pair data network to an information appliance ( e . g ., a thin - client digital set - top box , an audio system , a wireless mp3 player , or a wireless electronic device ), store the multimedia content for future access , or transmit and store coincidentally ( e . g ., simultaneously ). the bmg includes a mass storage device ( e . g ., a computer hard drive ) that can store multimedia content from broadcast sources , an intranet or the internet . in an embodiment , multimedia content can be stored in an encrypted format on the mass storage device . thin - client information appliances , such as digital stbs , can include decoding and / or deciphering capabilities . encryption of multimedia content can ensure that proprietary and / or copyrighted material is protected as it is transmitted across the residential broadband data network . conditional access systems (โ cas โ) using smartcard technology , such as those manufactured by nagracard s . a . of cheseaux , switzerland and nds group plc of the united kingdom , can be integrated in the entertainment system . the bmg can manage multiple demodulators / tuners to allow recording one or more broadcast programs while watching another broadcast program . a program that is being watched can also be recorded to provide a viewer of the program with the ability to control the playback of the program ( e . g ., the ability to pause , rewind , and so forth ). multimedia content that is stored on the bmg can be accessed from any of the information appliances on the broadband home network . in an embodiment , the bmg can include a web - server to support a structured , web browser - based user interface on each information appliance coupled to the bmg , such as digital stbs , audio systems , wireless mp3 players and wireless electronic books . for example , an infrared remote control and / or an optional wireless keyboard can communicate with a digital stb to interact with the web browser - based graphical user interface that is presented on an information appliance such as a tv screen . the web browser - based graphical user interface may be used to access broadcast and on - demand video and audio content and multimedia applications and services . because the enhanced functionality resides in the central bmg as opposed to peripheral thick - client digital stbs , a broad range of functionality , including record / store / playback of broadcast programs , video / audio on demand , interactive tv , web surfing , e - mail and electronic shopping , is accessible from every thin - client digital stb in the home . for example , to view broadcast video content , a consumer can use an infrared remote control to select the content that he or she wants to view by utilizing a broadcast program guide , a search function , entering a channel number , and so on . after the consumer makes a selection , the thin - client digital stb communicates with the bmg requesting that the digital multimedia content be delivered to the digital stb . when the consumer selects playing of a broadcast satellite television channel , for example , the bmg can tune a demodulator / tuner to the selected broadcast channel and begin streaming the selected mpeg video stream through the ethernet switch and over the twisted pair wiring to the digital stb where the video steam is decoded and displayed on the tv . service providers will be able to download multimedia content , such as movies , to the mass storage device of the bmg . the downloading can be accomplished using a broadband data service to the home , such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (โ adsl โ), or via a satellite direct multicast / broadcast service . in a movies - on - demand service , when a consumer wants to watch a movie , they would use their infrared remote control to access a web page on the bmg web server to determine what movies are currently stored on the bmg . after the consumer selects a movie for viewing , the bmg would begin streaming the selected movie out to the thin - client digital stb / tv for viewing . while viewing a movie - on - demand , a consumer would have playback control , such as play , pause , stop , rewind and fast forward . the consumer could also opt to purchase a personal copy of the movie . the copy could be stored on the bmg , or output to separate mass storage medium ( e . g ., written to a digital versatile disc ). audio content , such as an albums - on - demand service , could be implemented in a similar manner to allow playback and purchasing of audio content . the preferred embodiment of the digital residential entertainment system is to couple the bmg to a residential gateway , where the residential gateway is coupled to an always - on broadband data service , such as adsl or a fiber optic service . the bmg can be installed in homes without a residential gateway and / or a broadband data service . when the bmg is installed in homes without a broadband data service , the bmg can be coupled to a voiceband analog modem ( e . g ., a v . 90 modem ) coupled to an analog telephone line . the dial - up voiceband analog modem may be used to support maintenance , administration and billing applications ( e . g ., billing for movies - on - demand , music - on - demand ). as consumer data services offering significantly higher bandwidth to the home become available , such as fiber optical networks extending into the home , it will be possible to install a bmg , or a system with comparable functionality , outside of the home in a network - based platform . 1 . a common physical network in the home that supports the distribution of broadcast video , the distribution of audio , telephony networking , and broadband data networking , as opposed to using separate networks ; 2 . less expensively installed twisted pair wiring can be installed for the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video content as compared to a discrete coaxial cable system for the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video content ; 3 . a relatively consistent , easy - to - use , web - browser - based user interface can provide a user access to broadcast and on - demand video and audio content , as well as multimedia applications and services , on a range of information appliances ; 4 . consumer access to many enhanced services โ such as video / audio on demand , interactive tv , web surfing , e - mail , electronic shopping and recording / storing / playback of broadcast programs โ from each thin - client digital stb / tv in the home ; 5 . quality of service ( qos ) concerns associated with delivering multimedia content via an ethernet internet protocol ( ip ) can be addressed because each information appliance , such as a thin - client digital stb , is connected to a respective port on an ethernet switch that is operating at a speed of 100 mbps or higher . in an embodiment , each demodulator / tuner and the mass data storage device are also connected to a respective port on the ethernet switch ; and 6 . centralized functionality in the bmg and use of ethernet interfaces within a thin - client digital stbs that can reduce the complexity and cost of digital stbs . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a bmg 100 includes a data switch 101 coupled to a tuner / demodulator 102 and a mass storage device 103 . as used to describe embodiments of the present invention , the term โ coupled โ encompasses a direct connection , an indirect connection , or a combination thereof . moreover , two devices that are coupled can engage in direct communications , in indirect communications , or a combination thereof . in an embodiment , the data switch 101 is an ethernet switch , such as a 100base - t ethernet switch . in another embodiment , the data switch 101 is a router . tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to one or more of a plurality of multimedia transmission systems , where each multimedia transmission system transmits a plurality of transmission signals ( e . g ., audio , video , television , data , etc .). examples of multimedia transmission systems include catv , direct broadcast satellite tv , direct broadcast satellite radio , terrestrial broadcast tv , terrestrial broadcast radio , and so forth . tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to a catv system ( e . g ., a headend of a catv system ) via communications link 32 ( e . g ., a coaxial cable ). a plurality of transmission signals from a direct broadcast satellite tv system including satellite 20 and satellite dish 21 can be received by tuner / demodulator 102 via communications link 22 . also , tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to a terrestrial broadcast tv system via transmitter 10 , antenna 11 , and communications link 12 . the plurality of transmission signals from the multimedia transmission systems can be transmitted over a plurality of information channels , such as , for example , frequency divided information channels , time divided information channels , code divided information channels , wave divided information channels , or dense wave divided information channels . a tuner of tuner / demodulator 102 can select an information channel of the plurality of information channels and pass a transmission signal to a demodulator of tuner / demodulator 102 . the demodulator of tuner / demodulator 102 can extract an information signal from the transmission signal . for example , a tuner can pass a transmission signal at a particular frequency to a demodulator , and the demodulator can extract the information signal from the transmission signal . in such an example , the transmission signal includes a carrier signal and an information signal . the information signal can be a discrete ( i . e ., singular ) information signal or a multiplexed , composite information signal . for example , a multiplexed , composite information signal may contain a plurality of information signals where discrete information signals are time - division multiplexed , frequency - division multiplexed , and / or code - division multiplexed . accordingly , tuner / demodulator 102 can include a plurality of tuners and / or demodulators to isolate an information signal that is multiply multiplexed ( e . g ., frequency - multiplexed and time - multiplexed ). the information signal can be an analog information signal or a digital information signal . when the information signal is an analog information signal , an analog - to - digital converter can convert the analog information signal to a digital information signal ( e . g ., a motion picture experts group 2 ( mpeg - 2 ) signal ). in an embodiment , a bmg can support multiple mpeg2 encoding sessions ( e . g ., two or more mpeg2 encoding sessions ) and handle overlay processing . an example of overlay processing is presenting mpeg2 or other digital information in a multiple layer format . in another embodiment , a service application running on a bmg system can support transparent layers such as , for example , overlaying a web page on top of a tv program image used for interactive tv services . tuner / demodulator 102 can send an information signal to mass storage device 103 . mass storage device 103 can be a hard disk drive , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , a magneto - optical storage device , or a combination thereof . the mass storage device 103 can store a digital information signal for subsequent playback and allows the bmg 100 to provide playback control ( e . g ., play , pause , rewind , fast forward , frame advance , etc .) of multimedia content ( e . g ., broadcast programs , movies , music , etc .). data switch 101 can receive a digital information signal from mass storage device 103 , another digital information signal from tuner / demodulator 102 , or a plurality of digital information signals from mass storage device 103 and / or tuner / demodulator 102 . in an embodiment , a bmg 100 includes a plurality of tuner / demodulators , each of which can provide a digital information signal to data switch 101 . in an embodiment , data switch 101 receives each digital information signal via a respective , dedicated switch port . for example , when mass storage device is capable of concurrently sending four information signals to switch 101 , switch 101 can include four dedicated switch ports , where each dedicated switch port receives one information signal via a dedicated communications path . moreover , when bmg 100 includes three tuner / demodulators , each tuner / demodulator can be coupled to a respective switch port of three switch ports of switch 101 such that each switch port receives one information signal . in another embodiment , data switch 101 can include a switch port coupled to a shared bus , where the shared bus carries a plurality of information signals . for example , dependant upon the data bandwidth requirements of the information signals and the data bandwidth capabilities of the shared bus and the switch port , the switch port may be able to receive four concurrent information signals . in an embodiment , data switch 101 can receive a digital multimedia information signal ( e . g ., audio , video text data , graphics , or a combination thereof ) via broadband data link 2 and residential gateway 5 . after receiving the digital information signal ( e . g ., from mass storage device 103 , from tuner / demodulator 102 ), data switch 101 can send the digital information signal to one or more of a plurality of information appliances coupled to the switch 101 . examples of information appliances that can receive a digital information signal include a digital set top box 300 , a television 40 ( e . g ., a television coupled to a digital set top box , a television including digital set top box functionality ), a computer 50 , an audio system 60 , an electronic book device 70 , an mp3 ( mpeg layer - 3 ) player 80 , an so on . information appliances can be coupled to the data switch 101 via a high bandwidth ( i . e ., broadband ) communication link 95 , a wired lower bandwidth communications link 96 , and / or a wireless lower bandwidth communications link 97 . examples of high bandwidth communications links 95 include cat 5 , cat 5e , cat 6 , or cat 7 twisted pair wiring . additional examples of high bandwidth communications links 95 include coaxial cable , optical fiber cable ( e . g ., oc - 3 cable ), and so forth . examples of a wired lower bandwidth communications links 96 include homepna version 2 . 0 compliant phoneline wiring coupled to a homepna port 141 , cat 3 twisted pair wiring , etc . examples of wireless lower bandwidth communications links 97 include a homerf communications link ( e . g ., generated at least in part by a homerf transceiver 142 ), an ieee 802 . 11 communications link ( e . g ., generated at least in part by an ieee 802 . 11 transceiver 143 ), a bluetooth communications link ( e . g ., generated by a bluetooth transceiver 144 ), and so on . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , multiple information appliances can receive a digital information signal from data switch 101 . for example , a television program broadcast by a catv system can be received by bmg 100 , and bmg can send that television program to a plurality of televisions 40 and / or computer 50 such that a user at an information appliance views the television program in real - time . bmg 100 can also store that television program on mass storage device 103 so that a user can view the television program at a later time on one or more of the information appliances ( e . g ., televisions 40 and / or computer 50 ). data switch 101 can also allow one or more users to access a broadband data service including a broadband data link 2 . examples of a broadband data link 2 include an adsl link , a fiber optic link , and so on . a residential gateway 5 can interface communications between the broadband data service and the bmg 100 . residential gateway 5 , in an embodiment , includes an integrated adsl modem , a router and a firewall . it can be open services gateway initiative (โ osgi โ)- compliant . ( see www . osgi . org for additional osgi information ). data switch 101 can allow , for example , a user at computer 50 to access the world wide web ( the โ web โ) while another user accesses the web as part of a web - enhanced television service at a television 40 . fig2 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a broadband multimedia gateway . bmg 110 can include mass storage device 103 coupled to a data switch / router 105 . data switch / router 105 can be a 100base - t ethernet switch , a 10 / 100base - t ethernet switch , a gigabit ethernet switch , an atm router , and so forth . the data switch / router 105 can be coupled to signal processing circuit 120 . signal processing circuit 120 can include a plurality of tuners 121 and a plurality of demodulators 123 , where each demodulator 123 is coupled to a tuner 121 . each tuner can be coupled to one or more communications links , e . g ., communications links 12 , 22 , and 32 . when a communication link is coupled to a plurality of tuners 121 , a plurality of information signals ( e . g ., television programs , movies , audio , songs , albums , etc .) broadcast over a communications link can be sent to data switch / router 105 and / or mass storage device 103 to allow real - time viewing and / or playback control ( e . g ., viewing , playing , recording , pausing , etc .) of multiple information signals . for example , a viewer at a first television may view a first catv program , and another viewer at a second television may view a second catv program . further , a viewer can view a first catv program while a second catv program is recorded to the mass storage device . in an embodiment , each tuner 121 is coupled to the ethernet switch via a dedicated connection to the ethernet switch ( e . g ., a first tuner 121 is coupled to a first switch port of data switch / router 105 via a dedicated communications link 146 , a second tuner 121 is coupled to a second switch port of data switch / router 105 via another dedicated communication link ). in another embodiment , each tuner 121 is coupled to data switch / router 105 via a shared communications link , such as shared ethernet communications link 145 , or a shared system bus 135 . a shared system bus 135 can be coupled to signal processing circuit 120 for communications of control signals that can direct operation of tuners 121 , demodulators 123 , and other signal processing circuits and / or logic coupled to signal processing circuit 120 . for example , control signals communicated to signal processing circuit 120 can include instructions to tune a tuner to a particular information channel to receive a transmission signal . in an embodiment , control signals can control the operation of an analog - to - digital converter 125 that can receive an analog information signal ( e . g ., an national television standards committee ( ntsc ) tv signal ) and output a digital information signal based at least in part on the analog information signal ( e . g ., an mpeg - 2 digital information signal ). the signal processing circuit 120 can also be coupled to a decryption circuit / logic 127 that can decrypt and / or unscramble an encrypted and / or scrambled information signal , and a decoder 126 that can convert a digital information signal from one digital format to a second digital format . in a further embodiment , the decryption circuit / logic 127 is coupled to a smartcard reader 129 to support cas functionality . an information signal ( e . g ., an audio - video signal from a dvd device , an audio signal from a compact disc ( cd ) device , an audio - video signal from a video cassette recorder / player ( vcr ), and so forth ) can also be received by the bmg 110 via an auxiliary multimedia input 166 , which can be coupled to the data switch / router 105 via system bus 135 , via an ethernet communications link , etc . in an embodiment , information signals can be encrypted and / or decrypted by cipher / decipher logic 168 . cipher / decipher logic 168 can decrypt and / or encrypt information signals according to encryption / copy protection protocols such as an analog cps ( copy protection system ) ( e . g ., a macrovision protocol ), cgms ( copy guard management system ), css ( content scrambling system ), cppm ( content protection for prerecorded media ), cprm ( content protection for recordable media ), dcps ( digital copy protection system ), dtcp ( digital transmission content protection ), and so forth . an information signal received from the auxiliary multimedia input 166 can be stored โ either encrypted or unencrypted โ on the mass storage device 103 and / or sent to one or more information appliances coupled to data switch / router 105 . in a preferred embodiment , bmg 110 includes a processor 130 and a memory 131 , each coupled system bus 135 . processor 130 can be , for example , an intel pentium ยฎ iii processor , manufactured by intel corp . of santa clara , calif . as another example , processor 130 can be an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ). memory 131 may be a random access memory ( ram ), a dynamic ram ( dram ), a static ram ( sram ), a volatile memory , a non - volatile memory , a flash ram , a cache memory , a hard disk drive , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , a magneto - optical storage device , or a combination thereof memory 131 of bmg 110 can store a plurality of instructions to control the operations of bmg 110 , such as program recording , program playback , pay - per - view , and so forth . in an embodiment , the operations of bmg 110 can be controlled at least in part via a web browser - based graphical user interface ( gui ) displayed to a user ( e . g ., displayed on a television ). in an embodiment , memory 131 can store web - server instructions such as gui instructions to provide a web browser - based gui to a user , bmg operation program instructions , pay - per - view management program instructions , and other instructions related to control and operation of the bmg 110 . web - server instructions can also provide web - enhanced television to televisions coupled to data switch / router 105 . in another embodiment , the bmg 110 includes a web - server 160 to provide a web browser - based gui to a user for control and operational purposes . information appliances can be coupled to data switch / router 105 via dedicated high bandwidth ethernet communications links 295 , each of which can be coupled to a respective switch port of data switch / router 105 . in an embodiment , each of ethernet communications links 295 is a cat 5 or better cable . high bandwidth ethernet communications links 295 can carry high bandwidth information signals ( e . g ., digital tv signals , mpeg - 2 information signals , hdtv signals , and other audio - video signals ). lower bandwidth information signals ( e . g ., audio , text , and so forth ) can be communicated over lower bandwidth communications links , which can be a dedicated lower bandwidth communication link 147 or a shared lower bandwidth communication link 140 . stream management logic and / or circuitry 150 can be coupled to data switch / router 105 . in an embodiment , the stream management 150 can include a port router , a multiplexer , and overlay processing logic . the port router can preserve quality of service ( qos ) delivery between end points in the home network ( e . g ., between tvs and the digital residential entertainment system ). the router ensures that the only digital signal sent on the unique network segment pertains to the established session between the designated end point devices . the multiplexer , in an embodiment , can synchronize multimedia of different source types such as tv programming and advertising material . for example , pertinent content can be synchronized based on the requirements of the service offering . the synchronized content can then sent over the internal bus structure of digital residential entertainment system to the overlay processor . the overlay processing logic can support superimposing one or more information signals ( e . g ., a second audio - video signal , a computer graphics signal ) over a first information signal ( e . g ., a first audio - video signal ). web - enhanced television and picture - in - a - picture ( pip ) functionality can utilize the overlay processing logic . bmg 110 can also include input / output logic and devices 137 . for example , input / output 137 can include one or more test ports such as a keyboard input , a mouse input , a universal serial bus ( usb ) input , a video graphics array ( vga ) output . peripherals ( e . g ., a keyboard , a mouse , a video monitor ) can be coupled to the test ports to assist with set - up , repair , maintenance and / or upgrading of bmg 110 . input / output 137 can also include a usb port that can be coupled to a printer , a recordable media device ( e . g ., a rewritable cd - rom drive (โ cd - rw โ), a rewritable dvd drive (โ dvd - ram โ), a flash memory device , and so on ), and so on . for example , printouts such as program settings , system configurations , and service charges can be printed via a usb port . information programs ( e . g ., television shows , movies , songs , multimedia , and so forth ) can be archived and / or copied to removable media ( e . g ., dvd , cd - rom ) to free up space on mass storage device 103 or provide for a portable version ( e . g ., a gift dvd , a cd - rom for a car audio player , etc .). input / output 137 can also include a smart card reader / writer that can in part control access to pay - per - view services , limit access to types of programs or channels , and support debug operations . smart cards are typically a credit card - sized card that contain a microprocessor , memory , and a battery . they can store electronic keys , user profiles , user identifiers , access rights , financial information , and other data . debug operations can be integrated as a base operation in the system service applications . only authorized and ultimately authenticated smart cards inserted into the entertainment system ( e . g ., into card reader 129 , coupled to input / output 137 ) can open locally accessible debug operations . โ consumer โ smart cards are authorized for services designed and developed for entertainment content delivery . thus , an embodiment of the present invention has real - time pay - per - view and multimedia delivery support . in a further embodiment , pay - per - view events can be authorized at least in part with a cas smartcard device . fig3 is an illustration of a thin - client digital set top box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . thin - client digital set top box ( tc dstp ) 300 can be coupled to a switch port of a data switch ( e . g ., a switch port of an ethernet switch ) via a dedicated high bandwidth communications link 95 . in another embodiment , a plurality of tc dstps 300 and a data switch can be coupled via a shared high bandwidth communications link . tc dstp 300 receives a digital information signal from the data switch and can output an audio and / or video signal to television 40 . television 40 can include a video display that displays video based at least in part on the video signal and audio components ( e . g ., speakers ) that output audio based at least in part on the audio signal . the audio signal can also be received by an audio system ( e . g ., a home theater system ) that produces audio of a better quality than the speakers of a typical television . tc dstb 300 can include an ethernet interface 310 when coupled to a bmg including an ethernet switch . when tc dstb 300 is coupled to a bmg having a different type of data switch supporting a different communications protocol ( e . g ., an atm router ), the tc dstb 300 can include a data switch interface compatible with that different type of data switch . tc dstb 300 can receive a digital information signal from the data switch and process the digital information signal for output as an audio and / or video signal . for example , tc dstb 300 can include decryption logic 320 coupled to the ethernet interface 310 via a bus 315 , and the decryption logic 320 can decrypt digital information signals that are sent by the data switch in an encrypted and / or protected format . decoder logic 325 can also be included in tc dstb 300 to convert a digital information signal from a first digital format ( e . g ., a transmission format , a compressed format ) to a second digital format ( e . g ., a display format ). operation of the tc dstb 300 can be controlled at least in part by processor 330 and memory 331 . an rf transceiver 333 of tc dstb 300 can receive from a remote control 305 remote data ( e . g ., remote control instructions , remote control data ) relating to operation and control of tc dstb 300 , such as instructions relating to playback control of information signals sent to tc dstb 300 and television 40 . remote control 305 can select programs to be displayed that are being transmitted by a catv system , a dbs tv system , a terrestrial tv system . playback control commands can be sent by remote control 305 to control playback of programs stored on mass storage device 103 . in an embodiment , remote control 305 can include keyboard and pointer functionality to facilitate web surfing and / or web - enhanced television . in an embodiment , tc dstb 300 controls the display of a web browser - based gui (โ wbb gui โ) on television 40 . the wbb gui can provide an interface for accessing multimedia applications and content , and the tc dstb 300 can control the display of the wbb gui based at least in part on user input received via remote 305 and program instructions and data stored in tc dstb 300 and / or a bmg coupled to the tc dstb 300 . for example , applications that can be executed based on the wbb gui and the remote 305 include a broadcast program guide ; broadcast tv viewing control ; broadcast audio listening control ; movies - on - demand ; audio - on - demand ; recording , storage and playback of broadcast programs ; interactive tv ; web - enhanced tv ; e - mail communications ; web surfing ; electronic surfing ; and so forth . fig6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . a bmg 600 can include a plurality of buses to interconnect bmg components . for example , the plurality of buses can include a media bus 610 , a network bus 615 , and a system data bus 620 . media bus 610 can receive information signals ( e . g ., broadcast signals , multimedia signals , and so on ) from signal processing circuit 120 . in an embodiment , signal processing circuit 120 and media bus 610 are coupled via system cipher / dechiper logic 628 . system data bus 620 can be coupled to the media bus 610 to receive information signals ( e . g ., for storage on mass storage device 103 , for sending to information appliances , and so on ). in an embodiment , media bus 610 and system data bus 620 can be coupled to a video overlay processor 605 to support at least in part picture - in - picture operations , picture - in - graphic operations , and other video overlay operations . system data bus 620 can be coupled to data switch / router 105 via network bus 615 to receive information signals ( e . g ., real - time information signals ), overlayed information signals and stored information signals ( e . g ., stored on mass storage device 103 ). data switch / router 105 can be coupled to a plurality of high bandwidth communications links 95 for transmission of information signals to information appliances . fig4 shows an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention . a plurality of transmission signals are received ( e . g ., by a multichannel tuner ), and each transmission signal includes an information signal ( box 405 ). a first transmission signal of the plurality of transmission signals is selected ( e . g ., by the multichannel tuner ) ( box 410 ), and demodulated to isolate a first information signal ( box 415 ). whether the first information signal is to be viewed at a first information appliance is determined ( box 417 ). when the first information signal is to be viewed at a first information appliance , the first information signal is sent to a digital data switch ( box 420 ), and the digital data switch can send the first information signal to the first information appliance via a first broadband communications link coupled to the digital data switch ( box 425 ). whether the first information signal is to be viewed at a second information appliance is determined ( box 427 ). when the first information signal is to be viewed at a second information appliance , the digital data switch can send the first information signal to the second information appliance via a second broadband communications link coupled to the digital data switch ( box 430 ). whether the first information signal is to be record ( e . g ., for later playback , for playback control , to provide personal video recording (โ pvr โ) functionality , and so on ) is determined ( box 432 ). when the first information signal is to be recorded , it can be stored on a mass storage device ( box 435 ). in an embodiment , the first information signal is sent to the mass storage device via the digital data switch . in another embodiment , the first information signal is sent to the digital data switch via the mass storage device . in a further embodiment , the first information signal is sent to both the mass storage device and the digital data switch contemporaneously ( e . g ., in parallel , in serial ). the digital data switch receives an instruction to send a second information signal from the second information appliance via the second broadband communications link ( box 440 ), and sends the instruction to send a second information signal to a processor ( box 445 ). the processor sends a select second transmission instruction ( e . g ., to the multichannel tuner ) ( box 450 ). the second transmission signal of the plurality of transmission signals is selected ( e . g ., by the multichannel tuner ) ( box 455 ), and demodulated to isolate a second information signal ( box 460 ). the second information signal is sent to the digital data switch ( box 465 ), and the digital data switch sends the second information signal to the second information appliance via the second broadband communications link ( box 470 ). in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a service provider can download multimedia content items ( e . g ., movies , television programs , songs , albums , and so forth ) to a multimedia - on - demand device (โ modd โ) including a mass storage device that can store received multimedia content . in an embodiment , a modd can be part of a bmg that includes a plurality of tuner / demodulators and a data switch . multimedia content downloading can be accomplished using a broadband data service , such as adsl , a satellite direct multicast / broadcast service , a cable television service , a digital cable television service , a terrestrially broadcast television service , a wireless broadband data service , a wired broadband data service , and so on . downloaded multimedia content items are stored on the mass storage device of the modd . each stored multimedia content item can be identified by a multimedia content item identifier , and use of the multimedia content item ( e . g ., playback , purchase of a copy , licensing of a copy , etc .) can be indicated by a multimedia content item usage indicator . usage of the multimedia content item can be reported to the multimedia - on - demand service provider (โ modsp โ) by transmitting a usage message to the modsp . for example , a usage message can be based at least in part on the multimedia content item usage indicator and report that a subscriber viewed a movie , listened to a song , copied an album to non - volatile medium ( e . g ., a recordable cd - rom , a recordable dvd ). a modd , in an embodiment , can automatically receive multimedia content items from a modsp , where the modsp downloads a plurality of multimedia content items without a user selecting or requesting the downloading of a particular multimedia content item . in an embodiment in which a modsp offers a pay - per - view movie service , a user can opt to receive the pay - per - view service ( e . g ., subscribe to the service ) or may receive the pay - per - view service because it is a system default service that each user receives as part of using the system ( e . g ., it is a bundled component of a digital cable service , a direct broadcast satellite television service , and so on ). but the user need not select or direct the downloading of an individual multimedia content item . the modsp can , however , automatically send the plurality of multimedia content items based on a subscriber profile or a system profile , and the user can modify or update such profiles ( e . g ., to select a particular genre of movies , music , content , and so on ). for example , in an embodiment in which a modsp offers a pay - per - view service , the modsp can automatically download each of the top ten movie rentals for a given week to a modd of a user . aside from perhaps subscribing to such a โ top ten movies โ service , a user need not individually indicate or order that one of the โ top ten movies โ be downloaded . to access the automatically downloaded content , the user can instruct the modd to display a listing of the โ top ten movies โ that are stored on the mass storage device of the modd and select one for playback . the modsp can update the โ top ten movies โ by downloading a new movie to the modd to replace one of the previously stored movies ( e . g ., by indicating that one of the previously stored movies is to be deleted , by storing the new movie in the storage position of one of the previously stored movies , by updating a data table that indexes the stored movies , etc .). in another embodiment , a modsp can automatically download each of the top 40 singles or albums of a particular music genre . the top 40 lineup can be updated daily , weekly , monthly , or at another desired time interval . a user can modify a subscriber profile to identify the genre of multimedia content items that are to be automatically downloaded ( e . g ., county & amp ; western music , action movies , pop singles , new releases , etc .). a modd can store the downloaded multimedia content items on a mass storage device . it can include a data table to indicate which multimedia content items are locally stored and the usage status of each of the multimedia content items . for example , fig5 shows a data table in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a modd can include a data table 500 ( e . g ., stored on a mass storage device , stored in non - volatile memory , etc .) data table 500 can include a plurality of data records 501 . each data record 501 can correspond to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device . in an embodiment , each data record 501 of data table 500 includes a multimedia content item identifier field 505 to store a multimedia content item identifier ( e . g ., a movie title , a movie identification code , a movie filename , a song title , an album title , and so on ), and a multimedia content item type indicator field 510 to store a multimedia content item type indicator ( e . g ., audio - video , audio , television program , movie , animation , presentation , graphics , text , etc .) data record 501 , in an embodiment , can include multimedia content item usage indicator fields 520 and 530 that can each store an indicator as to whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been used . for example , multimedia content item usage indicator field 520 can store an indication regarding whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been played ( e . g ., played for viewing , played for listening ), and multimedia content item usage indicator field 530 can store an indication as to whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been purchased ( e . g ., copied to a portable non - volatile storage medium such as a recordable cd - rom or dvd , sent to an information appliance that can store the multimedia content item , changed from a temporary file to a permanent file resident on the mass storage device , copied to a separate mass storage device for archival purposes , etc .). in another embodiment , a multimedia content item usage indicator field can store one or more multimedia content item usage indicators corresponding to the multimedia content item ( e . g ., an indicator that the item has not been played or purchased , that the item was purchased , that the item was licensed , and so forth ). in an embodiment , the cost of playback and / or purchase can vary based on the particular multimedia content item , and cost fields 515 and 525 can respectively store the cost of playback ( e . g ., cost of viewing , cost of listening ) and cost of purchase ( e . g ., cost of ownership , cost of a type of license , and so on ). in an embodiment , a modd can be part of a bmg that includes a data switch and is coupled to a plurality of information appliances via a plurality of broadband data links . a user at an information appliance of the plurality of information appliances can use a wireless infrared or rf remote control to access a bmg - generated web page to determine what multimedia content items are currently stored on the modd / bmg . after the consumer sends a usage instruction ( e . g ., playback instruction ), the modd / bmg can direct usage of the multimedia content item ( e . g ., begin streaming the selected multimedia content item to the information appliance ). usage information relating to the selected multimedia content item can be written to a data table 500 . periodically , data table 500 can be used to generate a usage message that is sent to the modsp for customer billing purposes , customer monitoring purposes , account processing , etc . for example , the usage message can be sent each evening in the middle of the night via a dial - up data connection , after each modification of the data table via a dedicated data connection , and so forth . in an embodiment in which the modd / bmg is coupled to an always on data service , a usage message can be automatically sent immediately following a user purchase . in an embodiment of the present invention , multimedia content items are sent to a modd at a transmission rate that is different than the playback rate of the multimedia content item . known pay - per - view services transmit television programs ( e . g ., movies , sporting events , etc .) at a real - time rate where the rate of playback is the same as the transmission rate . embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide for transmission of multimedia content items at rates that are lesser and greater than a playback rate because the multimedia content items are to be stored on a mass storage device . for example , multimedia content items can be automatically downloaded at high speed during a period of the day when a data network typically has fewer data demands ( e . g ., in the middle of the night ). also , multimedia content items can be automatically downloaded at lower speeds ( e . g ., at one - quarter of the playback rate , at one - tenth of the playback rate , at one - fiftieth of the playback rate ) based on network data demands , or network bandwidth constraints . for example , a 120 minute movie at an mpeg2 encoded rate of 3 . 5 mb / s can comprise a 3 . 15 gigabyte data file , and known adsl services can provide down stream data transmission rates of 1 . 5 mbps . downloading the 120 minute movie over such an adsl line can take approximately 4 . 7 hours , and the downloading of the 120 minute to a modd can be automatically performed in the middle of the night . subsequently , a user can request that the movie be played back to an information appliance at the playback rate ( e . g ., real - time ). in another embodiment of the present invention , the modd can indicate that a multimedia content item is available for playback prior to storing the entirety of the multimedia content item . for example , a multimedia content item can have a 2 hour playback time and comprise a 2 gigabyte data file . when the modd receives the movie at an average transmission rate of , for example , 444 kbps , it can require approximately 10 hours total to receive the entirety of the multimedia content item . when playback rate of the multimedia content item is relatively smooth and the remaining amount of time required to complete the download is less than the playback time of the multimedia content item , the modd can indicate that the multimedia content item is available for playback . thus , when the downloading of the multimedia content item began at noon , for example , and would not be complete until 10 : 00 p . m ., the modd can nevertheless indicate that the multimedia content item is available for playback beginning at 8 : 00 p . m . a modsp , in an embodiment of the present invention , can access a subscriber profile to determine which particular multimedia content items are to be automatically downloaded to a modd . in an embodiment , a subscriber profile is a system default profile where each subscriber receives the same content . in another embodiment , a subscriber profile allows a subscriber to specify the types of multimedia content items that will be automatically downloaded to a modd of the subscriber . for example , a subscriber can indicate that he would like to have the top ten movie rentals downloaded and stored on his modd . each time that top ten movie lineup changes ( e . g ., daily , weekly , biweekly , monthly , etc ), the new movies can be automatically downloaded to the modd and the movies that are no longer in the top ten movie lineup can be removed ( e . g ., deleted , overwritten , de - indexed , etc .) from the modd . in an embodiment , a modsp automatically sends a multimedia content item identifier with each multimedia content item that is sent to the modd . the modd can then store the multimedia content item on a mass storage device and the multimedia content identifier in a data table that can track usage , if any , of the multimedia content item . a modsp can also send a multimedia content item storage position identifier for each multimedia content item . the multimedia content item storage position identifier can specify a logical storage position for a multimedia content item . for example , in a top five movies - on - demand service , the multimedia content item storage position identifier can specify whether a particular movie is number 1 , number 3 , number 5 , and so forth . when the movie lineup changes ( e . g ., the rankings of the movies are reordered ), new multimedia content item storage position identifiers can be downloaded for the multimedia content items already stored on the modd . for example , table 1 shows a top five movie lineup , where each of movies a , c , r , e , and s are stored on a modd . table 2 shows that when the movie lineup changes ( as compared to table 1 ) without the addition of any new movie , the storage position identifiers can be updated ( e . g ., via downloading ). table 3 shows that when the movie lineup changes ( as compared to table 2 ) with the addition of one or more new movies : a new multimedia content item can be automatically downloaded with a multimedia content identifier and a multimedia content item storage position identifiers ; and / or an old multimedia content item can be removed ( e . g ., overwritten , deleted , evicted from an index , etc .). in an embodiment , a multimedia content item identifier is a composite multimedia content item identifier / multimedia content item storage position identifier . in another embodiment , a plurality of multimedia - on - demand services are supported by a modd . for example , a modd stores a plurality of movies - on - demand lineups ( e . g ., top action movies , top comedy movies ) and a plurality of audio - on - demand lineups ( e . g ., top alternative albums , top country albums , top 40 singles ), and the multimedia content item storage position identifiers can be coded to identify a particular multimedia - on - demand lineup ( e . g ., ma 1 , ma 2 , ma 3 correspond to three movies of a first movie lineup , mb 1 , mb 2 , mb 3 , correspond to three movies of a second movie lineup ). in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method are stored on a computer - readable medium . the computer - readable medium can be a device that stores digital information . for example , a computer - readable medium includes a cd - rom as is known in the art for storing software . the computer - readable medium is accessed by a processor suitable for executing instructions adapted to be executed . the terms โ adapted to be executed โ and โ instructions to be executed โ are meant to encompass any instructions that are ready to be executed in their present form ( e . g ., machine code ) by a processor , or require further manipulation ( e . g ., compilation , decryption , or provided with an access code , etc .) to be ready to be executed by a processor . in an embodiment of the present invention , a user at any appliance through a web - based graphical user interface can instruct the processor to record any broadcast program onto mass storage for subsequent viewing and / or listening from a multiplicity of appliances . the user can choose to have the broadcast program recorded once or every time that the program is broadcast . systems and methods in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein can advantageously provide a digital residential entertainment system . in an embodiment , a digital residential entertainment system can provide access to multimedia content over an in - house broadband data network that is coupled to a data switch , a mass storage device and a variety of information appliances . the broadband data network can include category 5 or better twisted pair wiring that can support the distribution of broadcast video , multimedia - on - demand services , broadcast audio , web surfing , and other multimedia applications and services . in an embodiment of the present invention , multimedia - on - demand services can be provided by automatic downloading of multimedia content items to a mass storage device . a user can select usage ( e . g ., playing , purchasing ) of the locally - stored multimedia content items , and that usage can be reported to the multimedia - on - demand service provider . embodiments of systems and methods for multimedia - on - demand services have been described . in the foregoing description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be appreciated , however , by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , structures and devices are shown in block diagram form . furthermore , one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the specific sequences in which methods are presented and performed are illustrative and it is contemplated that the sequences can be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention . in the foregoing detailed description , systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments . accordingly , the present specification and figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . | 7 |
a flow medium is to be understood to mean a layer which allows a higher flow speed for resin than the fiber reinforcement layers do . the flow medium enables high volume flow of resin through the flow medium . as the composite structures to be produced become larger and longer , higher volumes of resin have to be distributed along the length of the mold . the flow medium enables a higher speed of resin delivery as the flow channel has an open cross section , i . e ., there are no obstacles inside in the flow channel reducing the flow speed of the resin inside the flow channel . the flow medium may comprise at least one flow channel having non - porous wall ( s ) to enable optimization of the resin distribution throughout the mold . the non - porous flow channel promotes resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel . the flow medium may comprise at least one porous flow channel to enable optimization of the resin distribution throughout the mold . the porous flow channel promotes resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . part of the resin is distributed through the porous wall of the flow channel . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the porous flow channel enables distribution of resin in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel , such as for example perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . the flow medium allows processing of resins having a higher viscosity . the number and distribution of porous flow channels and / or flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) in the flow medium can be varied to optimize the delivery and distribution of resin over the surface to be impregnated by the resin . the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably a porous flow channel ( s ), may have any cross sectional shape to optimize the resin distribution through the mold . the cross sectional shape of a flow channel may for example be irregular , triangular , rectangular , pentagonal or round . the cross sectional shape of the flow channels is preferably round to minimize flow resistance in the flow channel . the cross sectional area of a flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , may vary widely depending on the volume flow of resin to be distributed through the mold . the cross sectional area of the flow channels may be in the range of 0 . 5 to 250 mm 2 , preferably 1 to 200 mm 2 , more preferably 10 to 175 mm 2 , even more preferably 50 to 160 mm 2 , most preferably 75 to 150 mm 2 . the cross sectional shape and / or cross sectional area of a flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , may vary along the longitudinal direction of the flow channel to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . the flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , can be made from a wide variety of materials . the choice of material for a flow channel will generally depend on the compatibility with the type of resin used in the vartm process , costs and / or availability . the flow channels may be made from a flexible material to accommodate for complex shapes of the composite structure to be produced . preferably , the flow channels are made from a polyolefin polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyethylene . the porous flow channel may be a perforated tube . the size distribution , number and / or spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the perforated tube can be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube and the amount of resin exiting the porous flow channel through the perforations in the perforated tube . the size distribution of the perforations , the number of perforations and / or the spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . the porous flow channel may be a spiral tube . a spiral tube is a tube which has been cut in a helical manner . the helical cut may be made in a continuous or discontinuous manner . the width of the helical cut and / or the pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the spiral tube can be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the width and / or pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . when the helical cut is made in a discontinuous manner , the length of the cuts and / or the length of the non - cut sections of the helical cut can additionally be varied to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the length of the cuts and / or the length of the non - cut sections of the helical cut in the spiral tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . when the helical cut is made in a continuous manner , the spiral tube may additionally be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to widen the opening of the cut to increase the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the flow medium may comprise more than one flow channel to increase the volume flow of resin and / or to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . each flow channel is selected from a porous flow channel and a flow channel having non - porous wall ( s ). the properties as described above for each of the flow channels in the flow medium may vary independently from the other flow channels in the flow medium to optimize the delivery and distribution of resin in the mold . the at least one layer of fibrous material of the flow medium enables that the resin exiting the porous flow channel through the porous wall is distributed further to the desired areas in the mold . handling and placing of individual flow channels , which are preferably porous flow channels , in a mold can be problematic and time consuming . removal of individual flow channels from the mold after molding can be difficult . the flow medium having at least one layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement in and subsequent removal of the flow channel ( s ) from the mold . when the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium faces the thin flexible membrane in a vartm process , the membrane being put on top of the flow medium , the flow medium prevents puncture of the thin membrane , for example by the fibers of the fiber reinforcement layers , by the flow channel ( s ) or by an additional layer of flow medium . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) prevents masking off of the porous wall ( s ) of the porous flow channels by the membrane upon application of the vacuum , thereby securing a higher resin flow exiting through the porous wall of the porous flow channel . when the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium faces the fiber reinforcement layers in a vartm process , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium prevents an unwanted imprint of the flow channel ( s ). the layer of fibrous material encapsulates the one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), of the flow medium . the flow channel ( s ) is / are spatially confined in the layer of fibrous material . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) may additionally be physically attached to the flow channels by any known manner , such as for example by thermal bonding , mechanical bonding and / or adhesive bonding . the encapsulating layer of fibrous material prevents the porous flow channel ( s ) from being masked off by the membrane upon application of the vacuum , allowing the porous flow channels to fully function as a resin delivery and distribution device . the encapsulation of the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), by the layer of fibrous material enables easy placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) in the mold . when some or all of the porous flow channels in the flow medium are spiral tubes having a helical cut made in a continuous manner and are physically attached to the layer of fibrous material , the spiral tubes can be fixated at the desired degree of elongation in order to adjust the amount of resin exiting from the porous flow channels through the helical cut of the spiral tube . preferably , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium encapsulating one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), has at least the same thickness as the flow channel having the highest thickness of all the flow channels in the flow medium . preferably , the thickness of the layer of fibrous material is at least 0 . 5 mm higher , more preferably at least 1 mm higher , even more preferably at least 1 . 5 mm higher , most preferably at least 2 mm higher , than the thickness of the flow channel having the highest thickness of all the flow channels in the flow medium . the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium encapsulating the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), may be any type of fibrous material , such as for example a woven , a nonwoven , such as for example a drylaid web of staple fibers or a spunbond nonwoven , a knitted fabric , or a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments . preferably , the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) has two main surfaces , defined by the length and width of the flow medium , wherein the two main surfaces are oriented plane parallel to each other to facilitate easy handling and installation of the flow medium , such as for example during winding on and unwinding from a roll . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), can be made from a wide variety of materials . the optimum choice of material for the layer of fibrous material will generally depend on the compatibility with the material of which the flow channels are made , the type of resin used in the vartm process , costs and / or availability . preferably , the layer of fibrous material is made from a polyolefin or a polyamide polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyamide 6 . preferably , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium is a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments , thermally bonded at their crossing points and having a high void volume to ensure high volume resin flow in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the flow channels , especially in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flow channels and / or in the plane of the layer of fibrous material . the void volume of the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be at least 50 vol . %, preferably at least 75 vol . %, more preferably at least 85 vol . %, even more preferably at least 90 vol . %, most preferably at least 95 vol . %. the thickness of the filaments in the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be in the range of 0 . 1 to 2 . 5 mm , preferably in the range of 0 . 15 to 2 . 0 mm , more preferably in the range of 0 . 2 to 1 . 5 mm , even more preferably in the range of 0 . 25 to 1 . 2 mm , most preferably in the range of 0 . 25 to 0 . 75 mm . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be shaped in any desired three - dimensional form , such as for example in a series of hills and valleys either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation , or in a series of hemispheres either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may comprise positive and / or negative cuspates , cups or waffles either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . alternatively , the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may comprise a series of pyramids , either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments preferably comprises u - and / or v - grooves , preferably extending in machine direction and / or cross machine direction , which enables easy incorporation of the one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), into the three - dimensional mat of extruded filaments . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may also comprise any combination of hills and valleys , hemispheres , positive and / or negative cuspates , cups or waffles , pyramids and / or u - and v - grooves . preferably , the three - dimensional form of the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments is such that the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments has two main surfaces , defined by the length and width of the flow medium , which are oriented plane parallel to each other . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of hills and valleys , the tops of the hills are located in the plane of the first main surface and the bases of the valleys are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of hemispheres , the tops of the hemispheres are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the hemispheres are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of pyramids , the tops of the pyramids are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the pyramids are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a u - and / or v - grooves , the tops of the u - and / or v - grooves are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the u - and / or v - grooves are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a cuspates , cups and / or waffles , the tops of the cuspates , cups or waffles are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the cuspates , cups or waffles are located in the plane of the second main surface . machine direction is to be understood as the direction in which the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments is produced , generally being defined by the largest dimension of the flow medium . the machine direction is also called the length of the flow medium . cross machine direction is to be understood as the direction perpendicular to the machine direction in the plane of the main surface of the flow medium . the cross machine direction is also called the width of the flow medium . the flow medium may comprise one or more additional layers . each of the additional layers may be a film or a layer of fibrous material , such as a woven , a two - dimensional grid or scrim , a nonwoven or a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments . each of the additional layers may be physically attached to the at least one layer of fibrous material and / or another additional layer of the flow medium by any known manner , such as for example by thermal bonding , mechanical bonding and / or adhesive bonding . an additional layer , attached to the at least one layer of fibrous material of the flow medium , may for example form a protective layer to prevent that fibers from the at least one layer of fibrous material puncture the thin flexible membrane in the vartm process . an additional layer may for example provide a smooth surface layer to prevent that fibers from the at least one layer of fibrous material or the flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), leave an unwanted imprint on the surface of the resin impregnated composite structure . such an additional layer may be removable from the flow medium , i . e ., releasably attached to the flow medium , to provide flexibility to the composite structure manufacturer who might not need the smooth surface layer for a particular mold and / or lay - up design . an additional layer may extend past the edges of the flow medium to protect the thin flexible membrane from puncture from the edges of the flow medium and / or to retard the flow of resin out through the edges of the flow medium , promoting resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the composite part under construction . an additional layer may for example provide increased strength and / or dimensional stability to the flow medium , which facilitates easier placement and subsequent removal of the flow medium in the mold . the flow medium preferably has a thickness in the range of 1 to 20 mm , for example in order to enable sufficient flow of resin through the mold . the flow medium has sufficient resistance against the compression forces of the vartm process while providing sufficient free volume to provide high volume resin delivery at high resin flow rates . the flow medium may exhibit a compressive force yield point above which the flow medium may collapse . when an increased vacuum is applied after completion of the resin transfer through the mold in the vartm process , the flow medium may collapse due to increased compression forces and resin entrapped in the flow medium is forced out of the flow medium in essentially a flushing action , thus reducing the amount of retained , and subsequently wasted resin . the further object of the invention is achieved by a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process for manufacturing composite articles comprising the steps of supplying a hard surface mold , placing at least one fiber reinforcement layer in the hard surface mold , placing a membrane on top of the at least one fiber reinforcement layer to form a closed mold and applying a vacuum to draw resin into the closed mold wherein the inventive flow medium as described above is placed between the at least one fiber reinforcement layer and the membrane . the vartm process enables manufacture of composite articles at increased productivity as the inventive flow medium in the vartm process provides high volume flow of resin and / or higher speed of resin delivery as the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), has / have an open cross section through the mold thereby reducing the time required for distributing the resin in the mold . the vartm process enables manufacture of composite articles having improved quality as the inventive flow medium in the vartm process enables optimization of the resin distribution in the mold . the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), promote ( s ) resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel ( s ) and / or the porosity of the flow channel ( s ) can be adjusted to promote resin flow in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the channel ( s ). in the vartm process , higher viscosity resins can be processed as the inventive flow medium allows processing of resins having a higher viscosity . the flow medium as described above may also be used in an irrigation system , such as for example to irrigate natural grass surfaces such as natural playing fields , to wet artificial turf surfaces or to irrigate green roofs . the flow medium enables optimized distribution of a fluid such as water , optionally comprising nutrients and / or insecticides , over the surface to be irrigated . preferably , the flow medium used as an irrigation system comprises one or more porous flow channels as described above . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the porous flow channel ( s ) enables distribution of fluid in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel , such as for example perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . the distribution of porous flow channels and / or flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) in the flow medium may be optimized to distribute the water over the surface to be irrigated , especially for inclined surfaces . in addition , the cross sectional area of each one of the flow channels may be varied along the longitudinal direction of the flow channel to optimize the distribution of water over the surface to be irrigated . when a porous flow channel is a perforated tube , the size distribution , number and / or spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the perforated tube can additionally be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of water flowing in the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube and the amount of water exiting the porous flow channel through the perforations in the perforated tube . when a porous flow channel is a spiral tube , the width of the helical cut and / or the pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the spiral tube can likewise be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of water flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of water exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the flow medium having a layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) over the surface to be irrigated . the flow medium as described above may also be used in a heating or cooling system , for example to regulate the temperature in a room or a building , for example by placing the flow medium in the wall ( s ) and / or floor of the room or building . alternatively , the temperature in a room or a building can be regulated by placing the flow medium in the roof structure and / or on the roof of the building , for example beneath a green roof . the flow medium enables optimized distribution of a fluid , for example hot or cold water or a hot gaseous medium such as steam , throughout the surface to be heated or cooled . preferably , the flow medium used as a heating or cooling system comprises one or more flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) to prevent damage to the construction of the walls , floor or roof . the flow medium having a layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) in and / or on the surface to be heated or cooled . the flow medium makes the time consuming installation of individual flow channels in the surface to be heated or cooled , such as for example in a wall , redundant . the flow channel can be made from a wide variety of materials . the choice of material for a flow channel will generally depend on the compatibility with the type of fluid used in order to heat or cool the surface , costs and / or availability . the flow channels may for example be made from a metal to withstand the pressure of a gaseous medium such as steam . the flow channels may be made from a flexible material to accommodate for complex shapes of the surface to be heated or cooled . preferably , the flow channels are made from a polyolefin polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyethylene . | 1 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the term โ module โ refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . referring to fig1 , an exemplary vehicle 10 may include an engine assembly 12 , a hybrid power assembly 14 , a transmission 16 , a driveline assembly 18 , an exhaust assembly 20 , and a control module 22 . the engine assembly 12 may include an internal combustion engine 24 having a crankshaft 26 rotationally driven by pistons 28 , an intake manifold 30 providing an air flow to the engine 24 and exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 receiving exhaust gas exiting the engine 24 . the hybrid power assembly 14 may include an electric motor 36 and a rechargeable battery 38 . the electric motor 36 and the rechargeable battery 38 may form a drive mechanism for the hybrid power assembly 14 . the motor 36 may be in electrical communication with the battery 38 to convert power from the battery 38 to mechanical power . the motor 36 may additionally be powered by the engine 24 and operated as a generator to provide power to charge the battery 38 . the hybrid power assembly 14 may be incorporated into and engaged with the transmission 16 . alternatively , the hybrid power assembly 14 may be external to the transmission 16 . the driveline assembly 18 may include an output shaft 40 and a drive axle 42 . the motor 36 may be coupled to the output shaft 40 via the transmission 16 to power rotation of the drive axle 42 . the engine 24 may be coupled to the transmission 16 via a coupling device 44 . the coupling device 44 may include a friction clutch or a torque converter . the transmission 16 may use the power from the engine 24 and / or the motor 36 to drive the output shaft 40 and power rotation of the drive axle 42 . the vehicle 10 may be operable in a variety of modes depending on power requirements . in a first operating mode , the engine 24 may be decoupled from the transmission 16 and the electric motor 36 may drive the output shaft 40 . in a second operating mode , the crankshaft 26 may drive the output shaft 40 through combustion within the engine 24 . in the second operating mode , the engine 24 may drive the output shaft 40 by itself or in combination with the electric motor 36 . in a third operating mode , the engine 24 may drive the electric motor 36 to charge the battery 38 and may drive the output shaft 40 . the exhaust assembly 20 may include an air injection assembly 46 , an exhaust conduit 48 , an electrically heated catalyst ( ehc ) 50 , an additional catalyst 52 , first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 and first and second temperature sensors 58 , 60 . the air injection assembly 46 may include an air pump 62 and an air injection conduit 63 in fluid communication with the air pump 62 and the exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 . the exhaust conduit 48 may provide fluid communication between the exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 and the ehc 50 and the additional catalyst 52 . the ehc 50 may be located upstream of the additional catalyst 52 . the ehc 50 may be powered by the battery 38 . the additional catalyst 52 may include a three - way catalyst . the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 may be in communication with an exhaust gas flow upstream of the ehc 50 . more specifically , the first oxygen sensor 54 may be located in the exhaust conduit 48 proximate the outlet of the exhaust manifold 32 and the second oxygen sensor 56 may be located in the exhaust conduit 48 proximate the outlet of the exhaust manifold 34 . the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 may be in communication with the control module 22 and may provide signals thereto indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas exiting the engine 24 . the first temperature sensor 58 may be coupled to the ehc 50 and may be in communication with the control module 22 , providing a signal to the control module 22 indicative of the temperature of the ehc 50 . the second temperature sensor 60 may be coupled to the additional catalyst 52 and may be in communication with the control module 22 . the second temperature sensor 60 may provide a signal to the control module 22 indicative of the temperature of the additional catalyst 52 . the control module 22 may additionally be in communication with the air pump 62 and the hybrid power assembly 14 . the control module 22 may include a hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 , an ehc control module 66 , an ehc temperature evaluation module 68 , an engine combustion control module 70 , an engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 , and a catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may control operation of the vehicle in the first , second , and third operating modes discussed above , as well as switching between the operating modes . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may be in communication with the ehc control module 66 . the ehc control module 66 may be in communication with the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 and may receive a signal therefrom indicating power requirements for operating the ehc at a desired temperature . the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 may receive signals from the first temperature sensor 58 indicative of the ehc operating temperature . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may be in communication with the engine combustion control module 70 and may command engine operation when needed . the engine combustion control module 70 may be in communication with the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 and the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may be in communication with the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 and may receive signals therefrom indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may provide a signal to the engine combustion control module 70 indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may be in communication with the second temperature sensor 60 and may receive a signal therefrom indicative of the temperature of the catalyst 52 . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may provide a signal to the engine combustion control module 70 indicative of the temperature of the catalyst 52 . the engine combustion control module 70 may control combustion parameters and operation of the air injection assembly 46 based on the inputs from the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 and the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . control logic 110 for operation of the vehicle 10 is illustrated in fig3 . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may initially operate the vehicle 10 in the first operating mode at start - up . control logic 110 may begin at block 112 where the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 determines the temperature of ehc 50 during vehicle operation in the first operating mode . control logic 110 then proceeds to block 114 where the ehc temperature is evaluated . if the ehc temperature is above a predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), control logic 110 proceeds to block 116 where ehc temperature is maintained by the ehc control module 66 . the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ) may include a temperature where the ehc 50 maintains nominal hydrocarbon ( hc ) treatment efficiency , such as two hundred degrees celsius . the temperature of the ehc 50 may be maintained by controlling the powering of the ehc 50 by the battery 38 . control logic 110 may then proceed to block 120 . if the ehc temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), control logic 110 proceeds to block 118 where ehc temperature is increased by the ehc control module 66 . the temperature of the ehc 50 may be increased by controlling the powering of the ehc 50 by the battery 38 . for example , when the ehc is operating at a temperature below the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), the battery 38 may provide fully power to the ehc 50 . the ehc 50 may remain powered ( or energized ) throughout operation in the first operating mode . control logic 110 may then proceed to block 120 , where the vehicle operating mode is evaluated by the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 . more specifically , control logic 110 determines whether engine operation is required . if engine operation is not required , control logic 110 may terminate and the vehicle may continue operation in the first operating mode . otherwise , control logic 110 may proceed to block 122 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is determined by the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the temperature of the catalyst 52 may be determined before operation of the vehicle in the second operating mode . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may then evaluate the temperature of the catalyst 52 at block 124 . if the catalyst temperature is above a predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 126 where operation of the vehicle in the second operating mode is initiated by the engine combustion control module 70 using a normal combustion strategy . the predetermined temperature limit ( t cat - desired ) may correspond to a temperature at which the catalyst 52 is fully functional , such as at or above four hundred degrees celsius . the normal combustion strategy may include closed loop operation of the engine using a generally stoichiometric air - fuel ratio ( an air - fuel ratio of between 14 . 2 - to - 1 and 14 . 8 - to - 1 ). control logic 110 may then terminate . if the catalyst temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 128 where operation of the vehicle 10 in the second operating mode is initiated using a catalyst combustion strategy . the catalyst combustion strategy may include operating the engine using an air - fuel ratio that is less than stoichiometric ( rich operation ) to produce higher carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) content in the exhaust gas relative to stoichiometric air - fuel ratio operation . more specifically , the catalyst combustion strategy includes operating the engine at an air - fuel ratio between 8 - to - 1 and 14 . 2 - to - 1 . the ehc 50 may be operating at or above the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ) before air injection . the catalyst combustion strategy may additionally include the injection of air into the exhaust gas using the air injection assembly 46 . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may monitor the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas exiting the engine and control the air injection assembly 46 to provide an exhaust gas stream having a desired oxygen concentration . the introduction of oxygen into the exhaust gas stream may provide increased carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) oxidation in the catalyst 52 . the carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) oxidation produces an exothermic reaction in the catalyst 52 , raising the temperature of the catalyst . after the catalyst combustion strategy has run for a predetermined time , control logic 110 may proceed to block 130 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is again evaluated . if the catalyst temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 132 where engine operation is maintained in the catalyst combustion strategy . control logic 110 may then return to block 130 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is again evaluated . if the catalyst temperature is above the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 126 where the normal combustion strategy is initiated . control logic 110 may then terminate . control logic 110 may loop back to start again at block 112 after termination . more specifically , control logic 110 may wait a predetermined time and restart at block 112 . by way of non - limiting example , the predetermined time may be at least 12 . 5 milliseconds ( ms ). therefore , control logic 110 may run continuously during vehicle operation . | 8 |
the present disclosure is directed to processing scrap polyimide based film into a useful purge material . the polyimide polymer component of the scrap polyimide film ( to be converted into a purge material ) can be any conventional or non - conventional polyimide polymer or polyimide copolymer . in one embodiment , the scrap polyimide film can comprise components other than polyimide polymer in an amount up to 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 10 , 12 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , or 40 weight percent of the scrap polyimide film . such other components can be processing aids , colorants , fillers , other polymers or polymeric materials and the like . in one embodiment , the scrap polyimide film can be of any width and has a thickness within a range from about 2 to about 500 microns . in one embodiment , the processes of the present disclosure require no pre - processing of the scrap polyimide film . in some embodiments , the scrap polyimide film is slit to smaller film dimensions for ease in handling and / or to accommodate extruders that would otherwise lack capacity and / or power to process the scrap polyimide film . the processes of the present disclosure include an extrusion step . the type of extruder is not limiting and any conventional or non - conventional extruder could potentially be used in accordance with the present disclosure . one example of an extruder is a 16 - mm prism extruder ( prism , staffordshire , uk ) having five heatable zones . in one embodiment , the machine setting on the first ( pre - heating ) zone can be about 275 ยฐ c . in one embodiment , the fifth ( downstream ) zone of the prism extruder , usually present as a heated die , can be removed and replaced with an unheated 1 . 5 - inch ( 3 . 8 cm ) tip to protect the operator from sharp edges and moving parts . the remaining three zones can be set so that the scrap polyimide film can be subjected to measured temperatures between about 300 and 425 ยฐ c . in such an embodiment , the throat of the extruder can be cooled with room temperature ( about 20 ยฐ c .) water , but generally air need not be excluded from the throat . in this particular embodiment , a โ vacuum extraction โ screw series can be used , and the screw can have the following sections : 3 deep feed sections , 8 regular conveying sections , 7 paddles @ 30 ยฐ ( kneading sections ), 5 paddles @ 60 ยฐ ( kneading sections ), 1 regular conveying section , 1 reverse ( left hand ) section , 2 regular conveying sections , 10 paddles @ 60 ยฐ ( kneading sections ), 3 regular conveying sections and a 1 1 . 5 - inch ( 3 . 8 cm ) diameter tip . in this particular example , the ratio of the length to the inner diameter of the extruder is about 25 . the extrudate can be caught in bins , and room temperature ( approximately 20 ยฐ c .) air can be blown over it to cool it . in this particular example , the temperature to which the scrap polyimide film is subjected can be measured ( as distinct from the machine setting ) at the three middle zones ( zones 2 , 3 , and 4 ) of the extruder . residence times can be calculated from m . xanthos , โ reactive extrusion principles and practice โ, pp . 222 - 225 , oxford university press , 1992 . in one embodiment , the scrap polyimide film is fed directly into an extruder . the extruder temperature is maintained ( by adding or removing heat ) in a range between and optionally including any two of the following temperatures : 300 ยฐ c ., 325 ยฐ c ., 350 ยฐ c ., 275 ยฐ c ., 400 ยฐ c ., and 425 ยฐ c . in one embodiment , the total residence time of the polyimide film in the extruder is in a range between ( and optionally including ) any two of the following : 3 , 5 , 7 , 10 , 12 , 15 , 20 and 22 seconds . use of slower extruder speeds ( rpm ) and therefore longer total residence times will tend to cause the process to be run at lower temperatures within the above ranges to form the final powder without degradation . even at short total residence times , about 3 . 5 - 5 seconds , the average temperature generally should be at least 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 15 , or 20 degrees ( centigrade ) less than the decomposition temperature of the polyimide film . optionally , the first heating zone of the extruder can be used as a pre - heating zone ( for example at a machine setting of about 250 ยฐ c . ), and the average temperature to which the polyimide film is subjected can then be measured in subsequent heating zones . in the processes of the present disclosure , the scrap polyimide film is fed to the extruder at less than the maximum feed rate that the extruder is capable of processing , so the extruder is slightly โ starved โ. if too much material is fed to the extruder , the resulting extrudate will tend to clump , and an excessive rise in extruder torque can be created . the finely divided polyimide particulate made from the processes of the present disclosure is used as a high temperature polymeric abrasion medium . for example , the particulate can be used as a purge medium for extrusion processes . in such an application , the purge step can be performed at temperatures 2 , 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 or more degrees ( centigrade ) below the decomposition temperature of the polyimide particulate . at such temperatures many conventional extruded polymeric materials soften or melt and can be readily removed by the particulate purge media of the present disclosure . conventional high temperature purge media tend to comprise inorganic particles which can high temperature resistance but are also tend to be highly abrasive during the extruder purge . the polyimide particulate of the present disclosure generally has sufficient heat resistance at conventional purge temperatures , but is generally much less abrasive compared to conventional inorganic particles , e . g ., inorganic oxides , nitrides , carbides and / or the like . the pulverized particulates tend to have a rounded shape and smooth surfaces which are suggestive of a solid state shearing phenomenon . depending upon the type of extrusion process selected , the powdered material can have a size ( in at least one dimension ) of less than about 500 , 250 , 100 , 50 , 25 , 10 , 5 , 2 , 1 , 0 . 75 or 0 . 50 microns . the size range of a particular recycled polymeric powder produced by the invention will depend on the screw configuration , and the pulverization parameters employed , such as pulverization temperatures , pressures , screw rpm , and feed rates . the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to any particular type or sequence of screw elements and barrel sections . while the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments thereof , it is not intended to be limited thereto but rather only to the extent set forth hereafter in the following claims . | 8 |
suitable pharmaceutically - acceptable salts are pharmaceutically - acceptable base salts and pharmaceutically - acceptable acid addition salts . certain of the compounds of formula ( i ) which contain an acidic group form base salts . suitable pharmaceutically - acceptable base salts include metal salts , such as alkali metal salts for example sodium salts , or organic amine salts such as that provided with ethylenediamine . certain of the compounds of formula ( i ) which contain an amino group form acid addition salts . suitable acid addition salts include pharmaceutically - acceptable inorganic salts such as the sulphate , nitrate , phosphate , borate , hydrochloride and hydrobromide and pharmaceutically - acceptable organic acid addition salts such as acetate , tartrate , maleate , citrate , succinate , benzoate , ascorbate , methanesulphate , ฮฑ - ketoglutarate , ฮฑ - glycerophosphate and glucose - 1 - phosphate . the pharmaceutically - acceptable salts of the compounds of formula ( i ) are prepared using conventional procedures . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that some of the compounds of formula ( i ) may exist in more than one tautomeric form . this invention extends to all tautomeric forms . it will be appreciated that the compounds according to the invention can contain one or more asymmetrically substituted atoms . the presence of one or more of these asymmetric centers in a compound of formula ( i ) can give rise to stereoisomers , and in each case the invention is to be understood to extend to all such stereoisomers , including enantiomers , and diastereoisomers and mixtures including racemic mixtures thereof . when used herein the term alkyl whether used alone or when used as a part of another group includes straight and branched chain alkyl groups containing up to 6 atoms . alkoxy means an alkyl - o - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . aryloxy means an aryl - o - group in which the aryl group is as defined below . heteroaryloxy means a heteroaryl - o - group and heterocyclooxy means a heterocyclo - o - group in which the heteroaryl and heterocyclo group are as defined below . alkylamino means an alkyl - n - group in which the alkyl group is as previously defined , arylamino means aryl - n - and heteroarylamino means an heteroaryl - n - group ( aryl and heteroaryl defined below ). thioalkyl means an alkyl - sgroup . cycloalkyl includes a non - aromatic cyclic or multicyclic ring system of about 3 to 10 carbon atoms . the cyclic alkyl may optionally be partially unsaturated . aryl indicates carbocyclic radicals containing about 6 to 10 carbon atoms . arylalkyl means an aryl - alkylgroup wherein the aryl and alkyl are as described herein . heteroarylalkyl means a heteroaryl - alkyl group and heterocycloalkyl means a heterocyclo - alkyl group . alkylcarbonyl means an alkyl - co - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . arylcarbonyl means an aryl - co - group in which the aryl group is as previously described . heteroarylcarbonyl means a heteroaryl - co - group and heterocyclocarbonyl means a heterocyclo - co - group . arylsulphonyl means an aryl - so 2 - group in which the aryl group is as previously described . heteroarylsulphonyl means a heteroaryl - so 2 - group and heterocyclosulphonyl means a heterocyclo - so 2 - group . alkoxycarbonyl means an alkyloxy - co - group in which the alkoxy group is as previously described . alkylsulphonyl means an alkyl - 2 - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . carbonyl oxygen means a -- co -- group . it will be appreciated that a carbonyl oxygen can not be a substituent on an aryl or heteroaryl ring . carbocyclic ring means about a 5 to about 10 membered monocyclic or multicyclic ring system which may saturated or partially unsaturated . heterocyclic ring means about a 5 to about a 10 membered monocyclic or multicyclic ring system ( which may be saturated or partially unsaturated ) wherein one or more of the atoms in the ring system is an element other than carbon chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur atoms . heteroaryl means about a 5 to about a 10 membered aromatic monocyclic or multicyclic hydrocarbon ring system in which one or more of the atoms in the ring system is an element other than carbon , chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur ; if desired , a n atom may be in the form of an n - oxide . heterocyclo means about a 5 to about a 10 membered saturated or partially saturated monocyclic or multicyclic hydrocarbon ring system in which one or more of the atoms in the ring systems is an element other than carbon , chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur . halogen means fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine . compounds of the invention are useful for the treatment of tnf mediated disease states . &# 34 ; tnf mediated disease or disease states &# 34 ; means any and all disease states in which tnf plays a role , either by production of tnf itself , or by tnf causing another cytokine to be released , such as but not limited to il - 1 or il - 6 . a disease state in which il - 1 , for instance , is a major component , and whose production or action is exacerbated or secreted in response to tnf , would therefore be considered a disease state mediated by tnf . as tnf - ฮฒ ( also known as lymphotoxin ) has close structure homology with tnf - ฮฑ ( also known as cachectin ), and since each induces similar biologic responses and binds to the same cellular receptor , both tnf - ฮฑ and tnf - ฮฒ are considered to be inhibited by compounds of the present invention and thus are herein referred to collectively as &# 34 ; tnf &# 34 ; unless specifically indicated otherwise . this invention relates to a method for mediating or inhibiting the enzymatic activity or catalytic activity of pde iv in a mammal in need thereof and for inhibiting the production of tnf in a mammal in need thereof , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective amount of a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof . pde iv inhibitors are useful in the treatment of a variety of allergic and inflammatory diseases , including : asthma , chronic bronchitis , chronic obstructive airways disease , atopic dermatitis , atopic eczema , urticaria , allergic rhinitis , allergic conjunctivitis , vernal conjunctivitis , inflammation of the eye , allergic responses in the eye , eosinophilic granuloma , psoriasis , bechet &# 39 ; s disease , erythematosis , anaphylactoid purpura nephritis , joint inflammation , arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid spondylitis and osteoarthritis , septic shock , sepsis , ulcerative colitis , crohn &# 39 ; s disease , reperfusion injury of the myocardium and brain , chronic glomerulonephritis , endotoxic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome . in addition , pde iv inhibitors are useful in the treatment of diabetes insipidus and conditions associated with cerebral metabolic inhibition , such as cerebral senility , senile dementia ( alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease ), memory impairment associated with parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , depression and multi - infarot dementia . pde iv inhibitors are also useful in conditions ameliorated by neuroprotectant activity , such as cardiac arrest , stroke and intermittent claudication . pde iv inhibitors may also be useful in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia , ischaemia and huntingdon &# 39 ; s disease . additionally , pde iv inhibitors could have utility as gastroprotectants . a special embodiment of the therapeutic methods of the present invention is the treatment of asthma . the viruses contemplated for treatment herein are those that produce tnf as a result of infection , or those which are sensitive to inhibition , such as by decreased replication , directly or indirectly , by the tnf inhibitors of formula ( i ). such viruses include , but are not limited to hiv - 1 , hiv - 2 and hiv - 3 , cytomegalovirus ( cmv ), influenza , adenovirus and the herpes group of viruses , such as , but not limited to , herpes zoster and herpes simplex . this invention more specifically relates to a method of treating a mammal , afflicted with a human immunodeficiency virus ( hiv ), which comprises administering to such mammal an effective tnf inhibiting amount of a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof . the compounds of this invention may also be used in association with the veterinary treatment of animals , other than humans , in need of inhibition of tnf production . tnf medicated diseases for treatment , therapeutically or prophylactically , in animals include disease states such as those noted above , but in particular viral infections . examples of such viruses include , but are not limited to feline immunodeficiency virus ( fiv ) or other retroviral infection such as equine infectious anaemia virus , caprine arthritis virus , visna virus , maedi virus and other lentiviruses . the compounds of this invention are also useful in treating parasite , yeast and fungal infections , where such yeast and fungi are sensitive to upregulation by tnf or will elicit tnf production in vivo . a preferred disease state for treatment is fungal meningitis . compounds of the invention may also suppress neurogenic inflammation through elevation of camp in sensory neurones . they are , therefore , analgesic , anti - tussive and anti - hyperalgesic in inflammatory diseases associated with irritation and pain . the compounds of formula ( i ) are preferably in pharmaceutically - acceptable form . by pharmaceutically - acceptable form is meant , inter alia , of a pharmaceutically - acceptable level of purity excluding normal pharmaceutical additives such as diluents and carriers , and including no material considered toxic at normal dosage levels . a pharmaceutically - acceptable level of purity will generally by at least 50 % excluding normal pharmaceutical additives , preferably 75 %, more preferably 90 % and still more preferably 95 %. the invention further provides a process for the preparation of a compound of formula ( i ), in which r 1 etc , m and n are as defined above . it will be appreciated that functional groups such as amino , hydroxyl or carboxyl groups present in the various compounds described below , and which it is desired to retain , may need to be in protected forms before any reaction is initiated . in such instances , removal of the protecting group may be the final step in a particular reaction sequence . suitable protecting groups for such functionality will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for specific details , see protective groups in organic synthesis , wiley interscience , tw greene . thus the process for preparing compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 4 contains an -- oh comprises deprotecting ( for example by hydrogenolysis or hydrolysis ) a compound of formula ( i ) in which r 4 contains an appropriate -- op wherein p represents a suitable protecting group ( e . g . benzyl or acetyl ). it will be appreciated that where a particular steroisomer of formula ( i ) is required , this may be obtained by conventional resolution techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography or the synthetic processes herein described may be performed using the appropriate homochiral starting material . a process for the preparation of a compound of formula ( i ) wherein x is co comprises reaction of an appropriate carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with a suitable amine of formula ( iii ) ## str3 ## wherein r 1a represents r 1 as defined in relation to formula ( i ) or a group convertible to r 1 and r 2a - r 5a , similarly represent r 2 - r 5 or groups convertible to r 2 - r 5 respectively ; and thereafter , if required , converting any group r 1a to r 1 and / or r 2a to r 2 and / or r 3a to r 3 and / or r 4a to r 4 and / or r 5a to r 5 ; and thereafter , if required , converting any group r 1a to r 1 and / or r 2a to r 2 and / or r 3a to r 3 and / or r 4a to r 4 and / or r 5a to r 5 . the reaction of a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with an amine of formula ( iii ) may be carried out under any suitable conditions known to those skilled in the art . preferably , the reaction is carried out in the presence of a suitable base , for example an amine such as triethylamine , preferably in an appropriate solvent such as dichloromethane . in some cases a stronger base , such as sodium hydride , and a polar solvent such as dimethylformamide , will be required . preferably , the carboxylic acid is converted into an acid chloride , mixed anhydride or other activated intermediate prior to reaction with an amine of formula ( iii ). carboxylic acids of formula ( ii ) and amines of formula ( iii ) are either commercially available , previously described compounds or are prepared using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . for example , a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) is conveniently prepared from an appropriate benzofuran of formula ( v ), using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . for example , a benzofuran of formula ( v ) can be formulated to provide an aldehyde of formula ( iv ), which can then be oxidised to provide the corresponding acid of formula ( ii ). alternatively , a benzofuran of formula ( v ) can be brominated to provide a bromide of formula ( vi ), which can then be converted into a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ), for example by organometal - catalysed carboxylation , such as a palladium - catalysed reaction . ## str4 ## a compound of formula ( ia ) may also be prepared by reaction of a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with an amine ( iii ) to provide a compound of formula ( ia ) in which r 4a is h , followed by reaction with an agent r 4a y ( vii ) in which y is a suitable leaving group such as a halogen . the first reaction can be carried out as described above . preferably , the carboxylic acid is converted into an acid chloride , mixed anhydride or other activated intermediate prior to reaction with the amine ( iii ). the reaction with agent ( vii ) may be carried out under any suitable conditions known to those skilled in the art . it may be carried out in the presence of a suitable base , e . g . sodium hydride , preferably in an appropriate solvent such as dimethylformamide . agents ( vii ) are known or commercially available , or are prepared using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . such compounds include alkylating agents such as propyl bromide , acylating agents such as benzoyl chloride and sulphonylating agents such as methanesulphonyl chloride . compounds of formula ( i ) may also be prepared by interconversion of other compounds of formula ( i ). for example , a compound in which r 4 contains an alkoxy group may be prepared by appropriate alkylation of a compound in which r 4 contains a hydroxy group . compounds of formula ( i ) in which x is cs may be prepared from compounds of formula ( i ) in which x is co using any appropriate conditions known to those skilled in the art , for example by using lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent . by way of further example , compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain an oxime may be prepared from compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a carbonyl group . this transformation may be carried out using any appropriate standard conditions known to those skilled in the art . compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a carbonyl group may be reduced using standard conditions known to those skilled in the art ( for example with sodium borohydride in an appropriate solvent ) to provide compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contains an alcohol group . other transformations may be carried out on compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 2 and / or r 3 contains a carbonyl group . such transformations include , but are not limited to , reductive amination and alkylation . compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain an cor 15 group may be prepared from compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a cn group by addition of a suitable organometallic agent ( such as a grignard reagent ). any of the above transformations may be carried out either at the end of the synthesis or on an appropriate intermediate . a compound of formula ( i ) or where appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , may be administered per se or , preferably , as a pharmaceutical composition also comprising a pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier . accordingly , the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or where appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , and a pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier . the active compound may be formulated for administration by any suitable route , the preferred route depending upon the disorder for which treatment is required , and is preferably in unit dosage form or in a form that a human patient may administer to himself in a single dosage . advantageously , the composition is suitable for oral , rectal , topical , parenteral administration or through the respiratory tract . preparations may be designed to give slow release of the active ingredient . the term parenteral as used herein includes subcutaneous injections , intravenous , intramuscular , intrasternal injection or infusion techniques . in addition to the treatment of warm - blooded animals such as mice , rats , horses , cattle , sheep , dogs , cats , etc , the compounds of the invention are effective in the treatment of humans . the compositions of the invention may be in the form of tablets , capsules , sachets , vials , powders , granules , lozenges , suppositories , reconstitutable powders , or liquid preparations such as oral or sterile parenteral solutions or suspensions . topical formulations are also envisaged where appropriate . in order to obtain consistency of administration it is preferred that a composition of the invention is in the form of a unit dose . unit dose presentation forms for oral administration may be tablets and capsules and may contain conventional excipients such as binding agents , for example syrup , acacia , gelatin , sorbitol , tragacanth , or polyvinylpyrrolidone ; fillers for example microcrystalline cellulose , lactose , sugar , maize - starch , calcium phosphate , sorbitol or glycine ; tabletting lubricants , for example magnesium stearate ; disintegrants , for example starch , polyvinylpyrrolidone , sodium starch glycollate or microcrystalline cellulose ; or pharmaceutically - acceptable wetting agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate . the solid oral compositions may be prepared by conventional methods of blending , filling , tabletting or the like . repeated blending operations may be used to distribute the active agent throughout those compositions employing large quantities of fillers . such operations are of course conventional in the art . the tablets may be coated according to methods well known in normal pharmaceutical practice , in particular with an enteric coating . oral liquid preparations may be in the form of , for example , emulsions , syrups or elixirs , or may be presented as a dry product for reconstitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use . such liquid preparations may contain conventional additives such as suspending agents , for example sorbitol , syrup , methyl cellulose , gelatin , hydroxyethylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose , aluminium stearate gel , hydrogenated edible fats ; emulsifying agents , for example lecithin , sorbitan monooleate , or acacia , non - aqueous vehicles ( which may include edible oils ), for example almond oil , fractionated coconut oil , oily esters such as esters of glycerine , propylene glycol , or ethyl alcohol ; preservatives , for example methyl or propyl p - hydroxybenzoate or sorbic acid ; and if desired conventional flavouring or colouring agents . compositions may also suitably be presented for administration to the respiratory tract as a snuff or an aerosol or solution for a nebuliser , or as a microfine powder for insufflation , alone or in combination with an inert carrier such as lactose . in such a case the particles of active compound suitably have diameters of less than 50 ฮผm , such as from 0 . 1 to 50 ฮผm , preferably less than 10 ฮผm , for example from 1 to 10 ฮผm , 1 to 5 ฮผm or from 2 to 5 ฮผm . where appropriate , small amounts of other anti - asthamatics and bronchodilators for example sympathomimetic amines such as isoprenaline , isoetharine , salbutamol , phenylephrine and ephedrine , corticosteroids such as prednisolone and adrenal stimulants such as acth may be included . for parenteral administration , fluid unit dosage forms are prepared utilizing the compound and a sterile vehicle , and , depending on the concentration used , can be either suspended or dissolved in the vehicle . in preparing solutions the compound can be dissolved in water for injection and filter sterilised before filling into a suitable vial or ampoule and sealing . advantageously , adjuvants such as local anaesthetic , a preservative and buffering agents can be dissolved in the vehicle . to enhance the stability , the composition can be frozen after filling into the vial and the water removed under vacuum . parenteral suspensions are prepared in substantially the same manner , except that the compound is suspended in the vehicle instead of being dissolved , and sterilisation cannot be accomplished by filtration . the compound can be sterilised by exposure to ethylene oxide before suspending in the sterile vehicle . advantageously , a surfactant or wetting agent is included in the composition to facilitate uniform distribution of the compound . the compositions may contain from 0 . 1 % to 99 % by weight , preferably from 10 - 60 % by weight , of the active material , depending on the method of administration . compounds of formula ( i ), or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , may also be administered as a topical formulation in combination with conventional topical excipients . topical formulations may be presented as , for instance , ointments , creams or lotions , impregnated dressings , gels , gel sticks , spray and aerosols , and may contain appropriate conventional additives such as preservatives , solvents to assist drug penetration and emollients in ointments and creams . the formulations may contain compatible conventional carriers , such as cream or ointment bases and ethanol or oleyl alcohol for lotions . suitable cream , lotion , gel , stick , ointment , spray or aerosol formulations that may be used for compounds of formula ( i ) or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof , are conventional formulations well known in the art , for example , as described in standard text books such as harry &# 39 ; s cosmeticology published by leonard hill books , remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , and the british and us pharmacopoeias . suitably , the compound of formula ( i ), or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - accceptable salt thereof , will comprise from about 0 . 5 to 20 % by weight of the formulation , favourably from about 1 to 10 %, for example 2 to 5 %. the dose of the compound used in the treatment of the invention will vary in the usual way with the seriousness of the disorders , the weight of the sufferer , and the relative efficacy of the compound . however , as a general guide suitable unit doses may be 0 . 1 to 1000 mg , such as 0 . 5 to 200 , 0 . 5 to 100 or 0 . 5 to 10 mg , for example 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 or 5 mg ; and such unit doses may be administered more than once a day , for example 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 or 6 times a day , but preferably 1 or 2 times per day , so that the total daily dosage for a 70 kg adult is in the range of about 0 . 1 to 1000 mg , that is in the range of about 0 . 001 to 20 mg / kg / day , such as 0 . 007 to 3 , 0 . 007 to 1 . 4 , 0 . 007 to 0 . 14 or 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 mg / kg / day , for example 0 . 01 , 0 . 02 , 0 . 04 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 06 , 0 . 08 , 0 . 1 or 0 . 2 mg / kg / day , and such therapy may extend for a number of weeks or months . when used herein the term &# 34 ; pharmaceutically - acceptable &# 34 ; encompasses materials suitable for both human and veterinary use . 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 12 g ) was suspended in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) at room temperature under nitrogen and oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 1 ml ) added followed by 3 drops of n , n - dimethylformamide . evaporation in vacuo after 2 h afforded the title compound as a yellow solid (ห 0 . 5 g ). a mixture of 2 - acetyl - 4 - bromo - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 5 g ), triphenylphosphine ( 98 mg ), bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 261 mg ), triethylamine ( 2 . 85 ml ) and water ( 1 ml ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 25 ml ) was purged with carbon monoxide gas in a parr pressure reactor at 110 psi . this was heated to 110 ยฐ c . ( pressure now 220 psi ) and left for a week . on cooling and release of pressure the mixture was dissolved in 50 % dichloromethane - water ( 200 ml ) and taken to ph12 using aqueous sodium hydroxide ( 1m ). the separated aqueous phase was acidified to ph1 using dilute hydrochloric acid ( 1m ) and the resultant slurry extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 ร 100 ml ) then ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ). these combined organic extracts were dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford a yellow solid ( 2 . 58 g ). a solution of bromine ( 5 . 5 ml ) in methanol ( 100 ml ) was added dropwise to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 20 g ) in methanol ( 300 ml ) at 0 ยฐ c . the ice bath was removed immediately and the mixture allowed to warm to room temperature . after 1 h conversion was incomplete , so further bromine ( 0 . 75 ml ) in methanol ( 25 ml ) was added and the mixture stirred overnight . the reaction was quenched using aqueous sodium metabisulphite solution ( 300 ml ) producing a precipitate that was filtered off and dried in vacuo to afford a brown solid ( 17 . 4 g ). to a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 5 g ) in toluene ( 50 ml ) was added o -( t - butyldimethylsilyl ) hydroxylamine ( 0 . 39 g ). the reaction mixture was heated under a nitrogen atmosphere under dean stark conditions for 3 days then left stirring at room temperature for 2 days . the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded a white solid ( 0 . 22 g ). the title compound was prepared in a similar manner to intermediate 1 . 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 - bromo - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 3 . 3 g ), triphenylphosphine ( 1 g ), bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 0 . 47 g ), triethylamine ( 14 ml ), tetrahydrofuran ( 150 ml ) and water ( 57 ml ) were combined in a parr pressure reactor . the vessel was purged with carbon monoxide , charged to 180 psi with carbon monoxide and then heated to 80 ยฐ c . with stirring for 3 days . on cooling and release of pressure the tetrahydrofuran was removed in vacuo . the remaining aqueous mixture was basified to ph14 with 1n sodium hydroxide solution ( 250 ml ) and washed with ethyl acetate ( 200 ml ). the aqueous layer was then acidified to ph5 with acetic acid under ice bath cooling . the resulting precipitate was collected by filtration and dried to give a beige solid ( 2 . 97 g ). bromine ( 0 . 02 ml ) was added to a mixture of 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxy benzofuran ( 0 . 1 g ) in methanol ( 7 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere cooled to - 78 ยฐ c . the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature over 2 . 5 h . the reaction was then diluted with ethyl acetate ( 40 ml ), washed with 5 % sodium metabisulfite solution ( 2 ร 20 ml ), saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 40 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to afford a pale yellow solid ( 0 . 05 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of product : starting material by nmr . sodium hydroxide ( 1 . 22 g ) was added to a solution of o - vanillin ( 2 . 11 g ) in ethanol ( 50 ml ) at 55 ยฐ c . under a nitrogen atmosphere . the reaction mixture was stirred for 10 minutes to give a yellow suspension . 4 -( bromoacetyl ) pyridine hydrobromide ( 5 g ) was then added portionwise and the solution heated at 55 ยฐ c . for 12 h , then at 65 - 70 ยฐ c . for a further 12 h . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and the solvent removed in vacuo . the residue was partitioned between water ( 250 ml , containing sodium hydroxide ( 0 . 5 g )) and dichloromethane ( 2 ร 200 ml ). the combined organic phases were washed with water ( 100 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo onto silica gel . the compound was washed through a pad of silica with ethyl acetate ; the ethyl acetate was removed in vacuo and the residue azeotroped with hexane . the resulting solid was washed with hexane and filtered to furnish the title compound ( 0 . 95 g ) as a yellow solid . 4 - acetylpyridine ( 10 g ) was combined with 48 % hydrogen bromide solution ( 18 ml ) and heated to 70 ยฐ c . bromine ( 4 . 7 ml ) dissolved in 48 % hydrogen bromide solution ( 5 ml ) was then added dropwise and heating then continued for 2 . 5 h . the precipitate which had formed was collected by filtration , washed with 1 : 1 methanol : hexane ( 20 ml ) and dried to give a cream solid ( 19 . 5 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of product : starting material by 1 h nmr . sodium hydride ( 0 . 03 g ) was added to a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 0 . 08 g ) in anhydrous n , n - dimethylformamide ( 1 ml ) at room temperature under nitrogen . this stirred mixture was warmed to 60 ยฐ c . for 1 h before addition of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carbonylchloride ( generated from 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid , 0 . 12 g ) washed in with anhydrous n , n - dimethylformamide ( 2 ml ). the brown mixture was heated at 60 ยฐ c . for 4 h , allowed to cool , poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted into ethyl acetate ( 2 ร 50 ml ). these organic extracts were washed with water ( 50 ml ) and saturated brine ( 50 ml ) then dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to give a crude residue ( 0 . 17 g ). purification by column chromatography on silica eluting with a 20 - 80 % ethyl acetate in hexane gradient afforded a white solid ( 0 . 04 g ). sodium hydride ( 0 . 3 g ) was added to a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 0 . 56 g ) in dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ) under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was heated to 55 ยฐ c . for 1 hr then 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carbonyl chloride was added in one portion . heating at 55 ยฐ c . was continued for 2 h then at room temperature for 12 h . the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate and then 20 % methanol in ethyl acetate afforded a cream solid ( 0 . 3 g ). a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 100 mg ) in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . t - butyl - 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroacetimidate ( 0 . 16 ml ) followed by boron trifluoride etherate ( 0 . 012 ml ) were added and the mixture stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the reaction was quenched by the addition of a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate ( 1 ml ). the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 ร 10 ml ) and the combined organic phases dried over magnesium sulphate . removal of the solvent in vacuo and purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a white solid ( 130 mg ). a mixture of ( z )- t - butyl 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 0 . 54 g ), methoxylamine ( 0 . 31 g ), pyridine ( 0 . 46 ml ) and toluene ( 50 ml ) was refluxed under dean and stark conditions overnight . the mixture was then cooled and the toluene removed in vacuo . the residue was taken up in ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) and washed with water ( 50 ml ) then brine ( 50 ml ). drying over magnesium sulphate followed by removal of the solvent in vacuo and purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a colourless oil . a solution of ( z )- t - butyl 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 100 mg ) and trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) in dichloromethane ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 4 h . a further aliquot of trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) was added and stirring continued overnight . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was evapourated in vacuo from toluene ( 2 ร 5 ml ) and dichloromethane ( 2 ร 5 ml ) to remove excess trifluoroacetic acid . the product was obtained as a white solid ( 72 mg ). a solution of ( z )- 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 70 mg ), 4 - nitrophenol ( 41 mg ), 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( 56 mg ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( catalytic ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 6 h under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) and washed with water ( 3 ร 20 ml ). drying over magnesium sulphate followed by concentration to dryness in vacuo gave a pale yellow solid . purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a white solid ( 53 mg ). 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 50 g ) was suspended in dry methanol ( 20 ml ) and treated with sodium borohydride ( 196 mg ) at ambient temperature . some external ice cooling was required , then the reaction mixture was stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into water and extracted into ethyl acetate . evaporation in vacuo yielded a solid that was purified by column chromatography using 5 % methanol in dichloromethane to afford a white solid ( 400 mg ). a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 40 g ) in dry n , n - dimethylformamide ( 5 ml ) was cooled to - 10 ยฐ c . under an inert atmosphere and sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil , 0 . 11 g ) was added over 30 minutes . after 1 h at - 10 ยฐ c ., 3 - picolyl chloride hydrochloride ( 0 . 20 g ) was added and the mixture stirred for a further 2 h before allowing to warm to room temperature overnight . it was poured into water and extracted into ethyl acetate . these extracts were washed with water and saturated brine then dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo . the residue was purified by column chromatography using a 3 - 10 % methanol in dichloromethane gradient . the product was triturated with diethyl ether to yield a beige powder ( 15 mg ). 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 100 mg ) was refluxed under dean - stark conditions in dry toluene ( 40 ml ) with dry pyridine ( 64 ฮผl ) and o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 126 mg ) under an inert atmosphere . after 2 h the mixture was allowed to cool and left stirring overnight . addition of methanol and acetone formed a precipitate . this was filtered off to afford a solid ( 26 mg ). to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 07 g ) in dry toluene ( 40 ml ) was added pyridine ( 0 . 09 ml ) and methoxylamine hydrochloride ( 0 . 056 g ) and the mixture heated under dean - stark conditions for 24 h . evaporation of the solvent and purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with dichloromethane then 5 % methanol in dichloromethane followed by preparative the ( 5 % methanol in dichloromethane ) afforded a white solid ( 0 . 03 g ) as a mixture of e and z isomers by 1 h nmr . prepared from 2 -( 4 - morpholino ) acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide by a similar procedure to that of example 4 . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded the product as a yellow solid as a 1 : 1 mixture of isomers ( 20 mg ). to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 5 g ) in dry toluene ( 30 ml ) was added pyridine ( 1 g ) and hydroxylamine ( 0 . 9 g ) and the mixture heated under dean - stark conditions for 48 h . evaporation of the solvent in vacuo and washing the product was water afforded an off white solid ( 0 . 2 g ) to a solution of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) was added tetrabutylammonium iodide ( cat . amount ) followed by a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 6 mg ) in water ( 1 ml ). the whole was stirred for 20 mins then methyl iodide ( 45 mg ) was added and stirring continued for 12 hrs . the mixture was concentrated to dryness , diluted with ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ), washed with water ( 10 ml ), brine ( 10 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated by dryness again giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded a white solid ( 24 mg ). to a solution of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) was added tetrabutylammonium iodide ( cat . amount ) followed by a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 17 mg ) in water ( 1 ml ). the whole was stirred for 20 mins then 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 46 mg ) was added and stirring continued for 48 h . the mixture was concentrated to dryness , diluted with ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ), washed with water ( 10 ml ), brine ( 10 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness again giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an off white solid ( 10 mg ). tetrabutylammonium fluoride ( 1m solution in tetrahydrofuran ) ( 0 . 48 ml ) was added to a solution of 2 -( 1 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) iminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n - 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl ] benzofurancarboxamide in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . stirring was continued for 20 minutes then the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an off white solid ( 0 . 1 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of e : z isomers by 1 h nmr . 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl ] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 25 g ) was treated with methoxylamine hydrochloride ( 0 . 165 g ) as in example 4 . the crude product was washed with water and then diethyl ether to give a white solid ( 0 . 217 g ) as a 5 . 5 : 4 . 5 mixture of e : z isomers by 1 h nmr . sodium ( 9 mg ) was added to a suspension of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in ethanol ( 2 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . when all the solids dissolved , 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 21 mg ) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 days . more sodium ( 6 mg ) and 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 21 mg ) were added and the reaction mixture was heated to 85 ยฐ c . for 6 h . the reaction was quenched with water ( 20 ml ), extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 ร 20 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with water ( 20 ml ), brine ( 20 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded on off white solid ( 18 mg ). bromine ( 0 . 01 ml ) was added to a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloro pyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 1 g ) in 45 % hydrogen bromide / acetic acid ( 4 ml ) under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h then quenched with water ( 20 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 ร 20 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 20 ml ), brine ( 20 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude 2 - bromoacetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an impure yellow solid ( 20 mg ) which was used without further purification . morpholine ( 0 . 09 ml ) and triethylamine ( 10 mg ) were added to a solution of 2 - bromoacetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 20 mg ) in dichloromethane ( 5 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . stirring was continued for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then diluted with more dichloromethane washed with water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded a yellow solid ( 10 mg ). a solution of ( z )- 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 75 g ) in dimethylformamide ( 30 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil ) ( 0 . 17 g ) was added and stirring continued for 1 h . 4 - chloromethyl - 2 - methylthiazole ( 0 . 84 g ) was added ( generated from the hydrochloride salt using sodium bicarbonate ) and the mixture stirred for 1 h . the mixture was poured onto water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 ร 100 ml ). the combined organic washings were washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and the solvent removed in vacuo to give creamy solid . the solid was triturated with ether to removed unreacted alkylating agent and purified by flash chromatography eluting with 0 - 10 % methanol in ethyl acetate to give the product as a white solid ( 0 . 69 g ). purification by recrystallisation from ethyl acetate / hexane gave the produce as a white solid ( 0 . 22 g ) a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 23 mg ) in dimethylformamide ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil ) ( 9 mg ) was added and the resulting suspension stirred for 1 h . a solution of 4 - nitrophenyl 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )]- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 50 mg ) in dimethylformamide ( 2 ml ) was added and stirring continued overnight . the reaction was quenched by the addition of water ( 1 ml ) and the mixture concentrated to dryness in vacuo . purification by flash chromatography eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane gave the produce as a white solid ( 23 mg ). the assays used to confirm the phosphodiesterase iv inhibitory activity of compounds of formula ( i ) are standard assay procedures as disclosed by schilling et al , anal . biochem . 216 : 154 ( 1994 ), thompson and strada , adv . cycl . nucl . res . 8 : 119 ( 1979 ) and gristwood and owen , br . j . pharmacol . 87 : 91p ( 1986 ). compounds of formula ( i ) have exhibited activity at levels consistent with those believed to be useful in treating phosphodiesterase iv - related disease states in those assays . in particular , the compound of example 2 exhibits an activity of 6 nm using the assay procedure described by gristwood and owen . in comparison , 2 -[ 1 -( 2 , 2 - dimethylpropyl )]- 7 - methoxy - 4 - n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl ) benzofurancarboxamide , within the scope of the claims of ep - a - 0771794 ( cf . example 36 therein ), exhibits an activity of 1 . 6 mm using the same assay procedure . the ability of compounds of formula ( i ) to inhibit tnf production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( pmbc &# 39 ; s ) is measured as follows . pmbc &# 39 ; s are prepared from freshly taken blood or &# 34 ; buffy coats &# 34 ; by standard procedures . cells are plated out in rpmi1640 + 1 % foetal calf serum in the presence and absence of inhibitors . lps ( 100 ng / ml ) is added and cultures are incubated for 22 h at 37 ยฐ c . in an atmosphere of 95 % air / 5 % co 2 . supernatants are tested for tnfฮฑ by elisa using commercially available kits . in vivo activity in a skin eosinophilia model is determined by using the methods described by hellewell et al , br . j . pharmacol . 111 : 811 ( 1994 ) and br . j . pharmacol . 110 : 416 ( 1993 ). activity in a lung model is measured using the procedures described by kallos and kallos , int . archs . allergy appl . immunol . 73 : 77 ( 1984 ), and sanjar et al , br . j . pharmacol . 99 : 679 ( 1990 ). an additional lung model , which allows measurement of inhibition of the early and late - phase asthmatic responses and also the inhibition of airway hyperactivity , is described by broadley et al , pulmonary pharmacol . 7 : 311 ( 1994 ), j . immunological methods 190 : 51 ( 1996 ) and british j . pharmacol . 116 : 2351 ( 1995 ). compounds of the invention show activity in this model . | 2 |
this invention describes various methods of repairing opens and near opens and latent defects in electrical conductor lines . latent defects include narrow neck or thin portion or other contamination related defects . the term latent defects as used herein , also means a small portion or section of a conductor line which has a higher resistance per unit length than the normal conductor line . the narrow neck can be of a different shape , for example , the narrow neck could be a local reduction in the line width or a local reduction of line height or thickness or a portion of the line may be made of a material with lower conductivity than that of a normal line . the narrow neck could also include a thin electrical connection or a bridge across an open circuit , or a crack which before stressing does not show up as an open . an open as understood in the art , is any missing conductor across which current cannot flow or is significantly impeded . this typically establishes a resistance threshold above which the electrical conductive path is considered open . the defects or flaws as discussed in this patent application are primarily in a thin film packaging structure with or without the discrete components being mounted . nugget refers to a wire or a segment of an electrically conductive material which is bonded simultaneously to both sides of an open , thereby bridging the gap and forming an electrical path . jumper refers to a repair method where a wire is bonded from a good portion of the line , across the defect to another good portion of the line , creating an electrical path . thin film is a term currently used by the industry to define lines that are formed on a substrate or a carrier that have a very small dimensions ( of the order of a few micrometers ). thin films are so small that they can only be clearly seen using a microscope or similar such device . therefore , the repairs of such conductive lines with such dimensions is equally difficult . the method as disclosed by this invention is performed at relatively low temperatures , therefore , this method can be used on substrates with metal / polymer thin film wiring , or other organic materials . it can also be applied to printed circuit boards . fig1 a through 1e , illustrate the common ways of how a defect is formed in a conductive thin film line . a defect caused by a mouse bite is shown in fig1 a . on a carrier 10 , an electrically conductive line 12 , is formed by any of the methods known in the art , but due to defects smaller than the line dimension , such as process mishaps or contamination , a mouse bite 16 , occurs . this mouse bite 16 , may not be discovered until after a protective coating 14 , has already been applied . in most cases this protective coating 14 , is a polyimide layer or some other dielectric or insulator layer . typically , the electrically conductive material for the thin film line is selected from a group comprising aluminum , antimony , bismuth , chromium , copper , gold , indium , lead , molybdenum , nickel , palladium , platinum , silver , tin , titanium , tungsten , or alloys thereof . another reason that a conductor line could be noncontinuous is because of debris lodged in the line path . this is illustrated in fig1 b , where a debris 18 , prevents the line 14 , from being continuous . the debris 18 , could be a small dust particle , flake , fiber , or residual process material . similarly , the debris 18 , could create a partial or a complete blockage of the electrical path or the open can be a result of debris being dislodged during subsequent processing . if the blockage is partial then this line problem may not surface until later , while a complete blockage would be detected when an electrical test is done . fig1 c , illustrates a conductor line 12 , having an open due to a flaw 11 , in the carrier 10 . this flaw 11 , could be small to only create a partial discontinuity , or a large one making the conductor line 12 , completely open . discontinuities as a result of physical damage of the part is another way to create an open in a conductor line . fig1 d , illustrates the electrical conductor line 12 , that has had a scratch or a cut or a nick 19 , as a result of physical damage , and the scratch 19 , has not only damaged the protective coating 14 , but has also penetrated through into the carrier 10 . during processing sometimes the electrical conductor line itself has flaws and discontinuities 13 , as shown in fig1 e . the conductor line 12 , that had the break or flaw 13 , in the line 12 , due to process mishaps may get fully or partially filled with a protective coating 15 , that is used to form the protective coating 14 , over the conductor line 12 . in each case where an open has been formed , at least a portion of the conductor line 12 , must be exposed and prepared by appropriate methods to allow subsequent repair . this is known as site - dressing . in some situations more than one portion of the electrical line 12 , will have to be exposed and prepared . in most situations , only a portion of the electrical line 12 , that will be used in the repair process needs to be exposed and site - dressed . interconnection or repair of thin film circuits can be difficult to make in some instances . for example , the metallurgy in an existing circuit may consist of multiple layers , where the top most layer is a barrier metal , e . g . chromium , that oxidizes and forms a protective , insulating layer . similarly , the circuit line could have been overcoated with a dielectric material , thus preventing direct access to the site . before a connection can be made in such circumstances , the protective layer ( s ) must be removed , and in such a way that a good mechanical and electrical contact can be made between the repair or interconnection metallurgy and the existing circuitry . in the operations required for repair using wire or solder , or combinations thereof , the removal process must also create a surface consistent with the additive process being used , either wettable by solder , or bondable by wire . the removal operation can be readily controlled by adjusting the fluence , wavelength and number of laser pulses or shots used , in order not to damage the conductor line . in some cases the thin film beneath the polymer , such as polyimide , is a line , which has a metallurgical stack where the top layer is non - bondable to a metal unless a sub - layer is exposed which is more bondable . this sub - layer could be exposed using laser ablation . in this situation the top layer is typically cr , and once the polyimide or similar insulator coating is removed , cr gets oxidized , thus preventing the repair . in such circumstances the laser ablation could be used to remove the oxidized cr layer and exposing a sub - layer , such as cu , that can be used to carry out the line repair . one such cleaning of bonding surfaces using a laser is disclosed in , &# 34 ; laser ablative cleaning of bonding surfaces ,&# 34 ; ibm technical disclosure bulletin , vol . 32 , no . 4a , pages 429 - 430 ( september 1989 ). fig2 a , illustrates a substrate after the open 24 , has been prepared for repairs . as shown , one end 22 , of the line 12 , has been completely prepared , while the other end 23 , of the electrical line 12 , has not yet been prepared . fig2 b , illustrates a prepared substrate which is similar to that of fig2 a . a micro - solder repair ball or drop 26 , which is on a carrier 20 , is placed over the opening 24 , between the two ends of the electrical conductor 12 , and the solder ball is transferred into the opening 24 . by applied heating the solder ball 26 , separates from the carrier 20 , and lodges itself into the opening 24 , forming a metallurgical bond with the open ends 21 and 22 , of the line 12 . as shown , both ends 21 and 22 , of the line 12 , have been site - dressed . for open repair using the carrier or decal 20 , a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as a solder ball 26 , is secured to the carrier 20 , by methods well known in the art . for example , the solder ball 26 , could be fabricated on a carrier , such as a silicon carrier in the same manner as a normal semiconductor devices . the solder volume for the solder ball 24 , is designed to be of sufficient volume to fill the open and make the repair such that the repaired line is planar or near - planar . the solder ball 26 , is then placed over the open 24 . flux is also used on the open site to facilitate joining of the solder . the solder ball 26 , is then reflowed by methods well known in the art , and the solder ball after reflow 28 , is shown in fig2 c . the solder ball after reflow 28 , illustrates a conductor line 12 , that has been repaired using the solder ball repair technique . materials other than solder could be used such as , braze , e . g . au / sn , or any material that will form a metallurgical bond such a sn , in , pb / in , pb / sn , pb / sn / ag etc . other materials that could be used in place of the solder ball 26 , could be electrically conductive organometallic material or electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few . the low temperature electrically conductive material or solder , could be secured to the line 12 , by a method selected from a group comprising hot gas reflow , furnace reflow , thermode or laser reflow , to name a few . any of these methods can be used for structure that is illustrated in fig2 c . in this step the low melting point electrically conductive material , such as solder , bonds during reflow to the electrically conductive line , such as copper , gold , nickel etc ., and the open is easily repaired . the normal post join cleaning process , using xylene or other suitable solvents , removes the carrier 20 , and the flux ( not shown ). another electrical line repair process according to the teachings of this invention is shown in fig3 . the carrier 10 , has a flaw 11 , that had resulted in an opening 24 , as discussed elsewhere . the first step after locating the open is to prepare the site for repairs as discussed earlier . as shown , one end 21 , of the line 12 , has been site - dressed . the second exposed end 36 , of the line 12 , has been cleaned so that at least a portion of the electrically conductive line 12 , is exposed for subsequent metallurgical bonding . an electrically conductive segment or a slug 30 , is made using a compatible wire 32 , such as a copper wire , and it is coated with a partial or full layer of material 34 , that is electrically conductive , such as solder . other materials such as electrically conductive organometallic material or electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few , could be used to form the partial or full layer of material 34 . the dimension of the slug 30 , should be such that it fits snugly into the opening 24 . the slug 30 , is then heated and the coating material 34 , melts and reflows . upon completion one ends up with a continuous electrical line with a metallurgical bond in the repaired segment . in order to ensure a good electrical and metallurgical bond between the wire 32 , and the line 12 , at least a portion of the end of wire 32 , should have a coating of the material 34 . &# 34 ; solder coating thin copper wire ,&# 34 ; ibm technical disclosure bulletin , vol . 11 , no . 7 , page 876 ( december 1968 ), gives an example of a wire that is coated with solder that could be used with this invention . the slug 30 , could be made by cutting the solder coated wire to the appropriate length so that it fits snugly into the opening 24 . another embodiment of making a repair is shown in fig4 . a carrier 10 , has a void area 46 , and subsequent formation of the line 12 , resulted in an open . the upper surface 42 , of the two open ends of the electrically conductive line 12 , are exposed and prepared as discussed elsewhere , and a nugget or a jumper wire 40 , is secured to the ends of the electrical line 12 , by any one or more of the method selected from a group comprising ultrasonic bonding , brazing , thermal compression bonding or lasersonic bonding . in order to obtain a good metallurgical bond between the jumper wire 40 , and the upper surfaces 42 , of the electrical line 12 , at least the end of the jumper wire 40 , should be coated with a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder . another way to use a jumper wire to repair an open is illustrated in fig5 where the carrier 10 , has a debris 18 , lodged that results in a partial or a complete open . if this debris is large enough , it could create a slight bump 54 , in the coating layer 14 . at different locations in the coating 14 , openings are made to expose at least the upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 . the two ends of the jumper line 40 , are then secured to the upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 , thus creating an electrical path and repairing the open . this method of repairing opens could be used in some situations where there may be more discontinuities in the line and a single repair may not solve the problem . in other cases the location of the open may be such that it does not lend itself to direct repair . in all these cases the method as shown in fig5 would be the way to make the repair . as stated earlier , a good metallurgical bond between the jumper wire 40 , and upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 , may be made by locally reflowing a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder , that the end of the line 12 , may be coated with . fig6 illustrates another repair method of electrical lines according to the teachings of this invention . the carrier 10 , and the line 12 , both have defect 68 , that creates a complete or a partial open . an electrically conductive segment or a slug or a nugget 60 , is placed over the open and is secured to the exposed ends 61 and 62 , of the electrical line 12 , by methods discussed earlier . of course , the electrically conductive segment 60 , could comprise a partial or a complete coating of a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder , electrically conductive organometallic material or an electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few ( not shown ). after each of the methods discussed above of repairing a line an additional layer of coating material , such as an insulator or dielectric , could then be applied over the repaired line 12 . the insulator that was used was a polyimide . if further processing of the substrate is desired then this additional coating could be planarized by methods well known in the art . each of the methods for line repair as disclosed in this invention can be done with active devices , such as chips , or passive devices , such as capacitors , wires or pins , already on the module and without the need to remove them . of course , the device under which the repair has to be done has to be removed and that device will have to be remounted once the thin film line has been repaired . the teaching of this invention could also be used for repairing narrow necks and thin portions . the initial repair procedure could be similar to the one that is currently being used in the industry for the repairs of narrow necks and thin portions , which is to pass a very strong current pulse into each conductor line . the narrow necks or thin portions will burn out by the extreme heat generated there and an open will result . the conductor lines are then visually inspected or tested for circuit opens . the open gaps are then cleaned and joined together by any of the methods disclosed here . the following examples are intended to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . an open thin film circuit consisting of a 14 micron wide , 9 micron thick electrical line or a thin film line on a ceramic carrier overcoated with 8 microns of polyimide was prepared for a wire or a nugget repair . an area 160 micron long , 20 micron wide was laser ablated with 8 - 10 shots or pulses from an excimer laser operating at 308 nanometers with a fluence of 3 . 8 joules per square centimeter to remove the polyimide . the metallurgical line was then further treated with 1 - 3 pulses of the excimer laser at a reduced aperture ( 160 micron by 14 micron wide ) and at a fluence of 12 joules per square centimeter . the follow - on treatment removed the upper most oxidized cr layer from the top of the interdiffused electrical line leaving a bondable surface . the wavelength was chosen such that the polymer had high absorption and could be cleanly etched . the removal of the polyimide was achieved with pulsed ultraviolet radiation in the range 100 - 400 nm . the polyimide insulator was removed at laser fluences in the 0 . 025 - 40 joule / square centimeter range . the metallic thin film line were treated with laser fluences in the 0 . 5 - 40 joule / square centimeter range . the protective polyimide overcoat , approximately 120 microns in length , over the defective part of the line was laser ablated for a single bond . two 120 micron openings over a good part of the line , on each side of the defect were laser ablated if a jumper wire was to be used . pure gold wire with a diameter of 0 . 7 mils ( 17 . 8 microns ), matching the width of the thin film line , was secured as a nugget or a jumper wire on / or over the defect using the above mentioned processes . while the bond tip is still in contact with the wire and the thin film line , the long unused segments of wire should be removed . a severely damaged region of thin film circuit , consisting of a 14 micron wide , 9 micron thick metallurgical thin film line was prepared for a wire jumper . two bonding zones , 160 micron long and 20 micron wide were prepared at either end of the damaged region using the methods described above , with the polymer overcoat being first laser ablated , and then the exposed metallurgy was treated to produce the bondable surface . the wire jumper was then secured to the existing good line , thus creating a continuous electrical path . a defective line that was similar to the one used in example 1 , was repaired using a specially fabricated wire of diameter of 15 - 20 microns . the size of the wire matched the size of the thin film line . this wire is coated with pb / sn solder . solder composition was selected by the temperature at which no damage to polyimide integrity can occur and also by the ultimate temperature hierarchy of the system . the solder used was 63 percent tin and 37 lead , and the repair process was as follows : a specially fabricated tip which had a footprint with a contoured surface , such as the shape of the wire , held the wire in place on the line to be repaired . the contoured surface for the tip of the specially fabricated bonding tip could be selected from the group comprising , a flat surface , a triangular surface , a semicircular surface , an elliptical surface , a square surface , a rectangular surface , or a polygonal surface , to name a few . this tip was then heated with a laser which melted the solder in place . solder bonded to the line by means of a chemical reaction between the solder and the line metallurgy . this new process has been developed to repair gold and non - gold lines . the process uses a solder as means of repair . the chosen solder was 97 percent lead and 3 percent tin . this was due to the fact that it is compatible with thermal hierarchy in existence today . this same concept can be used with different solder compositions consistent with the temperature hierarchy of the module or the structure to be repaired . a near open in a thin film circuit consisting of a 30 micron wide , 6 micron thick metallurgical thin film line on a multi - level polyimide structure overcoated with 4 micron of polyimide was prepared for a solder repair . an area 100 micron long , 80 micron wide was ablated of polyimide with 5 - 6 pulses from the excimer laser operating at 308 nanometers with a fluence of 3 . 8 joules per square centimeter . the exposed metallurgy was then further treated with a single pulse at a fluence of 8 joules per square centimeter with a slightly reduced aperture size ( 100 micron by 30 micron ). the single pulse completely removed the upper most oxidized cr layer , producing a clean copper surface ready to accept the solder repair . twenty opens were repaired by the same method as discussed above and also in reference to fig2 b and 2c . repairs were made , measured and compared after one reflow . the substrate was then reflowed ten times to ensure that repairs would withstand device joining . it was noticed that the resistance of the repaired lines did not change . it was also discovered that the resistance of the repaired line is comparable to that of non - defective line of similar geometry . the invention can also be used for making repairs on an open line on the module after a devices have been placed . once it has been determined that there is an open , then the device near the defect site is removed and using laser ablation a window , such as a rectangular window is made through the polyimide or insulator layer and the two ends of the open are exposed . a nugget or a jumper wire or a solder is placed in the rectangular window that lays over the two ends of the open and using appropriate means , the nugget or the jumper wire or the solder is bonded to the open and a &# 34 ; continuous &# 34 ; line is thereafter obtained . the removed device is then put back on the module and the repaired module is then sent for its next operation . while the present invention has been particularly described , in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives , modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention . | 8 |
the invention is preferably practiced in the context of an operating system ( os ) resident on a personal computer , such as ibm ยฎ os / 2 ยฎ running on the ibm ยฎ ps / 2 ยฎ or system / 7 ยฎ running on an apple ยฎ macintosh ยฎ computer , or unix ยฎ running on a workstation , such as an ibm risc system / 6000 computer . a representative hardware environment is depicted in fig1 a , which illustrates a typical hardware configuration of a personal computer workstation in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention having a central processing unit ( cpu ) 10 , such as a conventional microprocessor , and a number of other units interconnected via a system bus 12 . the workstation shown in fig1 a includes a random access memory ( ram ) 14 , read only memory ( rom ) 16 , an i / o adapter 18 for connecting peripheral devices such as disk units 20 to the bus , a user interface adapter 22 for connecting a keyboard 24 , a mouse 26 , a speaker 28 , a microphone 32 , and / or other user interface devices such as a touch screen device ( not shown ) to the bus , a communication adapter 34 for connecting the workstation to a data processing network and a display adapter 36 for connecting the bus to a display device 38 . the purpose of interrupt services is provide a hardware independent interface to for external , hardware dependent i / o systems . the services provided by this architecture allow the programmer to focus on his / her device ( s ) rather than the low level kernel interrupt processing . this design includes interrupt processing abstractions . these interrupt abstractions provide an architecturally sound framework for the dynamic installation , configuration , and timely execution of interrupt handlers . the &# 34 ; plug & amp ; play &# 34 ; objective is an overall goal of the i / o sub - system . plug & amp ; play operation frees the user from having to deal with configuration files to add or remove i / o hardware . a required extension of plug & amp ; play operation is the dynamic installation of interrupt handlers , to allow for reconfiguration of i / o devices while the system is running . the best example of this is switching the functional use of the serial ports after the system has been booted : such a change would generally cause removal of the &# 34 ; old &# 34 ; interrupt handler and the installation of the &# 34 ; new &# 34 ; one . most systems are very unforgiving regarding exceptions being generated while the system is running interrupt code . the resulting crash of the system has a significant negative impact on overall system reliability . there are a number of different reasons exceptions occur including , for example , programming errors , temporary bus errors that can be retried successfully , and changing the assumptions under which an interrupt handler is operating . an example of changing assumptions includes a situation where a once valid memory or hardware device is removed without foreknowledge of the interrupt handler . recovery from the exception may not be possible if the interrupt handler is critical to system operation . innovation within the personal computer industry is often slowed or blocked because operating system ( os ) software is required to &# 34 ; know &# 34 ; too much about the underlying hardware platform . this hardware specific knowledge locks the hardware configuration into a place where change is very hard to accomplish . the use of object abstractions at this low level in the system encourages hardware and software innovation : both the hardware and the object based software can change without the effects rippling through the rest of the system . a fundamental problem with existing , configurable i / o systems is the dependency on some form of configuration database . this database in some cases is a large single database file , but commonly it takes the form of small text files scattered throughout the system . a much better paradigm is one which &# 34 ; inverts &# 34 ; this knowledge of configurations , obviating the need for an overall configuration database altogether . using a design in which resources find their higher - level &# 34 ; parent &# 34 ; objects , the need for the configuration database disappears . the fundament i / o model for the preferred embodiment of the invention consists of four major building blocks illustrated in fig2 and described below . 1 ) the access manager abstraction 210 : access managers are user - mode abstractions that execute outside the kernel 260 ; 2 ) the interrupt handler 250 : interrupt handlers are device - specific abstractions which process device interrupts ; 4 ) interrupt manager 230 : the interrupt manager manages multiple interrupt handlers , performing the first level interrupt decode and dispatch to the appropriate interrupt handler . the access manager 210 abstraction and its interrupt handler 230 constitute the classic functions found in a driver . the access manager 210 and interrupt handler 230 have direct access to the hardware device 220 that they manage . this allows the developer to emphasize function within either the access manager 210 or the interrupt handler 230 to meet design goals . in a case utilizing more advanced i / o hardware , the access manager 210 would dominate and the interrupt handler 250 would be minimal . interrupt handlers 230 are installed and / or removed at the request of an associated access manager 210 . an access manager 210 may not install an interrupt handler 230 if the device being managed does not generate interrupts . access managers may support multiple devices ; in this case the access manager may install an interrupt handler for each device that needs servicing . access managers 210 and interrupt handlers 250 communicate by using two standard interfaces . the access manager 210 can instigate a bi - directional communication transaction using the update 280 mechanism . the interrupt handler 250 can send a limited amount of data to any task through the onewaysend ( owsend ) 294 messaging service . if a developer is dealing with deficient i / o hardware , the interrupt handler 250 may embody a great deal of the overall i / o functions , and the access manager abstraction 210 , a smaller amount . the apple swim ( for super woz interface machine , a custom apple computer chip ) floppy controller , for example , is a particularly difficult device to service . it cannot generate interrupts and is 100 % compute - bound during sector i / o . a swim access manager would be small , simply passing requests to its large &# 34 ; interrupt handler &# 34 ; with the update operation . the interrupt handler , of necessity , would be required to perform the entire i / o operation , signaling completion with an owsend . although this type of i / o device is not preferred for its kernel memory usage and multitasking effects , it does fit into our fundamental i / o model . an i / o client , such as an application , interacts with the access manager 210 . the access manager 210 then interacts with hardware device 220 directly and / or the device interrupt handler 250 through the &# 34 ; update &# 34 ; request 280 . at some point , the hardware device 220 generates an interrupt 270 that is first fielded by the interrupt manager 230 and then dispatched to the appropriate interrupt handler 250 . when the interrupt handler 250 has completed some major step in dealing with the hardware device 220 , the interrupt handler 250 responds to the access manager 210 with an owsend 294 . the access manager 210 then informs the i / o client that the requested action has been completed . why are access managers employed instead of classic drivers ? the answer is tied to the expanded role required of i / o software in the preferred embodiment of the invention . each type of i / o device is likely to have differences in how it is to be accessed . printers or tape drives , for example , are unlikely to be shared among multiple clients . disk drives are inherently sharable . cards found on expansion buses may have many devices with different access policies . clearly global device access policy cannot be correctly predicted for all devices today . therefore , the i / o system cannot set global i / o access policy , since any device access policy that might be imposed today would most likely be incorrect in the future . the i / o system addresses this issue by moving many of the policy issues down to our new drivers . the functional role of our new drivers has been expanded from simple data movement and control of a device , to also include the definition of access policy of the device . hence the abstraction that defines this access policy is known as an access manager . an interrupt handler is an interrupt - source - specific abstraction that processes interrupts and runs within the kernel &# 39 ; s address space . an interrupt handler will be device specific because its code will have detailed knowledge of the target device . the interrupt handler will be generic , however , by virtue of its ability to handle multiple instances of a device at different physical locations . each interrupt handler is subclassed from the abstract tlnterrupthandler base class . the tinterrupthandler class defines the protocol contract between device specific interrupt handlers and the interrupt manager within the kernel . the device specific subclass , as well as any other objects used by the interrupt handler are processed into a normal shared library within the system . the installation of an interrupt handler from a shared library requires an associated interrupt control task so that the interrupt handler can automatically be removed if the control task is terminated for some reason . thus , the interrupt services can guarantee that the resources used by the interrupt handler will be reclaimed after the control task is terminated . fig3 illustrates a typical hardware hierarchy in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention . i / o devices can be attached to a system via many diverse hardware paths . some are built in on the motherboard , some are attached to buses ( e . g ., micro channel , nubus , isa , eisa ), while others are a mixture of both , for example a nubus card with a scsi chip on it . a simplifying abstraction is to view these different hardware configurations as a collection of hardware hierarchies similar to fig3 . viewing the hardware as a hierarchy infers a natural view of the software for these devices as a hierarchy . a hierarchical view of software fits nicely in restricting the scope of knowledge to obvious layers of the hierarchy . by limiting the scope of knowledge , i / o policy issues can be pushed to the lowest levels of the hierarchy . upon the occurrence of an interrupt , the root of the software hierarchy passes control down the software hierarchy until the correct device interrupt handler processes the interrupt . the i / o system uses a simple parent / child relationship to manage all the layers in the software hierarchies as shown in fig4 . each interrupt handler and access manager has a parent relationship and may or may not have a child relationship . the parent / child relationship is the simplest model to manage a hierarchical abstraction . this relationship has two important roles to play : first , it defines how the software hierarchy is constructed , and second , it describes the flow of control when an interrupt occurs . most i / o hardware simplifies the task of defining where functions should be split in the hierarchy . in some hardware , the job of defining the parent / child relationship is not as clear . the zilog z8530 serial communication controller ( scc ) chip is just such an example . this chip has two distinct ports ( a and b ) and a common interrupt register . the obvious initial design is to define two serial pods and have an interrupt handler for each port . however , if an interrupt handler for port a were to read the interrupt register , it would get the interrupt status for both ports and clear them by its action : certainly this would not work . the solution is to define two levels of abstraction : the chip 500 and the port 510 as illustrated in fig5 . the chip abstraction is the parent in this example and it exports two software - independent serial ports . when some client ( say a musical instrument device interface ( midi ) application ) needs to use an assigned port , it would first acquire the correct parent interrupt handler object and request the midi interrupt handler installed in association with the parent . this illustrates how the parent / child relationship is used to construct the software hierarchy . the next thing to explain is how the flow of control works in the interrupt case . for the sake of this example let &# 39 ; s say port b generates an interrupt . the interrupt manager first decodes the processor interrupt and then dispatches the scc interrupt handler . the scc interrupt handler reads the interrupt register ( thereby clearing the interrupts ), decodes the values that it finds , and determines that port b has an active interrupt . the handler calls the interrupt manager service invokechild to dispatch the port b interrupt handler , passing a copy of the interrupt register to the handler . after servicing the interrupt for port b , the interrupt register also initiates a port a interrupt , the scc interrupt handler will similarly dispatch the port a interrupt handler . in this way the port interrupt handlers will never need direct access to the shared interrupt register . as stated above , one of the major goals was the reuse of code and the use of abstractions to move i / o software forward . here is a simple example of the type of leverage this design affords . suppose a third party developer decides to manufacture a simple value - added card . market research exposes the requirement for an expansion card with a scsi bus and several serial ports . the developer chooses to use the same i / o chips that another manufacturer employs in their products as illustrated in fig6 . building the hardware card is straightforward , but the software to drive the card could be a major undertaking . a preferred embodiment minimizes software changes by maximizing the reusage of existing code as shown in fig7 . because of leverage at both the hardware and software level , a third party developer only has to develop a small part of the software solution . this contribution is the third party access manager and interrupt handler , the rest of the software can be reused , existing code . for example , in fig6 a small computer system interface ( scsi ) chip generates an interrupt which is detected by the first level interrupt decode as the third party expansion card is interrupting . then , in fig7 the third party interrupt handler determines which interrupt hardware generated the interrupt . then , the appropriate interrupt handler is selected to handle the interrupt . configuration access managers are responsible for the configuration of a collection of devices . they are the dominant element in the preferred embodiment . there are two kinds of configuration access managers . the first kind has a fixed set of devices to configure and therefore has a straightforward configuration task . the second kind has an unknown number and type of devices to configure . this second kind must therefore act out some protocol to determine what devices are present before it can complete its configuration task . when any configuration access manager is started up , it has the responsibility to find all the devices for which it is responsible . after the devices have been located and identified , the given configuration access manager makes a policy decision : to instantiate the appropriate access managers or just record that the device was found , but not linked with an access manager . fig8 illustrates a small computer system interface ( scsi ) bus configuration access manager . the access manager must follow the standard scsi protocol to identify what devices are currently attached to the scsi bus . after a device is found , the configuration access manager then determines whether a device - specific access manager should be instantiated . an expansion card is an example of a fixed set of devices to configure with more than one device on it . an access manager for an expansion card would have a fixed policy decision . for example , an expansion card containing two scsi controllers would have the logic associated with scsi chips . the devices on the scsi buses would have to be configured by a scsi bus configuration access manager . this example illustrates how configuration access managers can be applied recursively . the use of a software hierarchy to manage an arbitrary hardware hierarchy allows the i / o system to dynamically configure any hardware platform or configuration . a &# 34 ; software only &# 34 ; interrupt handler is one which is not associated with a hardware device interrupt . there are two basic types of software - only interrupt handlers : pure software modules and &# 34 ; callout &# 34 ; handlers . a pure software module never services interrupts ; a callout handler is called by another interrupt handler but does not receive interrupts directly from hardware . an example of a &# 34 ; pure software &# 34 ; module would be the &# 34 ; interrupt handler &# 34 ; ( virtually the entire driver ) for the apple swim floppy controller . this module never services interrupts , but instead directly drives the floppy device in a cpu - bound manner . other examples could be a performance - measurement tool or one which provides some type of specialized coprocessor support . in some cases it will be necessary for interrupt handlers and / or access managers to interact . a good example of interrupt handler interaction is the case of a digital signal processor ( dsp ) modem driver module , which receives updates from the serial access manager ( for modem control / status and character transmit ) and provides callouts to the serial interrupt handler ( for received characters ). a callout is a specialized method call from one interrupt handler to another . arguments to the call are not specified by this architecture , but are agreed between both parties to the callout . examples of callout interrupt handlers include functions which need periodic timed callouts from the system clock interrupt handler : polling for floppy media insertion on a swim , or maintenance of watchdog timeouts on a scsi operation . methods in tlnterrupthandler indicate an interrupt handler &# 39 ; s capabilities for keeping a list of callout clients ( e . g ., candocallouts , doaddcallout , and dodeletecallout ). the client handler has a callout method which obtains token - based type information associated , for example , mouse events . the data passed to callout includes references to objects like a tcalloutdata , which can be subclassed so that all dispatching handlers could have different args ( e . g ., a clock wants tickcount ). the interrupt manager provides addcallout and deletecallout methods so that the manager can call dodeletecallout () to clean up when an interrupt handler is removed . fig9 is a flowchart of a prior art inplementation of industry standard interrupt dispatch . single level interrupt dispatch similar to the logic set forth in fig9 is common in many computer systems . processing commences at terminal 900 where the interrupt state is queried . then , at decision block 910 a particular interrupt handler is selected corresponding to the interrupt state . then , at i / o block 920 , the particular interrupt handler is dispatched . finally , at function block 930 , the interrupt is processed according to the selected interrupt handler . fig1 illustrates multi - level interrupt dispatch in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention . processing commences at terminal 1000 where the interrupt state is queried . then , at decision block 1010 a particular interrupt handler is selected corresponding to the interrupt state . then , at i / o block 1020 , the particular interrupt handler is dispatched . then , at function block 1090 , the interrupt is processed according to the selected interrupt handler . a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth at function block 1090 . the embodiment is capable of recursively selecting and dispatching interrupts through steps 1030 , 1040 and 1050 which correspond to steps 1000 , 1010 and 1020 . function block 1090 can be copied and executed as many times as necessary . finally , at function block 1060 , the interrupt handler clears the interrupt or interrupts . fig1 illustrates the c source code necessary to implement function block 1090 of fig1 . labels in fig1 correspond to the labels found in fig1 . thus , for example , the interrupt state is read at 1030 , the interrupt handler is selected at 1040 , and the next level of interrupt handler is invoked at 1050 . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment in a specific system environment , those skilled in the art recognize that the invention can be practiced , with modification , in other and different hardware and software environments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
future medical treatment includes the aggressive , widespread utilization of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ( cmmpdd ) to deliver chemotherapy molecules directly to specific targeted cell types in the body . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device transporting chemotherapy molecules represents a very versatile medical treatment delivery device . cmmpdd is used to deliver chemotherapy molecules to a wide variety of cancer cells and inflammatory cells . utilizing cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to cancer cells represents a new means to manage cancer . using cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to inflammatory arthritis represents a new means to treat inflammatory arthritis . by delivering chemotherapy molecules directly to targeted cells and only to the targeted cells by virus - like transport devices , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices represent a significant advancement over current chemotherapy treatment techniques in that this strategy avoids many of the unwanted side effects that conventional chemotherapy cause . for purposes of this text an โ external envelope โ refers to the outermost covering of a virus or a virus - like transport device or a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device . the external envelope may be comprised of a lipid layer , a lipid bilayer , the combination of a lipid layer affixed to a protein matrix or the combination of a lipid bilayer affixed to a protein matrix . a protein matrix is equivalent to a protein shell and may be referred to as a protein matrix shell . the terms protein matrix , protein shell , protein matrix shell are equivalent to the term capsid , where the term capsid is meant to represent โ a protein coat or shell of a virus particle , surrounding the nucleic acid or nucleoprotein core โ. the term โ particle โ is equivalent to the term โ virion โ. for purposes of this text an โ internal shell โ refers to a protein matrix shell nested inside the external envelope . the innermost protein matrix shell is termed the nucleocapsid . the proteins that comprise the nucleocapsid are termed capsid proteins . in the cavity created by the nucleocapsid , referred to as the center or core of the nucleocapsid , is where the payload of chemotherapy molecules is carried . for purposes of this text โ external probes โ are molecular structures that are utilized to locate and engage cell - surface receptors on biologically active cells . external probes are generally comprised of a portion which is anchored or fixed in the external envelope and a second portion that extends out and away from the external envelope . the portion of the external probe that extends out and away from the external envelope is intended to make contact and engage a cell - surface receptor located on a biologically active cell . external probes may be comprised solely of a protein structure or an external probe may be a glycoprotein molecule . for purposes of this text โ glycoprotein molecule โ refers to a molecule comprised of a carbohydrate region and a protein region . glycoprotein molecules that act as probes are generally anchored or fixed to a lipid layer utilizing the carbohydrate portion of the molecule as an anchor . the protein portion of the glycoprotein molecule which extends outward and away from the exterior envelope the glycoprotein has been affixed such that the protein region may function as a probe to locate and attach to the cell - surface receptor it was created to engage . the concept of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices is modeled after naturally existing viruses . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices in general are spherical in shape ; though other shapes may be used as function might warrant the use of a particular shape . the spherical configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are comprised of an exterior envelope and one or more inner nested protein shells . a quantity of exterior protein structure probes and / or glycoprotein probes are anchored in the exterior lipid envelope and a portion extends out and away from the exterior lipid envelope . nesting of protein shells refers to progressively smaller diameter shells fitting snugly inside protein shells of a larger diameter . inside the inner most protein shell , referred to as the nucleocapsid , is a cavity referred to as the core of the device . the core of the device is the space where the medically therapeutic payload the device carries is located . the payload of the device is comprised of chemotherapy molecules . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ( cmmpdd ) target specific types of cells in the body . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices engage specific types of cells by the configuration of probes affixed to the exterior envelope of the cmmpdd . by fixing specific probes to the exterior envelope of the cmmpdd , these probes intended to engage and attach only to specific cell - surface receptors located on certain cell types in the body , the cmmpdd will deliver its payload to only those cell types that express compatible and engagable specific cell - surface receptors . in a similar fashion where the exterior probes of a naturally occurring virus engage specific cell - surface receptors present on the surface of the virus &# 39 ; s host cell and only the designated host cell , the cmmpdd &# 39 ; s exterior probes are configured to engage cell - surface receptors on a specific type of target cell and only those cells . in this manner , the payload of chemotherapy drug molecules carried by cmmpdd will be delivered only to specific types of cells in the body . the configuration of the exterior probes on the surface of a cmmpdd will vary as needed so as to effect the cmmpdd delivery of chemotherapy drug payloads to the specific cell types as needed to effect a particular predetermined medical treatment . the size of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices is dependent upon the diameter of the inner protein matrix shells and this is dictated by the volume size of the payload the cmmpdd is required to carry and deliver to a target cell . the diameter of each inner protein matrix shell is governed by the number of protein molecules utilized to construct the protein matrix shell at the time the protein matrix shell is generated . increasing the number of proteins that comprise a protein matrix shell , increases the diameter of the protein matrix shell . when applicable an external lipid envelope wraps around and covers the outermost protein matrix shell . the larger the volume of the core of the cmmpdd , the greater the physical size payload the cmmpdd is able to carry . the size of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device is to be the size of cell ( approximately 10 โ 4 m in diameter ) or less , generally detectable by a light microscope or , as needed , an electron microscope . the size of the cmmpdd is not to be too large such that it would generate a burden to the body by damaging organ tissues through clogging blood vessels or glomeruli in the kidneys . the dimensions of each type of cmmpdd are to be tailored to the mission of the cmmpdd , which takes into account factors such as the type of target cell , the size of the payload that is to be delivered to the target cells and the length of time the cmmpdd may have to engage the target cell . being enveloped in an external lipid layer , configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices possess the advantage of having their exterior appear similar to the plasma membrane that acts as an outside covering for the cells that comprise the body . by appearing similar to existing plasma membranes , the cmmpdds appear similar to naturally occurring structures found in the body . cmmpdd &# 39 ; s are afforded the capability to avoid detection by a body &# 39 ; s immune system because the exterior of the cmmpdd mimics the cells comprising the body and the surveillance elements of the immune system find it difficult to discern between the cmmpdd and naturally occurring cells comprising the body . to carry out the process of manufacturing a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device , a primitive cell such as a stem cell is selected . the reason for utilizing primitive cells such as stems cells as the host cell , is that the cmmpdd acquires its outer envelope from the host cell and the more primitive the host cell , the fewer in number the identifying protein markers are present on the surface of the cmmpdd . the fewer the identifying surface proteins present on the outer envelope of the cmmpdd , the less likely a body &# 39 ; s immune system will identify the cmmpdd as an intruder and therefore less likely the body &# 39 ; s immune system will react to the presence of the cmmpdd and reject the cmmpdd by attacking and neutralizing the cmmpdd . stem cells used as host cells to manufacture quantities of cmmpdd product are selected per histocompatibility markers present on their surface . certain histocompatibility markers present on the surface of the final cmmpdd product will be less likely to cause a reaction in a specific patient based on the genetic profile of the patient &# 39 ; s histocompatibility markers . a similar histocompatibility match is done when donor organs are selected to be given to recipients to avoid rejection of the donor organ by the recipient &# 39 ; s immune system . the selected stem cells used to manufacture configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices goes through several steps of maturation before it is capable of generating therapeutic cmmpdd product . messenger rna would be inserted into the host stem cell that would code for the general physical outer structures of the cmmpdd . messenger rna would be inserted into the host that would generate surface probes that would target the cell - surface receptors on specific target cell types . messenger rna would be inserted into the host that would be used to generate the payload of chemotherapy molecules or the chemotherapy molecules are introduced into the cmmpdd post production of the cmmpdd based on the size and complexity of the chemotherapy molecules . similar to how copies of a naturally occurring virus , such as the hepatitis c virus or hiv , are produced , assembled and released from a host cell , copies of the cmmpdd would be produced , assembled and released from a host cell . once released from the stem cell functioning as a de facto host cell , the copies of the cmmpdd would be collected , then pooled together to produce a therapeutic dose that results in a medically beneficial effect . the stem cells used as host cells are suspended in a broth of nutrients and are kept at an optimum temperature to govern the rate of production of the cmmpdd product . similar to the natural production of the hepatitis c virus , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices โ production genome โ is introduced into the host stem cells . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices production genome carries genetic instructions to cause the host cells to manufacture the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices &# 39 ; outer protein wall , the inner protein matrixes , the surface probes the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device is to have affixed to its outer envelope , the chemotherapy molecules the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are to carry , and the instructions to assemble the various pieces into the final form of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices along with the instructions to activate the budding process . the resultant configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are collected from the nutrient broth surrounding the host cells and placed together into doses to be used as a treatment for a medical disease . the โ production genome โ are an array of messenger rnas that are directly translated by the host cell &# 39 ; s ribosomes . the production genome dictates the characteristics of the final version of the cmmpdd that buds from the host stem cell and is released and is to be utilized as a medical treatment . the production genome is specifically tailored to code for the surface probes that will seek and engage a specific type of target cell . the production genome also carries the instructions to code for the production of the type of chemotherapy molecules to be delivered to the specific type of target cell . the โ production genome โ varies depending upon the configuration of the cmmpdd and the type of chemotherapy molecules the cmmpdd will transport to effect a specific medical treatment in a specific type of cell . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device transporting chemotherapy molecules represents a very versatile medical treatment delivery device . cmmpdd is used to deliver chemotherapy molecules to a wide variety of cancer cells and inflammatory cells . utilizing cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to cancer cells represents a new means to manage cancer . using cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to inflammatory arthritis represents a new means to treat inflammatory arthritis . as an example of this method , to treat breast cancer utilizing configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to deliver to breast cells chemotherapy such as the antimetabolite methotrexate , the following production process is followed in the lab : ( 1 ) human stem cells are selected . ( 2 ) into the selected stem cells is placed the production genome constructed , in this case , specifically as a means to treat breast cancer . the rna production genome contains genetic instructions to cause the host stem cells to manufacture the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices &# 39 ; outer protein wall , the inner protein matrix , surface probes to include glycoprotein probes that engage estrogen cell - surface receptors present on the surface of breast cells , and the payload of chemotherapy molecules ; and the biologic instructions to assemble the components into the final form of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ; and the biologic instructions to activate the budding process . ( 3 ) upon insertion of the rna production genome dedicated to producing a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to transport chemotherapy molecules , into the host stem cells , host stem cells respond by ( i ) simultaneously translating the different segments of the rna production genome to produce the proteins that comprise the exterior protein wall , the inner protein matrix shell molecules , the surface probes to seek out and engage breast cells , the chemotherapy molecules , and ( ii ) decoding the rna instructions to assemble the components into the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices . ( 4 ) upon assembly , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices bud through the cell membrane of the host stem cell . ( 5 ) at the time of the budding process , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices acquire an outside envelope wrapped over the outer protein shell , this outer envelope comprised of a portion of the plasma membrane from the host stem cell as the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices exit the host cell . ( 6 ) in some cases dependent upon the treatment application and how tightly packed the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices need to be packed with chemotherapy molecules , such chemotherapy molecules may be present in the nutrient broth and diffuse into the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices . ( 7 ) the resultant configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are collected from the nutrient broth surrounding the host stem cells . ( 8 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are washed in sterile solvent to remove contaminants . ( 9 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are removed from the sterile solvent and suspended in a hypoallergenic liquid medium . ( 10 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are separated into individual quantities to facilitate storage and delivery to physicians and patients . ( 11 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices transported in the hypoallergenic liquid medium is administered to a patient with a diagnosis of breast cancer per injection in a dose that is tailored to receiving patient &# 39 ; s severity of breast cancer . ( 12 ) upon being injected into the body , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices migrate to the breast tissues by means of the patient &# 39 ; s blood stream . ( 13 ) upon the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices reaching the breast cells , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices engage the cell - surface receptors located on the breast cells and insert the payload they carry into the breast cells . the payload , in this case being the chemotherapy methotrexate . methotrexate molecules inhibit dihydrofolate reductase and therefore prevents breast cells synthesizing nucleic acids , therefore prevents cell division , which prevents the cancer cells from replicating but does not interfere with normal breast cells . in a similar fashion , configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices can be fashioned to deliver a payload of a specific chemotherapy molecule to any type of cancer cell or inflammatory cell in the body . different cell types express different cell - surface markers on the exterior of their plasma membrane . the differing configurations of cell - surface markers on differing types of cells distinguish one cell type from another cell type . by configuring the exterior probes that extend from the surface of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device to seek out and engage specific cell - surface receptors present on normal cells and cancer cells payloads of chemotherapy can be delivered to specific cells in the body . rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease affecting millions of people worldwide . the chemotherapy drug methotrexate has been used for over twenty years , and is used quite extensively as a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . oral and injectable forms of the methotrexate are used to suppress the growth and cell division of synovial tissues . oral and injectable methotrexate causes many unwanted side effects . utilizing configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to deliver methotrexate molecules specifically to synovial cells and only to synovial cells , increases the efficacy of methotrexate and reduces or eliminates the unwanted side effects of methotrexate . accordingly , the reader will see that the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device to deliver chemotherapy molecules to specific targeted cell types provides advantages over existing art by : ( 1 ) being a delivery device that seeks out specific types of cells , ( 2 ) by being a delivery device that is versatile enough to deliver a variety of potential chemotherapy molecules to accomplish various medical treatments , ( 3 ) by being a device that delivers chemotherapy molecules only to targeted cells , thus avoiding unwanted side effects that current chemotherapy causes , and ( 4 ) by being a delivery device constructed with a surface envelope that will avoid detection by the innate immune system and the adaptable immune system so as not to activate either immune system to its presence ; for these reasons this represents a new and unique medical delivery device that has never before been recognized nor appreciated by those skilled in the art . although the description above contains specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given . the terms and expressions which are employed here are used as terms of description and are not of limitation and there is no intention , in the use of terms and expressions , of excluding equivalents of the features presented , and described , or portions thereof , it being recognized that various modifications are possible in the scope of the invention or process as claimed . | 0 |
the present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein . embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the figures . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . for example , it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will , in light of the teachings of the present invention , recognized a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches , depending upon the needs of the particular application , to implement the functionality of any given detail description herein , beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown . that is , there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention . also , singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa , where appropriate , and alternatives embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive . the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . embodiments of the present invention provide a harness to be used by a person performing freestanding leg exercises in order to support the upper torso of the user . the harness aids the user in performing the following freestanding leg exercises , without limitation ; regular squats , wide legged squats , stationary lunges , alternating lunges and front squats . in the preferred embodiment , this harness is used to hold in place an olympic weightlifting bar with or without additional weight attached . the preferred embodiment comprises a shoulder harness , a spine blade , and a weightlifting belt . the shoulder harness helps to evenly distribute and balance the olympic bar across the shoulders of the user . the spine blade helps the user maintain an upright position of the upper torso when doing freestanding leg exercises . the detachable contour weightlifting belt is added support to the lower back and waistline . fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 illustrate an exemplary training harness to provide support while performing freestanding leg exercises , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 shows a side view of the harness . fig2 shows a three - quarter view of the harness illustrating the placement of stationary back harness hooks 41 . fig3 shows a three - quarter view of the harness illustrating the secure placement of a spine blade 30 in an outside back pocket 20 a on a weightlifting belt 15 and a hook and loop ( e . g ., velcro โข) tongue 20 secured to a hook and loop strip 25 on spine blade 30 . the present embodiment comprises detachable contour fabric / woven weightlifting belt 15 , intended to provide support to the lower back and waistline of the user . in the present embodiment , weightlifting belt 15 is constructed of neoprene ; however , in alternate embodiments , weightlifting belt 15 may be made of various other materials such as , but not limited to , nylon . in most applications , a nylon belt works best due to the contour waistline structure in shape of the belt itself . leather belts are generally thick and cut / bite into the waistline โ they have limited appeal to a universal usage . in the present embodiment , the harness has dual density foam padding 10 with an anti - bacterial fabric coating throughout . alternate embodiments may have no anti - bacterial coating and may have other types of padding such as , but not limited to , single density foam , and foam padding materials such a microban โข made by microban international , ltd ./ huntersville , n . c . the microban antimicrobial product protection fights the growth of odor causing bacterial keeps sports gear cleaner and fresher . the harness comprises two shoulder strap fittings with front adjustable hooks 40 and non - adjustable back hooks 41 , and vertical spine blade 30 with hook and loop strip 25 . in alternate embodiments back hooks 41 may also be adjustable . in the present embodiment , weightlifting belt 15 has an easy adjustable hook and loop ( e . g ., velcro โข) strap 15 a for varied waistline size giving the user a more secure fit . in alternate embodiments , weightlifting belt 15 may be adjustable by various other means such as , but not limited to , one or more buckles , snaps , hooks , etc . outside pocket 20 a is sewn to the back center area of weightlifting belt 15 . outside pocket 20 a is top stitched and functions as a placeholder for spine blade 30 to securely fit into when the harness is in use . outside pocket 20 a is constructed of stiffened material so that spine blade 30 can easily slide into outside pocket 20 a . hook and loop tongue 20 on outside pocket 20 a may vary in length and adjusts the height of spine blade 30 with respect to weightlifting belt 15 . when in use , hook and loop tongue 20 is placed through a loop 25 a and adhered to hook and loop strip 25 for setting the position of spine blade 30 . loop 25 a adds to the security of hook and loop tongue 20 when set in place . those skilled in the art in light of the present teachings will recognize that there are various different means for setting spine blade 30 in place . spine blade 30 is extended upward vertically from weightlifting belt 15 as support to the entire back of the user . in the present embodiment , spine blade 30 is constructed of semi - rigid aluminum and is lined with padding 10 that is โ
to ยฝ inch non - porous neoprene adhesively attached to the underneath side of spine blade 30 . in alternate embodiments , spine blade 30 may be made of various different materials such as , but not limited to , other flexible metals , composite materials , or various plastics . an example of another suitable material for the spine blade material is a carbon fiber made of a strong , stiff thin fiber of nearly pure carbon combined with synthetic resins to produce a strong resin , lightweight material that is commonly used in construction of aircraft , autos , racing bikes and spacecrafts . the contour fit of padding 10 to spine blade 30 is noted with indented scoring 10 a along padding 10 . scoring 10 a enables padding 10 to flex to contour to the back of the user . alternate embodiments may not include scoring in padding 10 . in the present embodiment , spine blade 30 connects to shoulder harness straps 50 by an adjoining pivotal rivet 35 . pivotal rivet 35 enables the harness to be compacted for packing and storage by rotating shoulder harness straps 50 downward . in the present embodiment , shoulder harness straps 50 are also lined with padding 10 that is adhesively attached to the underneath side of shoulder harness straps 50 . in the present embodiment , shoulder harness straps 50 comprise a rigid aluminum insert to spread the weight across the shoulders of the user . shoulder harness straps 50 have contoured and indented scoring 10 a in padding 10 . each shoulder harness strap 50 extends forward comfortably fitting over each shoulder of the user . in the present embodiment , the harness is cosmetically covered with a webbed woven fabric 50 b . shoulder harness straps 50 provide front harness hooks 40 and stationary back harness hooks 41 . font harness hooks 40 hold the olympic bar when the user places the bar on the chest , and back harness hooks 41 serve as the resting pad for the olympic bar when the user places the olympic bar behind the neck . back harness hooks 41 are secured in place by a reinforced steel loop 45 . in alternate embodiments , back harness hooks 41 may be secured in place through various means , for example , without limitation , the back hooks may be held on with adjustable or non - adjustable straps or the hooks may be molded from the same pieces of metal as the inserts of the shoulder harness straps . though not shown in fig1 , fig2 , or fig3 , front harness hooks 40 are engaged in adjustable straps , shown by way of example in fig5 a . fig4 is a back view of an exemplary male version of a training harness , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the present view illustrates the secure placement of harness spine blade 30 being placed in outside back pocket 20 a on weightlifting belt 15 , and hook and loop tongue 20 in the act of adherence to hook and loop strip 25 on spine blade 30 . in the present embodiment , the harness is designed with an adjustable back blade 60 . some embodiments , designed for women , have non - adjustable attachments , which comprise non - adjustable suspender fittings . a reason for designing such embodiments for women is that research in measuring the upper chest cavity of a novice , athletic and elite female weight trainer proved to not varied in size therefore did not warrant an adjustable attachment . one notable exception is in the case of a female power lifter or a female athletic of same physique who would likely opt to use the male adjustable harness . the embodiment shown by way of example in fig1 through 3 are for the female version . it should be noted that the main difference between the male and female version is the adjustable attachment which needs to be shown in with the overall harness . however , everything else about the male / female versions of the harness is generally the same . due to the difference in anatomic structural size of typical males &# 39 ; individual upper torsos , it is preferable to allow an adjustment feature for shoulder harness straps 55 . said feature is adjustable back blade 60 added to a pivotal rivet 35 . within adjustable back blade 60 is a sliding slot 65 with indented groove like sockets for shoulder harness straps 55 to click lock in from left to right . the present embodiment also comprises features illustrated by way of example in fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 such as , but not limited to , back harness hooks 41 , padding 10 , scoring 10 a , loop 25 a , and hook and loop strap 15 a . also , as previously described , various alternate means may be used for adjustment of spine blade 30 and weightlifting belt 15 such as , but not limited to , buckles , snaps , hooks , etc . fig5 a and fig5 b illustrate an exemplary front harness hook 40 and an exemplary adjustment system for front harness hook 40 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig5 a illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary front harness adjustable strap 85 , and fig5 b illustrates a perspective view of exemplary front harness hook 40 . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is adjustable to enable customization of the bar position for various exercises . for added strength to adjustable strap 85 in the present invention , fabric content is of webbed woven stitching with a hook and loop strip inset 85 a . both front harness adjustable straps 85 are clearly marked on inset 85 a with stitch - like horizontal lines 85 b as placements for evening adjusting straps when securing front harness hooks 40 . alternate embodiments may not include horizontal lines . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is secured to front harness adjustable strap 85 with a tongue - like flap 85 d inserted through an eye 70 of front harness hook 40 . tongue - like flap 85 d is secured to front harness adjustable strap 85 having an inset surface cover 85 c of hook and loop material . in alternate embodiments , the adjustment of adjustable strap 85 may be accomplished by different means such as , but not limited to , buckles or snaps . a close - up of front harness hook 40 is provided to show thickness and width . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is made of galvanized steel that should substantially hold the weight of a weighted olympic bar . note , galvanized steel enables ease in release of the steel weighted olympic bar from front adjustable hooks 40 and back adjustable hooks 41 . other suitable materials for front harness hooks 40 include , without limitation , aluminum , and the carbon fiber as described above for the spine material . an opening 75 of front harness hook 40 is where the weighted olympic bar rests when in use . in the present embodiment , hook section 90 is the lip portion of hook opening 75 that the weighted olympic bar rests against . eye 70 of front harness hook 40 and the stem of tongue - like flap 85 d accommodate each other in shape , thickness , and size for a uniform fit . fig6 illustrates an exemplary harness , as shown by way of example in fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 , in typical use by a male user , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig6 shows a front view of the user in a standing position for a front squat exercise . in the present example , the user has placed the olympic bar in the front harness hooks so that the olympic bar is resting on his chest . for this situation , the harness works as follows : in the conventional manner , the individual places all of the focus on maintaining the bar high up over the chest collar . pressing against the collar bone is also a distracting feeling while trying to focus on maximize training . there too is the concern of correct holding of the olympic bar evenly . with the olympic bar placed even across the front hooks โ even pressure / balance while holding the bar still allows the focus to be mainly on training with correct weight distribution of the bar with weights now solely on the harness and not the individuals body . fig7 illustrates an exemplary training harness , as shown by way of example in fig4 , in typical use by a male user , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig7 shows a rear view of the user holding an olympic bar with weights in standing position . in the present example , the user is preparing to perform a rear squat or lunge exercise so the olympic bar is in back the back harness hooks and the weight of the olympic bar is distributed evenly across the shoulders and upper back of the user . the preferred embodiment can hold a maximum weight of 400 lbs including the weight of the olympic bar . the harness provides support to the upper torso when the olympic bar is in place across the shoulders with or without additional weight . when the weight is in the harness , the harness flexes inward , allowing the back of the user to maintain an upright position while exercising . the weightlifting belt allows for additional support . this support enables fuller squat position in movement of the exercises . enhanced quality of leg development is noted due to less stress of the upper torso when the weighted olympic bar is across the shoulders . embodiments of the present invention enable the user to focus more on the quality of the leg training rather than the need for upper body support . those skilled in the art , in light of the foregoing , will recognize a multiplicity of alternative and suitable ways to configure a harness that helps avoid injury while training . while the use of steel has been described above , it is contemplated that other suitable materials may be used that enhance safety and will sustain the weight and tolerance while using the harness . having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention , other equivalent or alternative means for implementing a training harness for freestanding leg exercises according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , without limitation , some non - collapsing embodiments may not include a pivotal rivet . also , some embodiments may not include a weightlifting belt where the spine blade extends downward from the shoulder harness straps . the invention has been described above by way of illustration , and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed . the invention is thus to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
embodiments of the multilevel semiconductor memory device , the methods of writing / reading data from / to the memory device , and the storage medium storing the data writing / reading programs according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 shows the essential construction of a multilevel eeprom ( electrically erasable and programmable read only memory ), to which embodiments according to the present invention are applied . in fig1 , a memory cell array 1 is formed by arranging a plurality of memory cells in a matrix pattern . each memory cell is of floating gate type , as shown in fig2 . in fig2 , a drain 12 and a source 13 each formed by an n - type impurity diffusion layer are formed on a surface of a p - type silicon substrate 11 . further , a channel region 14 is formed between the drain 12 and the source 13 . a bit line 15 is connected to the drain 12 , and a source line 16 is connected to the source 13 . further , formed on the channel region 14 is a tunnel insulating film 20 formed of sio 2 film and having a thickness of about 10 nm . on this tunnel insulating film 20 , there are formed in sequence a floating gate 17 formed of a low - resistance polysilicon , an interlayer insulating film 18 , and a control gate ( word line ) 19 formed of a low - resistance polysilicon . the word line 19 is connected to a decoder 2 provided as extending in the column direction of the memory cell array 1 . the bit line 15 is connected to a multiplexer 4 provided as extending in the row direction of the memory cell array 1 . and , the source line 16 is grounded . when data are written in the multilevel eeprom as described above , the operation mode is set to a program mode . further , data are input through an input / output interface ( i / f ) 8 ; on the other hand , addresses are input through an input interface i / f 7 . each input address is a logical address and hence converted into a physical address by a converter 9 . the data input through the input i / f 8 are given to a signal controller 6 . the bit data of the given data are rearranged by a bit data separator 6 a provided in the signal controller 6 , as described in further detail later . the input data whose bits are rearranged are given to a voltage generator and controller 3 , to generate voltages according to the bit data . the voltages generated as described above are applied to the memory cell array 1 through a decoder 2 , so that predetermined threshold voltages are set to the memory cells . the first embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to fig3 . the multilevel eeprom described in this embodiment is a four - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of the four values ( 0v , 2v , 4v , 6v ) corresponding to each of two - bit data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ) to be stored . employed in this eeprom &# 39 ; is the method of interleaving , by m - times , a code c having a code length n and a burst error correction capability l , as the burst error correction code . in data rewriting , whenever 8 - bit data are input , the input data is divided into 4 ร 2 data bits as ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 ร 2 check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) and ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) are formed . further , on the basis of these data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and the check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), two code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) are formed . the two code words formed as described above are given to the bit data separator 6 a , and then the bits of the code words are put in the positions of 2 ร 7 arrangement as shown in fig3 . further , combinations of ( m 11 , m 12 ), ( m 21 , m 22 ), ( m 31 , m 32 ), ( m 41 , m 42 ), ( p 1 , p 12 ), ( p 21 , p 22 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 ) are sequentially stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig3 , m 11 and m 12 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 and m 22 ; m 31 and m 32 ; m 41 and m 42 ; p 11 and p 12 ; p 21 and p 22 ; and p 31 and p 32 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . as described later in further detail , each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig3 , even if the threshold voltage of the third memory cell 3 changes and thereby a burst error of two - bit length occurs , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 01 โ change to โ 10 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second embodiment is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . in data rewriting , whenever 12 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 ร 3 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 ร 3 redundant check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are obtained . on the basis of these data bits and check bits , three code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are formed in 3 ร 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig4 , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig4 , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; p 11 , p 12 and p 13 ; p 21 , p 22 and p 23 ; and p 31 , p 32 and p 33 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig4 , even if the threshold voltage of the third memory cell 3 changes and thereby a burst error of three - bit length occurs , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 100 โ change to โ 011 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . two modifications of the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the first modification is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . the first modification follows a specific linear coding standard in which two errors per bit of a code word can be corrected . in data rewriting , whenever data composed of a specific number of bits , for example , k bits are input , the input data are divided into three ( k / 3 ) data bits . redundant bits are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits to form a 14 - bit code word ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and a 7 - bit code word ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ). in each code word , a specific number of bits are data bits and the remaining bits are redundant bits for error correction . then , the 14 - bit code word ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) is divided into 7 - bit code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ). then , the code train a ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ), the code train b ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and one code word c ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ) are put in the positions of 3 ร 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig5 a , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( m 51 , m 52 , m 53 ), ( m 61 , m 62 , m 63 ) and ( m 71 , m 72 , m 73 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig5 a , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; m 51 , m 52 and m 53 ; m 61 , m 62 and m 63 ; and m 71 , m 72 and m 73 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . the code trains a and b , and the code word c can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig5 a , even if a burst error of three - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in the code trains a and b , and the code word c , and this error corresponds to two errors in the code word composed of the code trains a and b , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 100 โ change to โ 011 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . next , the second modification of the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second modification is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . the second modification follows a specific coding standard in which a single error per bit of a code word can be corrected and two errors per bit of a code word can be detected . in data rewriting , whenever 12 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 ร 3 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ). by means of hamming codes , 3 ร 3 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits . then , all the seven bits are ex - ored in each of the three code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ). the resultant redundant bits q 1 , q 2 , and q 3 are added to the three code trains , respectively , to form three code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 , q 1 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 , q 2 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 , q 3 ). then , the three code words are put in the positions of 3 ร 8 arrangement . further , as shown in fig5 b , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 ), ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 ) and ( q 1 , q 2 , q 3 ) are stored in the eight memory cells . accordingly , in fig5 b , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; p 11 , p 12 and p 13 ; p 21 , p 22 and p 23 ; p 31 , p 32 and p 33 ; and q 1 , q 2 and q 3 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 8 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig5 b , even if a burst error of three - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the eight memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 100 โ change to โ 011 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . further , if a burst error of one to three - bit length occurs in another memory cell , there are two errors in at least one code word . these two errors can be detected and one of them can be corrected . the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the third embodiment is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . in data rewriting , whenever 16 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 ร 4 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 ร 4 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are obtained . on the basis of these data bits and redundant bits , four code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are formed and put in the positions of 4 ร 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig6 , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 , p 14 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 , p 24 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig6 , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; p 11 , p 12 , p 13 and p 14 ; p 21 , p 22 , p 23 and p 24 ; and p 31 , p 32 , p 33 and p 34 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig6 , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 1000 โ change to โ 0111 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . two modifications of the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the first modification is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . the first modification follows a specific linear coding standard in which two errors per bit of a code word can be corrected . in data rewriting , whenever data composed of a specific number of bits , for example , p bits is input , the input data is divided into four ( p / 3 ) data bits . redundant bits are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits to form two 14 - bit code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 , m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , m 54 , m 64 , m 74 ). in each code word , a specific number of bits are data bits and the remaining bits are redundant bits for error correction . then , these 14 - bit code words are divided into 7 - bit code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ), and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , m 54 , m 64 , m 74 ), respectively . then , the code trains are put in the positions of 4 ร 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig7 a , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( m 51 , m 52 , m 53 , m 54 ), ( m 61 , m 62 , m 63 , m 64 ) and ( m 71 , m 72 , m 73 , m 74 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig7 a , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; m 51 , m 52 , m 53 and m 54 ; m 61 , m 62 , m 63 and m 64 ; and m 71 , m 72 , m 73 and m 74 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code train can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig7 a , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code train , and this error corresponds to two errors in the code word composed of two of the code trains , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 1000 โ change to โ 0111 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . next , the second modification of the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second modification is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . the second modification follows a specific coding standard in which a single error per bit of a code word can be corrected and two errors per bit of a code word can be detected . in data rewriting , whenever 16 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 ร 4 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 ). by means of hamming codes , 3 ร 4 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits . then , all the seven bits are ex - ored in each of the four code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ). the resultant redundant bits q 1 , q 2 , q 3 and q 4 are added to the four code trains , respectively , to form four code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 , q 1 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 , q 2 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 , q 3 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 , q 4 ). then , the four code words are put in the positions of 4 ร 8 arrangement . further , as shown in fig7 b , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 , p 14 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 , p 24 ), ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 ) and ( q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 ) are stored in the eight memory cells . accordingly , in fig7 b , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; p 11 , p 12 , p 13 and p 14 ; p 21 , p 22 , p 23 and p 24 ; p 31 , p 32 , p 33 and p 34 ; and q 1 , q 2 , q 3 and q 4 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 8 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig7 b , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the eight memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents โ 1000 โ change to โ 0111 โ occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . further , if a burst error of one - to four - bit length occurs in another memory cell , there are two errors in at least one code word . these two errors can be detected and one of them can be corrected . another modification besides the modifications of the second and the third embodiments of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . for example , 56 bits of โ 0 โ are added to 64 pieces of original data to obtain 120 - bit data . a 127 - bit length hamming code is obtained on the basis of the 120 - bit data . all the 127 bits are ex - ored to obtain a 128 - bit code . the additional 56 - bit โ 0 โ are removed from the 128 - bit code to obtain a 72 - bit code word . this coding method is capable of correcting one error and detecting two errors per bit of a code word and often used as the sec / ded code ( single - error - correction / double - error - detecting code ) for main memories . a practical example that the error correction is enabled even if one error occurs in a single code word will be described hereinbelow . a table below lists hamming codes in which three redundant bits are added to four data bits . in these hamming codes , 1 , 2 and 4 digits are redundant bits , and these bits are decided in such a way that an even parity can be obtained in each digit set of ( 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 ), ( 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ) and ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ). for instance , when a code โ 0111100 โ corresponding to a decimal number of [ 12 ] is written , in case an error occurs so that a code โ 0101100 โ is read , it is possible to obtain an error digit by a binary number ( 011 in this case ) as shown in table 1 . therefore , even if an error occurs , it is possible to correct the error securely . further , when the number of data bits is increased , since this code can be extended to that number , the number of redundant bits m necessary for the n number of data bits can be expressed as in the above description , the case where the present invention is applied to a non - volatile memory device having floating gate type memory cells has been described . however , without being limited only to the floating gate type memory cell , the present invention can be of course applied to mnos ( metal - nitride - oxide - silicon ) type semiconductor memory devices . further , the present invention can be applied to eproms , proms , mask roms , etc . in addition to the eeproms . in the mask roms , a storage status can be obtained by changing the threshold level thereof on the basis of the control of impurity quantity put in the channel region of a field effect transistor by ion implantation . further , the four - and eight - level memory cells have been described by way of example hereinabove . however , the data writing according to the present invention is not of course limited to only these levels . further , as a method of obtaining error correction codes , although interleaving has been explained , as far as an error of a burst length corresponding to the data quantity stored in the memory cell can be corrected by means of the error correction code , another method can be of course adopted , such as cyclic codes or compact cyclic codes . next , embodiments of the method of data reading according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings . described in the first embodiment are the multilevel eeprom shown in fig1 and a method of data reading from the eeprom . in the read operation , first an external logical address signal is input to the converter 9 via input i / f 7 . the converter 9 generates a physical address signal corresponding to an actual memory cell on the basis of the input logical address signal . in response to the physical address signal , the signal controller 6 decides a word line ( control gate of fig2 ) 19 and a bit line 15 ( fig2 ) both to be selected , and instructs the decided results to the decoder 2 and the multiplexer 4 . according to the instructions , the decoder 2 selects the word line 19 , and the multiplexer 4 selects the bit line 15 . the signal controller 6 decides the magnitude of the voltage to be applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and instructs the decided voltage to the voltage controller 3 . the voltage controller 3 applies the decided voltage to the selected word line 19 via decoder 2 . on the other hand , the multiplexer 4 applies a predetermined voltage to the selected bit line 15 . therefore , it is possible to determine whether a current flows through the selected bit line 15 according to the threshold voltage of the selected memory cell . a status of the current with respect to the selected bit line 15 is transmitted from the multiplexer 4 to the sense amplifier 5 . the sense amplifier 5 detects the presence or absence of the current flowing through the selected bit line 15 , and transmits the detected result to the signal controller 6 . on the basis of the detected result of the sense amplifier 5 , the signal controller 6 decides a voltage to be next applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and instructs the decided result to the voltage controller 3 . further , the signal controller 6 outputs the stored data of the selected memory cell obtained by repeating the above - mentioned procedure , via output i / f 8 . fig8 shows the flowchart showing a procedure of the first embodiment of the reading method according to the present invention . a four - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 8 mbits will be explained by way of example . the four - level eeprom has a logical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and a physical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] in hexadecimal notation . further , each memory cell stores 2 - bit (= four levels ) data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ), so that the threshold voltages of ( 0v , 2v , 4v , 6v ) are set to memory cells according to these data . when the physical address of a memory cell is ap , the data of the logical address ap is stored in the high - order bit of the two bits of the memory cell , and the logical address ( ap +[ 40 0000 ]) is stored in the low - order bit thereof . in other words , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the high - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address a 1 is rewritten to the designated data . on the other hand , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the low - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 =[ 40 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . in fig8 , when an external read instruction is input in step s 1 and further a logical address signal is input to the input i / f 7 in step s 2 , the signal controller 6 determines whether the input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] or not in step s 3 . in step s 3 , when the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], since the logical address matches the physical address , it is decided that the data to be read is the high - order bit of the two bits in step s 4 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 5 . in step s 5 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell ; that is , when the selected memory cell is conductive , it is decided that the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data stored in this memory cell is โ 0 โ since the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 0v or 2v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 6 . on the other hand , in step s 5 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data stored in this memory cell is โ 1 โ. because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 4v or 6v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 7 . further , in step s 3 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address does not match the physical address ; that is , the physical address is ( logical address โ[ 40 0000 ]). it is decided that the data to be read is the low - order bit of the two bits in step s 8 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 9 . in step s 9 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the signal control circuit 6 instructs the voltage control circuit 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 10 . because , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 0v or 2v . further , in step s 10 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 0v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 11 . on the other hand , in step s 10 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 2v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 12 . further , in step s 9 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 13 . because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 4v or 6v . further , in step s 13 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 4v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 12 . on the other hand , in step s 13 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 6v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 13 . with respect to the reading method described above , a method of determining whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of a selected memory cell by applying a reference voltage of 1v , 3v or 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell will be explained with reference to fig1 and 9 . for instance , in step s 4 in fig8 , when the signal controller 6 receives a physical address from the converter 9 and decides that the data to be read is the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data , the signal controller 6 further decides that the voltage to be applied to the control gate 19 of a selected memory cell is 3v and instructs the decided voltage to the voltage controller 3 . in fig9 , the voltage controller 3 includes a 1v - reference voltage generator 3 a , a 3v - reference voltage generator 3 b and a 5v - reference voltage generator 3 c . in this example , the reference voltage generator 3 b generates and applies 3v as a reference voltage to a switching circuit 55 . the signal controller 6 decides a word line to be selected in response to an input physical address and instructs the decided result to the decoder 2 . according to the instruction , the decoder 2 outputs a decoding signal to the switching circuit 55 . on receiving the 3v - reference voltage and the decoding signal , the switching circuit 55 applies the 3v - reference voltage to the selected word line . the sense amplifier 5 determines whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of a selected memory cell 1 a of the cell array 1 . more in detail , the sense amplifier 5 compares an output voltage of the memory cell 1 a and a predetermined reference voltage from a reference voltage generator 56 . the comparison result is instructed to the signal controller 6 . according to the instruction , the signal controller 6 decides a voltage of 1v or 5v that is applied next to the memory cell 1 a . the signal controller 6 then outputs data stored in the memory cell 1 a via output i / f 8 . as described above , in this first embodiment , the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] are divided hieratically into an address space a 1 ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] of relatively high access speed and an address space a 2 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] of relatively low access speed . and , a partial space ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) one - to - one corresponding to the address space formed by the physical addresses ([ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) within the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] is determined as the address space a 1 of relatively high access speed . further , data in the address space a 1 is stored in the specific component ( here , the high - order bit ) of the storage status of each memory cell . when the input logical address is included in the above - mentioned partial space ( the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]), this logical address designates the high - order bit data . it is thus possible to immediately detects this high - order bit data by a single decision process by use of the reference voltage of 3v . the detected high - order bit data is then output . in this case , it is possible to increase the access speed twice , as compared with the case where the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the reference voltages . therefore , the data having the highest access frequency can be stored in the high - order bits and the data having a relatively low access frequency can be stored in the low - order bits . a programmer can operate the eeprom as if a single high speed memory device were provided according to the invention . it is thus possible to read data from the multilevel eeprom in an extremely high efficiency . further , as the data and programs suitably stored in the multilevel eeprom , there are bios ( basic input / output system ) of an arithmetic unit ( as an example of the high access frequency ) and a document file ( as an example of a relatively low access frequency ). in this case , the former is stored in the high - order bits of the high access speed , and the later is stored in the low - order bits of the low access speed . the second embodiment of the method of data reading according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . in the second embodiment , a multilevel eeprom is used in the same way as with the case of the first embodiment of the method of data reading according to the present invention . the essential configuration of the multilevel eeprom is the same as with the case of the first embodiment , except that an eight - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 12 mbits is used in the second embodiment . the configuration of the eight - level eeprom is basically the same as with the case of the first embodiment , so that any detailed description thereof is omitted herein . fig1 shows the flowchart showing a procedure of the second embodiment of the reading method according to the present invention . in the second embodiment , an eight - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 12 mbits will be explained by way of example . the eight - level eeprom has a logical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] and a physical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] in hexadecimal notation . further , each memory cell stores 3 bit (= eight levels ) data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ), so that the threshold voltages of ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) are set to memory cells according to these data . further , when the physical address of a memory cell is ap , the data of the logical address ap is stored in the highest - order bit of the respective components of the thee bits ; the logical address ( ap +[ 40 000 ]) is stored in the medium bit ; and the logical address ( ap +[ 80 0000 ] is stored in the lowest - order bit thereof . in other words , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the highest - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address a 1 is rewritten to the designated data . on the other hand , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the medium - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 โ[ 40 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . further , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 80 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the lowest - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 โ[ 80 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . in fig1 , when an external read instruction is input in step s 21 and further a logical address signal is input to the input i / f 7 in step s 22 , the signal controller 6 determines whether the input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] or not in step s 23 . in step s 23 , when the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], since the logical address matches the physical address , it is decided that the data to be read is the highest - order bit of the three bits in step s 24 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 25 . in step s 25 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell ; that is , when the selected memory cell is conductive , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v and further the three bit data designated by these threshold voltages are โ 000 โ, โ 001 โ, โ 010 โ and โ 011 โ. it is thus decided that the highest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 26 . on the other hand , in step s 25 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v and further the three bit data designated by these threshold voltages are โ 100 โ, โ 101 โ, โ 110 โ and โ 111 โ. it is thus decided that the highest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 27 . further , in step s 23 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 does not indicate an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], it is determined whether the further input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] or not in step s 28 . here , in step s 28 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address does not match the physical address ; that is , the physical address is ( logical address โ[ 40 0000 ].) it is thus decided that the data to be read is the medium - order bit of the three bits in step s 29 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 30 . in step s 30 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v . here , the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 0v and 1v are โ 000 โ and โ 001 โ; that is , the medium - order bit is โ 0 โ in both . further , the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 2v and 3v are โ 010 โ and โ 011 โ; that is , the medium - order bit is โ 1 โ in both . therefore , in order to decide the medium - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 31 . further , in step s 31 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v or 1v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately through the output i / f 8 in step s 32 . on the other hand , in step s 31 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v or 3v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 33 . further , in step s 30 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v . here , the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 4v and 5v are โ 100 โ and โ 101 โ; that is , the medium - order bit is โ 0 โ in both . further , the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 6v and 7v are โ 010 โ and โ 011 โ; that is , the medium - order bit is โ 1 โ in both . therefore , in order to decide the medium - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 34 . further , in step s 34 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v or 5v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 32 . on the other hand , in step s 34 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v or 7v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 33 . further , in step s 28 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 does not indicate an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 80 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ]; that is , the physical address =( logical address โ[ 80 0000 ].) it is thus decided that the data to be read is the lowest - order bit of the three bits in step s 35 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , it is detected whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 36 . in step s 36 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v . the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus โ 000 โ, โ 001 โ, โ 010 โ and โ 011 โ. therefore , it is impossible to specify the lowest - order bit at this stage . in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 37 . in step s 37 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v or 1v . it is thus decided that the three - bit data specified by these threshold voltages are โ 000 โ or โ 001 โ. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 0 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 38 . further , in step s 38 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 38 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 1v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 37 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v or 3v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus โ 010 โ or โ 011 โ. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 2 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 41 . in step s 41 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 41 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 3v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the components of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 36 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus โ 100 โ, โ 101 โ, โ 110 โ and โ 111 โ. therefore , it is impossible to specify the lowest - order bit at this stage . therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 42 . in step s 42 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v or 5v . the three - bit data designated by these threshold voltages are thus โ 100 โ or โ 101 โ. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 4 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 43 . further , in step s 43 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . further , in step s 43 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 5v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 42 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v or 7v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus โ 110 โ or โ 111 โ. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 6 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 44 . in step s 44 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 0 โ. the decided data is output immediately through the output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 44 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 7v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is โ 1 โ. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . as described above , in the second embodiment , the logical addresses in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] are divided hieratically into an address space of relatively high access speed and an address space of relatively low access speed . here , the address space of relatively high access speed is determined as an address space a 1 ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]. further , the address space of relatively low access speed is further divided hieratically into two address spaces . that is , the address space of the medium access speed next to the address space a 1 is determined as an address space a 2 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ], and the address space of the lowest access speed next to the address space a 2 is determined as an address space a 3 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ], both hierarchically . further , a partial space ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) one - to - one corresponding to the address space formed by the physical addresses ([ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) within the logical addresses in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] is determined as the address space a 1 of relatively high access speed . further , data in the address space a 1 is stored in the specific bit of the storage status of the memory cell , that is , the highest - order bit . further , data in the address space a 2 of the access speed next to that of the address space a 1 is stored in the medium - order bit . further , data in the address space a 3 of the access speed next to that of the address space a 2 is stored in the lowest - order bit . when the input logical address is included in the above - mentioned partial space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]), this logical address designates data of the highest - order bit . it is thus possible to immediately decide this highest - order bit data by a single decision by use of the reference voltage of 3 . 5v . the decided highest - order bit data is then output . further , when the input logical address is not included in the above - mentioned partial space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) but included in the address space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ]) adjacent to the partial space , this logical address designates data of the medium - order bit . it is thus possible to immediately decide this medium - order bit data by two decisions by use of the reference voltages of 3 . 5v and 1 . 5 or 5 . 5v . the decided medium order - bit data is then output . therefore , when the data of the highest - order bit is read , it is possible to increase the access speed three times higher than that of when the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the reference voltages . further , when the data of the medium - order bit is read , it is possible to increase the access speed about 1 . 5 times higher than that of when the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the decision voltages . therefore , the data having the highest access frequency can be stored in the highest - order bits , the data having the medium access frequency in the medium - order bits , and the data having a relatively low access frequency in the lowest - order bits . a programmer thus can operate the eeprom as if a single - or double - stage high speed memory devices were provided . it is thus possible to read data from the multilevel eeprom in an extremely high efficiency . the multilevel semiconductor memory device has been explained by taking the case of the eeprom of floating gate type memory cells . however , without being limited only thereto , it is possible to apply the multilevel semiconductor memory device according to the present invention to mnos type memory cells . further , without being limited to only eeprom , the data reading method according to the present invention can be applied to the case when the multilevel data stored in eprom or prom are read . further , the data reading method according to the present invention can be applied to a mask rom whose storage status can be obtained by changing the threshold values thereof on the basis of control of the concentration of impurities put in the channel regions of field effect transistors by ion implantation . the data reading according to the present invention can further be applied to drams ( dynamic random access memory ). it can be understood that refreshing must be done after data reading in case of drams . further , in the first and second embodiments , two or three bits are stored in a single memory cell . however , the present invention can be applied to the case where four or more levels ( i . e ., two or more bits ) are stored in a single memory cell . in particular , the effect of the present invention can be increased with increasing capacity of the memory cell . as described above , the data reading methods in the first and second embodiments are , after an address of a memory cell is decided , to determine whether a current flows between a drain and a source of the memory cell by applying a judging voltage to a control gate of the memory cell having a specific threshold voltage to judge data stored in the memory cell . not only this , data stored in a memory cell can be judged by comparing an output voltage of the memory cell with a predetermined judging voltage . this method will be explained with reference to fig1 . a judging circuit shown in fig1 is provided between the cell array 1 and the multiplexer 4 shown in fig1 . in fig1 , a threshold voltage vth 1 is applied to the inverting input terminal of a sense amplifier 43 via first output buffer . the first output buffer includes an inverter 40 and transistors 41 and 42 . the threshold voltage vth 1 corresponds to a low - order bit d 0 set in a memory cell 1 a of the memory cell array 1 . applied to the non - inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 43 via second output buffer is a judging voltage v 47 set in a transistor 47 . the second output buffer includes an inverter 46 and transistors 44 and 45 . when the threshold voltage vth 1 is smaller than the judging voltage v 47 , the output of the sense amplifier 43 becomes high . thus , the low - order bit d 0 is judged to be โ 1 โ. since the output of the sense amplifier 43 is high , a transistor 52 turns on , while a transistor 54 turns off due to the existence of an inverter 53 provided between both transistors . a judging voltage v 52 set in the transistor 52 is thus applied to the non - inverting input terminal of a sense amplifier 48 via third output buffer . the third output buffer includes an inverter 51 and transistors 49 and 50 . further , a threshold voltage vth 2 corresponding to a high - order bit d 1 set in the memory cell 1 a is applied to the inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 via first output buffer . when the threshold voltage vth 2 is smaller than the judging voltage v 52 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be โ 1 โ because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes high . on the other hand , when vth 2 is greater than v 52 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be โ 0 โ because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes low . next , when the threshold voltage vth 1 is greater than the judging voltage v 47 , the low - order bit d 0 is judged to be โ 0 โ because the output of the sense amplifier 43 becomes low . since the output of the sense amplifier 43 is low , the transistor 52 turns off , while the transistor 54 turns on due to the existence of the inverter 53 . a judging voltage v 54 set in the transistor 54 is applied to the non - inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 via third output buffer . applied to the inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 is the threshold voltage vth 2 via first output buffer . when the threshold voltage vth 2 is smaller than the judging voltage v 54 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be โ 1 โ because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes high . on the other hand , when vth 2 is greater than v 54 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be โ 0 โ because the output of the sense amplifier becomes low . as described above , 2 - bit ( 4 - level ) data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ) is judged . the judging circuit shown in fig1 can be applied to a four - level ( or more ) memory cell by increasing the number of sense amplifiers and judging voltage applying circuits according to the number of data bits . further , the scope of the present invention includes the following case : the program codes of software for achieving the functions as disclosed by the preferred embodiments according to the present invention are supplied to a system or a computer connected to various devices activated so as to achieve those functions . further , the above - mentioned devices are activated in accordance with a program stored in the system or the computer ( cpu or mpu ). further , in this case , the program codes themselves of the software can achieve the functions of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention . the program codes themselves and means for supplying the program codes to the computer , such as a storage medium 31 shown in fig1 for storing the program codes are included in the scope of the present invention . that is , the program codes stored in the storage medium 31 are read by a recording and reproducing apparatus 30 shown in fig1 connected to the signal controller 6 via input i / f 8 , so that the computer constituting the signal controller 6 can be activated . further , as the storage medium 31 for recording these programs and codes , there are a floppy disk , a hard disk , an optical disk , a magneto - optic disk , cd - rom , a magnetic tape , a non - volatile memory card , a rom , etc . as described above , according to the present invention , even if multilevel data stored in a single memory cell is lost , it is possible to execute the error correction effectively . further , according to the present invention , since data of higher access frequency can be read at high speed according to the input logical addresses , it is possible to shorten the access time markedly in data read operation . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . [ 0023 ] fig1 shows an example of the construction of a data processing system embodied by the present invention . the data processing system of the embodiment has a host cpu 1 , a source storage subsystem having a master disk unit 3 for storing data from the host cpu and a master disk controller unit 2 for controlling the same , and a target storage subsystem having a remote disk unit 5 for storing duplicated data stored in the master disk unit and a remote disk controller unit 4 for controlling the same . the write data from the host cpu 1 is stored on a logical volume formed on the disk unit corresponding to a logical device number specified from the host cpu at writing . the master disk controller unit 2 includes a fiber channel port 6 for sending and receiving data to / from the host cpu , a micro processor 7 for controlling the controller unit , a cache memory 9 for temporality storing data from the host cpu , and a channel port 11 as a communication port to the target storage subsystem . the remote disk controller unit 4 has a microprocessor 8 for controlling the controller unit , a channel port 12 as a port for communication with the source storage subsystem , and a cache memory 10 for temporarily storing data received through the channel port . the host cpu 1 and the fiber channel port 6 of the master disk controller unit 2 are connected through an interface cable 13 . the channel port 11 of the master disk controller unit 2 and the channel port 12 of the remote disk controller unit 4 are connected through an interface cable 14 . the interface cable 14 may be an optional information connection network , for example , san ( storage area network ) or a fiber channel . the microprocessor 7 of the master disk controller unit 2 has means of a section 15 of processing data from host cpu , a section 16 of scheduling data , and a section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system . these three processing means are functional blocks realized by a micro program executed by the microprocessor 7 . the respective operating processes will be described later . the micro processor 8 of the remote disk controller unit 4 includes a section 21 of processing data from the source storage system and a section 24 of writing data to disk drive . these two processing means 21 and 24 are functional blocks realized by a micro program executed by the microprocessor 8 incorporated by the remote disk controller unit . with fig1 the operating processing will be described in detail . the section 15 of processing data from host cpu receives write data 20 instructed from the host cpu 1 , and creates in the cache memory 9 one piece of data control information 19 to one piece of the write data 20 , thereby managing the same as a queue 18 and storing the same into the cache memory . the data control information 19 will be described later . the write data 20 is stored into the cache memory 9 , and then , is written into a target device ( logical volume ) of the master disk unit 3 asynchronous to the timing at which the write data received from the host cpu . the data control information 19 will be described here . the data control information is related to the write data 20 instructed from the host cpu 1 that in what device or in what position thereof the write data is written . as illustrated in fig2 the data control information has information on a pointer 19 a to the position of the write data stored onto the cache memory , a target device number 19 b as an identifier for identifying a target logical volume , a target cylinder number 19 c , a target head number 19 d , a target record number 19 e , and a write data size 19 f . the section 16 of scheduling data checks the data control information 19 stored into the queue 18 in the cache memory 9 to judge the presence or absence of the write data 20 . when the write data 20 is present , a plurality of pieces of the data control information 19 are fetched to be unified as one unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . fig3 shows its example . data control information 91 a of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 0 , data control information 91 b of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 1 , and data control information 91 c of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 2 are unified to a unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system which has a number manage system different from the manage system having the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume , that is , which has a device number 0 not dependent on the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume . in addition , data control information 91 d of write data to a device number 0 and data control information 91 e of write data to a device number 1 are unified to a unit 92 b of data transmitting to the target storage system which has a number manage system different from the manage system having the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume , that is , which has a device number 1 not dependent on the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume . in other words , they are unified irrespective of the device number specified by the host cpu . to change the view , a plurality of write data 20 received from the host cpu 1 are fetched sequentially from the cache to be allocated to each unit of data transmitting to the target storage system as a collection of data irrespective of the device specified by the host cpu 1 , thereby being passed to the target external storage controller unit 4 by the section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system . in this way , a plurality of write data transferred from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit are unified to one . in addition , an identifier constructed of a number manage system different from the manage system of the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume is allocated to the unified data as an identifier for identification used when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit . the device number of the number manage system used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume is used directly when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit . as compared with this , the number of the identifiers for identification used when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit can be enough . as a result , the identifier used when the write data from the host cpu is transferred to the remote disk controller unit can be secured , and the identifier for sending control data for transfer control can be easily ensured , whereby transfer control the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit is easy . this will be described specifically by the example of fig3 . three device numbers used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume are โ 0 , 1 and 2 โ. the numbers are used directly as the identifier when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller . in this case , all the three device numbers โ 0 , 1 , and 2 โ are used to send the data to the remote disk controller unit . the identifier used to transfer data for transfer control cannot be secured , and thus , the data for transfer control cannot be transferred . here , in application of the present invention , when the identifiers for transfer can use only three numbers 0 , 1 and 2 , only the device numbers 0 and 1 are used for data transfer , so that the device number 2 can be used for transferring data for control . in fig3 the device number is used as the identifier for unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . the device number is used when the storage controller unit manages a data processing target as a device . the device number may be any simple number or identifier which can identify the unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . when the device number is used , the controlling method of the storage controller unit is similar to that of the prior art , and its introduction is easy . when using a region for a device number similar to that of the prior art , the number thereof is limited . conversely , when a region to manage the device number is extended , the number limitation is reduced . the section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system performs transfer - processing the above - mentioned units 92 a and 92 b of data transmitting to the target storage system and the write data corresponding to the respective data control information unifying the units of data transmitting to the target storage system , as one piece of transfer data for each unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . the data transferred through the channel port 11 between master and remote disk controller units and the channel port 12 between master and remote disk controller units are divided into data control information 22 and write data 23 by the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system , which are then stored into the cache memory 10 . the write data 23 stored into the cache memory is written , by the section 24 of writing data to disk drive , into a target device in the remote disk unit 5 asynchronous to the timing receiving the data transferred with reference to the device number in the data control information 22 . [ 0035 ] fig4 is a scheduling example for multiplexing of data transfer . in transferring data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit , when a plurality of data are transferred at the same time , the identifiers ( device numbers ) provided to the data must be separated in order to identify the data each other . now , suppose that a plurality of writes with a target device number 0 from the host cpu subject to queuing in the queue 18 . in the prior art , write data corresponding to the data control information 93 a and 93 b has different target device numbers , and can identify the data each other on the interface 14 between master and remote disk controller units and transfer the data at the same time . write data corresponding to data control information 93 c . 93 d and 93 e has the same target device number of the data control information 93 a , and cannot be transferred at the same time . the data must be sent sequentially one by one with a different timing . the transfer time is thus increased . on the other hand , when the present invention is used , the data control information 93 a and 93 b , 93 c , 93 d , and 93 e of the same target write data with a device number 0 in the queue 18 are respectively unified to other units 94 a , 94 b , 94 c and 94 d of data transmitting to the target storage system . further , a device number 0 different from the number manage system of the device number accessed from the host cpu is allocated to the unit 94 a of data transmitting to the target storage system , a device number 1 is allocated to the unit 94 b of data transmitting to the target storage system , a device number 2 is allocated to the unit 94 c of data transmitting to the target storage system , and a device number 3 is allocated to the unit 94 d of data transmitting to the target storage system . as a result , the different device numbers are allocated to the units of data transmitting to the target storage system so as to be identified each other . the units of data transmitting to the target storage system can be transferred at the same time , and can be multiplex - transferred . efficient transfer can be done as compared with the prior art . [ 0036 ] fig5 is a scheduling example to reduce overhead of data transfer . data control information 95 a , data control information 95 b , data control information 95 c , data control information 95 d , and data control information 95 e of different target write data with a device number 0 , a device number 1 , a device number 2 , a device number 3 , and a device number 4 , respectively , in the queue 18 are unified to one unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system . the unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system is transferred as a device number 0 belonging to the number manage system not dependent on ( or managed separately ) the device number when the host cpu accesses the logical volume . as a result , in the prior art , overhead ( five times in the example of fig5 ) with transfer through the channel port caused for each sending of individual data control information . by application of the present invention , the overhead can be reduced to once with transfer of the one unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system . efficient transfer can be done as compared with the prior art . as in these examples , the present invention is applied to the object so as to transfer data with changed efficient scheduling . with fig6 the operation of the remote disk controller unit 4 receiving the unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system will be described in detail . the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system divides the received unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system and a plurality pieces of data control information 91 a , 91 b and 91 c before being unified by the scheduling processing , and stores them into the cache memory 10 together with corresponding write data 10 a , 100 b and 100 c , respectively . the section 24 of writing data to disk drive writes the write data 100 a corresponding to the data control information 91 a into a device 101 a in the remote disk unit 5 specified by the target device number specified by the host cpu in the data control information 91 a asynchronous to storing to the cache memory 10 by the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system . similarly , the data control information 91 b writes the write data 100 b into a device 101 b , and the data control information 91 c writes the write data 100 c into a device 101 c . as described above , according to the controlling method not dependent on a device of this embodiment , can be unified as the unit of data transmitting to the target storage system irrespective of the device number corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 . in is possible to transfer write data having the same device number corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 as separate units of data transmitting to the target storage system , or as a unit of data transmitting to the target storage system unifying write data having different device numbers corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 . after transferring data , data can be written into a target device in the remote disk unit 5 . according to the present invention , in the process in which write data received from the host cpu is passed to the target external storage controller unit , a processing independently of the processing using the device number specified from the host cpu is done . the limitations of transferring data to the target storage subsystem can be reduced . in addition , a different number is allocated to each of a plurality of writes to a device having the same number . multiple processing can be done in transfer to the target storage subsystem . further , write data to a plurality of devices having different targets can be unified for transfer . overhead for transfer can be reduced . | 8 |
the capacity region of linear precoding without dpc or with constrained numbers of streams in multiple input multiple output ( mimo ) broadcast channels ( bcs ) has not been fully characterized . the convexity of the capacity region of mimo bc implies that every point on the boundary corresponds to a maximization of the weighted sum rate ( wsr ) for a particular weight vector . since the wsr maximization for linear precoding without dpc exhibits a non - convex optimization problem in either primal mimo bc or the dual multiple access channel ( mac ), minimization of weighted sum mean squared error ( wsmse ) may alternatively be considered . wsmse is often easier to solve than the sum rate problem when dpc is not allowed , due to available convex relaxations . although related , wsr maximization and wsmse minimization problems are not equivalent . for the case of a single - antenna receiver , there is a one - to - one mapping between the two , but finding correspondences outside of that special case is not straightforward . furthermore , for multiple receiving antennas in a multi - stream system , where each user &# 39 ; s message can be encapsulated in multiple input streams , minimizing wsmse entails using as few streams as possible , which degrades the achievable throughput . this motivates separate approaches for finding maximum wsr . the present principles provide methods and systems for addressing both maximizing wsr and minimizing wsmse under arbitrary rank constrains . the present principles provide a unified method which solves either problem , whether or not dpc is used . embodiments described herein may be entirely hardware , entirely software or including both hardware and software elements . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . embodiments may include a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . a computer - usable or computer readable medium may include any apparatus that stores , communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be magnetic , optical , electronic , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . the medium may include a computer - readable storage medium such as a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk , etc . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code may include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code to reduce the number of times code is retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) may be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same or similar elements and initially to fig1 , a mimo broadcast system 100 is shown . a base station transmitter 102 has m transmit antennas 104 and transmits independent messages to k receivers 106 . each receiver 106 has n i receiver antennas 108 , where 1 โฆ i โฆ k . the narrowband channel matrix h i 110 for each user i is a complex matrix of dimension n i ร m and the receive vector y i given by where x is a complex , m - element vector that represents the transmitted signal at the base station transmitter 102 and n i is the additive white complex gaussian noise at the receiver antennas 108 of receiver i 106 - i . a vector of independent streams may be transmitted to each receiver 106 - i . the vector is represented as u i =( u i , 1 , u i , 2 , . . . , u i , d i ) t , where d i represents the number of streams for the user i . the collection of all streams to all users forms the input vector u =( u 1 t , u 1 t , . . . , u k t ) t . the vector u is multiplied by precoder matrix 103 g =( g 1 , g 2 , . . . , g k ) at the transmitter 102 and is of dimension m ร ฯ i = 1 k d i , resulting in a vector x = gu =( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x m ) t that is broadcast through the m transmit antennas 104 . a power constraint p t at the transmitter 102 implies that trace ( gg *)โฆ p t . in a dpc scheme , the streams of the k users may be encoded at the transmitter 102 before linear precoding . the dpc allows successive precancellation of the interference seen by the users in an arbitrary order . it may be assumed that dpc is performed in descending order by user index i and that the effect of the dpc scheme is captured by writing the corresponding interference term for every achievable user rate at the receiver 106 . at each receiver antenna 108 of each receiver 106 , the received signal is contaminated with complex gaussian noise which is passed through an optimal linear minimum mean squares error filter 112 f i =( f i , 1 t , f i , 2 t , . . . , f i , d i t ) t before detection . assigning an order to the receivers 106 that matches dpc indexing , where each receiver 106 - i is able to cancel interference from all users having an index greater than i , the achievable rate r i , t for the stream u i , t is given as : r i , t โข { log ( 1 + ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g i , t ๏ 2 ฯ 2 โข ๏ f i , t ๏ 2 + โ ( p , q ) โ ( i , t ) โข ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g p , q ๏ 2 ) ฮธ = 0 log ( 1 + ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g i , t ๏ 2 ฯ 2 โข ๏ f i , t ๏ 2 + โ ( p , q ) โ ( i , t ) , p โค i โข ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g p , q ๏ 2 ) ฮธ = 1 , ( 2 ) where ฮธ = 1 denotes that dpc is used and ฮธ = 0 denotes that dpc is not used . the quantity d i determines the maximum number of streams that can be transmitted to the user i and therefore represents an upper bound on the rank of the covariance matrix associated with the i th receiver 106 transmission in the downlink . optimizing the wsr and wsmse under arbitrary rank constraints ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ) is formulated as finding the optimal transmit precoder 103 and receive filters 112 for all users that optimizes either of the considered objectives . to capture the rank constraints into the dimensions of the precoding matrices 103 and thus in the objective function , the wsr problem with a given positive weight vector ฮฑ =( ฮฑ 1 , ฮฑ 2 , . . . , ฮฑ k ) t can be written as : max g , { f i } โข โ i = 1 k โข ( ฮฑ i โข โ i = 1 d i โข r i , t ) , ( 3 ) such that trace ( gg *)โฆ p t . the wsmse minimization problem can be similarly written as : max g , { f i } โข โ i = 1 k โข ( ฮฑ i โข โ i = 1 d i โข mse i , t ) , ( 4 ) such that trace ( gg *)โฆ p t , where mse for the t th stream of user i is defined as : mse i , t = e โก ( u ^ i , t - u i , t ) 2 = ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g i , t - 1 ๏ 2 = f i , t ( i + โ ( j , s ) โ ( i , t ) โข โข h i โข g j , s โข g j , s * โข h i * ) โข f i , t * ( 5 ) where รป i , t is the estimate of u i , t at the receiver 106 - i and i is the identity matrix . using the best receiver filter 112 for a given precoder 103 g ( i . e ., an mmse filter ), the following relationship holds : max g , { f i } โข โ i = 1 k โข ( ฮฑ i โข โ i = 1 d i โข 2 - r i , t ) ( 7 ) the latter formulation of the wmse problem , shown in eq . ( 7 ), may be used to find a unified solution to both wsr and wsmse problems . hereinafter it may be assumed that p t = 1 with the effect of different power constraints in the received signal - to - noise ratio being captured by varying the value of the noise variance . equations ( 3 ) and ( 7 ) may be solved iteratively . the present principles can treat both cases , with or without dpc , and provide a solution that satisfies rank constraints . although not explicitly stated above , both formulations are considered under the rank constraint vector ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ). however , the imposition of rank constraints in wsr and wsmse takes different forms . the lower ranks are generally more desirable . in wsr , the proposed algorithm is designed to reduce the transmission ranks as much as possible and usually converges to a solution where the rank of the precoding matrices 103 are minimal , such that no further rank reduction is possible . this means that the rank constraints only serve as an upper bound on the number of transmitted streams to a different user . however , the rank constraint in the wsmse problem cannot be treated in the same way because wsmse is reduced for the least possible ranks regardless of the power . therefore , a hard constraint is imposed on the rank in the case of wsmse . as noted above , the binary variable ฮธ denotes whether dpc is used or not . similarly , the binary parameter ฯ ={ 0 , 1 } denotes whether the wsr maximization or wsmse minimization problem is being considered . for given precoding matrix g 103 and filters { f i } i = 1 k 112 , the following definitions are used : ฮพ = ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g i , t ๏ 2 ( 8 ) ฯ i , t = { ฯ 2 โข ๏ f i , t ๏ 2 + โ ( p , q ) โ ( i , t ) โข ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g p , q ๏ 2 ฯ = 0 ฯ 2 โข ๏ f i , t ๏ 2 + โ ( p , q ) โ ( i , t ) , p โค i โข ๏ f i , t โข h i โข g p , q ๏ 2 ฯ = 1 ( 9 ) ฮป i , t = { ฮฑ i โก ( 1 + ฯ i , t ฮพ i , t ) - 1 ฯ = 0 ฮฑ i โก ( 1 + ฯ i , t ฮพ i , t ) - 1 โข ฮพ i , t - 1 ฯ = 1 ( 10 ) ฮด i , t = ฯ i , t + ฯฮพ i , t ( 11 ) m i , t = h t * โข f i , t * โข f i , t โข h i ( 12 ) ฮด t = โ t = 1 d โข ฮป i , j โข ๏ f i , t ๏ 2 ( 13 ) m = ฮพ โก ( ฮฑ 1 โข โข m 1 , 1 ฮด 1 , 1 , โฆ โข , ฮฑ 1 โข โข m 1 , t ฮด 1 , t , โฆ โข , ฮฑ k โข โข m k , d k ฮด k , d k ) ( 14 ) b i = โ j & lt ; i โข โ t = 1 d j โข ฮฑ j โข ฮพ j , t โข m j , t ( ฯ j , t + ฮพ j , t ) โข ฮด j , t โข โ i , 1 โค i โค k ( 15 ) b = ฮพ โก ( b 1 , b 2 , โฆ โข , b k ) ( 16 ) where ฮพ indicates the block diagonalization operator . it should be noted that the values of eqs 8 - 16 are intermediate steps and do not necessarily have physical interpretations . the first order optimality conditions for both equations ( 3 ) and ( 7 ) is equivalent to : g = mat โข { ( m + ฮธ โข โข b ) ร vec โก ( g ) } ฯ 2 โก ( โ i = 1 k โข ฮด i ) โข i + โ i , t โข ฮป i , t โข m i , t ( 17 ) f i = g i * โข h * ฯ 2 + hgg * โข h * - ฮธ โข โข h โก ( โ j = i + 1 k โข g i โข g i * ) โข h * ( 18 ) where vec (.) is a vector operator which stacks the columns of a matrix into a single vector and mat (.) is the inverse operator of vec (.) with preserved sizing , such that mat ( vec ( x ))= x . it is worth noting that the implicit derivation expression for the transmit precoding matrix g 103 may be obtained by setting the derivative with respect to g to zero in the form g = f ( g ) as in eq . ( 17 ), such that the convergence of an iterative method to find the fixed point of a transformation f ( g ) highly depends on the form of the decomposition . it should further be noted that the optimality condition found for the received filters 112 found through first order optimality conditions ( e . g ., f i in eq . ( 18 )) is the mmse filter for the i th user , which is an assumption in the wsmse formulation . the above derivations are obtained for wsr maximization and wsmse minimization using the explicit binary parameter ฯ . considering that the original problems are non - convex , particularly due to the presence of rank constraints , the proposed principles attempt to converge to a karush - kuhn - tucker ( kkt ) point that would be a local optimum . in truth , the problems exhibit more than one local optimum , but simulation results show that only a few such optima usually exist . in particular , it is possible in most cases to obtain global optimal solutions , where optimality can be verified through other means . for example , in the case of only one receive antenna 108 , the boundary of the achievable rate region can be obtained precisely through uplink / downlink duality . another exemplary case is when there is no rank constraint and dpc is used . in this case , the optimal point for the wsr maximization problem can be obtained for the dual uplink problem and the solution reached by the present principles also gives the exact same points . referring now to fig2 , a block / flow diagram showing precoder design for wsr maximization or wsmse minimization , with or without dpc . as input 202 , channel matrices h i are provided , with a norm threshold ฮต & gt ; 0 and a termination criterion ฮต 1 & gt ; 0 . a weight vector ฮฑ and upper bounds ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ) are also provided . furthermore , binary variables ฮธ and ฯ are set to specify what problem is to be solved and whether dpc is used . the precoder g 103 begins as a random fill of maximum allowable size having all non - zero columns . if , in the wsr maximization problem one of the columns of the precoder matrix becomes significantly small , that column is removed from g and the rank d i is decremented . user indices are permuted 204 such that the weight vector is ordered , ฮฑ 1 โฆ ฮฑ 2 โฆ . . . โฆ ฮฑ k . a loop then begins , determining whether ฮดg has dropped below the termination criterion 206 ( with ฮดg being initialized to a suitable value greater than the threshold criterion ). a first nested loop begins over all users i at block 208 . for each user , a second nested loop begins over the user &# 39 ; s streams t at block 210 . the quantities ฮถ i , t , ฮพ i , t , ฮป i , t , and m i , t are updated using equations ( 8 ) through ( 12 ) in order at block 212 . the next stream is selected by incrementing t at block 214 and processing returns to block 210 . after all streams have been processed , the quantities ฮด i and b i are updated for the user using equations ( 13 ) and ( 15 ) at block 216 . the next user is selected by incrementing i at block 216 and processing returns to block 208 . once all users have been processed , the quantities m and b are updated using equations 14 and 16 at block 218 . a new g is then calculated using equation ( 17 ), with ฮดg being set to the difference between the new g and the old g . g is then normalized at block 222 by g = g /โ{ square root over ( trace ( g * g ))}. the filters f i are updated using equation ( 18 ) in block 224 . if wsr maximization is being performed ( i . e ., if ฯ = 0 ), block 226 begins rank reduction 228 . rank reduction 228 finds all users i having streams t such that โฅ g i , t โฅ 2 & lt ; ฮต . for each such user and stream , g i , t is removed from g and the rank of user i is decremented . the above process produces an optimal precoder 103 . the intermediate steps in updating equations 13 - 16 allow for the generation of the optimal precoder 103 but have no important physical meaning on their own . one issue that arises when using dpc ( ฮธ = 1 ) is user ordering . as noted above , block 204 permutes the user indices such that the weight vector ฮฑ is arranged in order of increasing magnitude . however , dpc assumes a specific user ordering , where encoding order of the users plays a role in maximizing the wsr when dpc is allowed . invoking uplink / downlink duality , it is known that a user encoding order of descending order by weight should be used in order to achieve the highest wsr in downlink using dpc . in other words , if ฮฑ i & lt ; ฮฑ j then the message for user i is to be encoded after user j . this result is for the case where there is no rank constraint on the covariance matrices of the transmitted vectors . it is not immediately clear what the optimal user ordering is when the number of transmitted streams is constrained . however , it can be shown that , under any set of upper bounds for the number of streams , the optimal ordering for dpc is still given by the weight vector ฮฑ , regardless of the channels . this can be shown by noting that , for any set of covariance matrices having an expectation value of ฯ i = ex i x * i in the broadcast channel , there is a transformation { ฯ i } i = 1 k ={ p i } i = 1 k that results in a set of covariance matrices in the dual mac network ( with the channels transposed ). this means that the achievable rate vector in the broadcast channel using { ฯ i } i = 1 k and a given encoding order ฯ is equal to the achievable rate vector in the mac using { p i } i = 1 k and the decoding order opposite of ฯ . in addition , the given transformation has the property that ฯ i = 1 k trace ( ฯ i )= trace ( p i ). also , the ranks of the mac and broadcast channel covariance matrices is invariant over the transformation between the two . therefore the rank - constrained wsr maximization in downlink broadcast channel arrangements is equal to the rank - constrained wsr maximization problem in the uplink . this produces the following maximization problem : max ฯ , { p } i = 1 k โข โ i = 1 k โข ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i ) โข log โข ๏ i + โ j = 1 k โข h ฯ โก ( j ) * โข p ฯ โก ( j ) โข h ฯ โก ( j ) ๏ ๏ i + โ j = 1 + 1 k โข h ฯ โก ( j ) * โข p ฯ โก ( j ) โข h ฯ โก ( j ) ๏ , ( 19 ) such that p i โง 0 , rank ( p i )โฆ d i โ i 1 โฆ i โฆ k , and given the objective function in eq . ( 19 ) and given p i &# 39 ; s satisfying constrains , the optimum decoding order ฯ is the one for which ฮฑ ฯ ( 1 ) โฆ ฮฑ ฯ ( 2 ) โฆ . . . โฆ ฮฑ ฯ ( k ) . this is because if , for some i , ฮฑ ฯ ( i ) & gt ; ฮฑ ฯ ( i + 1 ) , then the objective function in ( 19 ) will increase by swapping the decoding order of i and i + 1 . let b i = i + ฯ j = 1 k h * ฯ ( j + 1 ) p ฯ ( j + 1 ) h ฯ ( j + 1 ) and b โฒ i + 1 = b 1 โ h * ฯ ( j + 1 ) p ฯ ( j + 1 ) h ฯ ( j + 1 ) for all 1 โฆ i โฆ k . this produces : ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i ) โข log โข ๏ b i ๏ ๏ b i + 1 ๏ + ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i + 1 ) โข log โข ๏ b i + 1 ๏ ๏ b i + 2 ๏ - ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i + 1 ) โข log โข ๏ b i ๏ ๏ b i + 1 ๏ - ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i ) โข log โข ๏ b i + 1 ๏ ๏ b i + 2 ๏ = ( ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i ) - ฮฑ ฯ โก ( i + 1 ) ) โข ( log โข ๏ b i โข b i + 2 ๏ ๏ b i + 1 โข b i + 1 โฒ ๏ ) โค 0 . ( 20 ) equation ( 20 ) holds because b i + 1 b โฒ i + 1 b i b i + 2 0 . simulations show the benefits to transmission rates using the present principles . in an exemplary test embodiment having four transmit antennas 104 and two receivers 106 , each having three receiver antennas 108 , the channel matrices h i 110 employed were : h 1 = [ 2 . 84 โข โ
- 1 . 7 โข โข i 2 . 22 โข โ
1 . 9 โข โข i 0 . 68 โข โ
- 2 . 4 โข โข i 2 . 14 โข โ
1 . 7 โข โข i 2 . 14 โข โ
- 2 . 7 โข โข i 0 . 68 โข โ
- 3 . 0 โข โข i 0 . 75 โข โ
- 0 . 9 โข โข i 0 . 48 โข โ
1 . 6 โข i 2 . 24 โข โ
3 . 0 โข โข i 0 . 75 โข โ
- 0 . 8 โข โข i 1 . 07 โข โ
2 . 7 โข โข i 1 . 45 โข โ
1 . 9 โข โข i ] โข โข h 2 = [ 3 . 67 โข โ
3 . 0 โข โข i 1 . 77 โข โ
0 . 7 โข โข i 4 . 25 โข โ
2 . 1 โข โข i 1 . 09 โข โ
0 . 0 โข โข i 3 . 36 โข โ
3 . 0 โข โข i 2 . 14 โข โ
- 1 . 6 โข โข i 2 . 70 โข โ
- 1 . 0 โข โข i 2 . 52 โข โ
0 . 5 โข i 2 . 90 โข โ
1 . 9 โข โข i 1 . 98 โข โ
- 2 . 8 โข โข i 4 . 84 โข โ
0 . 4 โข โข i 0 . 28 โข โ
- 0 . 3 โข i ] ( 21 ) a weighting vector of ฮฑ =[ 2 , 1 ] is used for the wsr problem . comparing the present principles , with and without dpc , to prior art techniques , shows a substantial increase in achievable rate . this increase is even more marked in systems with greater numbers of users 106 and receiver antennas 108 . referring now to fig3 , more detail on precoder module 103 is shown . a processor 302 has access to memory 304 , which may be , e . g ., volatile memory such as ram , nonvolatile solid state memory such as flash memory , or hard drives . the processor communicates with a user update module 306 , a precoder update module 310 , a filter update module 312 , and a rank reduction module 314 . the user update module updates precoder information for each user and includes a stream update module 308 to update each user &# 39 ; s individual streams . the precoder update module uses the information from user update module 306 to update the precoder to produce an optimal precoder matrix . the filter update module 312 generates minimum mean squares error filters that may be communicated to the receivers 106 for use in filters 112 . alternatively , the receiver filters 112 may independently perform filter updates , as it may be assumed that the channel information is known to all parties . the rank reduction module 314 removes columns from the precoder matrix having a norm below a rank threshold if wsr maximization is used . having described preferred embodiments of a system and method of linear precoding in mimo broadcast channels with arbitrary rank constraints ( 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 disclosed which are within the scope of the invention as outlined by the appended claims . having thus described aspects of 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 . | 7 |
according to an example of embodiment and referring to the appended drawings , a measuring device according to the invention comprises essentially a plate 1 rotatable about an axis 3 and with which is associated a system of measurement 4 arranged laterally opposite the edge 5 of the plate 1 . the latter is provided in proximity to its periphery with regularly spaced vertical sockets 6 parallel with the axis 3 , which sockets are intended to receive small tubes 7 filled with the sample to be analysed . at 8 in fig1 is diagrammatically shown a unit for the distribution of receptacles or small tubes 7 , which unit is secured to the supporting plate 9 forming the frame of the apparatus . each vertical socket 6 of the plate 1 opens onto the lateral face or edge 5 of the plate through the medium of an outwardly flared , frusto - conical orifice 10 coinciding with the axis of the system of measurement 4 which , here , is a photomultiplier 11 , so that the said orifice 10 is located in proximity to the cathode 11a of the latter and completely encompasses the said cathode in its solid angle . each socket 6 also opens at 12 onto the upper portion 1a of the plate 1 and also onto the lower portion 1b of the plate 1 through the medium of an annular groove 13 the upper portion 13a of which is semi - toric in shape . as seen clearly in fig2 a system 14 for the injection of reactant into the tubes 7 containing the sample is rigidly connected to the frame 9 through the medium of a general support 15 and is adjustable in height with respect to the latter by means of a lock screw 16 . the system 14 overhangs the orifice 12 of the upper portion 1a of the plate 1 and is composed of needle support 17 provided at its upper portion with a seal 18 mounted on a bearing washer 19 and tightly held by a cover 20 . the elements 18 , 19 and 20 are drilled to allow the passage of a reactant injecting needle 21 the lower portion of which is guided by a narrowed portion 22 of the needle support 17 . the needle 21 is supplied with reactant by appropriate injection means such as for example a syringe actuated by a piston , and shown diagrammatically at 23 in fig1 . the means 23 are rigidly assembled to the frame 9 and connected to the needle 21 through a tube or the like 24 which is deformable and opaque to light , which tube is seen in all three figures . there will now be described one of the essential characterizing features of the invention , which consists in providing displaceable light - tight means between the photomultiplier 11 and the lateral periphery 5 of the plate 1 as well as on the upper face 1a of the plate 1 between this face and the reactant injection system 14 , as also on the lower face 1a of the plate 1 , i . e ., at the lower portion of the socket 6 for the tubes 7 . as will be seen , all these light - tight means advantageously allow the measuring cell constituted by the association of the photomultiplier 11 with any one of the sockets 6 to function in complete darkness for effecting the measurement of the luminescence reaction under ideal conditions . to this end , the said light - tight means are essentially constituted by three seals which will not be described in detail . a first flat seal 25 is provided between the photomultiplier 11 and the peripheral face 5 of the turning plate 1 . the flat seal 25 is secured to a seal support 26 extending in prolongation of a sheath or the like 27 containing a photomultiplier 11 . at 28 in fig2 is seen an antimagnetic sleeve interposed between the sheath 27 and the photomultiplier 11 . it will also be noted here that the photomultiplier assembly is connected to the frame 9 through the medium of spacers 29 and that the photomultiplier 11 and its associated antimagnetic sleeve are maintained by two o - rings 30 , 31 , respectively , tightly held by a rear plate 32 and the seal support 26 . on the seal support 26 is slidingly mounted a ring 33 adapted to bear upon the flat seal 25 so as to keep it in direct contact with the lateral face 5 of the turning plate 1 when the latter is stopped . this applied position of the flat seal 25 appears clearly in fig2 it being understood that when the said seal is not acted upon by the ring 33 , it remains out of contact with the face 5 of the turning plate . as appears clearly in fig1 and 2 , the ring 33 is actuated by bars or the like 34 operated by a power cylinder 35 and connected by screws 36 to the ring 33 . more specifically and as clearly seen in fig1 the bars 34 are hingedly connected at one of their ends at 80 to a stationary portion 81 secured to the frame 9 , whereas the other end of the bars 34 is hingedly connected at 82 to the rod 35a of the power cylinder 35 secured at 83 to the frame 9 . it will also be noted here that the screws 36 are preferably screwed into the crossbars 34 and have a teat - shaped end freely entering an opening 33a of the ring 33 , thus providing a hinged connection of the bars 34 with the said ring . between the end of the reactant injection system 14 and the upper surface 1a of the plate 1 is provided a second flat seal 37 tightly mounted in a groove 38 provided at the said end of the injection system 14 . like the first flat seal 25 , the second flat seal 37 at rest is out of contact with the upper surface 1a of the plate 1 ( fig3 ), but it can come into contact with the said surface owing to another bearing ring 39 externally concentric with the needle support 17 . this ring is rigidly connected to a cross - member 40 , the vertical actuation of which allowing the ring 39 to apply the seal 37 to the upper face 1a of the plate will be described later . a third seal is provided at the bottom of the socket 6 . this third seal shown at 41 is rigidly connected to a seal support forming a cradle 42 which is secured to a cross - member 43 which can be actuated vertically , as will be described later . this third seal 41 constitutes an o - ring portion the upper profile of while displays a semi - toric shape corresponding to the semi - toric shape 13a of the groove 13 . it will be noted here that in the position of rest , the third seal 41 has no contact with the plate 1 , whereas when the plate 1 is stopped the said seal bears upon the semi - toric shape 13a of the groove 13 to thus ensure light - tightness . the cross - members 40 and 43 controlling the light - tightness at the upper portion 1 and at the lower portion 1b , respectively , of the plate 1 pertain to a movable assembly represented in fig3 and comprising two sets 50 and 60 of movable cross - members actuated by one and the same power cylinder 70 , as will now be described in detail . each set 50 , 60 of movable cross - members is slidingly mounted in guiding sleeves 51 and 61 rigidly connected to the general support 15 and therefore to the frame 9 . more specifically , the set of cross - members 50 comprises the lower cross - member 43 and an upper cross - member 52 coupled by spacers 53 sliding in the sleeves 51 . the other set 60 of cross - members is made up of the lower cross - member 40 and an upper cross - member 62 coupled by spacers 63 sliding in sleeves 61 . at 64 are shown bars secured to the upper cross - member 62 and sliding at 65 in the orifices of a small spacer 67 between the guiding sleeves 61 . around each bar 64 is provided a spring 66 which urges upwardly the set 60 of cross - members 62 , 40 . there is also provided a spring 54 around the spacers 53 between the lower cross - member 43 and the stationary support 15 , so as to constantly urge the set 50 of cross - members 43 , 52 downwardly . the body 71 of the vertical power cylinder 70 is secured to the cross - member 52 , whereas the rod 72 of this power cylinder is secured to the cross - member 62 . it is therefore understood that in the maximum spaced - apart position of the cross - members 40 and 43 under the action of the springs 66 and 54 corresponds a position of the seals 37 and 41 which is normal , i . e . the said seals are not applied to the turning plate 1 , as seen clearly in fig3 . on the contrary , when the power cylinder 70 is actuated , its rod 72 pushes the assembly 60 and therefore the ring 39 carried by the lower cross - member 40 against the seal 37 which will thus be tightly applied against the upper face 1a of the plate 1 , and at that moment , as a result of the reaction , the movable assembly 50 will rise against the action of the springs 54 to apply the semi - toric seal 41 against the bottom of the sockets 6 containing the sample support tube 7 . in other words , the combination of the descending and ascending movements of sub - assemblies 60 and 50 will ensure an almost simultaneous light - tightness on both sides of the turning plate 1 in the region of the socket 6 . at 73 in fig3 is shown a pin for locking the movable plate 1 , which pin is rigidly connected to the lower cross - member 40 and can enter a socket 6a adjacent to the socket 6 containing a sample ready to be analysed . the lower cross - member 43 carries a seal abutment 74 provided with a hole 75 vertically coinciding with a corresponding hole 76 provided in the said cross - member and allowing the discharge of the tubes 6 after their passage through the measuring cell . as seen in fig1 and 3 , the turning plate 1 is provided with a circular rail 77 arranged in an annular groove 13 provided at the lower portion 1b of the said plate . the rail 77 is not in contact with the plate 1 and is provided between the assembly 8 for the distribution of the receptacles 7 and the immediate upstream region of the toric portion of the seal 41 , thus allowing the receptacles or the tubes 7 to be retained within the sockets 6 . it will also be added here that the assembly 8 for the distribution of the receptacles 7 is connected upstream to a supply system ( not shown ) which supplies the receptacles one by one , the latter being of course transparent and advantageously in the shape of small testing tubes which are presented with their opening directed upwardly . it is of course understood that the distributing assembly may be designed by any appropriate means . there will now be described the operation of the device of the invention in the light of the foregoing description . the plate 1 is driven in rotation in the direction of the arrow seen in fig1 by any appropriate means , such as for example an electric motor and a coupling ( not shown ). when the seals 25 , 37 and 41 are at rest , as seen in fig3 the coupling drives the motor which rotates the plate permanently . when the plate reaches a suitable stopped position , i . e ., when a socket 6 is in a position of coaxial alignment with the needle 21 and therefore with the photomultiplier 11 , a detector ( not shown ) ensures the uncoupling of the plate , thus causing the latter to stop . the power cylinder 70 is immediately actuated , thus ensuring the locking of the plate 1 in a suitable position through the medium of the pin 73 which enters the upper portion of a socket 6a . as a result , power cylinder 70 produces a double and reversed displacement of the sub - assemblies 60 and 50 , as explained previously , so that the bearing ring 39 presses the seal 37 against the upper surface 1a of the plate and the cross - member 43 presses the toric portion of the seal 41 against the semi - toric shape 13a of the annular groove 13 . in short , the double movement of the sub - assemblies 60 and 50 ensures absolute light - tightness at the upper and lower ends of the socket 6 containing the sample to be analysed . simultaneously , the power cylinder 35 actuates the transverse bars 34 so as to compress the flat seal 25 by means of the bearing ring 33 , thus ensuring the light - tightness of the lateral face of the measuring cell . the conditions for proper analysis of the luminescence are thus ensured , but it should be noted here that the analysis takes place only if the cell contains a tube 70 loaded with a sample to be analysed . to this end , the injection assembly 23 is actuated and supplies through the tube 24 and the needle 21 an accurate amount of reactant into the tubes 7 . thereafter the bioluminescent reaction will develop within the sample contained in the tubes 7 and the light emitted by the reaction passes through the frusto - conical aperture 10 to energize the cathode 11a of the photomultiplier 11 , whose signal will be amplified and treated by an appropriate electronic system ( not shown ). when the measurement is completed , the power cylinders 70 and 35 are actuated in the opposite direction to release the seals 37 , 41 and 25 and also disengage the lock pin 73 . the coupling is again energized and the plate 1 begins rotating until the next socket 6 reaches a position suitable for a further stoppage . at the same time , the socket 6a which contained the receptacle 7 having been subjected to a measurement then stops in a vertically coinciding position with respect to the orifices 75 and 76 , thus allowing automatic discharge by simple gravity of the receptacle 7 since the circular rail 77 is interrupted at that level ( fig3 ). there is therefore obtained according to the invention an entirely automated device allowing measuring cells completely tight to external light to be obtained , such cells being obtained successively and almost instantaneously , since the transfer which consists in untightening the sealing system , in passing to the following socket and in tightening the sealing system lasts only a few seconds . it is therefore understood that the invention allows measurements to be effected successively at a high rate and with the highest possible accuracy and reliability . of course , the invention is by no means limited to the form of embodiment described and illustrated which has been given by way of example only . thus , for example , without departing from the scope of the invention , use can be made of any number of power cylinders to obtain the light - tightness according to the principles of the invention . also , other accessories can be used , such as for example obturators placed before the aperture of the photomultiplier . the invention , therefore , comprises all technical means equivalent to the means described as well as their combinations , should the latter be carried out according to its gist and used within the scope of protection claimed . | 8 |
fig1 - 19 and the following description depict specific exemplary embodiments of the invention to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the invention . for the purpose of teaching inventive principles , some conventional aspects of the invention have been simplified or omitted . those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention . as a result , the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below , but only by the claims and their equivalents . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a method 100 of fabricating a read element of a magnetic recording head in an exemplary embodiment of the invention . fig2 - 18 illustrate the results of the steps of method 100 to fabricate a read element 200 in exemplary embodiments of the invention . method 100 is just one example of how to fabricate a read element , as other methods may be performed in other embodiments to fabricate read element 200 . step 102 comprises forming a first shield 202 ( see fig2 ). fig2 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with first shield 202 formed according to step 102 . first shield 202 may be formed by depositing electrically conductive material , such as nife , full - film on a substrate ( not shown ) and plagiarizing the top surface of the conductive material . step 104 of fig1 comprises depositing magnetoresistance ( mr ) material on the first shield 202 . depositing mr material is a multi - layer deposition process for depositing a pinning layer , a pinned layer , a spacer / barrier layer , a free layer , etc . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with mr material 302 deposited according to step 104 . step 106 of fig1 comprises patterning a first photoresist on mr material 302 to define a stripe height of an mr sensor . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with first photoresist 402 patterned according to step 106 . step 108 of fig1 comprises performing an ion milling process , or another type of removal process , to remove the mr material 302 exposed by photoresist 402 . fig5 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the ion milling process of step 108 . step 110 of fig1 comprises depositing refill material . refill material comprises some type of insulating material , such as alumina . fig6 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with refill material 602 deposited according to step 110 . step 112 of fig1 comprises removing the first photoresist 402 . photoresist 402 may be removed with a chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) assisted lift - off process . fig7 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with photoresist 402 removed according to step 112 . the removal of photoresist 402 also removes the refill material 602 deposited on top of photoresist 402 , which exposes mr material 302 . step 114 of fig1 comprises depositing a cmp stop layer on the top surface of the mr material 302 and the refill material 602 . the cmp stop layer may be comprised of a diamond - like carbon ( dlc ) material or another type of material . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with cmp stop layer 802 deposited according to step 114 . step 116 of fig1 comprises depositing a bottom anti - reflective coating ( barc ) layer on the cmp stop layer 802 . the barc layer may be comprised of durimide ยฎ or another type of material . fig9 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with barc layer 902 deposited according to step 116 . step 118 of fig1 comprises patterning a second photoresist on the barc layer 902 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with a second photoresist 1002 patterned according to step 118 . the second photoresist 1002 is patterned with openings that are used to define the track width of the mr sensor . step 120 of fig1 comprises performing a reactive ion etching ( rie ) process to remove the barc layer 902 and the cmp stop layer 802 exposed by the second photoresist 1002 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the rie process of step 120 . step 122 of fig1 comprises performing an ion milling process , or another type of removal process , to remove the mr material 302 exposed by photoresist 1002 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the ion milling process of step 122 . after the ion milling process , the mr sensor 1202 is defined in read element 200 from the mr material 302 . the milling process also removes the second photoresist 1002 . step 124 of fig1 comprises depositing an insulation layer on the second photoresist 1002 and on side regions of mr sensor 1202 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with insulation layer 1302 deposited according to step 124 . insulation layer 1302 may comprise an alumina material that is formed using an atomic layer deposition ( ald ) process . insulating layer 1302 may be deposited to have a thickness less than about 80 รฅ ( e . g ., in the range of 20 รฅ to 80 รฅ ). step 126 of fig1 comprises depositing hard bias material on the insulation layer 1302 . the hard bias material is used to form hard bias magnets on side regions of mr sensor 1202 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with hard bias material 1402 deposited according to step 126 . the hard bias material 1402 is used to longitudinally bias a free layer ( not shown ) in mr element 1202 . the hard bias material 1402 may be deposited in step 126 by depositing multiple layers of material . for instance , a first seed layer of nita or a similar material may be deposited , with a second seed layer of a non - magnetic cr alloy ( e . g ., crmo ) deposited on the first seed layer . the hard bias magnetic layer of a magnetic material ( e . g ., copt or coptcr ) may then be deposited on the seed layers . the hard bias material may be formed with other materials in other embodiments . in step 126 , the hard bias material 1402 is deposited to a threshold thickness so that a height of the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 is less than the height of cmp stop layer 802 . in other words , the threshold thickness of the hard bias material 1402 should be such that the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 should be below the cmp stop layer 802 so that a subsequently - performed cmp process does not polish the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 . step 128 of fig1 comprises depositing a sacrificial layer on the hard bias material 1402 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with sacrificial layer 1502 deposited according to step 128 . sacrificial layer 1502 is formed from any material that has a good polishing rate . sacrificial layer 1502 may be formed with a material that is already used in the read element 200 so that a new material does not need to be introduced into the fabrication stations . for example , cr or crmo may be used as sacrificial layer 1502 in addition to being used as a seed layer for the hard bias magnets . step 130 of fig1 comprises performing a cmp process down to cmp stop layer 802 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the cmp process of step 130 . the cmp process removes the barc layer 902 and planarizes the top surface of sacrificial layer 1502 . after the cmp process , hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 are formed on each side of mr sensor 1202 from the hard bias material 1502 . during cmp , the sacrificial layer 1502 is in direct contact with the cmp pads , and not the hard bias material 1402 . therefore , the thickness of the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 is defined by the deposition process of step 126 , and is not defined by the cmp process of step 130 . the cmp process only reduces the thickness of the sacrificial layer 1502 , and does not reduce the thickness of hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 . any variations in the cmp process only affect the sacrificial layer 1502 and do not affect the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 . as a result , the magnetic performance of the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 is not affected by the cmp process . the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 on each side of mr sensor 1202 will thus have substantially uniform effective magnetic fields , which advantageously lead to improved stability in read element 200 . step 132 of fig1 comprises performing a reactive ion etching ( rie ) process to remove the cmp stop layer 802 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the rie process of step 132 . step 134 of fig1 comprises forming a second shield . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with second shield 1802 formed according to step 134 . fig1 thus illustrates a completed read element 200 fabricated according to method 100 . read element 200 may comprise a gmr element , a tmr element , or cpp gmr element . read element 200 as illustrated in fig1 may be implemented in a magnetic disk drive system . fig1 illustrates a magnetic disk drive system 1900 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention . magnetic disk drive system 1900 includes a spindle 1902 , a magnetic recording disk 1904 , a motor controller 1906 , an actuator 1908 , an actuator / suspension arm 1910 , and a recording head 1914 . spindle 1902 supports and rotates magnetic recording disk 1904 in the direction indicated by the arrow . a spindle motor ( not shown ) rotates spindle 1902 according to control signals from motor controller 1906 . recording head 1914 is supported by actuator / suspension arm 1910 . actuator / suspension arm 1910 is connected to actuator 1908 that is configured to rotate in order to position recording head 1914 over a desired track of magnetic recording disk 1904 . magnetic disk drive system 1900 may include other devices , components , or systems not shown in fig1 . for instance , a plurality of magnetic disks , actuators , actuator / suspension arms , and recording heads may be used . when magnetic recording disk 1904 rotates , an air flow generated by the rotation of magnetic disk 1904 causes an air bearing surface ( abs ) of recording head 1914 to ride on a cushion of air at a particular height above magnetic disk 1904 . the height depends on the shape of the abs . as recording head 1914 rides on the cushion of air , actuator 1908 moves actuator / suspension arm 1910 to position a read element ( not shown ) and a write element ( not shown ) in recording head 1914 over selected tracks of magnetic recording disk 1904 . the read element in recording head 1914 may comprise a read element 200 ( see fig1 ) as described herein in the above figs . although specific embodiments were described herein , the scope of the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments . the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof . | 1 |
referring to fig2 , the primary components of the present invention are a service switching point 200 provisioned with an incoming trigger 202 and an outgoing trigger 204 , a service node 206 in communication with service switching point 200 , and a service control point 208 in communication with service switching point 200 through a signaling transfer point 210 . to provide a complete call flow architecture , the present description further includes a caller 212 in communication with a caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 , a subscriber 216 in communication with a subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 , and a forwarding destination 220 in communication with a forwarding service switching point 222 . caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 is in communication with subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 and , through signaling transfer point 210 , with service control point 208 . forwarding service switching point 222 is in communication with service switching point 200 . as contemplated by the present invention , service node 206 is outside the local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s network and , as such , may not receive private call information . to comply with this federal regulation , the present invention uses incoming trigger 202 to remove and store the private information before the call leaves the network to go to service node 206 , and restores the private call information to the call when the call hits outgoing call 204 on its way back into the network . the present invention is based on a service node - type architecture and can be applied to any enhanced service that requires a service node or similar device for call routing or processing . as used in the specification and in the claims , service nodes include all similar devices that perform the functions described herein including , for example , personal computers with integrated services digital network basic rate interfaces . fig2 illustrates an architecture representative of the present invention . although fig2 depicts a separate service switching point for each subscriber number and service node , one skilled in the art would understand that each component could be connected to the same service switching point . further , the service node could be connected to one or more service switching points . in addition , although fig2 shows one service node providing the enhanced service , one or more service nodes with one or more enhanced services could provide several out - of - network enhanced call processing services . turning to the individual components , service node 206 is associated with an enhanced service provider that is outside the local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s network , the boundary of which is represented by the dotted line 228 in fig2 . the enhanced service provider could be any call processing service that supplements a local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s available call plan , such as voicemail or single number service . service switching point 200 , with its incoming trigger 202 and outgoing trigger 204 , acts as a gatekeeper within the network , preventing private call information from exiting the network . upon receiving a call to service node 206 , incoming trigger 202 queries service control point 208 to remove and store private call information . once service node 206 has completed call processing and has placed an outgoing call , outgoing trigger 204 queries service control point 208 to restore the private call information . service control point 208 receives queries from subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 and service switching point 200 . in response , service control point 208 determines the services applicable to each call and issues corresponding call routing instructions to the service switching points . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , service control point 208 is provisioned with a service package application ( spa ) 224 and a database 226 . service package application 224 is a computer program that directs the actions of service control point 208 to provide the functions of the present invention . database 226 is an organized and structured data collection in which service control point 208 stores call information . preferably , the call information includes call data such as the calling number , the called number , the privacy indicator of the calling number , and a transaction identification . caller 212 and subscriber 216 are any telephony devices , e . g ., telephones or facsimile equipment that are capable of initiating and receiving telephone calls . in the context of the present invention , subscriber 216 does not receive a telephone call because the trigger provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 redirects the calls to service node 206 . finally , subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is any destination that may need to know the calling party information , i . e ., the telephone number of caller 212 . subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 could be a telephony device or , perhaps , another call service that further processes the call . however , to provide a simple illustration of the present invention , the preferred embodiment of subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is a standard telephone with a caller id display . thus , in this preferred embodiment , for the caller id service to operate properly , the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 must receive the calling party information and the associated privacy indicator , so that the caller id display shows the telephone number of caller 212 if the call is not private , โ private โ if the call is private , or โ unavailable โ if the originating or intermediate network is unable to deliver the calling party information ( e . g ., if the call originates from private branch exchange equipment or from within a network that does not support ss7 signaling ). fig2 and 3 illustrate the call flow of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is schematic of the system architecture showing calls , queries , and responses between the system components . ( although the queries and responses are not shown between the signaling transfer point 210 and service control point 206 for clarity , one skilled in the art would understand that the queries reach service control point 208 via signaling transfer point 210 and that the responses originate from service control point 208 and flow through signaling transfer point 210 .) fig3 is a flowchart that corresponds to fig2 and summarizes the steps of the method of the present invention . although the present invention is applicable to any situation in which an out - of - network service node processes a call , the schematic of fig2 and the flowchart of fig3 trace the operation of the present invention in the context of call forwarding . while the method described herein and illustrated in the figures contains many specific examples of call flow steps , these steps should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as examples of call flow steps that could be used to practice the invention . as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , many other variations on the system operation are possible , including differently grouped and ordered method steps . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated , but by the appended claims and their equivalents . as fig3 shows , in step 300 caller 212 dials the telephone number of subscriber 216 . in step 302 , this incoming call ( call 1 in fig2 ) flows from caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 to subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 . in step 304 , incoming call 1 activates a service trigger provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 . preferably , this service trigger is a termination attempt trigger , although other types of triggers could be used ( e . g ., public office dialing plan triggers ). the termination attempt trigger initiates a query to service control point 208 to implement the particular service to which the called party has subscribed , e . g ., simultaneous ring service , and is provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 during initiation of that service . in step 306 , subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 sends a query ( query 1 in fig2 ) via signaling transfer point 210 to service control point 208 asking for routing instructions . in step 308 , service control point 208 looks up the subscriber &# 39 ; s calling plan to determine the subscriber &# 39 ; s enhanced service and directs subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 to route call 1 to service node 206 of the enhanced service ( response 1 in fig2 ). following the directions of service control point 208 , subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 processes the incoming call 1 with service switching point 200 in step 310 . in step 312 , the incoming call 1 hits incoming trigger 202 provisioned on service switching point 200 . preferably , incoming trigger 202 is a termination attempt trigger or similar trigger that activates for all calls destined for service node 206 . activating incoming trigger 202 sends a query ( query 2 in fig2 ) to service control point 208 that includes the call information of the incoming call 1 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the call information includes data such as the calling number , the called number , the privacy indicator , and the destination number ( the telephone number associated with the trunk group of service node 206 ). the calling number and the privacy indicator are the private information , which may not be transmitted outside the network by the telephone company . in step 314 , service control point 208 stores the call information in a database table in database 226 . in addition , service control point 208 generates a transaction identification for the incoming call 1 and enters the transaction identification in the table entry with the rest of the call information . this transaction identification marks the database location at which the private information related to call 1 is stored while call 1 flows outside the network . additionally , the transaction identification may be used to provide service to a specific caller without revealing the caller &# 39 ; s identity . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the transaction identification is a series of digits long enough to distinguish between the multiple calls being concurrently processed by service control point 208 . for example , the transaction identification could be digits of the year , month , day , hour , minute , and second , followed by a string of random digits . optionally , the transaction identification could encode the identity of a caller so that the present invention could provide an enhanced service without revealing the identity of the caller to the enhanced service provider ( in compliance with regulations ). for example , with an announcement service that plays one message to friends and another message to business associates , the encoded transaction identification would mark the caller as either a friend or business associate so that the enhanced service provider could play the appropriate message . in step 316 , service control point 208 replaces the original calling number in the call 1 call information with the transaction identification , removes the privacy indicator , and instructs service switching point 200 to terminate call 1 with the modified call information to service node 206 . thus , for example , the call 1 call information โ callingnumber , callednumber , privacyindicator , destinationnumbe - r โ would be modified to โ transid , callednumber , destinationnumber โ, where the destination number is the telephone access number for service node 206 . as a result of replacing the calling number in the call information with the transaction identification , service switching point 200 will include the transaction identification in the appropriate calling number field , depending upon the type of interface between the service switching point 200 and service node 206 . for example , with an integrated services digital network basic rate interface ( isdn / bri ), service switching point 200 could include the transaction identification as part of the call setup signaling . as another example , even with a regular analog interface , service switching point 200 could include the transaction identification using touch tones generated by service switching point 200 over the interface . alternatively , in addition to the calling number field , the transaction identification could be placed in other data fields of the signaling message . instead of including the full transaction identification in the call information , an alternate embodiment of the present invention uses an abbreviated form of the transaction identification , referred to as a transaction key . the transaction key is an excerpt of the transaction identification that contains enough digits so as to correspond to only the one transaction identification without being mistakenly matched to another transaction identification . this abbreviated form accommodates signaling interfaces between service switching point 200 and service node 206 that can only handle a limited number of characters . following the instructions of service control point 208 , service switching point 200 , to which the enhanced service provider is connected , terminates the call to service node 206 in step 318 . in step 320 , service node 206 completes the call processing associated with the enhanced service , determines the corresponding forwarding destination , and places an outgoing call ( call 2 in fig2 ) to that forwarding destination . preferably , the dialing string for outgoing call 2 begins with a customized dialing plan code , e . g ., 9 , so that when the call reaches service switching point 200 it triggers a query to the service control point 208 . in this embodiment , the outgoing trigger is preferably a customized dialing plan trigger . as an example , this call information could be โ 9 , transid , forwardingdestinationnumber ,#โ, where the forwarding destination number is determined by service node 206 based on the subscriber &# 39 ; s enhanced service , and the โ#โ character delimits the end of the dialing string . alternatively , outgoing trigger 204 could be a feature code trigger . in this embodiment , the dialing string begins with the feature code , e . g ., * 9 . in step 322 , outgoing call 2 hits an outgoing trigger 204 provisioned on service switching point 200 , sending a query ( query 3 in fig2 ) to service control point 208 . query 3 includes the forwarding destination number ( as dictated by the call processing of the enhanced service provider ) and the transaction identification , as received from service control point 208 in step 316 . alternatively , instead of the full transaction identification , query 3 may include a transaction key if a transaction key was delivered in step 316 . noting the transaction identification , in step 324 , service control point 208 looks up the corresponding table entry , retrieves the calling party number and privacy indicator from the table entry in database 226 , and modifies the call information of the outgoing call to include the calling party number and privacy indicator . thus , the call information is changed from โ* 9 , transid , forwardingdestinationnumber โ to โ originalcallingnumber , privacyindicatorforwardingdestinationnumber โ. service control point 208 returns the call information to service switching point 200 with routing instructions directing the service switching point 200 to forward outgoing call 2 to the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 . finally , in step 326 , service switching point 200 sends outgoing call 2 to subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 through service switching point 222 . in this embodiment , subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is equipped with a caller id service , which can read from the call information the calling party number and privacy indicator that were restored by service control point 208 . thus , the caller id display at subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 displays the calling number if the privacy indicator is off , displays โ private โ if the privacy indicator is on , or โ unavailable โ if the originating or intermediate network is unable to deliver the calling party information . after viewing the caller id display , if the subscriber answers the telephone , service node 206 terminates call 1 to call 2 to complete the call connection , and drops out of the call . thus , only the caller and the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination are on the line , freeing service node 116 &# 39 ; s resources for future calls . in addition to the caller id service illustrated above , other call services may need to know the calling number and the privacy indicator to operate properly . to meet these services &# 39 ; needs , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , service control point 208 directs service switching point 200 to forward the calling number even if the privacy indicator is on . in this manner , downstream services within the network can use the calling number for call processing needs , yet still keep it private if the privacy indicator is on . without the restoral advantages of the present invention , out - of - network enhanced service providers could never meet the needs of downstream call services because the enhanced service providers do not receive the private information . the foregoing disclosure of embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents . | 7 |
turn now to the drawings and , initially , to fig1 which is a diagrammatic representation of an anti - icing management system 20 embodying the invention . the system 20 has application to a gas turbine engine 22 , generally of a small to medium size , and of a type normally used to power helicopters . engines of this class typically handle a mass flow of 10 pounds of air per second or less . in a customary fashion , the gas turbine engine 22 includes a compressor 24 , a combustor 26 , and an output turbine 28 . it was previously mentioned that conventional anti - icing systems for helicopter engines are exceedingly energy inefficient . three primary factors were enumerated . a first of these factors is depicted in fig2 a and presents the probability that the operation of the anti - icing system is required . as previously explained , the pilot customarily actuates a simple on - off bleed valve when encountering potential icing conditions which occur typically at ambient temperatures below 5 ยฐ c . in the presence of visible moisture , that is , a cloud . this assessment on the part of a pilot is not always correct and the graph depicted in fig2 a indicates the substantial amount of heat which is wasted as a result , specifically that area lying above a curve 30 therein . another of the factors causing inefficiency in conventional on - off anti - icing systems is depicted in fig2 b . as seen therein , the engine is designed to assure its proper operation above a critical meteorological design anti - icing point represented by a reference numeral 31 . such a point is arbitrarily , albeit intelligently , chosen , for example , an ambient temperature of minus 20 ยฐ c . since there is generally no major concern that icing will occur above 0 ยฐ c ., it will be appreciated that any heat represented as lying above a curve 32 in fig2 b will be wasted , that heat represented as lying below the curve 32 being all that is required at any given temperature . still another factor causing inefficiency of the type with which the invention is concerned is referred to as the &# 34 ; engine operating effect &# 34 ;, and is depicted in fig2 c . this means that , for a conventional on - off anti - icing system , excessive bleed energy is consumed when operating an engine above its critical anti - icing design point , which generally occurs during idle operation . a design point , represented by a reference numeral 34 , assures that 100 percent of heated air is available for anti - icing purposes when the engine is merely idling . as engine power increases , however , it will be appreciated that bleed temperature increases with the result that the gross amount of bleed air can be reduced while yet achieving the same anti - icing result . however , since conventional anti - icing systems utilized in engines within the size range with which the present invention is concerned , are operated continuously at the design point 34 , it will be appreciated , with reference to fig2 c , that all quantities of heated air represented as lying above a curve 36 in that graph is wasted and therefore detracts from the performance of the engine . while systems have been devised to enable operation along the curve 36 , they are not readily adaptable to the class of engines with which the invention is concerned without significantly adding to the cost and complexity of the engine . by way of example , the general electric model t700 is a current , successful , state - of - the - art engine which utilizes such a sophisticated system . its drawback is that the anti - icing system which it employs is a complex arrangement of mechanical actuators and linkages by means of which the fuel control operates an anti - icing valve to control the flow of anti - icing air . assembly costs are high as a result , more items are subject to failure , and frequent , time - consuming , maintenance is a necessity . table i indicates that the accumulative effect of three factors depicted in fig2 a , 2b , and 2c results in ten percent of the total bleed energy being effectively used when the engine is operating in the idle mode and only four percent of the total bleed energy being effectively used when the engine is in maximum power mode . table i______________________________________conventional engine anti - icing bleed systemsanalysis of minimum bleed consumptionfor effective anti - icing operation______________________________________system : - on / off valve , engine compressor bleedheating , fixed bleed geometrycritical design point : - ambient temperature - 20 ยฐ c . flight idle engine operation ambient temperatures______________________________________ - 5 ยฐ c . - 20 ยฐ c . ( a ) probability of encountering 40 % 10 % icing conditions in clouds *( b ) percent bleed requirement 25 % 100 % of temperature design point0 ยฐ c . - t . sub . o ( actual ) 0 ยฐ c . - t . sub . o ( design ) where t . sub . o = ambient temp . ______________________________________ engine condition flight max . idle power______________________________________ ( c ) percent bleed requirement 100 % 40 % of engine condition designpoint0 ยฐ c . - t . sub . bl ( design ) 0 ยฐ c . - t . sub . bl ( actual ) where t . sub . bl = bleed air temp . accumulative effectminimum bleed energy consump - 10 % 4 % tion for effective anti - icing ( a ) ร ( b ) ร ( c ) ______________________________________ * ottawa nrc report lr3344 , &# 34 ; review of icing detection for helicopters &# 34 ;, by j . r . stallabrass , march 1962 . high - efficiency engines are generally more sensitive to off - design operating conditions produced by anti - icing bleed operation . therefore , engine compressor bleed air for the purpose of anti - icing heating , without proper bleed management , is an inefficient method . typical performance characteristics for an advanced technology engine indicate that every one percent of compressor discharge bleed air results in penalties which include : a 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 percent specific fuel consumption ( sfc ) increase ; a 3 . 0 to 4 . 0 percent power loss ( for high power limits ); and a 1 . 0 percent increase in turbine temperature ( 25 ยฐ c . at high power ). typical anti - icing bleed requirements for a turbo - shaft engine fitted with an inlet particle separator is 2 to 3 percent . thus , engine performance penalties will be increased proportionally . return now , once again , to fig1 . the gas turbine engine 22 is provided , in customary fashion , with a pair of inlet struts 38 which support a streamlined centerbody 40 spaced from a forward extremity of an inlet cowling 42 defining an inlet 44 into the gas turbine engine 22 . the centerbody 40 is positioned immediately forward of the compressor 24 . the inlet struts 38 , the centerbody 40 , and the inlet cowling 42 define structure located at the inlet of the engine 22 which has surfaces on which ice can undesirably form . the ice can adversely effect the flow of air into the engine and , if it dislodges from the surfaces , would be drawn through the engine and can cause serious damage . as seen in fig1 the inlet struts 38 and the inlet cowling 42 define air ducting 46 therein for receiving flow therethrough of heated air to thereby prevent the formation of ice on the outer surfaces although , for purposes of simplicity , the centerbody 40 is not illustrated as being provided with such air ducting , it is within the scope of the invention for the centerbody to be so constructed as well . a passage 48 is suitably provided in the system 20 to direct flow of heated air from a discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 to the air ducting 46 within the structural elements located at the inlet 44 to the gas turbine engine 22 . each inlet strut 38 is provided with an exhaust passage 52 which may exhaust into the compressor 24 , or preferably , in some manner , completely away from the engine 22 . the exhaust passage 52 assures continuous flow of heated air from the discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 , through the passage 48 and then through the air ducting 46 . in this manner , the heated air is continuously supplied to the air ducting 46 so long as a valve 54 in the passage 48 remains open . pressure differences between the compressor discharge side 50 and the exhaust passage 52 are generally adequate to maintain flow through the passage 48 . although it has been described that the source of heated air is the discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 , it will be understood that the heated air can be taken from other suitable locations within the engine 22 . for example , compressor interstage bleed air , turbine interstage bleed air , or engine exhaust bleed air would all be appropriate for anti - icing purposes . as seen in fig1 a hot air anti - icing valve 54 is mounted in the passage 48 to intercept flow of all of a solenoid valve , such as part no . 53550 manufactured by sterer manufacturing company of los angeles , california . the valve 54 is solely operable for movement between a fully opened position , in one instance , to enable maximum flow of heated air through the passage 48 into the air ducting 46 , and a fully closed position , in another instance , to prevent any flow therethrough at all . the valve 54 is electrically responsive to a switching mechanism or operation performed by an electronic control 56 . the control 56 may be of the type commonly referred to as &# 34 ; fadec &# 34 ; ( full authority digital engine control ), one suitable control for purposes of the invention being model emc - 32 manufactured by chandler - evans corporation of hartford , conn . in accordance with the invention , the electronic control 56 is programmed to respond to some meaningful condition which can provide guidance as to whether bleed air is needed for anti - icing purposes and if so , how much bleed air is needed . one such meaningful condition is temperature of the anti - iced surfaces of the engine in the region of the inlet and positioned directly in the path of the incoming air . in this regard , a temperature sensor 58 of any suitable type , such as model 1122621 manufactured by lewis engineering of naugatuck , conn . is mounted on the outer surface of one of the struts 38 directly in the path of incoming air . the temperature sensor 58 serves to detect the temperature of the anti - iced surface on which it is mounted and generates a signal proportional thereto . while the sensor 58 is depicted as being mounted on a strut 38 , it may just as properly be mounted on the diffuser 40 or , indeed , on any forwardly facing surface directly subject to flow of air through the inlet 44 . consider a situation at which the temperature sensor 58 registers and reports to the electronic control 56 that the temperature of a surface within the inlet 44 is less than a predetermined value , typically 0 ยฐ c . the control 56 determines that flow of heated air to the air ducting 46 is necessary in order to prevent the formation of ice and begins to operate the valve 54 . the inactive or fully closed position of the valve 54 is depicted in fig3 a at which no flow of heated or bleed air through the passage 48 occurs with actuation by the control 56 , however , the valve is caused to pulsate , that is , rapidly move between the fully open and fully closed positions in a repetition manner . at this temperature ( 0 ยฐ c . ), however , it is only necessary to provide a generally low flow rate of heated air to the surfaces to be heated . hence operation of the valve depicted by pulses 60 in fig3 b having a relatively small width to pitch ( that is , distance between leading edges of adjacent pulses ) ratio is sufficient to achieve a low average flow rate as represented by a line 61 . this flow rate would be adequate to achieve the amount of heat necessary to prevent the formation of ice on the heated surfaces . however , if the temperature were moderately colder , for example , - 10 ยฐ c ., it might be necessary for the control 56 to operate the valve 54 in the manner depicted in fig3 c . in this instance , pulses 62 have a relatively large width to pitch ratio resulting in a relatively high average flow rate of heated air as represented by a line 63 . again , if the control 56 is properly programmed , the amount of heat made available to the surfaces to be protected against ice formation is sufficient for that purpose . should the temperature be substantially colder , for example , - 20 ยฐ c ., it might be necessary for the control 56 to operate the valve 54 with a pulse 64 of infinite duration , that is , in the fully on position as depicted in fig3 d . this mode of operation would continue for so long as necessary to assure maximum flow to the surfaces to be protected and prevent the formation of ice . it will be appreciated that although operation of the valve 54 may be in terms of cycles per second , the invention is also intended to cover intermittent on / off operation of the valve covering a duration of several seconds or even minutes . thus , the operation just described provides an anti - icing system with a valve that monitors the flow of heated air , not according to an area proportional opening as practical by conventional modulated valves but by means of a time proportion , that is , the time interval of a pulse during which the valve is open as compared to the total elapsed time . the valve 54 can be of simplified design , having only two operating positions . at the same time , the flow rate is infinitely variable between no flow operation and maximum flow operation depending upon the instructions transmitted by the control 56 . the effect of managing the flow of heated bleed air to the air ducting 46 by means of the electronic control 56 and pulsed solenoid valve 54 can be readily seen in fig4 . specifically , the average flow rate of heated bleed air is carefully controlled to follow a curve 64 . in this manner , only so much heated air as required , and as represented as lying below the curve 64 , is directed to the air ducting 48 , and no more . thus , the area above curve 64 in fig4 represents heated air not utilized and therefore saved . the benefits which result from this saving include improved engine performance , decreased fuel consumption , lowered turbine temperatures , and increased engine life . the operation of the electronic control 56 is also such that in the event of its failure , the valve 54 would remain open in order to assure that there would always be adequate heated air to prevent the formation of ice on the external surfaces at the inlet 44 to the engine 22 . the invention also recognizes that there are times when the pilot of an aircraft into which the system 20 has been incorporated has need to override the system . thus , as diagrammatically illustrated in fig1 an override switch 66 may be suitably mounted on the instrument panel of the aircraft to enable direct manual operation of the hot air valve 54 , moving it as necessary either to its fully open position or to its fully closed position . in another embodiment of the system 20 , as seen in fig5 an ice detector 68 may be provided to sense the presence of ice producing conditions . to this end , the ice detector may be located within the inlet 44 to the engine 22 or it may be located elsewhere on the fuselage or on an air foil of the aircraft or at some other appropriate location . an ice detector unit suitable for use with the present invention may be that known as part number 126260 manufactured by the avionics division of leigh instruments limited of carleton place , ontario , canada . as utilized in the system 20 , the ice detector 68 generates a signal in the event that it senses the presence of an ice producing condition and so informs the electronic control 56 . the control 56 then operates the valve 54 in the proper manner without regard to the signal from the temperature sensor 53 . still another embodiment of the system 20 is shown diagrammatically in fig6 . in this instance , a suitable tachometer 70 continuously informs the control 52 as to engine speed . it will be appreciated that at higher engine speeds , the bleed air from the compressor discharge is at a higher temperature than at lower speeds . thus , the same heating effect at the surfaces to be protected against ice formation can be achieved with a reduced mass flow of air . the electronic control 56 can be programmed to operate the hot air valve 54 in response to the signal from any one of the sensing devices depicted in fig6 or from a sensor ( not shown ) responsive to some other meaningful condition . the electronic control may also operate the hot air valve 54 according to an intelligent review and evaluation of all the signals received , or of some of the signals received , or of only one of the signals received . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope as described in the specification and defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 and 5 a portable foot bath is shown provided with a tub 10 fabricated of rubber or a soft plastic , such as vinyl . the tub is generally of a rectangular shape and is provided with a peripheral top edge 12 , as seen in fig2 and 5 . the top edge 12 is folded over the sides 14 of the tubs in order to conserve space in a packing carton . however , when it is desired to use the foot bath the top edge 12 is grasped by the user &# 39 ; s hands and pulled up to position shown in dotted lines in fig2 and as well as shown in fig4 and 5 . the floor 16 of the tub 10 has spaced shallow , rounded projections 18 which function as foot massaging elements . the floor of the tub also has a centrally located curved arch support 20 which is designed to massage the arch of the foot . referring now to fig2 and 4 a heater platform 24 is shown mounted on the base support 22 and has a sinuous channel 26 on the top surface of the platform . the channel 26 is provided with a rope heater 28 within the entire sinuous channel 26 in order to radiate heat throughout the floor 16 of the tub . the heater 28 is connected to a power source ( not shown ) and is provided with a thermostat 30 . the rope heater 28 is held in place by holders 32 , as seen in fig3 . a motor bracket 34 is located at the underside of heater platform 28 and is affixed to four bosses 36 projecting downward from the bottom of platform 28 by means of bolts 38 . a motor 40 having a vibrating coil 42 is affixed to the bracket 34 . located above the heater platform 24 having the rope heater 28 are a pair of spaced thin metal reflectors 44 such as aluminum foil . the reflectors 44 are connected by a smaller reflector 46 having a central opening 46 which is aligned with opening 25 in the heater platform 24 . all of the metal reflectors abut the underside of the floor of the tub 10 and function to radiate the heat generated by the rope heater throughout the floor 16 of the tub 10 . the heater platform 24 is fixed to the base platform 22 by means of bosses 48 which are placed in holes 50 in the base platform , and attached by screws 52 . non - marking rubber feet 54 cover the screw heads . the tub 10 is affixed to heater platform 24 by means of bosses 56 in tub 10 and aligned bosses 58 in platform 24 , and connected by means of screws 60 . on the underside of the floor 16 of the tub 10 is a pipe - like projection 62 which passes through an opening in the metal reflector 46 and opening 25 in heater platform 24 to engage the motor bracket 34 thus imparting vibratory motion of the motor directly to the arch support 20 . referring now to fig6 the base platform 22 is provided with compartments 62 and 64 in which compartment 62 has an opening 70 in front wall 66 of the base 22 while compartment 64 has an opening 72 in the rear wall 68 of the base . located within compartment 62 is a power cord 74 with removable remote control unit 76 . in compartment 64 a standard power cord 78 is shown which can be connected to any 110 volt ac outlet . the remote control unit 76 can be placed in the opening 70 as shown in fig5 or it may be removed from the opening , as seen in fig6 in order to operate the foot bath from a distance . this arrangement is especially desirable for people who have difficulty bending down and operating the controls since the foot bath device can be operated from a sitting or standing position . as will be seen in fig2 and 7 , the flexible sides 14 of the tub are folded over , as shown in full lines , for packing and transportation . when the foot bath is desired to be used , the sides 14 are pulled up all around the tub to the dotted line position shown in fig2 . thus the depth of the tub 10 is approximately doubled thereby permitting a higher level of water in the tub . furthermore , the vibratory , rounded projections spaced throughout the floor 16 of the tub 10 , as well as the vibrating arch support 20 , rejuvenate the soles and arches of the feet not only in warm water but in dry heat as well . fig7 shows another embodiment of the present invention wherein the flexible sides 80 are accordion shaped so that tub 10 can be packed and shipped in a collapsed condition , as seen in full lines , or the accordion sides 80a can be pulled up to the enlarged tub position for use , as seen in dotted lines . while the invention has been disclosed and described with reference to several embodiments it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein , and it is intended that the following claims cover each such variation and modification as falls within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | 0 |
referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 through 4 , one form of the protective cover of the present invention for use with a stove top of the character shown in fig1 is there illustrated . the protective cover is suitable for use with a wide variety of both electric and gas stoves of the character having at least two burner locations such as burner locations 12 ( fig1 ), which locations are surrounded by a generally , planar smooth stove top surface 13 . one form of the protective cover is also suitable for use with a stove top having a griddle portion of the character generally designated in fig1 by the numeral 15 . referring also to fig2 and 4 , the protective cover of the invention can be seen to comprise a flexible , fabric - like body portion 14 which generally corresponds in size and shape to the stove top to be covered . body portion 14 includes burner overlay portions provided in the form of cutouts adapted to overlay the burner locations and the griddle location . in fig2 the burner overlay portions comprise burner cutout portions 18 and griddle cutout portion 20 . a plurality of apertures 22 are also provided in the cover portion to closely receive the control knobs of the stove 24 ( see also fig8 ). depending upon the type of control knobs provided , it is to be understood that cover body portion 14 can be appropriately apertured or otherwise configured to best accommodate the particular control knobs involved . a unique feature of the present invention comprises overlay portions or panels which are adapted to cover the various cutout portions provided in the body portion 14 . for example , in the embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 there is provided a plurality of burner overlay panels 26 as well as a griddle overlay panel 28 . each of these panels is preferably constructed from a flexible fabric - like material having marginal portions that are provided with fastener means for removably connecting the panels to body portion 14 . turning to fig6 the form of the fastener means there illustrated comprises a multiplicity of small loops 30 provided on each of the panels and a multiplicity of small hooks 32 provided proximate the margins of each of the cutout portions 18 and 20 provided in cover body 14 . it is to be understood that , as may be desired , the multiplicity of hooks and multiplicity of loops can be provided on either of the panel perimeters or on the area surrounding the cutout portions of body portion 14 . it is also be understood that a variety of other types of fastener means other than the illustrated fastener means which are sold under the trademark velcro can be used . for example , a variety of different types of mechanical arrangements such as snaps , hooks and grommets and the like can also be used to removably affix the various panels to the cover body portion 14 . turning particularly to fig3 , 7 and 8 , another important aspect of the apparatus of the present invention resides in the provision of a plurality of downwardly depending segments 14a which depend downwardly from body portion 14 in the area of the stove burner overlay portions . as best seen in fig7 and 8 , when the protective cover is positioned over the stove top , segments 14a depend downwardly into the burner well or burner sump portion of the burner unit . the segments are specially configured to substantially cover the upper surfaces of the burner wells in a manner to protect the surfaces from becoming soiled with spattering grease and the like . segments 14a are preferably formed by slitting the body at strategic locations proximate the burner overlay portions so that the segments or flaps are free to generally conform with the upper wall portions of the burner wells in the manner shown in fig8 . referring now to fig9 and 11 , another form of protective cover of the invention is there illustrated . in this form of the invention , the burner well covering segments 37 are of a slightly different configuration and as shown in fig1 , are formed by cutting a plurality of slits 39 in the covering . as illustrated in the drawings , slits 39 radiate radially outwardly from an aperture 41 which is provided in the cover portion proximate the location of the burner elements , for example , element 43 of the stove unit . segments 37 are uniquely constructed and arranged so that they can be held securely in position within the burner sump by placing the grate units 45 of the burner on top of the segments in a manner to force them into conformance with the bottom surface 47 of the burner wells . in using the cover of this form of the invention , the burner grates are first removed from the stove , the protective cover is then emplaced over the stove top and finally the burner grates are placed on top of the segments 37 which naturally depend downwardly into the burner well of the burner unit . as best seen in fig5 and 7 , another important feature of the apparatus of the present invention resides in the provision of a skirt portion 50 which depends downwardly over the front vertical surface of the stove in the manner illustrated in fig5 . skirt portion 50 is preferably provided with a plurality of pockets 52 which are adapted to support cooking utensils of various kinds , such as the spatula and spoon illustrated in fig5 . in certain forms of the invention , skirt portions can also be provided that are adapted to extend downwardly over the sidewalls of the stove . body portion 14 as well as panels 26 and 28 can be constructed of a wide variety of fireproof or fire retardant materials . for example , these members can be constructed from a multiplicity of small glass fibers or fine metal strands such as steel or alumimun which are woven into a fabric - like construction . when metal strands are used , the strands can , if desired , be over coated with a material such a polytetrafluro - ethylene . alternatively , the members can be constructed from various natural or synthetic fibers that have been appropriately treated with fire retardant chemicals such as brominated aeromatics , chlorinated cycloaliphatics and like chemicals . other types of flame retardant additives of a character well known to those skilled in the art can also be used in connection with a number of different types of natural and synthetic fibers that can be woven into a fabric - like construction . preferably the cover body portion as well as the panel portions are constructed from a fire retardant fabric of a character that can exhibit decorative indicia and can be produced in a variety of color schemes which make them suitable for use in the kitchens of fine homes . the apparatus , when thus constructed , is attractive , light - weight , easy to use and easy to fold for convenient storage and is readily washable in conventional types of washing machines . in use , all but the burner or burners then being operated remain covered with the covering panels so as to protect the burners and griddle portion of the stove from spattering grease and the like . because the panels are readily removable from the cover body portion , as additional burners are required , or when the griddle is required for cooking operations , the panels can be quickly removed and then replaced following completion of the cooking operation . as required , the entire cover along with some or all of the covering panels can be removed , washed and dried , and replaced on the stove top for repeated use . in this way , the stove top as well as the burner wells and the griddle surface is protected from grease splattering , messy boil - over and soil caused by dislodged food particles . having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statues , those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as set forth in the following claims . | 5 |
in the following description , to simplify description and to facilitate identification of corresponding elements in the figures , like elements in the figures are provided like reference numerals . the present invention provides a carrier , comprising a multiple - cavity strip , that can be used for packaging flexible or semi - rigid circuits . one embodiment of the present invention is provided in a carrier ring 100 shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 carrier ring 100 is provided in a strip form enclosing four cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 . the strip form of carrier ring 100 is designed to match the familiar strips used in conventional integrated circuit assembly processing . carrier ring 100 provides alignment holes 103 - 1 to 103 - 4 and index holes 104 - 1 to 104 - 4 along a length of the strip to provide reference points to which sensors of standard commercially available assembly equipment can automatically align and index carrier ring 100 for processing . in manufacturing integrated circuits encapsulated using a transfer molding process , carrier ring 100 is preferably made of a high temperature plastic , such as the material commercially known as pas or another suitable material , which is capable of withstanding the high transfer molding temperature . for that application , carrier ring 100 provides molding gates in regular intervals , e . g ., molding gate 107 - 4 ( shown in further detail in fig3 and 4 and discussed below ), along one side of carrier ring 100 , and molding vents 102a and 102b ( not shown ) along an opposite side of carrier ring 100 . alternatively , carrier ring 100 can be provided by low temperature plastic for packages formed using liquid encapsulation package filling . yet another material choice for carrier ring 100 is a metallic material . a metallic carrier ring can be formed , for example , by machining or etching . a cross section of carrier ring 100 along line segment a -- a of fig1 is provided in fig2 . as shown in fig2 the cross section along the line segment a -- a in fig1 shows ring portions 201a and 201b on opposite sides of cavity 101 - 4 . in this embodiment , portions 201a and 201b are each 0 . 6 mm thick and 6 . 346 wide . on top of carrier ring 100 is a protruding or ridge structure 202 , represented in the cross section of fig2 as ridge portions 202a and 202b . as discussed below , ridge portions 202a and 202b , each 0 . 25 mm wide and 0 . 076 mm high in this embodiment , seal carrier ring 100 against the mold surface during a transfer molding process used for encapsulating the integrated circuits . fig3 shows in further detail the portion of carrier ring 100 indicated by circle b . as shown in fig3 between alignment hole 103 - 4 and index hole 104 - 4 is provided a mold gate 107 - 4 , which is shown in further detail in fig4 . as shown in fig4 mold gate 107 - 4 is formed by a 1 . 02 mm break in ridge structure 202 in the form of a slanting portion 401 which opens into cavity 101 - 1 . an example of an assembly process in which carrier ring 100 can be used is next described in conjunction with fig5 - 8 . fig5 shows an initial step of this process in which carrier ring 100 is attached by an adhesive to a &# 34 ; matrix substrate &# 34 ; 501 . matrix substrate 501 can be , for example , a flexible polyimide tape , or a semi - rigid printed circuit board material , such as any of those materials known commercially as fr5 , bt resin , or other suitable printed circuit board material . matrix substrate 501 is attached to carrier ring 100 such that index holes 504 - 1 to 504 - 4 , provided on matrix substrate 501 , correspond to index holes 104 - 1 to 104 - 4 of carrier ring 100 . alignment of carrier ring 100 and matrix substrate 501 can be provided using alignment holes 103 - 1 through 103 - 4 relative to alignment marks on matrix substrate 501 . so attached , carrier ring 100 acts as a stiffener for the flexible substrate packages and enhances rigidity for semi - rigid printed circuit board packages . in addition , since carrier ring 100 is designed to have dimensions and alignment and indexing features of a conventional strip used in standard assembly process flows and conventional equipment , subsequent assembly steps can be carried out without special or retooling of the conventional equipment . on matrix substrate 501 are allocated , corresponding to each of cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 , a matrix of areas (&# 34 ; site &# 34 ;) 502 ( e . g ., a 4 ร 5 matrix of areas are provided in cavity 101 - 1 ). each area in site 502 is designed to accommodate a single semiconductor die . for a bga package , for example , the size of each area in a site can be made very close to the size of the semiconductor die , providing only sufficient clearance to satisfy tooling requirements ( e . g ., clearance for die - attach collets and wire - bond clamps ), thereby minimizing waste of material . thus , the number of semiconductor dies which can be accommodated in site 502 is determined by the package size . matrix substrate 501 is attached to carrier ring 100 by an adhesive layer 506 applied between carrier ring 100 and matrix substrate 501 in areas outside of site 502 . suitable adhesive materials include a thermal set adhesive , dispensed in any of the liquid , semi - liquid or preformed formats . the adhesive should be dispensed , however , with controlled adhesive bleed to avoid contaminating site 502 and otherwise interfering with the remaining assembly process steps . the thickness of the cured adhesive is preferably controlled , so that the total package height at the end of the assembly process can be controlled . if the package is to be formed using a transfer molding process , the adhesive should be dispensed void free so as to prevent mold flash in the subsequent molding step . fig6 shows carrier assembly 600 resulting from the attachment of carrier ring 100 to matrix substrate 501 . fig7 shows a cross section of carrier assembly 600 along line a -- a of fig6 . semiconductor dies are then attached to site 502 of carrier assembly 600 and wire - bonded or direct chip attached using conventional assembly equipment . at this point , an electrical test can be performed to identify defective circuits . to minimize waste , a site including a defective die can be detached from carrier ring 100 and substituted by a site with fully functional dies , prior to the encapsulation step . the semiconductor dies are then encapsulated in a resin using the cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 as mold cavities in a transfer molding process . as discussed above , during the transfer molding process , ridge structure 202 provide a good seal between the mold and carrier assembly 600 . in the transfer molding process , the fluidized resin enters the sealed cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 through mold gates 107 - 1 to 107 - 4 along a side of carrier assembly 600 , displacing air in cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 through mold vents along an opposite side of carrier assembly 600 . since the mold gates are provided in carrier assembly 600 , and thus each molding is provided with new mold gates , there is no gate wear on the molds . alternatively , encapsulation can be achieved using a liquid dispensed material . during the encapsulation process , the height of carrier ring 100 controls the mold or encapsulation height . thus , the thickness of the resulting integrated circuit package can be provided by varying the thickness of carrier ring 100 . a cross section of an encapsulated site 800 is shown in fig8 . as shown in fig8 wire - bonded semiconductor dies 803 - 1 through 803 - 4 are shown attached to matrix substrate 501 . portions 201a and 201b of carrier ring 100 , which are attached by adhesive layer 506 to matrix substrate 501 , as described above , control the height of encapsulation material 802 . as mentioned above , electrical connection to terminals on semiconductor dies can be provided by a direct chip attach configuration . fig9 shows a cross section of an encapsulated site 900 , showing carrier ring portions 201a and 201b , matrix substrate 501 , direct chip attached semiconductor dies 903 - 1 through 903 - 4 and resin encapsulation 802 . subsequent to the encapsulation step , solder balls are attached to the under side of matrix substrate 501 , to provide external electrical connections to the wire - bonded terminals of the semiconductor dies attached on the other side of matrix substrate 501 . conventional steps , such as solder ball flux cleaning and marking are then carried out . finally , the packages are singulated in a precision sawing step using , for example , a conventional wafer saw . in this precision sawing step , carrier ring 100 is saw through and discarded . the above detailed description is provided to illustrate the specific embodiments of the present embodiments and is not intended to be limiting . for example , the dimensions given above for various features of the specific embodiments are merely exemplary . many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention are possible . the present invention is set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates the data format of a digital signal in conformity with the cd standard . such a signal is divided into blocks ( block ) of 98 frames each . each frame comprises data bits ( db ) representing the main information ( main data ) and subcode information ( subcode data ). the subcode information of frame 2 through frame 97 comprises eight subcode bits for each frame . the subcode bits within a block constitute subcode frames of the p - w - subcode channels , each subcode frame comprising 96 subcode bits . fig2 illustrates the format of the subcode frame of the subcode q channel . this subcode frame comprises a 4 - bit &# 34 ; control &# 34 ; group , including one bit referred to as the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . the logic value of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit indicates whether the associated main information may be copied freely . for the well known compact disc , the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits are the same throughout the disc , which means that in every subcode frame on the compact disc the copy bit either has the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. in the case of a record carrier in accordance with the invention , the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits alternate , for example , as illustrated in fig3 and fig4 in order to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . in the case of the alternation pattern shown in fig3 the values of the copy bits alternate periodically , 4 subcode frames each comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; each time alternating with 4 subcode frames each comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. in fig4 the logic values of the copy bits also vary periodically , but here 6 subcode frames comprising copy bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; each time alternate with 2 subcode frames comprising copy bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. recording different alternation patterns of different forms , as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , also provides the possibility of indicating on the record carrier whether the copy is a first - generation copy , or a second or higher - generation copy . in the alternation patterns illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the duty cycle differs . the duty cycle being the ratio between the number of &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in a period and the total number of bits in each period of the alternation pattern . it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the alternation patterns can also specify the generation number of a copy in a copying cycle in a different manner , for example , by periodic alternation patterns of different period lengths . by means of a suitable d . c . free coding of the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits , it is also possible to transmit information about the generation number and , if desired , other information via the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . transmitting information via alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits has the advantage that this remains within the scope of the cd standard . this means that the information can be read by means of a standard cd player . fig5 shows an embodiment of a recording device for producing a record carrier on which the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits alternate . the recording device comprises a cascade arrangement of a circ encoder 50 and an efm modulator 51 for converting the applied digital information , originating from , for example , analog - to - digital converters , into a format prescribed by the cd standard . the efm modulator 51 supplies an output signal of this format to a control circuit 52 for an optical write head 53 arranged opposite a rotating optical record carrier 54 of an inscribable type . the recording device further comprises a clock signal generation circuit 55 for generating clock signals for controlling the circ encoder 50 and the efm modulator 51 . the efm modulator further comprises inputs for receiving the subcode information to be recorded with the main information and generating therefrom the digital signal for recording on the record carrier , including the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits . the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits to be recorded are supplied to the efm modulator 51 by an assignment circuit 57 via a signal line 56 . the assignment circuit 57 supplies a periodic signal to the efm modulator . this periodic signal can be derived , for example , by frequency division , from a clock signal which is applied to the assignment circuit 57 by the clock signal generation circuit 55 via a signal line 58 . fig6 shows an embodiment of the assignment circuit 57 enabling an alternation pattern of a specific form to be selected from a plurality of alternation patterns of different forms . for this purpose , the assignment circuit 57 comprises a copy bit pattern generator circuit 60 which produces a plurality of signals having alternating patterns of different forms , for example , alternating patterns having different &# 34 ; duty cycles &# 34 ;, from the clock signal applied via the signal line 58 . these signals are applied to a selection circuit 61 which selects one of the applied signals and supplies it to the signal line 56 depending on a control signal vs . since alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits in the information on the record carrier in accordance with the invention indicate that the recorded information is a copy , further copying can be inhibited simply by detecting whether the logic values of the copy bits in the information supplied for recording alternate and inhibiting recording if such alternating logic values are detected . fig7 shows an embodiment of an information copying system in which this is realized . this information copying system comprises an optical read device 70 for reading optical discs , a magnetic recording device 71 ( e . g ., a tape recording device ), and an optical recording device 72 ( e . g . a cd recording device ) for recording information read by the read device 70 . the read device 70 is of a customary type adapted to read cd information from an optical record carrier 73 . for this purpose , the read device 70 comprises an optical read head 74 which is coupled to a cascade arrangement of a customary circ decoding circuit 75 and an efm demodulator 76 , which , for example , form part of an integrated circuit of the type saa 7210 marketed by philips . such an efm demodulator 76 produces two digitized stereo audio information signals and a subcode signal at its outputs . these signals are applied to a formatting circuit 77 , for example , of the type saa 7220 , which converts the received information into a format prescribed by a digital audio interface standard ( iec 950 ). this digital audio interface format comprises blocks of 192 main information frames , and a plurality of interface subcode frames . these subcode frames each comprise an interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit whose logic value , in accordance with the digital audio interface standard , is set in accordance with the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit in the subcode information of the information being read . an output signal complying with the digital audio interface standard is applied to reformatting circuits 78 of the recording devices 71 and 72 . the reformatting circuits 78 convert the received information into a format suitable for processing by the recording devices 71 and 72 . the reformatting circuits may be constituted , for example , by an integrated circuit of the type sx 23053 marketed by sony . this type of reformatting circuit produces the main information and the subcode information on its outputs . the circuit further comprises an output at which &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb relating to the logic value of the received interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit is produced and an output at which a block synchronization signal bs is produced to indicate the beginning of each digital audio interface block received . in the magnetic recording device 71 , the information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 is applied to a recording control circuit 79 of a customary type for driving a magnetic - head system 80 for recording the received information on a dat cassette tape 81 . similarly , the information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 in the optical recording device 72 is applied to a circuit 82 of a customary type , which comprises , for example , an efm modulator and circ encoder to drive an optical write head 83 for recording the received information on an optical record carrier 84 . in the recording devices 71 and 72 , the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb and the block synchronization signals bs supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 are applied to a detection circuit 85 , for detecting whether the logic value of the received &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information alternates . the detection circuit 85 supplies a detection signal vd if the alternating logic value of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information is detected . fig8 shows an example of detection circuit 85 comprising three clocked d flip - flops 90 , 91 and 92 . the block synchronization signal bs supplied by the reformatting circuit is applied to the clock inputs of the flip - flops 90 , 91 and 92 . the interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb is applied to the data input of the flip - flop 90 . the output of the flip - flop 90 is connected to the data input of the flip - flop 91 and to an input of an exclusive - or gate 93 . another input of the exclusive - or gate 93 is connected to the output of the flip - flop 91 . the output of the exclusive - or gate 93 is connected to the data input of the flip - flop 92 . the output signal on the output of the flip - flop 92 serves as the detection signal vd . the circuit shown in fig8 operates as follows . if the logic value of the interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit changes , the logic value of the signal on the input of the flip - flop 91 at the instant at which the first &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of changed logic value reaches the input of the flip - flop 91 will no longer correspond to the logic value of the signal on the output of the flip - flop 91 . in that case the logic value of the output of the exclusive - or gate becomes a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; value . this value is latched in the flip - flop 92 , after which the detection signal vd also assumes the logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; value . in the recording device 71 , both the detection signal vd and the subcode information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 are applied to the decision circuit 94 . on the basis of the received subcode information and the detection signal vd , the decision circuit 94 decides whether recording of the received main information is allowed . if recording is not allowed , the decision circuit 94 generates a control signal which is applied to the control signal 79 via the signal line 95 , the control circuit 79 being of a type which is disabled in response to the control signal applied via the signal line , so that recording of information is inhibited . the decision circuit 94 may comprise , for example , a microcomputer loaded with a suitable program . before this program is described in detail , that part of the received subcode information of the digital audio interface format which is important for a correct understanding of the decision criteria will be described . in particular , the subcode c - channel of the digital audio interface format of the received subcode information is of interest . this subcode c - channel comprises subcode frames of 192 bits . these subcode frames indicate whether the information stems from a source intended for professional use . in addition , it indicates whether the associated information stems from an audio source . moreover , for sources intended for consumer applications the subcode c - channel contains a category code indicating the type of source . this may be , for example , a 2 - channel compact disc audio system , a 2 - channel digital audio type player , etc . fig9 is a flow chart of a decision program for determining whether recording of the received information is allowed . this decision program is based on the decision program employed in the &# 34 ; solocopy &# 34 ; system . however , the program has been adapted to make the decision dependent upon the detection of alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits . in step s1 of the program , it is ascertained by means of the information from the subcode c - channel whether the information originates from an information source intended for professional uses . if this is the case , recording is inhibited in step s2 . in step s3 , it is checked whether the received information is audio information . if this is not the case , recording is inhibited in step s4 . in step s5 , it is checked whether the received category code occurs in the list of known category codes . if this is not the case , recording is enabled in step s6 and , in addition , information is recorded on the tape 81 to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . if the information is read subsequently , a category code is assigned to the information to denote that recording is not allowed . however , the manner in which this is effected falls beyond the scope of the present invention and is , therefore , not described in detail . in step s7 , it is checked whether the information stems from an analog - to - digital converter . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s8 . in step s9 , it is determined on the basis of the received detection signal vd whether the logic values of the received interface copy bits alternate . if the values alternate , recording is inhibited in step s10 . in step s11 , it is ascertained on the basis of the received logic values of the copy bits whether the relevant information may be copied freely . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s12 , information being added to indicate that the recorded information may be copied freely . in step s13 , it is checked whether the category code specifies a source for which copying of the supplied information is allowed . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s14 . if it is not the case , recording is inhibited in step s15 . the optional recording device 72 of fig7 comprises a decision circuit 98 which is largely identical to the decision circuit 94 . however , in the case in which information is recorded which should not be copied any more , the decision circuit 98 generates a control signal for an assignment circuit 96 which causes &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits of alternating logic values to be recorded . for the assignment circuit 96 , the assignment circuit 57 in fig5 described above may be employed . it is also possible to provide the optical recording device 72 with a detection circuit 97 for detecting the generation number in a copy cycle for the received information on the basis of the form of the alternation pattern . the decision whether the received information may be recorded or not can then be made on the basis of the detected generation number of the information . for example , copying of a first - generation copy may be allowed while copying of a second generation copy is not allowed . the assignment circuit 96 should be adapted so that depending on the detected generation number it generates a signal such that an alternation pattern indicating a higher generation number than the detected generation number is required . in the foregoing , the invention has been illustrated for a record carrier carrying a standard cd signal having &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits with alternating logic values to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . however , it is to be noted that , in principle , the invention may be applied to any record carrier which in addition to the main information carries subcode information comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . | 6 |
it is therefore the object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method which detaches the fibres from the fibre composite material as carefully as possible , so that both the fibres and also the embedding matrix can be used again . this object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 9 by an apparatus for reducing the size of fibre composite materials , wherein in accordance with the invention means are present in a receptacle for mechanically abrading a matrix of the fibre composite material from the fibres of the fibre composite material , wherein the mechanical abrasion of the matrix from the fibres occurs by a relative rotational movement . in a preferred embodiment , two rotationally symmetrical elements which are mounted in each other are contained in the apparatus in accordance with the invention , of which at least one is formed in a conical manner and of which at least one is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis , wherein a feed opening is arranged at one end of the rotationally symmetrical elements and an outlet opening at the opposite end of the rotationally symmetrical elements , and the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements at the outlet opening is smaller than at the feed opening . a tapering of the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements from the feed opening to the outlet opening is preferably achieved by different cone angles of the outer and inner rotationally symmetrical element . a grinding gap is produced by the arrangement in accordance with the invention between the two rotationally symmetrical elements , into which the fibre composite materials , which can be subjected to previous preliminary reduction in size , are introduced through the feed opening . by a rotation of one of the two or both rotationally symmetrical elements about their longitudinal axis , a careful and gradual abrasion of the matrix material from the fibres occurs . since the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements at the outlet opening is smaller than at the feed opening , a fine grinding of the grinding material occurs in the lower region of the apparatus . the outlet opening and the feed opening are preferably arranged directly in the intermediate space between the two rotationally symmetrical elements and / or as circumferential openings in the outer and / or inner rotationally symmetrical element . in accordance with the invention , means for the mechanical abrasion of a matrix of the fibre composite material from the fibres are present in the apparatus . in a preferred embodiment , these means are formed as elevations on at least one of the two rotationally symmetrical elements on the surface facing the respective other rotationally symmetrical element . the elevations are preferably strips or rods which are preferably oriented in the longitudinal direction of the rotationally symmetrical elements . it is also possible to provide the aforementioned means as semi - spheres on the walls of the rotationally symmetrical elements . the material ( which can be previously subjected to a reduction in size ) introduced via the feed opening is further reduced in size by โ rubbing along โ the elevations of the apparatus , or the plastic material ( the matrix ) is gradually abraded and removed from the fibres and the reduced or partly reduced material is moved in the direction towards the outlet opening and further continuously reduced in size by the reducing grinding gap , or the matrix / plastic in which the fibres are embedded is continuously abraded from the fibres . a fracturing or grinding of the fibres advantageously does not occur by means of the means for mechanical abrasion in accordance with the invention . instead , a careful abrasion of the matrix / plastic from the fibres occurs , which allows reusing both the fibres as well as the matrix particles . in a further preferred embodiment , the two rotationally symmetric elements are displaceable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction . the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements can be varied in this manner and can be set individually depending on the material properties of the fibre composite material to be separated . in a further preferred embodiment , at least one of the two rotationally symmetrical elements is perforated in the region above the outlet opening . the perforation is selected at a size which allows the separated matrix particles to pass , but not the separated fibres . the matrix particles are preferably removed by means of an external suction apparatus through the perforation from the region between the two rotationally symmetrical elements . a simple screening of the matrix particles occurs alternatively . if such a perforation is not present , the fibres and the matrix particles leave the outlet opening in separate form , but simultaneously . in this case , a downstream separating process , e . g . by air separation , is necessary . in a preferred embodiment , the two rotationally symmetrical elements are pivotably arranged in a frame with respect to a horizontal plane . the apparatus is advantageously pivotably arranged at an angle of 0 ยฐ to 45 ยฐ. the passage velocity of the grinding material from the feed opening to the outlet opening can be varied in this manner . the outlet opening preferably lies beneath the feed opening with respect to height , so that the reduced fibre composite material is conveyed in the grinding gap by gravity in the downward direction towards the outlet opening . the invention offers the possibility of especially effective recycling of fibre composite materials . the fibres are not broken down , fractured or bent as in the known methods , but instead the embedding matrix is carefully abraded from the fibres . this careful abrasion not only allows reusing the detached matrix particles , but also provides considerably more intact fibres than provided by current methods . the apparatus in accordance with the invention allows reclaiming up to 90 % of the fibres which are free from matrix particles . current methods have not yet allowed the reclaiming of fibres without any change to the fibre properties . a method for reducing the size of fibre composite materials in the apparatus in accordance with the invention is also provided in accordance with the invention . in this process , the material to be reduced in size is introduced through the feed opening into the apparatus in accordance with the invention . material that was already previously reduced in size is preferably introduced . the material to be reduced in size is then ground in the grinding gap by a relative rotational movement of the two rotationally symmetrical elements , wherein careful abrasion of the matrix particles from the fibres is carried out by providing the lowest possible stress on the fibres . the invention will be explained below in closer detail by reference to an embodiment and the associated drawings without being limited thereto , wherein : fig1 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention in the region which contains means for mechanical abrasion ; fig2 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention in the region which contains a perforation ; fig3 shows a schematic view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention ; fig4 shows a sectional view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention ; fig5 shows a schematic sectional view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention ; fig6 shows a schematic view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention which is arranged on a frame ; fig7 shows a principal view of the angles of the apparatus ; fig8 shows a principal view of the means 6 . fig1 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 in accordance with the invention in a first region 1 a which contains means for mechanical abrasion 6 . in this respect , means for mechanical abrasion are present on the inner side of the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 ( designated below as outer jacket ) in the direction towards the longitudinal axis a 1 , which means are formed in this case in form of strips 6 . said strips 6 are preferably distributed over the entire circumference of the rotationally symmetrical element 1 , especially in equal distances . the strips 6 are fastened by means of retainers 6 . 1 to the end regions and in between to the inner side of the outer jacket . the outer jacket 1 is fastened to or received by a frame ( not shown ) by means of several retainers 1 . 1 on the outer region . the outer jacket 1 is substantially formed in a conical way , wherein a second region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 having a perforated region ( see fig2 ) is attached to the side 1 a โฒ of the first region 1 a which has the smallest diameter ( situated below in the image plane ). fig2 shows a three - dimensional partial sectional view of a second region 1 b in form of an outlet region of the outer jacket 1 in accordance with the invention , which contains a perforation 7 in a circumferential region . said outlet region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 is attached with the side 1 b โฒ at which it has the greatest diameter ( situated at the top in the image plane ) to the portion of the outer jacket 1 shown in fig1 , which comprises the means for mechanical abrasion 6 , on the side 1 โฒ with the smallest diameter . the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , i . e . the outer jacket 1 , is thus composed of the first region 1 a which contains the strips 6 on the inner side and of the second region 1 b , i . e . the outlet region , which contains the perforation 7 . the first region 1 a and the second region 1 b preferably have the same cone angle . fig3 shows a schematic three - dimensional illustration and fig4 shows a sectional view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 in accordance with the invention . strips 6 as means for mechanical abrasion are also present on the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 in a first region 2 a , but on the outer circumference . similar to the strips 6 on the outer rotationally symmetrical element / outer jacket 1 , the strips 6 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element can be present over the entire circumference , especially at equal distances , wherein they extend along the longitudinal axis a 2 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 . the strips 6 are also fastened by means of retainers 6 . 1 to the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 , but on the outer circumference . in a second region 2 b , which corresponds with the perforation of the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 does not comprise any means for mechanical abrasion 6 of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention . the first region 2 a of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is also formed conically , but has a smaller cone angle than the outer jacket 1 . the second region 2 b is also formed conically , wherein the cone angle of the second region 2 b substantially corresponds to the cone angle of the outer jacket . the second rotationally symmetrical element 2 is connected in a torsion - proof manner to a rotational shaft w which leads through said element and which protrudes beyond the inner rotationally symmetrical element at the two ends and is rotationally mounted at said two ends . the shaft w is rotationally driven by means of a drive ( not shown ). fig5 shows a schematic view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a cross - sectional view . whereas the outer rotationally symmetrical element (= outer jacket ) 1 is mounted in a rotationally rigid manner in a frame 8 , the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is rotatably mounted by means of the shaft w about its longitudinal axis a 2 . the longitudinal axes a 1 and a 2 are in alignment . the shaft w is driven by a drive motor ( not shown ), optionally by using a gear . a grinding gap 5 is formed between the outer 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 , into which the fibre composite material to be reduced in size is introduced via the feed opening 3 . strips 6 extending in the longitudinal direction are disposed both on the inner 2 and also on the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , which strips 6 are fastened in respective retainers 6 . 1 . on both rotationally symmetrical elements , the strips 6 extend over the entire circumference ( on the inner circumference in the outer jacket 1 and on the outer circumference in the inner element 2 ) and are only indicated in fig3 . the fibre composite materials present in the grinding gap 5 are carefully abraded by the rotational movement of the inner rotationally symmetrical element . the rotational speed of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 preferably only lies between 2 to 20 rpm . the fibres and matrix particles which are now separately present enter the outlet region 1 b with the perforated region 7 in which the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 is perforated , i . e . it comprises a plurality of breakthroughs . the perforation 7 is chosen with a size which allows passage of the matrix particles but not the fibres . the matrix particles m are removed or extracted by suction from the grinding gap 5 through the perforation 7 , which is illustrated by the numerous arrows with continuous lines . the fibres f that were not extracted by suction leave the grinding gap 5 through the outlet opening 4 and reach an outlet shaft s , which is indicated by the bold dashed arrow . both the fibres f and also the matrix particles m can subsequently be supplied for further use . the inner rotational symmetrical element 2 can be adjusted along its longitudinal axis a 2 for setting the grinding gap 5 . if it is adjusted in the direction of the outlet opening 4 , the grinding gap 5 becomes smaller , and if it is adjusted in the direction towards the feed opening 3 the grinding gap 5 becomes larger . the adjustability is indicated by the double arrow in bold . fig6 schematically shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention which is arranged in a frame . the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 are pivotably mounted in the frame 8 , so that the mutually aligned longitudinal axes a 1 , a 2 are either horizontally oriented during the reduction process or are inclined up to an angle of inclination โก of approximately 45 ยฐ. the pivoting is enabled by a means for pivoting 10 which can be driven hydraulically for example . for the purpose of easier introduction of the fibre composite material and discharge of the separated material , an auxiliary means such as a feed channel 9 can be attached to the frame close to the feed opening or an outlet shaft ( not shown ) close to the outlet opening . the perforated region 7 , which is followed by a suction unit ( not shown ), preferably faces in the downward direction . the fibre composite material to be reduced in size , which can optionally be present in a pre - comminuted manner , is introduced according to the method through the upper feed channel 9 . the material to be reduced in size moves downwardly as a result of gravity , where the grinding gap 5 tapers increasingly by the conical shape of the outer jacket and the inner rotationally symmetrical element . as a result of a relative rotational movement of the two rotationally symmetrical elements 1 , 2 , the matrix of the fibre composite material is carefully abraded from the fibres between the strips present on the rotationally symmetrical elements . the thus comminuted parts sink downwardly into the narrower region of the grinding 5 where further abrasion of the matrix particles remaining on the fibres occurs . in the bottom region of the grinding gap 5 , the fibres and the abraded matrix particles reach a region 7 , in which the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 is perforated . the abraded matrix particles are separated / extracted by suction through the perforation 7 , while the remaining fibres in the grinding gap 5 travel further downwardly and leave the apparatus in accordance with the invention through the outlet opening 4 . if no perforated region 7 is present , the matrix particles and the fibres leave the apparatus in accordance with the invention in separate form jointly through the outlet opening 4 and the outlet shaft s . fig7 shows a principal view of the outer jacket 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 with the cone angles . the outer jacket 1 is formed by the first region 1 a and the second region 1 b , which both have a first cone angle โก 1 which lies between 20 and 30 ยฐ. the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 which is made to rotate via the shaft w and a drive ( not shown ) comprises a first region 2 a and a second region 2 b . the first region 2 a has a second cone angle โก 2 which is lower than โกโก 1 and preferably lies between 7 and 15 ยฐ. the second region 2 b is provided with a third cone angle โก 2 . 1 , which substantially corresponds to the first cone angle โกโก 1 . the first region 1 a of the outer jacket 1 is provided with elevations / strips ( not shown ) on its inner diameter and the first region 2 a of the inner rotationally symmetric element 2 is provided with elevations / strips ( not shown ) on its outer diameter . the second region 1 b of the outer jacket is provided with a perforation 7 in the downwardly facing region and the second region 2 b of the inner rotationally symmetric element 2 is in alignment at least in sections with the second region 1 a . the second regions 1 b , 2 b are formed in a substantially smooth manner on their mutually facing sides . a grinding gap 5 is present between the first and second rotationally symmetrical element 1 , 2 . the grinding matrix particles m are removed by suction through the perforation by means of a suction unit ( not shown ) and the fibres f are removed via the outlet opening 4 . the distance between the rods / means ( not shown ) of the outer jacket and the rods / means of the inner rotationally symmetrical elements determines the grinding gap 5 and decreases in size continuously in the direction towards the outlet opening 4 . the grinding gap 5 which is best suited for the fibre composite material to be reduced in size can be determined by reference tests . it is advantageous that the inner rotationally symmetrical element can be adjusted along its longitudinal axis a 2 relative to the outer jacket 1 , which is indicated by the double arrow in bold print . as a result of this adjustment , the grinding gap 5 is simply enlarged by the conical shape of the outer jacket 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 when the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is adjusted in the direction towards the feed channel 9 and is reduced in size when the inner rotationally symmetrical element is adjusted in the direction towards the outlet opening 4 . the outlet opening 4 is sealed when the non - designated outer diameter of the second region 2 b of the inner rotational symmetrical element 2 rests on the non - designated inner diameter of the second region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 . fig8 shows a principal diagram of the arrangement and the formation of the means for mechanical abrasion 6 . the means 6 are shown here in the shape of round rods . the rods / means 6 have an alternating small and large diameter . the smaller diameter preferably lies between 3 and 15 mm , the larger diameter between 5 and 30 mm . it is also possible to use rods with greater or smaller diameters . the rods / means 6 of the outer jacket are fastened at the upper end for example on a first pitch circle t 1 and the rods / means 6 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element at its upper end for example on a second pitch circle t 2 , so that the centre of each rod ( centre 6 ) rests on the respective pitch circle t 1 , t 2 . this leads to differences in height between which the material to be reduced in size consisting of matrix particles m and fibres f is conveyed during the rotational movement of the inner rotationally symmetric element along said element and is crushed / ground . the difference in the diameter of the rods , which is most beneficial for a specific material , can be determined by preliminary tests . the separated and extracted fibres f can then be used again as high - value raw material for the production of fibre - reinforced plastic materials . the matrix particles m which consist of plastic can also be reused . 10 means for pivoting the apparatus in accordance with the invention a 2 longitudinal axis of the inner rotationally symmetrical element | 1 |
in the following description , various embodiments of the present invention will be described . for purposes of explanation , specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments . however , it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details . furthermore , well - known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described . in addition , to the extent that orientations of the embodiments are described , such as โ top ,โ โ bottom ,โ โ front ,โ โ rear ,โ โ right ,โ and the like , the orientations are to aid the reader in understanding the embodiment being described , and are not meant to be limiting . referring now to the drawings , in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views , fig1 shows an led spotlight 20 in accordance with an embodiment . the led spotlight 20 includes a handle 22 attached to a housing 24 for the led spotlight . the housing 24 shown in the drawings is shaped as a cylinder , with a light coming out of one end of the cylinder . the handle 22 extends perpendicularly downward from the housing 24 so that it may be grasped such as a pistol . this arrangement permits a user to grasp the handle into the palm of a hand with the forearm extending parallel to a central axis of a light beam emanating from the housing . a trigger 26 is provided on the handle to turn on the led spotlight . in addition , if desired , a lock feature may be provided for locking the trigger and led spotlight 20 in an โ on โ position . the led spotlight 20 includes a lens 28 mounted on the outside of a reflector 30 . as can be seen in fig2 , the reflector 30 has a concave face 32 and a series of parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 equally spaced around the face . the number of parabolic reflectors in the embodiment shown in the drawings is three . however , two parabolic reflectors or more than two parabolic reflectors may be utilized . however , three or more are preferably used so that a combined converged pattern will have more intense light output . in the embodiment shown in the drawings , the reflectors 34 , 36 , 38 are positioned to provide three light beams defining corners of an equilateral triangle . the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 are utilized in a manner known in the art to collimate light from light emitting diodes ( leds ). if desired , collimators other than parabolic reflectors may be used to collimate light from the leds . for example , a collimator - style lens may be positioned over an led . a collimator lens ( without a parabolic reflector ) mounted just above the led collimates light from an led to a very tight hot spot . multiple collimator lenses may be angled to converge light from multiple leds . in accordance with an embodiment , the housing 24 is formed of a suitable plastic material , such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( abs ). the lens 28 may also be formed of a plastic , such as a clear polycarbonate material . the lens 28 and the housing 24 are preferably sealed in a water tight manner . a battery , such as a rechargeable battery , may be utilized for powering of the led spotlight 20 . in an embodiment , the battery is a 12 volt sealed lead acid rechargeable battery . however , other batteries may be used . leds ( multiple embodiments are described below ) are mounted at the base of the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 , and 38 . each of the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 , and 38 is configured and arranged so as collimate light from an led so as to produce a focused , bright intensity light beam in which the majority of light from the beam is focused on a bright center . preferably , the collimated light beams may be illuminated a great distance without significant light dispersion of the bright center . in accordance with an embodiment , the bright centers of light beams from the multiple parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 are converged to a single bright spot . to determine proper convergence , this bright spot may be defined , for example , by a diameter of the converged light beams at a particular distance from the front of the led spotlight 20 . for example , in an embodiment , a led spotlight , such as the led spotlight 20 , produces a converged light beam of approximately 75 centimeters in diameter at a three meter distance from the front of the led spotlight 20 . other converged sizes may be utilized , but in general , the light beams from the leds are maintained in a tight pattern as far as possible so that the beam maintains a limited cross section even at a remote distance from the spotlight 20 . as is known , leds typically have a 90 to 120 degree cone of light output emanating directly out of the front of the led . in an embodiment , each parabolic reflector 34 , 36 and 38 collimates the light from its led into a bright center beam light beam with most light extending parallel to a central axis for the reflector , and at the same time aims that light beam at a desired location so the light beams from the combined reflectors are converged . typically , for collimation , an led is mounted perpendicular to a central axis of a parabolic reflector . for example , fig5 shows one arrangement for providing converged light beams in which leds 44 , 46 are mounted perpendicular to the central axes of parabolic reflectors 48 , 50 . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , two separate printed circuit boards 40 , 42 each include a single led 44 , 46 , respectively . the leds 44 , 46 and the printed circuit boards 40 , 42 are mounted at an angle ฮฑ ( to perpendicular with the longitudinal axis of the housing 24 . the light beam of the spotlight 20 extends parallel to this longitudinal axis . the angle ฮฑ ( is set with respect to a radial axis emanating from the center of the led spotlight 20 , so that the tilted angle causes the light beam from the associated led 44 , 46 to focus inward towards a longitudinal axis of the housing 24 to converge light at the desired distance . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , parabolic reflectors 48 , 50 are mounted perpendicular to the leds 44 , 46 , respectively . these parabolic reflectors direct light to a converged position . as can be understood , the angle ฮฑ ( is exaggerated in the drawings so that concepts described herein are made clearer to a reader , but in actuality the angle ฮฑ ( may be very small . a plurality of leds and parabolic reflectors may be arranged as shown in fig5 to provide a desired collimation of light beams from the leds . in an embodiment , three such light beams are converged in a triangular pattern 300 as shown in fig8 . the three beams may extend very close to each other so as to give an illusion of a single beam , may overlap each other completely or in part , or may be slightly spaced from each other . applicants have found that defining a position 3 meters away in which the light beams are adjacent to each other so that they touch , but not overlap each other , provides a desired effect . fig6 shows an alternate embodiment of a method of and structure for providing convergence of multiple light beams from multiple leds . in the embodiment shown in fig6 , a single printed circuit board 140 is utilized with two leds 144 , 146 . each of these leds 144 , 146 is mounted with an angled spacer 152 , 154 . these angled spacers cause the leds 144 , 146 to be set at the angle ฮฑ relative to perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing 24 . the corresponding parabolic reflectors 148 , 150 are arranged perpendicular to the leds and thus direct light beams from the leds in the appropriate direction ; i . e ., generally parallel to a projection of the longitudinal axis of the housing . in an alternate embodiment shown in fig7 , two leds 244 , 246 are arranged on a single circuit board 240 . the two leds are arranged so that they direct light straight outward . the parabolic reflectors 248 , 250 for these two leds 244 , 246 are tilted at the angle ฮฑ from perpendicular to the leds 244 , 246 . in this manner , light from the leds 244 , 246 is directed in an appropriate manner so that the light beams are converged as described above . because the parabolic reflectors are not mounted perpendicular to the leds 244 , 246 , the optics of the parabolic reflectors may be altered to ensure the light beams from the leds are properly collimated and aimed . such parabolic reflectors may be designed using computer modeling techniques known in the art . as can be seen in fig8 , a representation of light beams b 1 and b 2 is shown coming from two reflectors r 1 and r 2 . these light beams are converged a suitable distance from one another at a distance x from the front of the spotlight 20 . an example light pattern 300 of the bright spots of three such beams 294 , 296 , and 298 is shown in fig9 . as can be seen , these light beams 294 , 296 , and 298 slightly touch one another at the location x . the light beams shown may represent the bright , central light beams provided by three conical reflectors , two of which may be the conical reflectors r 1 and r 2 . such convergence of light beams may be provided by any of the three embodiments shown in fig5 - 7 . in accordance with another embodiment , as shown in fig1 , one or more leds 344 , 346 may be mounted under parabolic reflectors 348 , 350 that direct beams straight outward . these reflectors may direct light to a lens 328 that includes optic features that bend light beams from the reflectors 348 , 350 so that they converge an appropriate distance apart at a distance x from the front of the spotlight to provide a desired light pattern as described above . in yet another embodiment , three leds may be mounted on three parabolic reflectors so that the parabolic reflectors direct three light beams straight outward and parallel to one another . in this embodiment , the reflectors are spaced from one another a distance so that at the distance x from the front of the spotlight 20 ( e . g ., three meters ), each of the collimated central bright beams from the reflectors have become wide enough ( i . e ., have large enough diameters ), through normal dispersion of collimated light , so that the bright centers touch , creating a central , focused light beam , such as the combined light beam 300 , at the distance x . in this embodiment , the leds and the parabolic reflectors do not need to be aimed toward a central location for convergence to provide the spotlight effect . for example , as shown in fig1 , a spotlight 400 includes three reflectors 402 , 404 , and 406 . each of these reflectors includes a light beam 408 , 410 , and 412 , respectively . the light beams 408 , 410 , 412 are generally the width of the reflectors 402 , 404 , 406 when leaving the spotlight 400 . however , during normal dispersion over a particular length , or by patterning the parabolic reflectors accordingly , the light beams increase in width until they touch at a distance z from the spotlight 400 . this distance may be any desired distance , but in an embodiment is three meters from the spotlight . the led spotlight 20 of the present invention provides a very bright spotlight , for example , providing light output similar to one million candle power halogen spotlight . by utilizing high powered bright white leds and a 12 volt rechargeable battery , a bright beam may be provided for several hours via the led spotlight 20 , in comparison to a very short time period for existing halogen spotlights . in addition , less heat is generated by the leds , thus providing a much safer spotlight . other variations are within the spirit of the present invention . thus , while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions , a certain illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described above in detail . it should be understood , however , that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the intention is to cover all modifications , alternative constructions , and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims . the use of the terms โ a โ and โ an โ and โ the โ and similar referents in the context of describing the invention ( especially in the context of the following claims ) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural , unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context . the terms โ comprising ,โ โ having ,โ โ including ,โ and โ containing โ are to be construed as open - ended terms ( i . e ., meaning โ including , but not limited to ,โ) unless otherwise noted . the term โ connected โ is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within , attached to , or joined together , even if there is something intervening . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g ., โ such as โ) provided herein , is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention . preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein , including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention . variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . the inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate , and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . accordingly , this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law . moreover , any combination of the above - described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . | 5 |
referring to fig1 a plurality of disks 10 are rotated by a spindle motor 34 . a plurality of heads 12 are respectively located on a plurality of disks and are installed on a plurality of support arms extended from a e - block assembly 14 assembled with a rotary voice coil actuator 30 to the disk . a pre - amplifier 16 supplies an analog read signal to a read / write channel circuit 18 by pre - amplifying a signal picked up by one of the heads 12 during reading , and lets a corresponding one of the heads 12 write on a disk by supplying coded write data output from the read / write channel circuit 18 . the read / write channel circuit 18 detects and decodes a data pulse from a read signal output by the pre - amplifier 16 and supplies it to a disk data controller ( hereinafter referred to as a โ ddc โ) 20 , and supplies write data from the ddc 20 to the pre - amplifier 16 by decoding . the ddc 20 writes data output from a host computer on a disk through the read / write channel circuit 18 and the pre - amplifier 16 , and transmits data to the host computer by reading it from a disk . the ddc 20 interfaces a communication between the host computer and a microcontroller 24 . a buffer ram 22 temporarily stores data transmitted between the host computer , the microcontroller 24 and the read / write channel circuit 18 . a microcontroller 24 controls a track detection and follow - up responding to an order of read or write received from the host computer . a rom 26 stores a performance program of the microcontroller 24 and all sorts of command values . servo driver 28 supplies a driving current to a voice coil of the actuator 30 . the actuator 30 moves the head 12 on the disk 10 according to the level and direction of the driving current . a spindle motor driver 32 rotates the disk 10 according to a control value generated by the microcontroller 24 . a disk signal controller 36 supplies a pes output from the read / write channel circuit 18 to the microcontroller 24 by converting it into a digital signal . referring to fig2 in two adjacent tracks , an n โ 1 track ( odd number ) and an n track ( even number ), there exists an a burst , b burst , c burst and d burst for generating a pes . an a burst exists in the outside , being one half of each n โ 1 track and n track . a b burst exists in the inside , being one half of each n โ 1 track and n track . a c burst exists only in the n โ 1 track , and a d burst exists only in the n track . according to the present invention , fig2 illustrates n and q defined as follows : fig2 illustrates each value of the n โ 1 track and n track in each part of the n โ 1 track and n btrack . n equals 0 ( zero ) in a center line 42 of the n โ 1 track and q equals d in a center line 40 of the n track . referring to fig1 and 3 a - 3 b , the microcontroller 24 checks to determine if there is a power on in step 100 and performs a track width measuring routine in step 102 . accordingly , the microcontroller 24 lets the head 12 seek a first track โ n โ by servo - control in step 104 and thereafter confirms whether or not the seek has been completed by a servo signal read from the disk 10 in step 106 . if the seek has been completed , the microcontroller 24 waits for a fixed time for securing an accuracy of track width measuring and detection stabilization in step 108 . in step 110 , the microcontroller 24 sets a condition for measuring a track width and controls the head to move according to the condition โ n = q โ. referring to fig2 the head 12 remains near the center line 40 of the first track โ n โ before step 110 . the head 12 moves to the line 44 for track - following ( hereinafter referred to as a โ track - following line โ) when a track width measuring condition is set at n = q in step 110 . the track - following line 44 is positioned in a center between a center line 40 of track n and a line 48 adjacent to track n โ 1 and parallel to each other . the track - following line 44 is positioned at the value of n = q . the microcontroller 24 follows the โ n โ track along the track - following line when the head 12 is positioned at the track - following line 44 in step 110 and confirms the completion of track - following in step 113 . upon completion of track - following , it calculates the โ n โ value and stores it in step 114 . when n is equal to a โ b contours the track - following line 44 , a is not detected and only half of the b value is detected . accordingly , the n value is b / 2 . in step 116 , the microcontroller 24 lets the head 12 seek a second track by servo - control . the operations from steps 118 to 126 are similar to that from steps 106 to 114 . in steps 118 to 126 , the n value is calculated by following a track - following line 46 of an n โ 1 track . when n is equal to a โ b contours a track - following line 46 , b is not detected and only half of the a value is detected . accordingly , the n value is a / 2 . after performing steps 106 to 114 and 118 to 126 , the microcontroller 24 calculate a track width by adding the n value of track n to that of track n โ 1 in step 130 . accordingly , the track width equals a + b / 2 . thereafter , the microcontroller 24 updates a percentage value of pes by measuring a track width in step 132 . accordingly the present invention measures a percentage value of pes by measuring a track width in measuring power - on operation , resulting in measuring a pes . it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed herein as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention , but rather that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this specification except as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
the present invention provides an endostatin product which has a longer half - life . it shows metabolic stability and longer half - life in vivo than unmodified endostatin , while maintaining the activity in preventing new blood vessel formation . preferably , the endostatin used in this invention is human endostatin . one embodiment of the present invention relates to a conjugate formed by a modifying agent and endostatin . the term โ conjugate โ in this invention refers to a modified endostatin , in which the endostatin and a modifying agent are linked by either a covalent bond or a non - covalent bond to form a stable complex . therefore , the โ modification โ can be achieved via either a covalent or non - covalent linkage . the modifying agent can be either chemically coupled to the endostatin or expressed as a part of a fusion with endostatin . in a preferred embodiment , the modification is site specific and will not influence the bioactivity of endostatin , e . g ., binding to its receptors . this modified product maintains the antiangiogenic activity and shows higher metabolic stability and longer half - life in blood than the unmodified endostatin , and therefore it can be used as an antiangiogenic or anti - tumor conjugate . the modifying agent can be one or more macromolecule polymers , proteins or its fragments , peptides or other chemical compounds , which is biocompatible and able to increase the half - life of endostatin . the macromolecule polymers as mentioned above can either have its own bioactivity or not . the suitable macromolecule polymers include , but not limited to , polyethylene alcohols , polyether compounds , polyvinylpyrrolidone , poly amino acids , copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride , n -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- methacrylamide , polysaccharide , polyoxyethylated polyol , heparin or its fragment , poly - alkyl - ethylene glycol and its derivatives , copolymers of poly - alkyl - ethylene glycol and its derivatives , poly ( vinyl ethyl ether ), a , p - poly (( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- dl - aspartamide , polycarboxylates , poly oxyethylene - oxymethylenes , polyacryloyl morpholines , copolymer of amino compounds and oxidative olefin , poly hyaluronic acid , polyoxiranes , copolymer of ethanedioic acid and malonic acid , poly 1 , 3 - dioxolane , ethylene and maleic hydrazide copolymer , poly sialic acid , cyclodextrin and etc . the polyethylene alcohols as mentioned above include , but not limited to , polyethylene glycol ( monomethoxy polyethylene glycol , monohydroxy polyethylene glycol ), polyvinyl alcohol , polyallyl alcohol , polybutene alcohol and their derivatives . in a preferred embodiment , the modifying agent is polyethylene glycol . in a more preferred embodiment , polyethylene glycol is monomethoxy polyethylene glycol . the polyethers as mentioned above include , but not limited to , poly alkylene glycol ( ho (( ch 2 ) x o ) n h ), polypropylene glycol , polyoxyethylene ( ho (( ch 2 ) 2 o ) n h ), polyvinyl alcohol (( ch 2 choh ) n ) and derivatives thereof . the poly amino acids as mentioned above include , but not limited to , polymers of one type of aminoacid , copolymers of two or more types of amino acids , for example , polyalanine . the polysaccharides as mentioned above include , but not limited to , glucosan and its derivatives , for example dextran sulfate , cellulose and its derivatives ( including methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose ), starch and its derivatives , polysucrose and etc . a preferred protein molecule used as a modifying carrier of the invention is a protein naturally occurring or a fragment thereof , which includes , but not limited to , thyroxine - binding protein , transthyretin , transferrin , fibrinogen , immunoglobulin , albumin and fragments thereof . preferred carrier proteins are human proteins . a fragment of a protein as mentioned above refers to a part of the protein that still has the activity to serve as a carrier protein . endostatin is directly or indirectly linked to the modifying agent via a covalent bond . direct linking means that one amino acid of endostatin is directly linked to one amino acid of the carrier protein , via peptide bond or a disulfide bridge . indirect linking means that endostatin is linked to the carrier protein via one or more chemical groups . there have been some reports on modifying endostatin with polyethylene glycol . guoying mou ( 2005 ) and shenglin yang ( 2005 ) reported modifying endostatin with peg molecules having an average molecule weight of 6 kda or 10 kda , and the modifying agents are linked to ฮต - amino groups on the side chains of lysine residues , and thus the product is a mixture of multi - sites modification products . although the product can be purified by molecular sieve or ion - exchange chromatography to obtain a product of certain range of molecule weight , there are still some drawbacks , such as the inhomogeneity in the modification sites and in the protein conformation , due to the reactive properties of such modifying agents . moreover , the multi - sites modification of a protein will cause some change of the conformation of internal amino acids , resulting in a decrease of the activity of the protein . for a biological product , the homogeneity of the product is very important for decreasing the toxicity as well as the immunogenicity . in addition , for a mixture , it is also different to ensure the same quality and the stability of efficacy between different batches . therefore , it is an important issue and a problem to be solved in drug design and preparation how to ensure the consistency of the ingredients , the homogeneity of conformation , and the stability of the activity . in one embodiment of the present invention , the polyethylene glycol ( peg )- modified endostatin is characterized in that one endostatin molecule is covalently coupled to one or more peg molecules . the coupling site of endostatin may be one of the n - terminal ฮฑ - amino group , the ฮต - amino group on the side chain of a lysine residue , the mercapto group of a cysteine residue , the carboxyl group on the side chain of an aspartate residue , the carboxyl group on the side chain of a glutamate residue , or any combination thereof . the polyethylene glycol used for coupling may be either linear or branched , with an average molecular weight of from 1 , 000 to 100 , 000 daltons , preferably from 5 , 000 to 40 , 000 daltons . as used herein , the molecular weight of polyethylene glycol refers to the average molecular weight . although peg modification may improve the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug , such modification , however , may also reduce the biological activities of a macromolecule drug . the main reason for this is that different modification sites may result in different structural changes and may shield the active sites of the drug ( veronese f ., et al . drug discovery today , 10 , 21 , 2005 ). for example , after modification with different pegs , the activity of differently modified interferon ฮฒ - 1b decreases , and the highest activity of the modified molecule only reached a level corresponding to 71 % of the activity of the unmodified , and some modified proteins almost showed no activity at all . so , although peg modification changes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a drug , it may also impair the activity of the drug , and consequently . therefore , both sides are taken into account when selecting the modification process and modifying agents , so as to achieve the optimal overall results in vivo . in one embodiment of the present invention , an n - terminal specific pegylating reagent ( mpeg - butyrald , nektar ) is used to modify the recombinant human endostatin . this gives rise to a product which is formed by coupling one peg molecule to one recombinant endostatin at the n - terminal ฮฑ - amino group of the protein . it was reported that the interferon ฮฒ - 1b modified by using the same n - terminal pegylation reagent only showed 70 % of the activity of the unmodified protein in an in vitro test ( filpula d ., et al . bioconjugate chem . 2006 , 17 , 618 - 630 ). in the present invention , however , it is surprisingly found that efficacy of n - terminal modified endostatin reached two times or more that of unmodified protein in inhibiting endothelial cell migration , indicating a prominent increase in the biological activity of endostatin after modification , which has not been reported yet . however , it was reported by g mou et al ( 2005 ) that multiple sites modification of endostatin resulted in a decreased activity in an in vitro test . this implies a much better in vitro activity of the product of the present invention as compared to the modified endostatin in relevant literatures . on the other hand , as shown in structure analysis , a zinc binding site was found in the n - terminus of human wild - type endostatin , which is consisting of the 1st , 3rd , 11th , and 76th amino acids . it has been reported that these sites are critical for the stability and activity of human endostatin , and form the binding site of human endostatin through which endostatin binds to its receptor and exerts its activity ( ding , y . h ., proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 95 , 10443 - 10448 ; hohenester , e ., embo j . 17 , 1656 - 1664 ; boehm , t ., biochem . biophys . res . commun . 252 , 190 - 194 ; ricard - blum , s ., j . biol . chem . 279 , 2927 - 2936 ; tjin tham sjin , r . m ., cancer res . 65 ( 9 ): 3656 - 63 ). as peg has a large molecular weight and large spatial hindrance , it has been proposed that the modification to the protein should not take place at active sites . otherwise this may greatly destroy the protein structure , which in turn which may impair the activity of the protein . however , the product of the present invention not only avoids activity loss , but exhibits an unexpectedly higher activity . in one embodiment of the present invention , endostatin is coupled to a protein or peptide , characterized in that one endostatin molecule is directly or indirectly linked to one or more proteins or peptides . in the case that endostatin is coupled to more carrier proteins , the selected carrier proteins can be either the same or different . preferably , the carrier proteins are naturally occurring proteins or fragments thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the carrier protein selected for modification is human serum albumin or its fragments . in another preferred embodiment , the carrier protein is an fc fragment of human immunoglobulin igg . in another embodiment of the present invention , the modifying agent is a small molecule or a small peptide or other compound , which enables the conjugate comprising endostatin to react with or have high affinity to certain components in the blood . in a specific embodiment , the product has a reactively active group , capable of reacting with amino , carboxyl or mercapto group to form a covalent bond . in another specific embodiment , the active group of the product is maleimide , which is capable of reacting with a mercapto group of a blood component , such as albumin . in another specific embodiment , the product has strong affinity to some blood components such as albumin or immunoglobulin , allowing the formation of larger complex . in another embodiment of the present invention , the endostatin modified with a small molecule or a small peptide may be glycosylated , phosphorylated or acylated . the modification sites may be amino acid residues originally contained the protein or amino acid residues generated via mutation . although the molecular weight of the conjugate is not very large , the half - life of the conjugate becomes longer since the modification changes the characteristics of endostatin . in another embodiment of the present invention , the conjugate comprising endostatin is a conjugate formed via non - covalent interaction between endostatin and a modifying agent such as protein and small molecule . this conjugate has the activity to inhibit angiogenesis and has longer in vivo half - life than endostatin . another embodiment of the present invention relates to a sustained - release formulation comprising endostatin . the sustained - release formulation is consisting of endostatin or any of the aforementioned conjugate and a biocompatible substance . endostatin in this composition still has biological activity , and at the same time , its in vivo half - life is prolonged because of the carrier which changes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug . the sustained - release formulation can be , but not limited to , a microcapsule , hydrogel , microbeads , micro - osmotic pump and liposome , et al . the present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate or sustained - release formulation and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . furthermore , the present invention also provides a kit comprising the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate or sustained - release formulation and an instruction for use . the pharmaceutically acceptable carriers used in this invention include carriers , excipients , or stabilizers , which are nontoxic to the cells or mammals to be contacted at selected doses and concentrations . a commonly used physiologically acceptable carrier is an aqueous ph buffer solution . examples of physiologically acceptable carriers include solutions such as phosphate buffer solution , citrate buffer solution and other organic acid buffer solution ; anti - oxidants including ascorbic acid ; polypeptides with low molecular weight ( no more than 10 residues ); proteins such as serum albumin , glutin or immunoglobulin ; hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone ; amino acids such as glycine , glutamine , asparagine , arginine or lysine ; monosaccharide , disaccharide and other carbohydrates including glucose , mannose or dextrin ; chelating agents such as edta ; sugar alcohol such as mannitol or sorbitol ; salt - forming counter ion such as sodium ion ; and / or nonionic surfactant such as tween ยฎ, peg and pluronics ยฎ. preferably , the excipients are sterilized and usually free of undesired substance . these compositions can be sterilized by routine sterilizing techniques . the present invention also relates to methods of preparing the aforementioned products of endostatin . specifically , the present invention provides a method of preparing a pegylated endostatin comprising mixing the activated peg with endostatin , allowing reaction under proper conditions including solution , temperature , ph , and reaction molar ratio , and purifying the coupled product by using cation - exchange column or molecular sieve . preferably , the ph of this reaction is within 3 to 10 . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , sustained - release formulation , pharmaceutical composition or kit in the prevention , diagnosis and treatment of tumor . the tumors that are suitable to be treated with the method of the invention include , but not limited to , lung cancer , neuroendocrine tumor , colon cancer , bone cancer , liver cancer , gastric cancer , pancreatic cancer , oral cancer , breast cancer , prostate cancer , lymphoma , esophagus cancer , oral cancer , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , cervical cancer , sarcoma , renal carcinoma , biliary cancer , malignant melanoma , et al . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , pharmaceutical composition , or sustained - release formulation in preparation of an anti - tumor medicament . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , sustained - release formulation , pharmaceutical composition , or kit for the prevention , diagnosis , or treatment of a disease characterized by , but not limited to , tissue or organ lesions caused by abnormal neovascularization , or in preparation of a medicament for the treatment of such a disease . according to the present invention , the administration route is selected from the group consisting of intravenous injection , intravenous infusion , subcutaneous injection , intramuscular injection , intraperitoneal injection , percutaneous absorption , subcutaneous embedment , liver arterial injection , oral administration , nasal administration , oral mucosa administration , ocular administration , rectal administration , vaginal delivery , or other clinically acceptable routes . the present invention also provides a method for prolonging the half - life of endostatin , comprising the step of forming a conjugate between endostatin and a modifying agent capable of prolonging in vivo half - life of endostatin and the step of preparing a sustained - release formulation containing endostatin . our experimental data show that , a product of the present invention , i . e ., a conjugate formed by coupling peg to the n - terminus of endostatin , has the activity of inhibiting the migration of endothelial cell proliferation and tumor growth in mice . this conjugate showed significantly higher activity as compared with non - modified endostatin . furthermore , pharmacokinetic study revealed that the in vivo metabolism of this modified product was effectively slowed down , and its half - life was prolonged . unless otherwise specified , the endostatin as used herein can be of human , murine or other mammals origin . in a preferred embodiment , the endostatin is human endostatin . unless otherwise specified , the endostatin as used herein can be a wild - type endostatin , i . e ., the naturally occurring form ; or a biologically active mutant , fragment , isomer , or derivative thereof , or their combinations . endostatin can be obtained upon expression in animal cells , or can be obtained by fermentation and further purification from yeasts or e . coli . the amino acid sequence of the wild - type human endostatin expressed in animal cells is shown in seq id no . 1 . the recombinant human endostatin expressed in yeasts may either have an amino acid sequence as shown in seq id no . 1 , or have the sequence of seq id no . 1 with no more than 10 amino acids added to or deleted from its n - terminus . the amino acid sequence of the recombinant human endostatin expressed in e . coli is shown in seq id no . 2 , but sometimes the n - terminal met will be deleted after expression , and when this happens , the resultant recombinant human endostatin will have the sequence as shown in seq id no . 1 . a mutant of endostatin refers to an endostatin molecule obtained by introducing amino acid replacement , deletion , or addition . an endostatin fragment refers to a part of the sequence of seq id no . 1 or seq id no . 2 . the fragments may be obtained through , among others , enzymatic cleavage , genetic engineering expression , or polypeptide synthesis . for instance , the fragment with the sequence of seq id no . 3 , seq id no . 4 , or seq id no . 5 was reported to have the activity to inhibit solid tumor ( cattaneo m g et al . experimental cell research 283 ( 2003 ) 230 - 236 ; tjin tham sjin r m et al . cancer research ( 2005 ) 65 ( 9 ) 3656 - 3663 ). an isomer of endostatin refers to a molecule with the same amino acid sequence as the wild - type endostatin but with different conformations , including difference in the secondary or tertiary protein structure , or changed optical activity in regional amino acids . the isomer may be a naturally occurring mutant or obtained via artificial design . a derivative of endostatin refers to a product generated by modification of the wild - type endostatin . modification refers to covalently attaching one or more small molecules , such as phosphoric acid molecules or carbohydrate molecules , or oligopeptide with less than 20 amino acids , to the protein at any amino acid of the protein . in a preferred embodiment , a 9 - amino acid peptide chain containing a his - tag ( mggshhhhh ) is added to the n - terminus of human endostatin , and this derived endostatin has the sequence of seq id no . 6 ( luo yongzhang et al . us2004110671 ). when expressed in e . coli , its n - terminal met sometimes will be deleted , and when this happens , the resultant n - terminal met deleted derivative of recombinant human endostatin will have the sequence of seq id no . 7 . the combination of the active mutants , fragments , isomers or derivatives of endostatin means that the product simultaneously has two or more of the modifications mentioned above , for example without limitation , a mutant of a fragment or a modified mutant , et al . coupling of 20 kda peg to the n - terminus of recombinant human endostatin the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin ( protgen ltd .) was dialyzed into 30 mm sodium acetate solution , ph 5 . 5 . protein concentration was determined by measuring absorbance at 280 nm using uv spectrophotometer ( agilent technologies ), and then was adjusted to 2 mg / ml . a 20 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 20 kda , nektar ) which specifically modifies the n - terminus of protein was used for covalently coupling . specifically , 80 mg of this 20 kda peg ( solid ) was added to 20 ml protein solution ( containing 40 mg protein ), and the mixed solution was stirred at room temperature until peg solid dissolved completely and the molar ratio of peg and endostatin was 2 : 1 . ch 3 bnna ( sigma ) was added as reductant to reach a final concentration of 20 mm , and finally the ph value of the solution was adjusted to 5 . after resting at room temperature for 10 hours , more than 80 % of endostatin was modified with mono - pegylation , which means one peg molecule was covalently linked to one endostatin molecule at n - terminal ฮฑ - amino group of endostatin . only a small amount of endostatin was non - specifically modified at multi - sites . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . electrophoresis analysis of solutions before and after the reaction is shown in fig7 and 8 . purification of recombinant human endostatin modified with 20 kda peg at n - terminus through cation - exchange sp column the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human endostatin modified with 20 kda peg was purified through sp chromatography column ( amersham ). the ph value of mixed solution was adjusted to 6 after reaction . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilibrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 0 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 0 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification is shown in fig9 and 10 . coupling of 40 kda peg to n - terminus of the recombinant human endostatin the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin was dialyzed into 30 mm sodium acetate solution , ph 5 . 5 . the protein concentration was measured by uv spectrophotometer at 280 nm wavelength , and then was adjusted to 2 . 5 mg / ml . a 40 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 40 kda , nektar ) which specifically modifies the n - terminus of protein was used for covalently coupling . specifically , 160 mg of this 40 kda peg ( solid ) was added to 20 ml protein solution ( containing 40 mg protein ), the solution was stirred at room temperature until peg completely dissolved and the molar ratio of peg and endostatin was 2 : 1 . after that , ch 3 bnna ( sigma ) was added as a reductant to a concentration of 20 mm , and finally , the ph value of solution was adjusted to 5 . after resting at room temperature for 10 hours , more than 80 % of the endostatin was modified by mono - pegylation , i . e . one molecule of peg was covalently coupled to one endostatin molecule at the n - terminal ฮฑ - amino group of the protein . only a small amount of endostatin was nonspecifically modified at multiple sites . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . purification of recombinant human endostatin modified with 40 kda peg at n - terminus through cation - exchange sp column the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human endostatin modified with 40 kda peg was purified through sp chromatography column ( amersham ). the ph value of mixed solution was adjusted to 6 after reaction . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 0 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 0 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification of recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 2 is shown in fig1 . the result of purification of recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 is similar to that of seq id no . 2 ( data not shown ). prolonged efficacy of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg covalently coupled to its n - terminus in the blood the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the prolonged efficacy of the recombinant human endostatin with peg modification was evaluated by measuring the in vivo half - life of the protein recombinant human endostatin with or without peg modification , respectively . six healthy kunming mice ( about 25 g ) ( vitalriver experimental animal center ) were divided into two groups , 3 mice per group . then the mice were given an injection via tail vein of recombinant human endostatin ( protgen ltd .) either unmodified or n - terminus modified with 20 kda peg , respectively , in a dose of 15 mg / kg body weight . and then , blood samples were taken from tail vein at 2 , 10 , 30 minutes , 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 24 , 36 , 48 , and 72 hours . plasma was then collected and the concentration of endostatin with or without peg modification was measured by sandwich elisa , respectively . as revealed by the pharmacokinetic analysis , upon modification with 20 kda peg , the half - life of recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 was increased from an average of 4 . 8 hours to an average of 16 hours in mice , and the half - life of recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 6 was increased from an average of 7 . 5 hours to an average of 16 hours in mice . these results demonstrated that coupling of high molecular weight peg to the recombinant human endostatin can effectively increase the in vivo half - life of the endostatin and achieve a prolonged efficacy . the activity of recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg coupled to its n - terminus to inhibit the migration of vascular endothelial cells the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human microvascular endothelial cells ( hmec ) were cultured in the dmem medium ( hyclone ) containing 10 % serum to exponential phase . then the cells were left starving for 12 hours . after digesting with trypsin ( sigma ), cells were added into plates at 10000 cells per well for measurement of cell migration . conditions for migration assay included dmem medium , 1 % serum , and 10 ng / ml bfgf ( sigma ) and antibiotics ( streptomycin and ampicillin , both at 10 ฮผg / ml , sigma ). for the treatment groups , endostatin with or without modification was added to the cells at 30 ฮผg / ml . after culturing for 8 hours at 37 ยฐ c ., the cells in the plates were fixed with 1 % glutaraldehyde and then the upper layer of cells on the membranes , which did not migrate , were removed , and the lower layer of cells were stained with hematoxylin . the cell number was counted under microscope ( olympus ). cells in three different fields on one plate were counted and then the inhibition rate was calculated . the results revealed that the inhibition rate on cells migration was 42 % for recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 , while the inhibition rate on cells migration was 90 % for modified endostatin . the inhibition rate on cells migration was 45 % for the recombinant human endostatin of the sequence of seq id no . 6 , while the inhibition rate was 90 % for modified endostatin . the above results demonstrate that the modification of endostatin with peg will not only maintain but greatly enhance its biological activity . the experimental results are shown in fig1 . activity of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg coupled to its n - terminus in the treatment of mice tumor model the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . experiments were performed to observe the in vivo inhibitory activity of endostatin modified by 20 kda peg on mice s180 tumor . kunming mice of about 20 g were used in the experiment . mice were inoculated at axillary with s180 sarcoma cells ( china cell bank qk10952 ), 2 ร 10 6 cells per mouse . the mice were then randomly grouped on the following day , eight mice per group , including the negative control group ( normal saline ), the positive control group ( endostatin , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , daily ), three treatment groups ( endostatin modified with peg , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , daily , every other day , or every three days , respectively ). the treatment was administered by way of tail vein injection . administration lasted for 10 days . the mice were sacrificed on day 11 , the weight of tumor was measured , and the efficacy was evaluated by tumor inhibition rate calculated as follows : tumor inhibition rate =( tumor weight of negative control group โ tumor weight of treatment group )/ tumor weight of negative control group ร 100 %. for the recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of the positive control group was 34 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 47 %, 53 % and 40 % for the groups treated daily , every other day and every three days , respectively . for the recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 with n - terminal additional amino acids , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of positive control group was 40 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 45 %, 57 % and 50 % for the groups treated daily , every other day and every three days , respectively . the results demonstrate that the recombinant human endostatin with modification indeed has the antitumor activity in vivo , and since it has a slow in vivo metabolic rate , the activity of the modified recombinant human endostatin is superior to that of the unmodified recombinant human endostatin . furthermore , still it can maintain its superior efficacy as compared with the unmodified recombinant human endostatin even administered at a prolonged interval . the experimental results are shown in fig1 . modification of ฮต - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin is dialyzed into 30 mm phosphate buffer solution , ph 7 . 8 . the protein concentration is measured by uv spectrophotometer at 280 nm wavelength , and then is adjusted to 2 mg / ml . a 20 kda peg ( mpeg - spa 20 kda , nektar ) which modifies the ฮต - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue is added and the molar ratio of peg and the protein is 8 : 1 . the recombinant human endostatin can be modified quickly , and after placing at room temperature for 30 minutes , 80 % of the endostatin is modified . the amount of modification product increases with the time of reaction , but the reaction speed slows down after 1 hour . the products are mainly mono - pegylated and multi - pegylated endostatin . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . molecular sieve purification of recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg modification on ฮต - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the endostatin modified by 20 kda peg was purified by molecular sieve . after reaction the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 7 . 4 . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 20 mm phosphate , 100 mm nacl , ph 7 . 4 . different fractions can be collected according to the absorbance at 280 nm using a uv spectrophotometer . the purification result of the modified endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 6 is shown in the fig1 . ion - exchange chromatography purification of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg modification on the ฮต - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the 20 kda peg - endostatin conjugate was purified by cm chromatography column . after reaction , the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 6 . 5 . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 5 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 5 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification of the modification product of endostatin having a sequence of seq id no . 6 is shown in fig1 . activity of the recombinant human endostatin with n - terminal modification with 20 kda peg in the treatment of mice tumor model the recombinant human endostatin used in this example has the sequence of seq id no . 6 . the experiment was to observe the in vivo inhibitory activity of endostatin modified with 20 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 20 kda , nektar ) administered at increasing intervals on the growth of s180 tumor in mice . kunming mice ( 20 g ) were used in the experiment . the mice were inoculated at axillary with s180 sarcoma cells ( china cell bank qk10952 ), 2 ร 10 6 cells per mouse . the mice were then randomly grouped on the following day , eight mice per group , including the negative control group ( normal saline ), the positive control group ( endostatin , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , administered every five days ), four treatment groups ( endostatin modified with peg , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , administered every five days , every seven days , every ten days , or every fourteen days , respectively ). the treatment was administered by way of tail vein injection . administration lasted for 14 days . the mice were sacrificed on day 15 , the weight of tumor was measured , and the efficacy of treatment was evaluated by tumor inhibition rate calculated as follows : tumor inhibition rate =( tumor weight of negative control group โ tumor weight of treatment group )/ tumor weight of negative control group ร 100 %. for the recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 with n - terminal additional amino acids , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of the positive control group was 34 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 56 . 4 %, 37 . 1 % and 31 . 8 %, and 0 % for the groups treated every five days , every seven days , every ten days , or every fourteen days , respectively . this suggests that the modified recombinant human endostatin can still exhibit in vivo inhibitory activity on tumor growth even administered at an interval as long as 10 days . | 0 |
a preferred embodiment of a semiconductor device and a fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the present specification and the accompanying drawings , layers and regions prefixed with n or p mean that majority carriers are electrons or holes , respectively . additionally , + and โ appended to n or p mean that the impurity concentration is higher and lower , respectively , than layers and regions without + and โ. in the description of the embodiment below and the accompanying drawings , identical constituent elements will be given the same reference numerals and will not repeatedly be described . in the present specification , when miller indices are described , โโโ means a bar added to an index immediately after the โโโ, and a negative index is expressed by prefixing โโโ to the index . a structure of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment will be described taking an example of an re - channel sic - igbt that uses the silicon carbide ( sic ) semiconductor . fig1 is a perspective diagram of the structure of the semiconductor device according to an embodiment . the semiconductor device depicted in fig1 is a trench gate sic - igbt that includes layers sequentially stacked on an n โ - type drift layer ( a first semiconductor layer ) 2 and disposed in a mesa region between adjacent trenches 8 , such as a p - type base layer ( a fourth semiconductor layer ) 5 , a high concentration n - type drift layer ( a second semiconductor layer ) 3 and an n + - type carrier accumulation ( cs ) layer ( a third semiconductor layer ) 4 disposed sequentially from the n โ - type drift layer 2 side and between the n โ - type drift layer 2 and the p - type base layer 5 , a p - type body region ( a second semiconductor region ) 7 disposed inside the p - type base layer 5 , and a p - type guard region ( a third semiconductor region ) 11 at a floating potential ( electrically floating ) disposed in a vicinity of the bottom portion of the trench 8 . for example , on the front face of the n - type semiconductor substrate including the silicon carbide semiconductor ( hereinafter , referred to as โ n - type sic substrate โ), silicon carbide epitaxial layers are sequentially stacked to be the n โ - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 . the n - type sic substrate 1 functions as a field stop ( fs ) layer that suppresses the depletion layer extending from a p - n junction on the emitter side during the โ off โ time period from reaching a p + - type collector layer 15 described later . the carriers ( electrons and holes ) are accumulated in the n โ - type drift layer 2 in an โ always - on โ state . the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and the n + - type cs layer 4 each have a function to enhance the ie effect . a proper impurity concentration of the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 is , for example , greater than or equal to 5 ร 10 14 / cm 3 and less than or equal to 1 . 0 ร 10 17 / cm 3 . a proper impurity concentration of the n + - type cs layer 4 is , for example , greater than or equal to 5 . 0 ร 10 14 / cm 3 and less than or equal to 5 . 0 ร 10 18 / cm 3 . preferably , the n + - type cs layer 4 has a high impurity concentration that is , for example , greater than or equal to 1 . 0 ร 10 17 / cm 3 , and has a thickness greater than or equal to 0 . 5 ฮผm . the electrons injected from the emitter side into the n โ - type drift layer 2 can be increased by setting the impurity concentrations of the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and the n + - type cs layer 4 to be within the above ranges . in the silicon carbide semiconductor , the critical electric field strength at which the avalanche breakdown occurs is higher than that of silicon ( si ) by 10 - fold , and any significant degradation of the element breakdown voltage can , therefore , be prevented even when the high impurity concentration n + - type cs layer 4 is disposed in the mesa region . sufficient breakdown voltage can , therefore , be maintained , and the โ on โ voltage can be reduced by enhancing the ie effect . the trench 8 is disposed at a depth at which the trench 8 penetrates at least the p - type base layer 5 in the depth direction and reaches the n + - type cs layer 4 . the depth direction refers to a direction from the front face toward the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate ( a semiconductor chip ) formed by stacking , on the n - type sic substrate 1 , the n โ - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 . fig1 depicts the trench 8 that in the depth direction , penetrates the p - type base layer 5 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and that reaches the n โ - type drift layer 2 . the depth of the trench 8 merely has to be a depth with which the trench 8 divides the p - type base layer 5 into plural sections , and can be varied depending on , for example , the distance between the p - type base layer 5 and the p - type guard region 11 that is determined based on the design conditions . the plural trenches 8 are disposed in , for example , a stripe - like planar pattern . by dividing the p - type base layer 5 into the plural sections by the trench 8 , plural emitter structures are formed each having the mesa region sandwiched by the adjacent trenches 8 as a unit cell . the interval of the adjacent trenches 8 , that is , the width of the mesa region ( a mesa width ) in the direction in which the trenches 8 are aligned ( hereinafter , referred to as โ trench shorter dimension direction โ) is very small that is , for example , 1 . 6 ฮผm . the n + - type cs layer 4 sandwiched by the trenches 8 therefore tends to be depleted though the n + - type cs layer 4 has the high impurity concentration as above , and the element breakdown voltage is not degraded . a gate insulation film 9 is disposed inside the trench 8 along the inner wall of the trench 8 , and a gate electrode 10 is disposed on the inner side of the gate insulation film 9 . an n ++ - type emitter region ( a first semiconductor region ) 6 and a p + - type body region 7 are selectively disposed inside the p - type base layer 5 . in each mesa region between the adjacent trenches 8 , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 are alternately disposed repeatedly in a direction ( hereinafter , referred to as โ trench longer dimension direction โ) orthogonal to the direction in which the trenches 8 are aligned ( the trench shorter dimension direction ). the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 face the gate electrode 10 through the gate insulation film 9 on a side wall of the trench 8 . the depth of the p + - type body region 7 is greater than the depth of the p - type base layer 5 and is shallower than the depth of the trench 8 . the p + - type body region 7 merely has to penetrate at least the p - type base layer 5 and divide the p - type base layer 5 into the plural sections , and the depth of the p + - type body region 7 can be varied to suit design conditions . fig1 depicts the p + - type body region 7 that penetrates the p - type base layer 5 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 in the depth direction and that reaches the n โ - type drift layer 2 . by disposing the p + - type body region 7 , the p - type base layer 5 is between the p + - type body regions 7 that are adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction . the p - type base layer 5 , therefore , is not to prone to becoming depleted though the p - type base layer 5 has a relatively low impurity concentration , and the element breakdown voltage thereof can be sufficiently assured . the respective disposition patterns of the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 in the mesa region may be same as that of each other . the proper interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction is , for example , greater than or equal to 0 . 5 ฮผm and equal to or smaller than 5 . 0 ฮผm . the reason for this is as follows . when the interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction is less than 0 . 5 ฮผm , the channel concentration of the inversion layer ( the channel ) formed in a vicinity of the side wall of the trench 8 of the p - type base layer 5 is reduced and the โ on โ voltage is increased in the โ always - on โ state . on the other hand , when the interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction exceeds 5 . 0 ฮผm , no electric field alleviation effect is achieved and the breakdown voltage is reduced . the p - type guard region 11 at the floating potential is disposed to cover the bottom portion of the trench 8 , in the sic semiconductor portion ( the n โ - type drift layer 2 in fig1 ) immediately below the bottom portion of the trench 8 ( on the n - type sic substrate side ). the p - type guard region 11 is disposed along the bottom portion of the trench 8 and covers the overall bottom portion of the trench 8 . the p - type guard region 11 has a function of alleviating the electric field applied to the gate insulation film 9 . preferably , the distance in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 is set to be sufficiently long . the reason for this is as follows . when the distance in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 is short ( that is , the depth of the trench 8 is shallow ), in the โ always - on โ state , the holes ( the positive holes ) injected from the collector side ( the p + - type collector layer 15 described later ) into the n โ - type drift layer 2 flow into the p - type base layer 5 through the p - type guard region 11 and the distance for the holes to pass through the n + - type cs layer 4 is reduced . this is substantially equivalent to the thickness of the n + - type cs layer 4 being thin , and the accumulation of the carriers in the n โ - type drift layer 2 is obstructed because the ie effect is degraded . the emitter electrode 13 is in contact with the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 through contact holes penetrating an interlayer insulator film 12 in the depth direction , and is electrically insulated from the gate electrode 10 by the interlayer insulator film 12 . a p - type buffer layer 14 is disposed in the surface layer of the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 . a p + - type collector layer 15 is disposed in the surface layer of the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 at a shallower position from the back face of the substrate than that of the p - type buffer layer 14 . a collector electrode 16 is disposed on the overall back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 , that is , the overall surface of the p + - type collector layer 15 . no thermal treatment for activation is executed for the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 as described later , and crystal faults remain therein . in the โ always - on โ state , the electrons and the holes tend to , therefore , recouple with each other inside the p - type buffer layer 14 , and the electrons flowing from the emitter side toward the collector side are prone to fail to reach the p + - type collector layer 15 . the p - type buffer layer 14 functions as the field stop layer . a lot of holes are not injected from the high impurity concentration p + - type collector layer 15 into the n โ - type drift layer 2 and the amount of carriers on the collector side can be suppressed . as a result , the loss generated during the โ turned - off โ time period can be reduced . the fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the embodiment will be described taking an example of a case where an n - channel sic - igbt of a 13 - kv breakdown voltage class is produced ( fabricated ). fig2 , 3 , and 4 are cross - sectional views of the states of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment in the course of fabrication . fig5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 are perspective diagrams of the states of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment in the course of fabrication . as depicted in fig2 , the n - type sic substrate 1 ( a sic wafer ) having a thickness of 350 ฮผm and including a silicon carbide semiconductor doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen ( n ) at 4 . 0 ร 10 15 / cm 3 is prepared as the starting material ( a starting substrate ). as depicted in fig3 , an n โ - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 120 ฮผm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 5 . 0 ร 10 14 / cm 3 is grown to be the n โ - type drift layer 2 on the front face of the n - type sic substrate 1 . the front face of the n - type sic substrate 1 may be , for example , a ( 000 - 1 ) plane ( a so - called c plane ). an n - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 1 . 8 ฮผm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 1 . 0 ร 10 16 / cm 3 is grown to be the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 on the n โ - type drift layer 2 . as depicted in fig4 , an n + - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 0 . 5 ฮผm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 7 . 0 ร 10 17 / cm 3 is grown to be the n + - type cs layer 4 on the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 . a p - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 0 . 7 ฮผm and doped with a p - type impurity such as , for example , aluminum ( al ) at 2 . 5 ร 10 17 / cm 3 is grown to be the p - type base region 5 on the n + - type cs layer 4 . thereby , the sic epitaxial substrate ( a sic epitaxial wafer ) is produced that is formed by stacking the n โ - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 on the n - type sic substrate 1 . as depicted in fig5 , an oxide film 21 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 8 ฮผm is deposited on the front face ( the face on the p - type base layer 5 side ) of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 21 to expose a partial area ( not depicted ) of a scribe area . the โ scribe area โ refers to the cut - out area for cutting ( dicing ) the sic wafer into individual chips . an alignment marker ( not depicted ) having a depth of 0 . 5 ฮผm is formed in a portion of the scribe area by etching the sic semiconductor portion ( that is , the p - type base layer 5 ) using the remaining portion of the oxide film 21 as the mask . in the process steps executed later , the alignment marker is used as a positioning pattern to be a guide to match the position of the sic epitaxial substrate in the horizontal direction with the position of the photo mask . patterning is applied to the oxide film 21 to form therein stripe - like openings each having a width of 0 . 8 ฮผm at the pitch of , for example , 2 . 4 ฮผm . as depicted in fig6 , a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at , for example , a dose of 5 . 0 ร 10 16 / cm 2 into the sic semiconductor portion using the remaining portion of the oxide 21 as a mask to form the p + - type body region 7 in a stripe - like shape . the ion implantation to form the p + - type body region 7 may be multi - stage ion implantation to execute the ion implantation in five stages using different acceleration energies within , for example , a range greater than or equal to 500 kev and less than or equal to 750 kev . after removing the overall oxide film 21 , as depicted in fig7 , an oxide film 22 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 8 ฮผm is newly deposited on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 22 to form stripe - like openings each having , for example , a width of 0 . 5 ฮผm at the pitch of 2 . 4 ฮผm extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the stripe - like p + - type body region 7 extends . the sic semiconductor portion is etched using the remaining portion of the oxide film 22 as the mask to form the trench 8 having a depth of , for example , 1 . 3 ฮผm . as depicted in fig8 , an oxide film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed along the inner wall of the trench 8 by thermal oxidation . a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted , for example , at a dose of 5 . 0 ร 10 15 / cm 2 through the oxide film of the inner wall of the trench 8 using the remaining portion of the oxide film 22 as a mask to form the p - type guard region 11 in the sic semiconductor portion in the bottom portion of the trench 8 . the ion implantation to form the p - type guard region 11 may be multi - stage ion implantation to execute the ion implantation in five stages using different acceleration energies within , for example , a range greater than or equal to 30 kev and less than or equal to 150 kev . after removing the overall oxide film on the inner wall of the trench 8 , an oxide film ( sio 2 ) having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 1 ฮผm is deposited along the inner wall of the trench 8 to be the gate insulation film 9 . a nitriding treatment is applied to the surface of the gate insulation film 9 using , for example , a nitrogen monoxide ( no ) gas . as depicted in fig9 , a poly - silicon ( poly - si ) layer is embedded on the inner side of the gate insulation film 9 in the trench 8 . extra poly - silicon on the sic epitaxial substrate is removed by etching back , and a poly - silicon layer to be the gate electrode 10 is left in the trench 8 . after removing the overall oxide film 22 , as depicted in fig1 , an oxide film 23 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 4 ฮผm is newly deposited on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 23 to expose the p - type base layer 5 . the p - type base layer 5 is disposed in a matrix - shape consequent to the formation of the p + - type body region 7 and the trench 8 that orthogonally cross each other in the stripes at the previous process step . openings are formed in a matrix - shape in the oxide film 23 and the remaining portion of the oxide film 23 remains in a grid - shape by applying patterning to the oxide film 23 to expose the p - type base layer 5 . an n - type impurity such as phosphorus ( p ) is ion - implanted at a dose of , for example , 5 . 0 ร 10 15 / cm 2 using the remaining portion of the oxide film 23 as a mask . the crystal faults are recovered and the n - type impurity implanted into the p - type base layer 5 is activated by annealing ( a thermal treatment ) at , for example , 1700 degrees c . and , thereby , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 is formed . after removing the overall oxide film 23 , as depicted in fig1 , a high temperature oxide ( hto ) film having a thickness of 0 . 2 ฮผm and a borophosphosilicate glass ( bpsg ) film having a thickness of 0 . 6 ฮผm are sequentially grown as the interlayer insulator film 12 on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the interlayer insulator film 12 to form stripe - like contact holes each having a width of , for example , 1 . 0 ฮผm and extending in the trench longer dimension direction and thereby , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 are exposed . to secure the contact ( an electric contact portion ) with the p + - type body region 7 , an aluminum film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using a sputtering method . patterning is applied to the aluminum film to leave the aluminum film on the p + - type body region 7 and remove the aluminum film of other portions except that on the p + - type body region 7 . to secure the contact with the n ++ - type emitter region 6 , a nickel ( ni ) film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using the sputtering method . hereinafter , the aluminum film and the nickel film to secure the contacts with the p + - type body region 7 and the n ++ - type emitter region 6 will be referred to as โ front face metal โ. after protecting the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using a resist protective film ( not depicted ), as depicted in fig1 , the sic epitaxial substrate is ground from the back face thereof ( that is , the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 ) to a position to acquire a product thickness for use as a semiconductor device . at this step , the grinding is executed until the thickness of the sic epitaxial substrate ( the total thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 , the n โ - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 ) reaches , for example , 160 ฮผm . the thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 is further reduced using mechanical polishing and the thickness of the sic epitaxial substrate is reduced to 140 ฮผm . the remaining thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 is , for example , 20 ฮผm at the process steps executed so far . for example , the substrate temperature is set to be at 500 degrees c . and a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at a dose of 1 . 0 ร 10 13 / cm 2 using an acceleration energy of 600 kev to form the p - type buffer layer 14 in the surface layer of the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate . the substrate temperature is then set to be at 500 degrees c . and a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at a dose of 5 . 0 ร 10 15 / cm 2 using an acceleration energy of 30 kev to form the p + - type collector layer 15 in the surface layer of the p - type buffer layer 14 . any annealing ( the thermal treatment ) for activation is not executed for the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 and crystal faults are caused to remain in the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 . to secure the contact with the p + - type collector layer 15 , an aluminum film ( not depicted ) and a nickel film ( not depicted ) are sequentially formed on the overall surface of the p + - type collector layer 15 using the sputtering method . hereinafter , the stacked films including the aluminum film and the nickel film to secure the contacts with the p + - type collector layer 15 will be referred to as โ back face metal โ. after removing the resist protective film on the front face of the substrate , sintering ( a thermal treatment ) is executed for the front face metal , the emitter electrode 13 , and the back face metal formed on the front face and the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate using , for example , lamp annealing . an aluminum layer having a thickness of , for example , 5 ฮผm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using the sputtering method and patterning is applied to this aluminum layer . thereby , the emitter electrode 13 is formed . for example , a polyimide film ( not depicted ) is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the polyimide film to expose a portion of the emitter electrode 13 as an electrode pad and thereafter , the polyimide film is cured ( baked ). the collector electrode 16 formed by layering titanium ( ti ), nickel , and gold ( au ) on each other is formed on the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate . thereafter , the sic epitaxial substrate is diced into individual chips . thereby , the sic - igbt chip depicted in fig1 is completed . the sic - igbt of the 13 - kv breakdown voltage class ( hereinafter , referred to as โ example โ) was fabricated according to the fabrication method of a semiconductor device of the embodiment , and the โ on โ voltage and the maximal electric field intensity of the gate insulation film 9 of the sic - igbt were verified . fig1 a and 13b are perspective diagrams of a unit cell structure of the 13 - kv breakdown voltage class . the dimensions and the impurity concentrations of the components of example were set to be the following values . as depicted in fig1 a and 13b , the depth t 1 of the trench 8 was set to be a depth such that the trench 8 penetrated the n ++ - type emitter region 6 , the p - type base layer 5 , and the n + - type cs layer 4 and reached the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 . for example , the depth t 1 of the trench 8 was 1 . 3 ฮผm . the thickness t 2 of the p - type base layer 5 and the impurity concentration thereof were respectively set to be 0 . 7 ฮผm and 2 . 5 ร 10 17 / cm 3 . the โ thickness t 2 of the p - type base layer 5 โ refers to the thickness of the portion remaining immediately under the n ++ - type emitter region 6 ( on the n - type sic substrate 1 side ) after the n ++ - emitter region 6 was formed in the surface layer of the p - type base layer 5 . the thickness t 3 of the p + - type body region 7 and the impurity concentration thereof were respectively set to be 0 . 8 ฮผm and 5 . 0 ร 10 19 / cm 3 . the distance t 4 in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 was set to be 0 . 3 ฮผm . in fig1 a and 13b , a reference numeral โ 12 a โ denotes a contact hole . it was confirmed by the inventor for example that the maximal breakdown voltage was 16 . 5 kv when the junction ( the p - n junction ) temperature was room temperature ( for example , 25 degrees c . ); and the โ on โ voltage at the junction temperature of 250 degrees c . and with the rated current of 100 a / cm 2 was a low value of 3 . 3 v . it was also confirmed by the inventor that the critical electric field intensity at the interface between the sic semiconductor portion in the vicinity of the side wall of the trench 8 and the gate insulation film 9 was a very low value of 0 . 9 mv / cm during the breakdown ( the voltage drop ) when 16 . 5 kv was applied to the collector electrode 16 . thereby , it was confirmed that film quality degradation due to the rush of the carriers into the gate insulation film 9 was able to be prevented . as described , according to the embodiment , the p - type base layer is divided by disposing the p + - type body region at the predetermined depth , and this causes the p - type base layer to be sandwiched between the p + - type body regions adjacent to each other in the trench longer dimension direction . thereby , the p - type base layer can be prevented from being prone to being depleted and the element breakdown voltage can be secured sufficiently . according to the embodiment , the high concentration n - type drift layer is disposed between the n โ - type drift layer and the n + - type cs layer and thereby , the voltage drop due to the hole current in the mesa region can be set to be greater than or equal to the built - in voltage of the silicon carbide semiconductor . the ie effect can , therefore , be enhanced and the โ on โ voltage can be reduced compared to those of the traditional case . according to the embodiment , the p - type guard region is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom portion of the trench and thereby , the electric field can be alleviated at the interface between the silicon carbide semiconductor portion and the gate insulation film . the gate insulation film , therefore , is not prone to being degraded by the rush of the carriers into the gate insulation film , and the long term reliability of the gate insulation film can be improved . in the description above , the present invention can be changed variously and , in the embodiment , for example , the dimensions and the impurity concentrations of the components are variously set depending on the required specification , etc . in the embodiment , the first conductivity type is set to be โ n - type โ and the second conductivity type is set to be โ p - type โ while the present invention is similarly established even when the first conductivity type is set to be โ p - type โ and the second conductivity type is set to be โ n - type โ. as described above , the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention are useful for a power semiconductor device used in an electric power converting apparatus , etc ., and is especially suitable for an insulated gate igbt of the trench gate type , that uses the silicon carbide semiconductor material . according to the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of the semiconductor device of the present invention , with the trench gate semiconductor device using the silicon carbide semiconductor , a sufficient breakdown voltage can be assured and the โ on โ voltage can be reduced . according to the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of the semiconductor device of the present invention , an effect is achieved that the gate insulation film is not prone to degradation due to the rush of carriers into the gate insulation film and the long term reliability of the gate insulation film can be improved because the electric field can be alleviated at the interface between the silicon carbide semiconductor portion and the gate insulation film . although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure , the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth . this application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior japanese patent application no . 2014 - 092132 , filed on apr . 25 , 2014 , the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . | 7 |
a high performance electrical interconnect according to the present disclosure may permit fine contact - to - contact spacing ( pitch ) on the order of less than 1 . 0 mm pitch , and more preferably a pitch of less than about 0 . 7 millimeter , and most preferably a pitch of less than about 0 . 4 millimeter . such fine pitch high performance electrical interconnects are especially useful for communications , wireless , and memory devices . the present high performance electrical interconnect can be configured as a low cost , high signal performance interconnect assembly , which has a low profile that is particularly useful for desktop and mobile pc applications . ic devices can be installed and uninstalled without the need to reflow solder . the solder - free electrical connection of the ic devices is environmentally friendly . fig1 is a side cross - sectional view of a method of making an electrical interconnect 50 using additive processes in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . fig1 shows the basic structure of copper foil circuitry layer 52 only as the base layer . in an alternate embodiment , the circuitry layer 52 can be applied to any substrate or target structural element 54 , such as a traditional pcb or laminated to a stiffening layer or core , such as glass - reinforced epoxy laminate sheets ( e . g ., fr4 ). the circuitry layer 52 can be preformed or can be formed using a fine line imaging step is conducted to etch copper foil as done with many pcb processes . dielectric material 56 is applied to surface 58 such that the circuitry 52 is at least partially encased and isolated . the dielectric material 56 can be a film or a liquid dielectric . the dielectric material 56 is typically imaged to expose the desired circuit locations 60 . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to use a preformed dielectric film to leave air dielectric gaps between traces . recesses 64 in the dielectric layer 56 that expose circuitry 52 can be formed by printing , embossing , imprinting , chemical etching with a printed mask , or a variety of other techniques . in a normal construction , the core dielectric material would be processed to enable electro - less copper plating to adhere to the side walls . in the present embodiment , the dielectric 56 is left as a resist to enable electro - less or electrolytic copper plating to adhere only to the exposed portion 60 of the circuitry layer 52 in order to grow pillar or via structure 62 within the imaged openings 64 . the remainder of the interconnect 50 remains un - plated . the support structure 54 acts as a resist to prevent copper plating on the underside 68 of the foil . alternatively , a resist can be applied to the underside 68 to prevent plating . if the electrical interconnect 50 is to be part of a flexible circuit , the base layer 54 can be a material such as polyimide or liquid crystal polymer . if the final product is a rigid circuit board , the base layer 54 can be fr4 or one of many high speed laminates or substrates . if the final product is a semiconductor package , the base layer 54 can be a material such as fr4 , bt resin of any one of a variety of laminate or substrate materials . the plating process can be controlled to a certain degree , but in some cases with fine pitch geometries and high speed circuits , upper surfaces 66 of the copper pillars 62 may vary in topography or height relative to the field , and the dielectric material 56 may vary in thickness slightly especially if liquid material is used . consequently , it is preferred to planarize to surfaces 66 of the pillars 62 and the exposed surface 68 of the dielectric 56 between steps to control thickness and flatness of the electrical interconnect 50 . fig2 illustrates higher aspect ratio conductive pillars connections formed on the electrical interconnect 50 . the process discussed above is repeated by applying another layer 70 of dielectric 72 that is imaged to expose the upper surface 66 of the previous copper pillar 62 . the imaged openings 74 are then plated as discussed above to create pillar extension 76 of the pillars 62 . top surface 78 is then planarized as needed . in one embodiment , the pillars 76 are planarized to permit die attach point 82 to facilitate flip chip attach of the die 84 to the pillars 76 directly . in another embodiment , exposed surfaces 86 of the pillars can be enlarged to facilitate soldering of the die 84 to the pillars 76 . fig3 illustrates circuitry layer 80 is applied to the top surface 78 of the electrical interconnect 50 to create the base for additional routing layers and to facilitate vertical connection to subsequent layers in the stack in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . fig4 illustrates resist layer 90 added to the subsequent copper foil 80 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . the resist layer 90 is imaged to create recesses 92 that expose portions of the copper foil 94 that corresponds with the pillar extensions 76 . the resist layer 90 protects the portions of the circuitry layers 80 that are not to be etched and provides access to the foil intimate to the previous pillar 76 . fig5 illustrates a subsequent etch process that removes the copper foil 94 ( see fig4 ) located in the recesses 92 to allow access for the next plating step to join the layers together in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . depending on the resist material 90 and desired final construction , the resist layer 90 can be stripped to provide a level to be planarized as the base of further processing or the resist layer 90 can be left in place provided it is of the proper material type . the exposed regions that provided access for etch and plating can be filled with similar material to seal the layer which can be planarized for further processing if desired . fig6 illustrates one possible variation of the electrical interconnect 50 . recesses 92 are filled with a dielectric material 96 and the surface 98 is planarized to receive circuitry plane 100 . dielectric layer 102 is deposited on the circuitry plane 100 to expose selective regions 104 . the selective regions 104 are configured to correspond to solder balls 120 on bga device 122 . in the illustrated embodiment , bottom dielectric layer 106 is optionally deposited on circuitry layer 52 in a manner to expose selective regions 108 . in one embodiment , the electrical interconnect 50 is further processed with conventional circuit fabrication processes to create larger diameter through vias or through holes plated 110 as needed , solder mask applied and imaged to expose device termination locations 104 , 108 , laser direct imaging , legend application etc . fig7 illustrate an alternate embodiment in which the electrical interconnect 50 is used in a flexible circuit applications . the electrical interconnect 50 is laminated with ground planes and cover layers 112 , 114 . in some applications the insulating layers 112 , 114 are applied by jet printing of polyimide or liquid crystal polymers ( lcp ) inks as a final layer or as a combination of laminated film and jetted material . fig8 illustrates an electrical interconnect 150 for semiconductor packaging applications in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . the stack 152 can be final processed with a variety of options to facilitate electrical connections to ic devices 162 , 166 , 172 and to system level attachment to pcb 158 . in one embodiment , the pillars 160 are planarized to facilitate flip chip attach to the pillar directly ( see e . g ., fig2 ) or to receive bga device 162 . in other embodiment , pillars 164 are extended to facilitate direct soldering of ic device die 166 with paste . in yet another embodiment , pillars 168 is wire bonded 170 to the ic device 172 . the system interconnect side the structure 180 can be processed to accept a traditional ball grid array attachment 182 for an area array configuration or plated with solder / tin etc . for a no lead peripheral termination . the structure 180 can also be fashioned to have pillars or post extensions 184 to facilitate direct solder attach with paste and provide a natural standoff from the pcb 158 . fig9 illustrates an electrical interconnect 200 for a semiconductor package 202 with dielectric materials 204 surrounding the conductive pillars 206 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . internal circuits and terminations may also be added by imaging or drilling the core material with a larger opening than needed and filling those openings with dielectric and imaging the desired geometry to facilitate pillar formation . fig1 illustrates an alternate electrical interconnect 230 with an insulating layer 232 applied to the circuit geometry 234 . the nature of the printing process allows for selective application of dielectric layer 232 to leave selected portions 236 of the circuit geometry 234 expose if desired . the resulting high performance electrical interconnect 230 can potentially be considered entirely โ green โ with limited or no chemistry used to produce beyond the direct write materials . the dielectric layers of the present disclosure may be constructed of any of a number of dielectric materials that are currently used to make sockets , semiconductor packaging , and printed circuit boards . examples may include uv stabilized tetrafunctional epoxy resin systems referred to as flame retardant 4 ( fr - 4 ); bismaleimide - triazine thermoset epoxy resins referred to as bt - epoxy or bt resin ; and liquid crystal polymers ( lcps ), which are polyester polymers that are extremely unreactive , inert and resistant to fire . other suitable plastics include phenolics , polyesters , and ryton ยฎ available from phillips petroleum company . in one embodiment , one or more of the dielectric materials are designed to provide electrostatic dissipation or to reduce cross - talk between the traces of the circuit geometry . an efficient way to prevent electrostatic discharge (โ esd โ) is to construct one of the layers from materials that are not too conductive but that will slowly conduct static charges away . these materials preferably have resistivity values in the range of 10 5 to 10 11 ohm - meters . fig1 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 250 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . dielectric layer 252 includes openings 254 into which compliant material 256 is printed before formation of circuit geometry 258 . the compliant printed material 256 improves reliability during flexure of the electrical interconnect 250 . fig1 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 260 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . optical fibers 262 are located between layers 264 , 266 of dielectric material . in one embodiment , optical fibers 262 is positioned over printed compliant layer 268 , and dielectric layer 270 is printed over and around the optical fibers 262 . a compliant layer 272 is preferably printed above the optical fiber 262 as well . the compliant layers 268 , 272 support the optical fibers 262 during flexure . in another embodiment , the dielectric layer 270 is formed or printed with recesses into which the optical fibers 262 are deposited . in another embodiment , optical quality materials 274 are printed during printing of the high performance electrical interconnect 260 . the optical quality material 274 and / or the optical fibers 262 comprise optical circuit geometries . the printing process allows for deposition of coatings in - situ that enhance the optical transmission or reduce loss . the precision of the printing process reduces misalignment issues when the optical materials 274 are optically coupled with another optical structure . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of a present high performance electrical interconnect 280 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . embedded coaxial rf circuits 282 or printed micro strip rf circuits 284 are located with dielectric / metal layers 286 . these rf circuits 282 , 284 are preferably created by printing dielectrics and metallization geometry . as illustrated in fig1 , use of additive processes allows the creation of a high performance electrical interconnect 290 with inter - circuit , 3d lattice structures 292 having intricate routing schemes . conductive pillars 294 can be printed with each layer , without drilling . the nature of the printing process permit controlled application of dielectric layers 296 creates recesses 298 that control the location , cross section , material content , and aspect ratio of the conductive traces 292 and the conductive pillars 294 . maintaining the conductive traces 292 and conductive pillars 294 with a cross - section of 1 : 1 or greater provides greater signal integrity than traditional subtractive trace forming technologies . for example , traditional methods take a sheet of a given thickness and etches the material between the traces away to have a resultant trace that is usually wider than it is thick . the etching process also removes more material at the top surface of the trace than at the bottom , leaving a trace with a trapezoidal cross - sectional shape , degrading signal integrity in some applications . using the recesses 298 to control the aspect ratio of the conductive traces 292 and the conductive pillars 294 results in a more rectangular or square cross - section , with the corresponding improvement in signal integrity . in another embodiment , pre - patterned or pre - etched thin conductive foil circuit traces are transferred to the recesses 298 . for example , a pressure sensitive adhesive can be used to retain the copper foil circuit traces in the recesses 298 . the trapezoidal cross - sections of the pre - formed conductive foil traces are then post - plated . the plating material fills the open spaces in the recesses 298 not occupied by the foil circuit geometry , resulting in a substantially rectangular or square cross - sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the recesses 298 . in another embodiment , a thin conductive foil is pressed into the recesses 298 , and the edges of the recesses 298 acts to cut or shear the conductive foil . the process locates a portion of the conductive foil in the recesses 298 , but leaves the negative pattern of the conductive foil not wanted outside and above the recesses 298 for easy removal . again , the foil in the recesses 298 is preferably post plated to add material to increase the thickness of the conductive traces 292 in the circuit geometry and to fill any voids left between the conductive foil and the recesses 298 . fig1 illustrates a high performance electrical interconnect 300 with printed electrical devices 302 . the electrical devices 302 can include passive or active functional elements . passive structure refers to a structure having a desired electrical , magnetic , or other property , including but not limited to a conductor , resistor , capacitor , inductor , insulator , dielectric , suppressor , filter , varistor , ferromagnet , and the like . in the illustrated embodiment , electrical devices 302 include printed led indicator 304 and display electronics 306 . geometries can also be printed to provide capacitive coupling 308 . compliant material can be added between circuit geometry , such as discussed above , so the present electrical interconnect can be plugged into a receptacle or socket , supplementing or replacing the need for compliance within the connector . the electrical devices 302 are preferably printed during construction of the interconnect assembly 300 . the electrical devices 302 can be ground planes , power planes , electrical connections to other circuit members , dielectric layers , conductive traces , transistors , capacitors , resistors , rf antennae , shielding , filters , signal or power altering and enhancing devices , memory devices , embedded ic , and the like . for example , the electrical devices 302 can be formed using printing technology , adding intelligence to the high performance electrical interconnect 300 . features that are typically located on other circuit members can be incorporated into the interconnect 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . the availability of printable silicon inks provides the ability to print electrical devices 302 , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 485 , 345 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 382 , 363 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 148 , 128 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 967 , 640 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 825 , 829 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 750 , 473 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 652 , 075 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 639 , 578 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 545 , 291 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 521 , 489 ( duthaler et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 459 , 418 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 422 , 687 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 413 , 790 ( duthaler et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 312 , 971 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 252 , 564 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 177 , 921 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 120 , 588 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 118 , 426 ( albert et al . ); and u . s . pat . publication no . 2008 / 0008822 ( kowalski et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . in particular , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 506 , 438 ( duthaler et al .) and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 750 , 473 ( amundson et al . ), which are incorporated by reference , teach using ink - jet printing to make various electrical devices , such as , resistors , capacitors , diodes , inductors ( or elements which may be used in radio applications or magnetic or electric field transmission of power or data ), semiconductor logic elements , electro - optical elements , transistor ( including , light emitting , light sensing or solar cell elements , field effect transistor , top gate structures ), and the like . the electrical devices 302 can also be created by aerosol printing , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 674 , 671 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 658 , 163 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 485 , 345 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 045 , 015 ( renn et al . ); and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 823 , 124 ( renn et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . printing processes are preferably used to fabricate various functional structures , such as conductive paths and electrical devices , without the use of masks or resists . features down to about 10 microns can be directly written in a wide variety of functional inks , including metals , ceramics , polymers and adhesives , on virtually any substrate โ silicon , glass , polymers , metals and ceramics . the substrates can be planar and non - planar surfaces . the printing process is typically followed by a thermal treatment , such as in a furnace or with a laser , to achieve dense functionalized structures . ink jet printing of electronically active inks can be done on a large class of substrates , without the requirements of standard vacuum processing or etching . the inks may incorporate mechanical , electrical or other properties , such as , conducting , insulating , resistive , magnetic , semi conductive , light modulating , piezoelectric , spin , optoelectronic , thermoelectric or radio frequency . a plurality of ink drops are dispensed from the print head directly to a substrate or on an intermediate transfer member . the transfer member can be a planar or non - planar structure , such as a drum . the surface of the transfer member can be coated with a non - sticking layer , such as silicone , silicone rubber , or teflon . the ink ( also referred to as function inks ) can include conductive materials , semi - conductive materials ( e . g ., p - type and n - type semiconducting materials ), metallic material , insulating materials , and / or release materials . the ink pattern can be deposited in precise locations on a substrate to create fine lines having a width smaller than 10 microns , with precisely controlled spaces between the lines . for example , the ink drops form an ink pattern corresponding to portions of a transistor , such as a source electrode , a drain electrode , a dielectric layer , a semiconductor layer , or a gate electrode . the substrate can be an insulating polymer , such as polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polyester , polyethersulphone ( pes ), polyimide film ( e . g . kapton , available from dupont located in wilmington , del . ; upilex available from ube corporation located in japan ), or polycarbonate . alternatively , the substrate can be made of an insulator such as undoped silicon , glass , or a plastic material . the substrate can also be patterned to serve as an electrode . the substrate can further be a metal foil insulated from the gate electrode by a non - conducting material . the substrate can also be a woven material or paper , planarized or otherwise modified on at least one surface by a polymeric or other coating to accept the other structures . electrodes can be printed with metals , such as aluminum or gold , or conductive polymers , such as polythiophene or polyaniline . the electrodes may also include a printed conductor , such as a polymer film comprising metal particles , such as silver or nickel , a printed conductor comprising a polymer film containing graphite or some other conductive carbon material , or a conductive oxide such as tin oxide or indium tin oxide . dielectric layers can be printed with a silicon dioxide layer , an insulating polymer , such as polyimide and its derivatives , poly - vinyl phenol , polymethylmethacrylate , polyvinyldenedifluoride , an inorganic oxide , such as metal oxide , an inorganic nitride such as silicon nitride , or an inorganic / organic composite material such as an organic - substituted silicon oxide , or a sol - gel organosilicon glass . dielectric layers can also include a bicylcobutene derivative ( bcb ) available from dow chemical ( midland , mich . ), spin - on glass , or dispersions of dielectric colloid materials in a binder or solvent . semiconductor layers can be printed with polymeric semiconductors , such as , polythiophene , poly ( 3 - alkyl ) thiophenes , alkyl - substituted oligothiophene , polythienylenevinylene , poly ( para - phenylenevinylene ) and doped versions of these polymers . an example of suitable oligomeric semiconductor is alpha - hexathienylene . horowitz , organic field - effect transistors , adv . mater ., 10 , no . 5 , p . 365 ( 1998 ) describes the use of unsubstituted and alkyl - substituted oligothiophenes in transistors . a field effect transistor made with regioregular poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene ) as the semiconductor layer is described in bao et al ., soluble and processable regioregular poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene ) for thin film field - effect transistor applications with high mobility , appl . phys . lett . 69 ( 26 ), p . 4108 ( december 1996 ). a field effect transistor made with a - hexathienylene is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 659 , 181 , which is incorporated herein by reference . a protective layer can optionally be printed onto the electrical devices . the protective layer can be an aluminum film , a metal oxide coating , a polymeric film , or a combination thereof . organic semiconductors can be printed using suitable carbon - based compounds , such as , pentacene , phthalocyanine , benzodithiophene , buckminsterfullerene or other fullerene derivatives , tetracyanonaphthoquinone , and tetrakisimethylanimoethylene . the materials provided above for forming the substrate , the dielectric layer , the electrodes , or the semiconductor layer are exemplary only . other suitable materials known to those skilled in the art having properties similar to those described above can be used in accordance with the present disclosure . the ink - jet print head preferably includes a plurality of orifices for dispensing one or more fluids onto a desired media , such as for example , a conducting fluid solution , a semiconducting fluid solution , an insulating fluid solution , and a precursor material to facilitate subsequent deposition . the precursor material can be surface active agents , such as octadecyltrichlorosilane ( ots ). alternatively , a separate print head is used for each fluid solution . the print head nozzles can be held at different potentials to aid in atomization and imparting a charge to the droplets , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 148 , 128 ( jacobson ), which is hereby incorporated by reference . alternate print heads are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 626 , 526 ( ueki et al . ), and u . s . pat . publication nos . 2006 / 0044357 ( andersen et al .) and 2009 / 0061089 ( king et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . the print head preferably uses a pulse - on - demand method , and can employ one of the following methods to dispense the ink drops : piezoelectric , magnetostrictive , electromechanical , electro pneumatic , electrostatic , rapid ink heating , magneto hydrodynamic , or any other technique well known to those skilled in the art . the deposited ink patterns typically undergo a curing step or another processing step before subsequent layers are applied . while ink jet printing is preferred , the term โ printing โ is intended to include all forms of printing and coating , including : pre - metered coating such as patch die coating , slot or extrusion coating , slide or cascade coating , and curtain coating ; roll coating such as knife over roll coating , forward and reverse roll coating ; gravure coating ; dip coating ; spray coating ; meniscus coating ; spin coating ; brush coating ; air knife coating ; screen printing processes ; electrostatic printing processes ; thermal printing processes ; and other similar techniques . figure 16 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 320 with printed compliant material 322 added between circuit geometries 324 , 326 to facilitate insertion of exposed circuit geometries 328 , 330 into a receptacle or socket . the compliant material 322 can supplement or replace the compliance in the receptacle or socket . in one embodiment , the compliance is provided by a combination of the compliant material 322 and the exposed circuit geometries 328 , 330 . where a range of values is provided , it is understood that each intervening value , to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise , between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the embodiments of the disclosure . the upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges which may independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the embodiments of the disclosure , subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range . where the stated range includes one or both of the limits , ranges excluding either both of those included limits are also included in the embodiments of the present disclosure . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong . although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments of the present disclosure , the preferred methods and materials are now described . all patents and publications mentioned herein , including those cited in the background of the application , are hereby incorporated by reference to disclose and described the methods and / or materials in connection with which the publications are cited . the publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application . nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention . further , the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed . other embodiments of the disclosure are possible . although the description above contains much specificity , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure , but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this disclosure . it is also contemplated that various combinations or sub - combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure . it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed embodiments of the disclosure . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above . thus the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents . therefore , it will be appreciated that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art , and that the scope of the present disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims , in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean โ one and only one โ unless explicitly so stated , but rather โ one or more .โ all structural , chemical , and functional equivalents to the elements of the above - described preferred embodiment ( s ) that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims . moreover , it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure , for it to be encompassed by the present claims . furthermore , no element , component , or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element , component , or method step is explicitly recited in the claims . | 7 |
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a thz emitter includes a stack 101 of superconducting layers 103 that are separated by insulating layers 105 ( see fig2 a and 2b ). in fig2 a these layers 103 , 105 are disposed between a top metal layer 115 and a bottom metal layer 113 , generally gold , a gold alloy or any conventional accepted conductor layer . as shown in fig2 a and 2b , the entire device 100 is quite thin , with the top metal layer 115 having a thickness denoted as 119 and the bottom layer 113 having a thickness denoted as 121 . in one preferred embodiment , each of the top and bottom layers 115 , 121 have a thickness of about 75 nm each . the superconducting stack 101 has a thickness labeled as 123 ( see fig2 a ), and in one preferred embodiment the superconducting stack 101 thickness is less than about 100 nm . the thickness denoted 123 comprises a series of the superconducting layers 103 separated by insulating layer portions 105 . in fig2 a electrical contact to the superconducting stack 101 is realized through metal layers 119 , 121 attached to the top and bottom of stack 101 . the top metal layer 119 is patterned into a grating . fig2 b illustrates an embodiment of the surface - emitting thz source in which the surface of a wide superconducting stack is patterned in such a way as to yield a mesa - shaped stack resting on the wider base . a metal grating is positioned on top of the mesa ; and an electrical current , i , is injected through the metal grating , travels down the mesa and into the base , and is extracted through the counter electrode deposited onto the surface of the base next to the mesa . the functioning of the embodiment is identical to that shown in fig2 a . the drawings 2 a and 2 b are not to scale , the spacing between the superconducting layers and the width and period of the slots in the grating in particular are largely exaggerated for clarity . in a conventional prior art form of a superconducting thz emitter as shown in fig1 , the thz - power 135 would radiate from an end face 134 ( an end - fire configuration ) of the device 100 . the thickness of the superconductor stack 101 , is limited to typically less than about 100 nm due to joule heating in the device 100 . therefore , the active surface area is very small , thereby substantially limiting the net radiated power . furthermore , there is a very large mismatch between the free - space wavelength , about 300 ฮผm at 1 thz , and the josephson plasma wavelength , set by the vortex spacing , typically less than 10 ฮผm . as a consequence , the prior art devices are inefficient because the thz waves do not emit from the edge surfaces but instead , are back - reflected into the superconductor . as described hereinbefore , the device 100 of the present invention is shown schematically in different embodiments in fig2 a and 2b . thz emission is accomplished by any one of a variety of high temperature superconductors as known in the art . josephson vortices move ( in a uniform direction ) parallel to the superconductor layers 103 inducing a voltage . this voltage in turn induces an oscillating current due to the well - known josephson effect . the input energy is stored in the form of a standing josephson plasma wave with part of the energy coupled into radiation through a metal grating 131 in the top face 115 rather than the side face 134 of the prior art devices ( see fig1 ). in one preferred embodiment , the source of electromagnetic energy is a single crystal superconductor , bi 2 sr 2 cacu 2 o 8 , having the layers 103 and 105 . the superconducting layers 103 are composed of superconducting cuo 2 - planes that are coupled to each other across intervening insulating bio โ sro layer portions 105 through weak josephson coupling . when subjected to an applied magnetic field , b , denoted by 107 oriented parallel to the planes , the magnetic field lines will penetrate the material in the form of josephson vortices 109 that squeeze in between the superconducting layers 103 . the centers of the josephson vortices 109 reside in the insulating layer portions 105 . a current , i , denoted by 117 flows perpendicular to the planes down the stack of the layers ( 103 ) and also the insulating layers 105 and the current flow generates a lorentz force that drives the josephson vortices 109 parallel to the planes in a direction denoted as 111 . since they move in a rather un - impeded fashion , they travel as a regular lattice at high velocities ( see fig2 a ). this coherently moving josephson vortex 109 lattice induces ac electromagnetic waves and currents . their frequency , v , is determined by the voltage , u , across the superconductor layers 103 and can , therefore , be tuned by the applied current . a voltage of 2 mv per layer corresponds to 1 thz , and the technologically important terahertz frequency range of 0 . 1 to 5 thz can easily be scanned . the wavelength , { tilde over ( ฮป )}, is given by the distance between the josephson vortices 109 , typically several micrometers , and is determined by the applied field . typical field strengths are several kg , which in an optimized device , can be generated with permanent magnets . the layered superconducting structure of the device 100 , as shown in fig2 a and 2b , exhibits a spectrum of electromagnetic modes , the josephson plasma waves , that are analogous to the guided modes in a waveguide . if the applied field and current are adjusted in such a way that the velocity of the moving lattice of the josephson vortices 109 coincides with that of a josephson plasma mode , resonance occurs ; and a large amount of energy is pumped from the moving lattice of the vortices 109 into this plasma wave . it has been estimated that the resulting electro - magnetic power density in the stack 101 at thz - frequencies is very large , about 100 w / cm 2 . in preferred form of the present device 100 , the metal grating 131 is patterned onto the top one of the superconducting stack 101 as shown schematically in fig2 a and 2b . in an exemplary embodiment , the metal grating 131 functions also as an electrical contact . in addition , in one embodiment , the metal grating 131 will induce a strong periodic variation of the dielectric constant at the surface of the superconducting stack 101 . since , in one embodiment , the stack 101 is thinner than both the plasma wavelength and the screening length ( typically about 300 nm at 1 thz ), this periodic perturbation affects the propagation of the josephson plasma waves throughout the entire stack 101 . as a consequence , the josephson plasma waves can undergo bragg reflection , similar to bragg reflection of x - rays or neutrons from crystals . bragg reflection allows an elegant way of controlling the propagation of electromagnetic waves . the principle of operation is illustrated in fig3 . the lines 203 indicate the dependence ( here taken for simplicity as linear ) of the frequency of the josephson plasma waves upon their in - plane wave vector , and the location 205 marks the operation point that has been selected by the applied current and field , ฯ thz and k // = 2ฯ / a . the shaded area 207 represents electromagnet waves that can travel in free space , the light cone . the large separation of the location 205 from the light cone 207 illustrates the mismatch in wavelengths described above . if a grating with period equal to the josephson plasma wavelength is introduced , the plasma waves can undergo bragg reflection upon which their wave vector changes by the grating vector , 2ฯ / a , as shown by the arrows 211 in fig3 . the metal grating 131 induces a strong periodic modulation of the dielectric constant at the surface which gives rise to bragg reflection of the plasma waves . if the grating period is chosen equal to the plasma wavelength , then the initial large wave vector of the plasma wave ( location 205 ) is transformed into a small wave vector 213 inside the light cone 207 , and the plasma waves become radiative through the top surface 115 . as a result , the large wave vector 205 is transferred to the small wave vector 213 , well within the light cone 207 , corresponding to a thz - wave with essentially zero in - plane wave vector . this wave is transferred through the grating into thz - radiation as indicated by the arrows 135 in fig2 a and 2b , leading to top surface emission as opposed to highly undesirable , conventional edge emission from the sides of the device 100 ( see fig1 ). in one embodiment , an enhancement by more than a factor of 10 3 in active surface area is achieved as compared to the end - fire configuration of the prior art . another aspect of the invention relates to tunability , that is , change in frequency of the emitted thz - radiation . for the stack 101 containing n superconducting layers , the frequency - wave vector relation is not a simple line ( as indicated in fig3 ), but consists of n closely spaced branches , which form a quasi - continuous band of frequencies . the width of this band determines the range over which the frequency of the thz - radiation can be tuned . another aspect of the present invention involves thz beam steering . if the grating period is slightly different from the vortex spacing , then the small wave vector 213 in fig3 will not be located exactly at zero ; instead the thz plasma wave maintains a small in - plane wave vector k // . the emitted thz radiation has the same in - plane wave vector and is emitted at an angle ฮฑ with respect to the normal given by sin ( ฮฑ )= ck // / ฯ thz . therefore , by superimposing a small additional magnetic field onto the applied magnetic field 107 , the vortex spacing ; and thus the position of the small wave vector and large wave vector in fig3 can be modulated . consequently , the resulting k // vector and the beam direction can be controlled . with a superimposed ac - field the beam could be scanned back and forth for use in thz imaging applications , for example , for the stand - off chemical detection . in one exemplary embodiment , the superconducting stack 101 comprises between about seventy and one hundred separate superconducting layers . in an exemplary embodiment , a dielectric material is provided in communication with the grating 131 . extensive numerical simulations of the distribution of supercurrents and electromagnetic fields in josephson - coupled superconducting stacks show large power densities of thz - waves . for example , for the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 a , a power density has been obtained of 797 w / cm 2 at a frequency of 3 . 7 thz residing at the top surface , which translates into an emitted radiation power of 0 . 12 mw for the device 100 . the foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various embodiments , and with various modifications , as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 7 |
referring first to fig1 there is shown a configuration of a signal transmission apparatus to which the present invention is applied . the signal transmission apparatus 1 includes a transmission side circuit 2 and a reception side circuit 3 connected ( that is , electromagnetically coupled ) to each other by a rotary transformer 4 . it is to be noted that a rotary transformer is used typically , for example , in a magnetic recording and / or reproduction apparatus using a rotary head . thus , the signal transmission apparatus 1 shown in fig1 forms as a circuit of a signal recording system of a magnetic recording and / or reproduction apparatus . further , in the signal transmission apparatus shown in fig1 a rotary transformer with a center tap is used as the rotary transformer 4 . the transmission side circuit 2 includes a drive circuit 5 for providing recording current . in the signal transmission apparatus 1 shown , a current driving ic is used as the drive circuit 5 . the drive circuit 5 of the ic includes a driving amplifier 5 a to input a recording signal sig_in ( indicated by a symbol of an ac source in fig1 ) from a signal processing circuit not shown . the driving amplifier 5 a has two output terminals connected to the emitters of npn transistors q 1 and q 2 form a differential pair 6 outside the ic . a predetermined voltage from a voltage production section 5 b ( indicated by a symbol of a constant voltage source in fig1 ) in the ic is supplied to the bases of the transistors q 1 and q 2 . the signals obtained at the output terminals of the driving amplifier 5 a have phases opposite to each other ( a round mark (โฏ) in fig1 represents one of the output terminals ), and consequently , the transistors q 1 and q 2 are controlled between on and off reciprocally to each other such that , when one of the transistors q 1 and q 2 exhibits an on state , the other exhibits an off state . a constant current source โ is โ formed using a transistor or the like is externally connected to the current driving ic for controlling the recording current . the current of the driving amplifier 5 a is controlled through adjustment and setting of the current value of the constant current source is . the collector of the transistor q 1 is connected to one end of a winding 4 p of the primary side ( with reference to a transmission direction of a recording signal ) of the rotary transformer 4 , and the other end of the winding 4 p is connected to the collector of the transistor q 2 . a predetermined voltage โ vcc โ from a power supply circuit not shown is supplied to the center tap of the rotary transformer 4 through a power supply terminal tb . consequently , if the transistor q 1 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 2 is placed into an off state , then current flows from the center tap of the winding 4 p through the winding 4 p ( an upper half portion in fig1 ) to the transistor q 1 . on the other hand , if the transistor q 2 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 1 is placed into an off state , then current flows from the center tap through the winding 4 p ( a lower half portion in fig1 ) to the transistor q 2 . a resistor r 2 is provided at the input stage ( stator side ) of the rotary transformer 4 and serves as a damping resistor . one end of the resistor r 2 is connected to one end of the winding 4 p while the other end of the resistor r 2 is connected to the other end of the winding 4 p . the reception side circuit 3 provided on the rotor side of the rotary transformer 4 includes a recording head as a load . the reception side circuit 3 may have a circuit configuration which that includes a recording head , another circuit configuration that includes a recording head and a recording amplifier , a further circuit configuration that includes a recording head , a recording amplifier and a drive circuit , or some other circuit configuration . however , in this embodiment , the reception side circuit 3 shows the simplest configuration including only a recording head 7 . one end of the recording head 7 is connected to one end of a secondary side winding 4 s of the rotary transformer 4 , and the other end of the recording head 7 is connected to the other end of the secondary side winding 4 s . further , similar effects are achieved also where a reproduction signal is transmitted to the stator side using a reproduction amplifier of a magneto - resistance ( mr ) element or a gigantic magneto - resistance ( gmr ) on the rotor side as a drive circuit . a passive element circuit 8 including an inductance element is provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 of the signal transmission apparatus 1 having the configuration described above . in particular , the passive element circuit 8 including an inductance element ( inductor ) is connected at the input stage of rotary transformer 4 in a parallel connection relationship to the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 . the passive element circuit 8 has an inductance value substantially equal to or lower than an equivalent inductance ( denoted by โ l โ in fig1 ) when the circuit following the rotary transformer is viewed from the transmission side circuit 2 , that is , from the stator side . it is to be noted that the rotary transformer 4 can be approximated to a t equivalent circuit , and the recording head 7 can be replaced substantially with an inductor , a dc resistor and a winding capacitor . therefore , a circuit simulation can be performed taking a floating capacitance and so forth into consideration . the configuration of the passive element circuit 8 may be a configuration wherein a combination of an inductance element and a resistance element is used as a basic element , another configuration wherein only an inductance element is connected in parallel to the rotary transformer , or a further configuration wherein the two configurations described above are combined with each other such as , for example , those described below . ( i ) a configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series is used ; ( ii ) another configuration wherein an inductance element l 2 and a resistor r 2 are used ; ( iii ) a further configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series and another resistor r 2 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used ; and ( iv ) a still further configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series and another inductance element l 2 or an inductance element l 2 and another resistor r 2 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used . it is to be noted that fig1 shows all of the configurations ( i ) to ( iv ) described above in a collected form and therefore shows the configuration ( iv ) which is a combination of the configurations ( i ) and ( ii ). first , in the configuration ( i ), the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 is provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 . thus , the configuration ( i ) corresponds to the configuration of the signal transmission apparatus 1 of fig1 that lacks the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 . in this instance , the inductance value of the inductance element l 1 is set substantially equal to the value of the equivalent inductance l including the recording head 7 as a load as viewed from the stator side . since the bandwidth is widened to the higher frequency side due to an effect of improvement in impedance matching , also higher frequency components than those in the conventional circuit can be transmitted . it is to be noted that , although the signal transmission apparatus 1 in fig1 includes the single series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 , it can be formed in various modified forms such as , for example , a form wherein a plurality of such series circuits are connected in parallel . in the configuration ( ii ), the passive element circuit 8 includes only the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 in fig1 . with the configuration ( ii ), a wider band than that of the configuration ( i ) can be used . however , since the transmission efficiency is deteriorated for the inductance of the inductance element l 2 , it is necessary to take the allowance for loss of the equivalent inductance l into consideration . for example , even if the inductance value of the inductance element l 2 is set to three times the equivalent inductance l , the effect described above still remains . in the configuration ( iii ), the inductance element l 2 is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 . accordingly , the configuration ( iii ) is effective where it is desired to adjust the peak of the frequency characteristic in the configuration ( i ). the configuration ( iv ) has a configuration wherein , for example , the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 of the configuration ( i ) and the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 of the configuration ( ii ) are connected in parallel as shown in fig1 . accordingly , the configuration ( iv ) exhibits the effects exhibited by both of the configurations ( i ) and ( ii ). it is to be noted that the configurations described above are mere possible examples of the configuration of the signal transmission apparatus 1 , and in order to make the frequency characteristic appropriate , naturally such a suitable modification that , for example , a suitable element such as a series circuit of an inductor and a resistor or a resistor is connected additionally to the passive element circuit 8 may be applied to the configurations . fig2 to 5 show several examples of magnitude and phase characteristics . in fig2 to 5 , the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( db ) and the phase (ยฐ). [ 0048 ] fig2 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( i ) described above . in fig2 a curve ga 1 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 1 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 1 is set to a value lower than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0049 ] fig3 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig3 a curve ga 2 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 2 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value substantially equal to the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0050 ] fig4 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig3 a curve ga 3 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 3 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value lower than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0051 ] fig5 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig5 a curve ga 4 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 4 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value higher by ten times than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . consequently , the characteristics are almost similar to those of the conventional circuit . thus , the characteristics are presented as a comparative example . from comparison among the characteristics of fig3 to 5 , an influence of the relationship in magnitude between the inductance of the inductance element l 2 and the equivalent inductance l described hereinabove can be seen apparently . where the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is excessively high with respect to the equivalent inductance l , the effect of improvement of the characteristics disappears . [ 0053 ] fig6 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( iv ) described above . in fig6 a curve ga 5 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 5 indicates a phase characteristic . it can be seen that the frequency characteristics are improved significantly with the configuration ( iv ). it is to be noted that , in this instance , a circuit wherein the inductance element l 2 is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 is used . [ 0054 ] fig7 illustrates an example of an output characteristic of the configuration ( iv ) in comparison with that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . in fig7 the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( unit : db ). in fig7 a curve g 1 indicated by a solid line indicates a characteristic of the circuit according to the present invention , and a curve g 1 indicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line indicates a characteristic of the conventional circuit ( the configuration of fig1 in which only the resistor r 2 is provided ). from comparison between the curves g 1 and g 1 , it can be seen that the characteristic indicated by the curve g 1 extends to the higher frequency side . [ 0056 ] fig8 shows a configuration of another signal transmission apparatus to which the present invention is applied . referring to fig8 the signal transmission apparatus 1 a is similar to the signal transmission apparatus 1 in that a transmission side circuit 2 and a reception side circuit 3 are connected to each other using a rotary transformer , but is different in that a rotary transformer having no center tap is used as the rotary transformer . therefore , the difference of the signal transmission apparatus 1 a from the signal transmission apparatus 1 is described in detail while description of common elements of the signal transmission apparatus 1 a to which like reference characters to those of the signal transmission apparatus 1 are applied is omitted to avoid redundancy . in the signal transmission apparatus 1 a , a circuit section 9 including an inductor ll 1 and a resistor rr 1 connected in parallel and another circuit section 10 including an inductor ll 2 and a resistor rr 2 connected in parallel are connected to a power supply terminal tb . a winding 4 p of the primary side of the rotary transformer 4 a is connected at one end thereof to the power supply terminal tb through the circuit section 9 and the collector of a transistor q 1 . the other end of the winding 4 p is connected to the power supply terminal tb through the circuit section 10 and the collector of another transistor q 2 . the configurations of the transistors q 1 and q 2 and the drive circuit 5 are quite similar to those of the signal transmission apparatus 1 . therefore , when the transistor q 2 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 1 is placed into an off state , current flows from the circuit section 9 through the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 a to the transistor q 2 . however , when the transistor q 1 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 2 is placed into an off state , current flows from the circuit section 10 through the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 a to the transistor q 1 . accordingly , the direction of current flowing through the winding 4 p is reversed between the two cases . for example , the following configurations may be applied as a configuration of a passive element circuit 8 a provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 a . ( v ) a configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series is used ; ( vi ) another configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series and another resistor r 3 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used ; ( vii ) a further configuration wherein only a resistor r 3 is used and the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus ; ( viii ) a still further configuration wherein the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 in the configuration ( v ) is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus ; and ( ix ) a yet further configuration wherein the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 in the configuration ( vi ) is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . it is to be noted that fig8 shows the configurations ( v ) to ( ix ) described above collectively and therefore shows a configuration same as that of the configuration ( vi ) or ( ix ). first , in the configuration ( v ), a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series is provided at the input stage ( stator side ) of the rotary transformer 4 a . this corresponds to the configuration of fig8 which lacks the resistor r 3 . in this instance , if the inductance of the inductance element l 3 is substantially equal to the value of the equivalent inductance l ( including the recording head 7 as a load ) as viewed from the stator side , then the bandwidth is greatest . however , the inductance of the inductance element l 3 is sometimes set to a lower value for the convenience of design of the frequency characteristic . it is to be noted that , although the signal transmission apparatus 1 a in fig8 includes the single series circuit of the inductance element l 3 and the resistor r 4 , if necessary , it can be formed in various modified forms such as , for example , a form wherein a plurality of such series circuits are connected in parallel . in the configuration ( vi ), a resistor r 3 is connected in parallel to a series circuit of an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 . accordingly , the configuration ( vi ) is effective where it is desired to adjust the peak of the frequency characteristic in the configuration ( v ). in the configuration ( vii ), only a resistor r 3 is provided in addition to the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 and the resistors rr 1 and rr 2 . accordingly , the bandwidth can be increased when compared with the configuration ( v ). however , since the transmission efficiency to the head is deteriorated , the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 must be determined taking the allowance value for the loss of the equivalent inductance l into consideration . therefore , preferably the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . the configuration ( viii ) basically has the same configuration as that of the configuration ( v ). however , since the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is similar to that of the configuration ( vii ), the configuration ( viii ) has effects of the other configurations . the configuration ( ix ) basically has the same configuration as that of the configuration ( vi ). however , since the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is similar to that of the configuration ( vii ), the configuration ( ix ) has effects of the other configurations . anyway , since the bandwidth is expanded to the high frequency side as a result of improvement in impedance matching between the rotary transformer and the recording side circuit ( drive circuit ), also higher frequency components than those in the conventional signal transmission apparatus can be transmitted . it is to be noted that , although also configurations wherein an inductance element is disposed in parallel to the resistor r 3 in the configuration ( v ) or ( vi ) are possible , this is equivalent to alteration of the inductance relating to the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 . [ 0074 ] fig9 illustrates an example of the output characteristic relating to the configuration ( vi ) in comparison with that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( unit : db ). in fig9 a curve g 2 indicated by a solid line indicates a characteristic of the circuit according to the present invention , and a curve g 2 indicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line indicates a characteristic of the conventional circuit ( the configuration of fig8 in which only the resistor r 3 is provided ). from comparison between the curves g 2 and g 2 , it can be seen that the characteristic indicated by the curve g 2 extends to the higher frequency side . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only , and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims . | 6 |
in the invention , an absorption material belt system is used to draw off liquid toner dispersant such as isopar from a dispersant laden image that is located on an image carrying member such as an electrostatographic imaging member or intermediate member downstream from the development station . the exit and entrance angles of the belt removing the dispersant can be controlled or manipulated to maintain the proper cohesiveness of the image and of the shear forces , particularly at higher process speeds . by adjusting the angles of the belt , there is less turbulence as the dispersant is being absorbed by the absorption material , thereby allowing the dispersant to be absorbed at the same rate that the absorption material belt is contacting the image . more specifically , the dispersant is removed by passing an absorption material belt over a roller biased with the same charge as that of the toner . the bias repels the toner particles while allowing the dispersant to be absorbed . in an especially preferred embodiment , a conductive or semiconductive absorbent material is used with a biased roller . this allows the roller &# 39 ; s electrical field to approach more closely to the toned image and thus exert a stronger repelling action than if the biased roller were separated from the toner image by an insulating absorbent material . in the case of a multilayer medium , individual layers can be made conductive so that the overall thickness of the medium has little effect . fig1 shows an absorption material belt 10 removing excess dispersant from a toner dispersant laden image on an imaging member 2 . while a drum is shown in fig1 the invention is equally useful with a belt - type imaging member . suitable imaging members include known photoreceptors and ionic receptors . the drum 2 rotates to the bias pressure roller 3 . the belt 10 is comprised of an absorption material which passes around the bias pressure roller and a backup roller 4 . this absorption material 10 which contains small pores to absorb the toner dispersant is brought into contact with the dispersant laden image . capillary action absorbs the dispersant into the absorption material . the absorption material may be any suitable material , preferably a foam such as one selected from the group consisting of vyon ยฎ ( a high density microporous material ), permair ยฎ ( a microporous polyurethane material ), tetratex ยฎ ( a microporous semipermeable membrane ), and &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; foam . foams with a contact surface that have an appearance of being glossy and non - porous though they are truly very porous are the greatest contributors to dispersant removal in the background areas , due to intimate contact with the image and to the fact that they cause the least amount of image loss or degradation . top surface materials for good absorption and conformability characteristics should have on their surface some gloss in appearance and yet be very porous . when dispersant is dripped onto the material surface with an eye dropper , the fluid should be wicked into the material in less than 250 msec . the best surface characteristics have been found in materials that , due to &# 34 ; surface tension &# 34 ; are surface hydrophobic yet readily absorb dispersant . the material must , of course , be compatible with whatever dispersant material is used . pore sizes of the absorbent material of about 0 . 2 to about 30 microns do very well , although the end product may use pore sizes outside these limits . very small pores of a micron or less do an excellent job of absorbing the dispersant out of an image and off the background , though extracting the dispersant requires more pressure due to the increased capillary pressure . however , such a material could be used between an absorbing foam and the porous roller as a barrier to allow isopar to absorb into the foam through the barrier but not allow it to rewet . the volume porosity of the foam is a parameter that must be taken into account when a roller or other physical pressure is used to compact the image and to expel the dispersant so as to avoid overcompressing the foam pores and thus reducing or eliminating absorption from the image . nominally at very low pressures the foam porosity can go as high as about 80 % to about 95 % and as low as about 5 % to about 15 % whereas at high pressure the high figure could go down depending on the durometer and strength of the material . the amount of toner removed from an image onto the surface of absorbent material belt depends upon the surface texture of the isopar removal medium . a greater surface texture allows for the embedding of toner particles into the irregularities of the surface of the absorption material belt . thus , a smoother glossy surface with small pores will allow fewer toner particles to become embedded . additionally , the surface energy of the absorbent material &# 39 ; s surface greatly influences the amount of toner removed from the image when there is little or no electric field compressing the image away from the foam . the material can be made of a layer of materials , each possessing the necessary requirements of that layer . the bias pressure - roller 3 is biased with an electrical charge which is the same as the charge of the toner particles in the dispersant , such that the resulting electric field repels the toner particles from the absorption material so that minimal toner particles are transferred to the absorption material 10 . pressure may be applied to the dispersant laden image by the roller 3 , thereby reducing the pile height of the image and increasing the amount of dispersant being absorbed . at nominally low bias roller pressures with a field applied across the image , the percent solids of the image will go from 15 % after development to about 30 % up to about 40 % after dispersant absorption . with pressure applied to the bias roller compacting the image , this latter figure will continue to increase the percent solids of the image to approximately 50 % to about 70 %. to accomplish this compression of image while absorption of the dispersant takes place , the compressible strength of the absorbent material must be greater than the force exerting onto it so that the interspatial voids or capillary paths within the absorption material are not eliminated or brought to saturation by the constriction . after the absorption material belt 10 absorbs the dispersant , it travels around the backup roller 4 which is in contact with a squeeze roller 7 . this squeeze roller 7 , which acts as a squeegee , removes the dispersant from the absorption material belt 10 . a blade 6 removes dispersant from the squeeze roller 7 . the dispersant is collected in a dispersant collection tray 5 . the belt 10 continues traveling around the backup roller 4 to again contact the imaging member 2 at a point between the bias pressure roller 3 and imaging member 2 such that immediately prior to a portion of the belt 10 contacting imaging member 2 , the portion of the belt 10 is in an uncompressed state having any previously absorbed toner dispersant removed from the belt 10 . the image generating belt or drum 2 continues to rotate to the point where a transfer corotron 1 or another known mechanism transfers the image to an intermediate belt or other type of commonly known image receiving members . thus , transfer corotron 1 constitutes an image transfer station . the image generating belt or drum 2 continues to travel to station 9 where the drum 2 is erased and a new electrostatic image formation takes place . it then proceeds to development in metering station 8 ( also commonly referred to as a development station ) which is the point at which the dispersant developer is applied to the electrostatic image . after dispersant has been removed from a number of images , it is most probable that the outer surface of the belt would begin to get a finite layer of toner particles onto it . there are many possible ways to remove these toner particles such as a felt wiper positioned against the belt 10 to scrub these particles off along with any other debris that may adhere to the belt 10 . another method is to bias the dispersant squeeze roller 7 of opposite polarity to that of the toner , thus transferring the toner deposits to the roll which may be wiped off with a urethane or similar blade 6 . in the embodiment of fig2 the absorption material belt 10 excess dispersant is removed from a toner image placed on an intermediate transport belt 18 , the toner image 11 having been transferred from a photoreceptor drum . as shown in fig1 the absorption material belt 10 absorbs the dispersant through a series of pores in the foam . at the same time , the pressure roller 13 is compacting the image and increasing the percent solids up to approximately 50 % to about 70 %. as the absorbent material belt travels around the backup roller 14 , a squeegee roller 15 removes the dispersant from the absorbent material belt 10 . in fig2 the dispersant removal squeegee roller has an opposite polarity to that of the toner , thus transferring the toner deposits to the roller which may be wiped with the urethane or similar blade 7 . the isopar is collected in a collection tray 17 . in roller absorption systems , the roller is or should be operating at the same speed as the photoreceptor drum . however , the squeeze roller often slows down the absorption roller , causing slippage and image disruption . this problem is virtually eliminated in the absorption material belt system due to the elasticity of the belt and the fact that the squeezing of the belt to remove the isopar occurs at a greater distance away from the point where the absorption material belt is in contact with the image on the photoreceptor drum , resulting in less disturbance of the image . the belt system also allows more effective use of space at high speeds and isolation of the torque applied during the squeegee step to improve motion control and registration . it is therefore apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention a method and apparatus for increasing the solids content of an image formed from liquid developer that fully satisfies the aims and advantages herein before set forth . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended to embrace alternatives , modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
aspects of the present invention include a bullpup assembly for an ar - 15 type firearm , a bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm , and a method for converting a conventional ar - 15 type firearm into a bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm . fig1 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm 10 having a conventional configuration , i . e ., does not have a bullpup configuration . the firearm 10 includes a body 12 , a stock 14 , a handle 16 , a grip 18 , a barrel 20 , a firearm trigger 22 , a magazine 24 , a gas tube holder 26 , a sight 30 , a sight locking pin 31 for securing a portion of the sight , and other features known in the art . the stock 14 is attached to the main body 12 ( e . g ., via one or more screws and / or other attachment features ), and in operation , is held against an operator &# 39 ; s shoulder when firing the firearm 10 . the stock 14 allows the operator to firmly support the device and easily aim it . fig2 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm 50 having multiple components removed . in particular , the stock 14 and the handle 16 shown in fig1 have been removed . the other elements , including the body 12 , the firearm trigger 22 , the grip 18 , the gas tube holder 26 , the barrel 20 , the magazine 24 , and the sight 30 , including the sight locking pin 31 , remain . generally , the mechanical parts of the firearm that contribute to firing operation remain operable in accordance with conventional operation . when the stock 14 is removed , one or more attachment features , such as an attachment screw receiving surface 32 , remains . in conventional assembly , as shown in fig1 , the attachment screw receiving surface 32 may have , for example , a threaded screw receiving opening , by which the stock 14 , having a corresponding opening for receiving a screw may be secured to the body 12 . fig3 shows a perspective exploded view of a bullpup assembly 100 . more specifically , fig3 shows the elements of the bullpup assembly 100 before it has been assembled onto the firearm of fig2 the bullpup assembly 100 includes : 1 ) a bullpup frame 102 ( also interchangeably referred herein as a frame body ); 2 ) a trigger link assembly 105 , which includes a trigger link 106 and a bullpup trigger 108 , along with a firearm trigger engagement feature 104 ; and 3 ) a shoulder butt 116 . the bullpup frame 102 includes a hollow body 110 ( also interchangeably referred herein as an interior cavity ) integrally formed with a handle 112 , a trigger guard 114 , one or more sight locking pin receiving openings 120 , and an opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism for securing the bullpup frame 102 to the body of the firearm . fig4 shows a perspective view of the bullpup frame 102 , where the body 110 is shown as transparent for clarity . as shown in fig4 , the bullpup trigger 108 may be located within the body 110 . further , the bullpup trigger 108 may be linearly coupled within the body 110 via a coupling mechanism 108 a , such as screw , a pin , or the like . the bullpup trigger 108 may also be coupled with the trigger link 106 , which extends though the body 110 to an attached firearm trigger engagement feature 104 . thus , force imparted on the bullpup trigger 108 ( e . g ., linear action during firing ) may be transferred via the trigger link 106 toward the opposite end of the trigger link 106 from the end of the trigger link 106 that is coupled with or otherwise interoperable with the bullpup trigger 108 . also shown in fig4 is the location for an opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism , and a securing mechanism 118 , such as a screw . fig5 shows a side view of the bullpup frame 102 , where the body 110 is shown as transparent for clarity . fig6 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm modified to a bullpup configuration , where the bullpup frame 102 is shown as transparent for clarity . fig7 shows a perspective view of the example firearm of fig6 . in particular , fig6 and 7 show the disassembled firearm 50 of fig2 after it has been coupled with the bullpup assembly 100 . fig6 and 7 show various elements that are included in fig2 and 3 , in an assembled configuration . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the bullpup frame 102 , including the bullpup trigger 108 and the trigger link 106 , is abuttably assembled with the lower portion of the disassembled firearm 50 . the upper surface outer edge of the bullpup frame 102 is shaped and sized so as to abut corresponding surface features of the firearm 50 , and the sight locking pin receiving openings 120 are located so as to allow a sight locking pin 31 to be inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 and the sight 30 , in order to partially secure the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . the trigger link 106 may extend within the hollow body 110 of the bullpup frame 102 , around the magazine 24 and / or magazine well , and operably engage the firearm trigger 22 via the firearm trigger engagement feature 104 . because the trigger link 106 operably engages the firearm trigger 22 on one end and is operably engaged with the bullpup trigger 108 on the other end , motion of the bullpup trigger 108 produces corresponding motion of the firearm trigger 22 via the trigger link 106 , such as when the firearm is fired . in assembly , in addition to the sight locking pin 31 being inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 to secure a portion of the bullpup frame to the firearm 50 , the attachment screw receiving surface 32 is aligned with the opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism in the bullpup frame 102 , and the securing mechanism 118 is engaged through the opening in the bullpup frame 102 and into the threaded opening in the screw receiving surface 32 , in order to secure the bullpup frame to the firearm 50 . the bullpup frame may comprise any material suitable for use with a firearm . of limited concern may be the heat produced within the barrel of a gun during firing . thus , the material chosen for some portions of the bullpup frame may need to retain form and properties under high heat . in some variations , the frame or portions of the frame may comprise a hard plastic having a high melting point or a metal . optionally , the bullpup frame may further comprise one or more heat shielding elements that may be located within the bullpup frame or that may be integral with one or both of these frames . such heat shielding elements may comprise metal shielding , such as firearm grade aluminum , that is located within the bullpup frame at appropriate locations ( e . g ., near the barrel ). fig8 shows a side view of a similar example bullpup frame 150 to the bullpup frame 102 shown in fig5 , with the body 110 being shown as transparent for clarity . the bullpup frame 150 of fig8 further includes a second handle 130 . the second handle 130 may optionally be retractable , such as via pivoting about pivot point 131 ( e . g ., a pin ) and lockable in extended and / or retracted position , such as via locking feature 132 ( e . g ., a locking pin biased to extend to an extending position through a locking opening in the handle 130 or body 110 , and selectably retractable , such as by depressing the locking pin through the locking opening ). a method for assembling the modified firearm having a bullpup configuration will now be described . starting with the conventional firearm 10 of fig1 , the stock 14 and the handle 16 are removed . the stock 14 and the handle 16 may be easily removed without the need for a gunsmith , for example , because the elements may be secured to the body 12 via screws or other securing features , and mating surfaces . for the stock 14 , the operator may simply unscrew the stock 14 from the body 12 and / or otherwise disconnect or remove any securing features . similarly , the operator may remove the handle 16 by removing the securing feature that attaches the handle 16 to the attachment screw receiving surface 32 . once the stock 14 and the handle 16 have been removed , the conventional ar - 15 type firearm is in the state shown in fig2 . next , the operator proceeds to attach the bullpup frame 102 ( fig3 to 5 ) to the firearm of fig2 . the bullpup frame 102 may be abuttably placed against the bottom portion of the firearm 50 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , a portion of the body 12 , the firearm trigger 22 , magazine 24 , and a portion of the barrel 20 of the firearm 50 may be located within the bullpup frame 102 . the pin receiving openings 120 may be aligned with corresponding openings in the sight 30 , and the sight locking pin 31 may be inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 to secure a portion of the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . the securing mechanism 118 may be aligned with the mating piece 32 and the trigger link 106 may be aligned with the firearm trigger 22 . the location for the opening in the bullpup frame for receiving the securing mechanism is aligned with the threaded opening in the attachment screw receiving surface 32 , and a securing mechanism 118 is then engaged with the threaded opening to secure to further secure the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . after the above steps are taken , the bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm shown in fig6 and 7 is completed . whenever the operator desires to return the ar - 15 type bullpup configuration back to a conventional ar - 15 type configuration , the user need only reverse the above steps . one or all of the above steps of assembling or disassembling the bullpup configuration may be carried out so as to avoid the need for machining or other assistance by a professional gunsmith . rather , a relatively unskilled operator need only screw / unscrew and assemble the relevant elements of the firearm . as shown in fig1 , 2 , 6 and 7 , the complex functionality of the firing mechanism remains unaltered when the firearm is in the conventional state or the bullpup state . thus , the above - described apparatus and method allows a firearm purchaser to easily and safely modify the firearm without the assistance of an expert . example aspects have been described in accordance with the above advantages . it will be appreciated that these examples are merely illustrative of aspects of the invention . many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . | 5 |
the liquid vapor delivery system 10 according to the present invention is best seen in fig1 . the liquid vapor delivery system 10 is designed to provide a vapor stream of an easily vaporizable liquid or reagent 38 which is contained in a reservoir 94 and in a bubbler 12 . in general , the present invention involves adjusting the pressure within the headspace of bubbler 12 to that of the chemical fluid level line 37 , thus creating a repeatable fluid level based on pressure and fluid dynamics and not relying on conventional level sensors and controllers . this is accomplished in two stages . during the first stage , all inlets and outlets of the bubbler 12 are set in a closed position except valves 102 , 104 and 106 . to begin the refill cycle , valves 120 and 110 are then opened to initiate the flow of liquid 38 from liquid source 94 to the bubbler 12 . the system , during the refill cycle , allows over - filling of the liquid level 38 in bubbler 12 to a level controlled by the pressure of the liquid delivery conduit 19 , thereby compressing the volume of vapor in bubbler 12 and creating a pressure approximating the liquid source line 19 . construction and placement of vapor extraction tube 28 prevents liquid from being forced into it . during the second stage , valve 110 is closed , pressure supply is removed from the liquid source 94 , and valve 124 is opened forcing excess liquid through liquid level set tube 37 back to bulk liquid source 94 . liquid delivery system 10 can be essentially viewed as having two major components , bubbler 12 and conduits system 90 . when compared to traditional bubblers , bubbler 12 constitutes an upside down design in that all of the gas and liquid conduits that communicate with bubbler 12 are attached to bubbler floor 14 . this design arrangement of bubbler 12 led to an unexpected capability of cleaning bubbler 12 in - situ . bubbler floor 14 is designed so that the lowest point occurs at opening 21 which is attached to liquid source line or conduit 19 . thus , bubbler 12 can be readily cleaned in - situ without removing , disassembly , or contamination to the atmosphere . cleaning is simply accomplished by closing all valves except valves 110 , 128 and 130 . vacuum generator 136 is actuated and reagent 38 is withdrawn through vent 152 . alternatively valve 132 may be opened to withdraw reagent 38 . valves 128 and 130 are then closed and a cleaning solvent ( not shown ) can be attached to conduit 19 , in place of reservoir 94 , and cleaning solvent may then be introduced into bubbler 12 . once cleaned , the cleaning solvent is then withdrawn from bubbler 12 as discussed previously in the case of reagent 38 . conduit system 90 essentially comprises a liquid source line 19 , vapor stream conduit 26 , level set line 37 and carrier gas conduit 92 all of which allow for fluid communication between bubbler 12 and carrier gas source 98 , liquid reagent source reservoir 94 and a vacuum system that comprises a vacuum generator 138 , purge gas supply 96 , vacuum generator supply 100 and vent 152 . it will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that conduit system 90 would take on many permutations by simply changing the configuration of the valves consequently fig1 is exemplary of one configuration that will accomplish the methods of the present invention . as discussed previously , bubbler 12 communicates with a fluid reagent source reservoir 94 by way of conduit 19 . reservoir 94 is designed to maintain a large supply of ultrahigh purity chemical reagent 38 which is used to periodically replenish bubbler 12 , preferably after every run . reservoir 94 may simply be in the form of a carboy , but it will be understood that specially designed refill reservoirs may be required . any kind of reservoir 94 which is chemically inert to the contained reagent 38 , and which can be suitably connected to a conduit system for carrying reagent 38 to bubbler 12 may be used . carrier gas intake conduit 92 extends from a source of pressurized carrier gas 98 into a flow controller unit 114 . after passing through the flow controller unit 114 conduit 92 is directed into bubbler 12 terminating with a lower outlet or orifice 24 located in the bottom of bubbler 12 . a vapor stream conduit 26 extends downwardly from a u - shaped neck intake orifice 28 , located in the headspace 30 in the top of bubbler 12 , through a number pneumatic valves to the process tool 154 . level set line 37 is placed within bubbler 12 so that excesses reagent 30 can be dismissed from bubbler 12 as the head pressure is set . furthermore , level set line 37 is adapted so that its height within bubbler 12 can be adjusted thus allowing one to set the depth of reagent 38 . a typical operation of the system 10 is now described as merely exemplary of the invention . it will be understood that the precise sequence and mode of operation may vary somewhat , depending upon the type of treatment zoned or furnace , which is being fed , and upon the kind of product being produced . thus , the following description is merely exemplary . considering the invention as designed to provide a stream of carrier gas 98 , which is either , saturated or partially saturated with reagent 38 to a processing tool 154 , the overall flow of gases and fluids will be as described . taking the system 10 at an equilibrium operating state , with the processing tool 154 in operation , the flow of gases is as follows . carrier gas 98 which may be an inert gas , such as and but not limited to argon , helium , oxygen , nitrogen or hydrogen is contained within a cylinder from which it flows through conduit system 92 thereby being introduced through orifice 24 into reagent 38 contained within bubbler 12 . bubbler 12 includes a heater / chiller 16 which for example may be a strap heater that is jacketed about an outer surface of bubbler 12 . the heater / chiller 16 is used to provide energy to increase or decrease the temperature and to vaporize reagent 38 in bubbler 12 . as carrier gas 98 travels up through reagent 38 , it becomes either saturated , or partially saturated , depending upon the rate of flow , the depth of reagent 38 , the temperature , etc ., with reagent 38 . reagent - ladened gas 40 then flows into headspace 30 and out vapor stream conduit 26 , which is connected to process tool 154 . vapor stream conduit 26 is u - shaped so that as gas bubbles 40 break the surface 36 of reagent 38 splattered fluids will not drop down into inlet tube 26 . there may be provided , in addition to this gas flow , other streams . for example , other streams of inert gas , or reactive gas , or reagents , may also be provided . these are not part of this invention , however , and would be provided separately and independently of this invention , depending upon the precise reaction that was desired to be carried out . the system , as thus described , may be considered the equilibrium system during the period of time process tool 154 is in a deposition mode , the reagent - laden gas 40 is being provided to processing tool 154 , and the fluid level 36 is decreasing an extremely small percentage of total bubbler volume . consequently , after each run the refill cycle is activated . as discussed previously all inlets and outlets of bubbler 12 , as shown in fig1 , are switched into a closed position except valves 102 , 104 and 106 . to begin the refill cycle , valves 120 and 110 are then opened to initiate the flow of reagent 38 from reservoir 94 to bubbler 12 . alternatively , valves 120 and 122 or 124 may be opened to fill bubbler 12 . the system , during refill cycle , allows over - filling of the liquid level in bubbler 12 to a level controlled by the pressure of the liquid delivery conduit 19 , thereby compressing the volume of vapor in the bubbler and creating a pressure approximating the liquid source line 19 . construction and placement of vapor extraction tube 28 prevents liquid from being forced into it . during the second stage , valve 110 is closed , pressure supply is removed from reservoir 94 , and valve 124 is opened forcing excess liquid within bubbler 12 out through fluid level set line 37 back to bulk liquid source 94 . the length of the refill cycle is thus dependent on the total bubbler volume . during filling sequence , pressure in the head space 30 is dependent upon the pressure of conduit 19 , reagent 38 will automatically flow from reservoir 94 into bubbler 12 until the pressure in head space 30 equilibrates with that of conduit 19 . thus the level of reagent 38 in bubbler 12 is replenished to an overfilled state , in preparation for the leveling sequence described earlier . once the liquid pressure in bubbler 12 reaches an equilibrium state , a valve is closed to liquid flow , and is opened to gas flow , thus flushing out of the conduit system all of the liquid reagent . this provides important safety protection , since the liquid is maintained in the conduit system 90 only during the refill cycle , and , also , minimizes contamination since the reagent is not held in the conduit system , which has large surface area exposure . the conduit system 90 is maintained at a positive pressure with inert gas . because the principle of operation works on pressure differences , not absolute pressures we can easily deliver very low pressure fluids and much higher pressure condensed fluids . the absolute vapor pressure of the fluid we are trying to deliver is not as critical as it is in other conventional bubblers . once bubbler 12 is refilled , the valve returns to its operating position . inert gas from conduit 92 flows through the inlet bubbler tube 24 , through the outlet tube 26 and to processing tool 154 as previously described . in a highly unique and novel arrangement , the system includes means including a conduit system 90 for transferring vapor or liquid reagent 38 during a first time period from the refill reservoir 94 through the conduit system 90 into the bubbler 12 , flushing reagent 38 out of the conduit system 90 , filling the conduit system 90 with inert gas , and maintaining a predetermined pressure of inert gas in said conduit system 90 between the periodic transfer of reagent 38 there through , a substantially gas tight enclosure for the refill reservoir 94 and means for providing inert gas 98 at a predetermined pressure to the enclosure to maintain the refill reservoir in an inert atmosphere , and may also include means for providing inert gas 98 at a predetermined pressure and rate to the refill reservoir , and means for feeding a stream of inert gas into bubbler 12 to be at least partially saturated with chemical fluid only during a second time period , the first and second time periods alternating with time . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , optional heater / chiller 16 may be added to control the temperature of the liquid in the supply and deposition bubbler 12 , respectively , to vaporize liquid therein . a modular fluid handling assembly , shown in fig2 and similar to that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 298 , 881 which is incorporated herein by reference , includes a plurality of fluid handling units . each fluid handling unit includes a fluid passage and associated port , a vacuum passage and associated port , a vacuum pressure source , and a containment seal . the fluid passage ports and vacuum passage ports of adjacent fluid handling units respectively communicate . the containment seal is disposed between adjacent fluid handling units and surrounds the communicating fluid passage ports and vacuum passage ports . the vacuum pressure source is in continuous communication with the vacuum passages of the fluid handling units , generates an urging force , which aids in sealing adjacent fluid handling units together , and draws off any fluid that may leak from a fluid passage port . a sensor can be tapped into the vacuum line to sense whether any fluid has leaked from a fluid passage port . it is to be understood with respect to the enclosed conduit system , which comprises both the conduit and valving enclosed in suitable gas tight , or substantially gas tight enclosure mechanisms , and filled with inert gas , that the specific configuration , construction and operation of the valve is of secondary significance , and any valve may be used . what is significant is that the entire conduit system , or a substantial portion of the conduit portion , sufficient to protect the conduit system and prevent contamination through the walls of the conduit system , is enclosed in one or more envelopes filled with inert gas . the foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . the words โ comprise ,โ โ comprising ,โ โ include ,โ โ including ,โ and โ includes โ when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of one or more stated features , integers , components , or steps , but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , components , steps , or groups thereof . furthermore , since a number of modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and process shown described above . accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims , which follow . | 8 |
unsorted municipal , industrial and medical wastes , and hazardous wastes can be co - mingled in any given incoming waste load . waste is dumped directly onto a waste chute collector from the waste vehicle . the chute provides multiple advantages over direct dumping or conveyor dumping into vessels : 1 . chute allows for complete surveillance of waste via cameral , overhead crane removal of large steel items or suspect items , pcbs detection , radioactive detection via geiger counter and tilting of waste mass to roll and reveal previously undetectable items . 2 . waste is dried on chute through perforated floor and walls using previously un - captured system waste heat . screening options for the chute allow for waste variations such as msw or dewatered biosolids . truck wheels are stopped at bumper plates just prior to chute entry . the analysis of the waste batch prior to vessel conversion is essential in today &# 39 ; s volatile dumping activities that do not protect the public from hazardous or uncontrolled dumping . the quick detection and removal of unwanted items also preserves the integrity of the system and removes the possibility of contamination . the chute box is rectangular in plan measuring 3 m wide ร 10 m ร 3 . 3 m dimensions with retractable doors at the short ends ; one at the waste entry side ( direct from truck ) which lies horizontal in open position , and one at the vessel end that adjusts in the horizontal as it opens to the vessel entry door . the doors are 1 . 7 m high ร 3 m wide and 75 mm thick and made of stainless steel clad steel framing ; the hinges are on the horizontal and the doors are hydraulically operated to close the box ends off , or to open them allowing waste in and out of the chute . the entire box floor is formed of 127 ร 33 steel square hss in the longitudinal direction and is supported by 3 transverse 127 ร 33 beams , 2 near the ends of the chute and one โ
of the distance to the truck dumping side . the vessel - side chute support beam is hinged while the opposite end is free to travel 55 degrees off the horizontal to chute the waste into the conversion vessel . the central transverse beam is hinged to a 100 tonne ( 1 , 000 , 000 n maximum allowable force ) piston that lifts the free end of the chute box up ( dump truck style ) once the two end doors are shut into a 20 degree off - vertical position . just prior to the lifting of the chute the 3 m ร 3 . 3 m vessel door opens and the vessel end door of the chute begins to open allowing the waste to fall into the vessel . a significant attribute of the chute design is the perforated stainless steel metal floor and walls that allows both drainage to a drying tank of many types of waste and direct drying of the waste mass by way of introducing preheated air from the pump and collection bin chambers , and the vessel perimeter plenum , and as well from the down - stream preheated air as later discussed . see drawing 11 / 11 . this desaturating of the waste while waiting on the chute for the 12 hour preceding batch speeds up the conversion process and gains back valuable btu energy for subsequent use . this air movement also cools the vertical pump room hydraulics thereby protecting that system from overheating . the 2 induction / forced air fans ( 750 mm blades ) located below the chute &# 39 ; s central axis draws the hot air from the vessel plenum through the chute sides . the waste vessel , collection bin chamber , and vertical pump rooms are enveloped in a contiguous thermal air jacket 1 m wide that allows for the recapture of escaping radiant heat from the system and allows for a maintenance space for the various exposed exterior elements of the system . the outside wall of the envelope is a 600 mm , 25mpa , r28 insulated concrete structure that acts as both the structural containment of this underground system and a heat sink that absorbs overflow heat at maximum temperature times . this thermal mass provides a balanced supply of hot air for the use of vessel air and chute waste drying air using the structure itself to store temperatures that may or may not be called for either at times of dry waste in the chute or when no or little jacket hot air is available at batch start - up times . this vessel can be of any shape and dimension , depending on site conditions and the waste volume to be processed . the standard vessel in this case is a rectangular , 12 mm thick cold rolled steel box approximately 6 m ร 6 m ร 20 m . the inside of this vessel is lined with 250 mm of mineral wool , or other insulative , non - combustible material . over this insulation blanket , lining the vessel interior is a layer of 304 stainless steel approximately 4 mm thick . the vessel is framed in 75 ร 33 square hss at 600 mm o / c . the waste chute dumps directly into the waste conversion vessel . each cell is divided into two chambers , each holding from 40 to 60 tonnes of waste ( based on a cubic yard or 0 . 8 cubic meters averaging 240 pounds or 110 kg , or 8 lbs per cubic foot ). the weight is insignificant to the process . once loaded , the cell is sealed and an igniter elevates the internal temperature of the vessel chamber to 800 to 100 degrees f . once that temperature is reached the igniters are switched off with an internal ambient oxygen percent of from 3 to 7 % in this environment combustible solids , liquids and sludges will convert from that form to a heavy , btu - rich gas vapor . this gas vapor is pulled through the remainder of the processing system by the force of and induced draft fan , found downstream at the far end of the system . it takes roughly 12 hours for 60 tonnes of waste to convert to a gas . an additional batch of up to 60 tonnes is processed over the balance of the 24 hour day or at the same time for a 120 tonne per daysystem . ash and recyclables are lowered into storage bins below the vessel , at the end of the process via large bottom opening doors ( see section drawing ). during this time the radiant heat emanating off the ash and recyclables are captured in the surrounding plenum and heat sink walls and / or water jackets provided within the 1 meter plenum space . this heat is subsequently used to dry the incoming chute waste from 25 % average moisture content to approximately 10 % within a 12 hour period ( 2 litres of evaporated water per minute ) within the vessel an array of air and natural gas or propane supply tubes form the basis of a new heat balancing system . a computer program controls this new system of substoichiometric air and supplemental fuel to monitor and regulate the thermal composition of the waste batch creating continuity and system efficiency . a balanced mass reduction throughout the vessel is achieved by way of key accelerants located in deficient btu anomalies within the batch or by key decellerants (& gt ; 0 % stoichiometry ) in overly btu charged anomalies . both efficiency and safety is achieved avoiding stalling and / or smoking , or conversely unnecessary ignition . these supply tubes located strategically amongst the waste batch insure maximum reduction in the shortest amount of time avoiding soft spots or hot spots without the need of expensive manual waste mixing . these 60 mm and 9 mm respectively low oxygen and gas supply tubes ( 8 #) run horizontally across the short span of the vessel at varying heights ( see section drawings ). the gas supply tubes are inserted into the air supply tubes originating from the plenum through the vessel sides . pulses of metered gas premixed with 80 % plenum air to reduce volatility are injected into the air tubes at the vessels edge and the air carries the gas to the areas of deficiency as determined by 12 thermocouples throughout the vessel interior . each pulse gas valve shuts off any possible blow back ignition . each 60 mm diameter ss tube is perforated in the bottom side by 9 mm holes @ 100 mm o / c along the tube axis , and is protected from the waste by a 72 ร 72 ร 33 steel angle spanning the vessel and pointing upwards toward the incoming waste direction . these steel angles are designed to break up the waste upon entry into the vessel to further expedite conversion . the sharp angles also break the fall of the waste landing on the grate to stop any damage from occurring . make - up air is introduced into the plenum via the downstream hot air duct and mixed with plenum air . logic controls manifold the 8 tube dampers with the mixed radiant and downstream air supply adding air volume at 0 to 7 % stoichiometry as demanded by the thermocouples sensing temperature differentials within the batch . the plenum will move a constant supply of hot air to the waste chute box for drying incoming waste prior to vessel loading . as well the ash and recyclables chamber will also supply the plenum with additional constant air . the conversion vessel lowers both ash and recyclables separately into two separate steel bins moving into and out of the ash and recyclables collection bin chamber below the vessel . first , 2 swinging horizontally hinged doors open at the bottom of the vessel dropping the bottom ash directly into a 2 m high ร 3 . 7 meter wide ร 8 meter long steel mobile collection bin on wheels and rail guide . second , two additional bottom grate doors in the vessel swing - down to release the remainder glass , metal and aluminum recyclables into a second collection bin . the grate is vibrated for 30 seconds by way of a proprietary clutch mechanism on the grate door motor prior to opening to insure all the ash has been separated from the recyclables . these bins remain in their chamber until their residue heating values have radiated and have been drawn back into the plenum for subsequent use during the cooler period of the new start - up batch above . both sets of swinging doors are operated via cables and electric motors mounted on top of the vessel . the doors are shut with proprietary mineral wool and teflon seals , and supported shut by way of a 100 tonne hydraulic pump that pushes vertically up on the door &# 39 ; s astragal . the pump supports both ash doors and the grate via a steel vertical tube welded to the ash doors . all doors and collection bins are fully integrated with the plc control room , and are camera and electric eye monitored . this unique design allows for a direct and complete transfer of ash without exposure to any humanly occupied space while employing only a handful of moving parts as compared to other conveyor type transfers that often seize up due to wear and tear . the use of gravity as well to move the incoming waste through to the ash collection bin minimizes total energy outputs . the ash and recyclables bin is computer controlled to move via electric eyes to its destinations . its upper resting position will be at grade level where the entire bin excluding its wheel mechanisms is loaded directly onto a transport for subsequent cement batching of ash and glass and bailing of metals , or stored in an ash silo for subsequent retrieval . depending on the site the raising of the bins to grade is accomplished by way of ramp or hydraulic lift . this pump room houses the vertical hydraulic lift pump having a 250 mm bore and a 175 mm piston . the acting stroke is 5 . 1m , and the lift is calibrated to provide 3000 psi using a 150 gallon oil reservoir . the manifold and proportional valve slow the 30 second allowable stroke time to 10 mm per second in the final approach to the closed ash doors that form the bottom of the waste conversion vessel . all pumps are fully integrated with the plc control room . the collection bins are moved forward of the lift to provide clearance just prior to activating the pump . the lift head plate and lift guides are proprietary . this component is a sphere , 4 m in diameter and made from hot rolled steel 6 mm thick . it is lined with gunnite applied insulative clay , sufficient in thickness to keep the exterior surface temperature of the cell below 200 degrees f . the raw waste gas is vented from the vessel into a sphere shaped processor , which spins the raw gas with compressed air . this process elevates the percentage of oxygen in the finished gas product from 3 to 7 % up to ambient ( 20 %). further , the turbulence in the sphere acts as a cyclone separator that causes any fine particulate or heavy metals to fall from suspension in the gas . ozone at 0 . 1 ppm is also introduced to the gas here ( see section 8 ). this finished fuel gas is now ready to be combusted in the primary energy system of the facility ( steam boiler , hot water heater , refrigeration unit , or other such industrial processor ). this segment of the system flares the combustible processed fuel gas to produce low - cost heat for the subject industrial process ( hot water heater , boiler , steam turbine , refrigeration unit , etc .) a gas turbine may be used in lieu of hot water or steam requirements where only electrical production is desired . it is a cylinder , approximately 5 m long and 2 m in diameter , with a cone on either end . this unit is also 6 mm thick hot rolled steel , with high - temp refractory liner , and exterior mineral wool shielding for exterior surface temperature control and to maximize on the heat sink provided by the refractory . the entering gas passes though a plenum . as it exits the plenum , the gasses pass through the apex of three maxxon pilot burners . this flares the incoming fuel with little applied supplemental fuel . the resulting fireball causes a superheated air stream of +/โ 1600 degrees f . the hot air exits this chamber through a restriction in the opposite conical end of the unit where the heat is exposed to the hot water element , or in the case of the attached drawings to the boiler tubes . a significant percentage of the heat in the passing hot air flow is dumped as the boiler tubes absorb the heat . the continuing flow of the hat air now moves to a secondary heat recovery device . usually this is in the form of a hot water heater for site or laundry use if the system is located near an institution or industrial complex . the purpose of this secondary heat reclamation process is to utilize the maximum amount of heat generated in the process and to further cool the throughput air column . once the air passes this second step , the volume of the venting gas is significantly reduced ( explanation to follow ). at approximately 300 degrees f . there is still adequate thermal energy in the flowing air column to provide environmental heat for greenhouse operations or industrial workspace through radiant heat tubing . here a portion of this heat is redirected by duct or hot water tubes to the vessel plenum as mentioned for preheated system air . once the air has been so directed , the air temperature of the column reaching the induced draft fan surge tank is approximately 100 degrees f /. the fan further cools the gas to a given extent because of the turbulence created by the fan . the final small air column now exits the system in a small pipe approximately 0 . 25 m in diameter and no more than 4 m in height . the gasification of combustible liquids , sludges and solids is a well know event of physics . by controlling the temperature and oxygen concentration of the environment in which these combustible materials reside , the event happens spontaneously . there is no fire or flame during the process , just the conversion of form and the release of heat . in many gasification systems there is the presence of a large exhaust stack to enable the rising process heat to be emitted from the plant by natural lift usually with exit temperatures exceeding 1200 degree f . while this is an inexpensive method of venting it wastes a great deal of the produced heat resources and the stack is objectionable to most neighbors and to the regulatory agencies . in this process extracting as much of the available heat resources as possible eliminates the need for a stack . by the physics laws , which govern the behavior of gases , it is know that the hotter a given quantity of gas becomes the greater the area it consumes . therefore very hot gas โ say 1200 degrees f .โ occupies several hundreds of times more space than that same quantity of gas at 70 degrees f . so as the process proceeds the gas loses heat and loses volume . when the final exhaust air reaches the final system vent duct , it is basically a mixture of carbon dioxide and water vapor . further this process of cooling the process assures a finely polished air exhaust at the end , free of pollutants , particulates and hazardous chemical compounds . six lime screens measuring 3 meters high ร 1 . 5 meters wide ร 50 mm thick are enclosed in a 6 mm thick steel container having a height of 3 . 7 m ร 3 . 1 meters wide ร 2 m deep . final stage gases are introduced into the container via four 250 mm tubes and exit in a similar fashion into the surge tank and ozonation devise ( see drawings ). the purpose of the lime screens are to remove the levels of hydrogen chloride and sulphur dioxides from the emission gas . this proprietary three tiered flow dampened devise is coupled to a final emission regulator on the vent stack detecting any emissions over 25 ppm of hydrogen chloride or sulphur dioxide at which time one of the three manifolds open putting into flow an appropriate volume of gas through the screens and a screen by - pass . this system preserves the lime applied to the screens for times of need only when emission guidelines are encroached upon . the detectors on the stack are to be by teledyne , enerac or equal gas measuring devises coupled with proprietary shut off circuitry and manifolding connected to the plc room . the ozonation devise is located in the 100 cubic meter surge tank just prior to the induced draft fan and stack , and produces 0 . 1 ppm ozone with ultraviolet output of approximately 10 , 000 mw / cm . the ozone is distributed via a 200 cfm fan into the tank . air ports are located on the side of the tank to provide both ozone make - up air and stack modified air . ozone is considered the โ friendly oxidizer โ due to the fact that it reverts back to oxygen after oxidation . additional ozonation may be employed throughout the system . ozone , ultraviolet light and negative ion production destroys bacteria , drops particulate to the floor of the surge tank , eliminates any smoke that may have permeated the system at start - up , disinfects the final gas release and destroys toxic fumes . the ozone production devise will be limited to 0 . 1 ppm and will not activate when ground level ozone is detected to be above 0 . 5 ppm . the patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color . copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the office upon request and payment of the necessary fee . the system flow diagram depicts the general arrangement of the thru - puts and parts of the technology , and the direction of solids and gases including their temperatures as they are processed through the system . this is the preferred drawing for public viewing . the plan of the system details 4 chute assemblies servicing two adjacent 58 tonne vessels that empty into 4 recycling silos . the plan does not include views of the fuel preparation cell and the energy conversion system as they are self evident in the site elevations fig7 and fig8 . this section drawing shows a back to back 4 vessel , 200 tonne per day system . a list of all of the major components are referred to on drawing 5 / 11 . this drawing does not indicate the location of recycling / extraction silos ( silo - vacs ) as they are intended to be site specific . an updated version of the typical section was produces as drawing 6 / 11 , fig6 . this part plan shows the head of the lower hydraulic piston rod in red . this head meets up with the bottom of the ash doors to secure them in place while the vessel is fully loaded . the base of the rod shown in blue and green includes bolt locations . see fig2 for actual plan location in vessel . this drawing provides for the geometry of a wider heat sink plenum at the chute side . the center of the red circle designates the pivotal axis of the chute , and the red tipped line marks the location o the vessel door jam . this section drawing shows the proper chute size and structure , and also indicates a possible location of the silo - vacs and recyclables retrieving . the dotted red structure above the chute is the optional crane assembly for large item retrieval . the site elevation shows a simplified relationship between the various parts of the vessel and lower pump rooms , and the front en of the energy conversion system . the optional silo shown accommodates a 200 tonne per day system orientation . the energy conversion and emissions handling components are shown on this enlarged part of the site elevation , and this includes a graphic representation of a possible mini turbine . these section details show the grate and ash doors in both open and closed position , the jet action of the vacuum ejection push and pull flow , ash door seal locations , insulation locations , manifold , thermocouple , and air / gas tube locations . this simplified flow diagram illustrates the possible gas volumes and their containers moving within the gwpt system . the best use of this process is in the decentralization of the waste disposal event . as an introduction we claim that municipal governments can save additional millions of dollars annually by eliminating the vehicles , and re - handling which current landfill practices create when wastes are accumulated in large , centralized disposal sites . however this system design is modular , and will adapt to economies of scale where appropriate epicenters allow . the gwpt process is inexpensive to install and far less expensive to operate than landfills . municipal governments now have a reliable tool for the final disposal of waste on a neighborhood - by - neighborhood basis at a substantial savings in the consumption of gasoline , diesel , and other fossil fuels burned in transporting wastes and lost in the industrial processes , which the waste gas will now provide at virtually no cost . further , there are long - term financial advantages to this type of technological replacement of land filling . the plants occupy a small , fixed site , which do not consume ever - expanding land space . the operating costs are only inflated relative to supplemental fuel and labor costs . | 1 |
fig1 shows a network station 1 which couples a switching center 2 either to an analog or a digital telephone . the network station 1 comprises a detection circuit 3 which detects whether the switching center 2 can be coupled to the analog or digital telephone . by exchanging a module in the switching center 2 , the switching center can be converted from the analog to the digital mode . the detection circuit 3 included in the network station 1 automatically detects the change of a mode of operation and controls , in dependence on the detected mode of operation , a selector switch 4 also included in the network station . the analog mode is also referenced pots mode ( pots = plain old telecommunication service ) and the digital mode as isdn mode ( isdn = integrated services digital network ). the selector switch 4 is coupled via two input terminals 5 and 6 to the switching center 2 , via two output terminals 7 and 8 to the analog telephone ( not shown ) and via two further output terminals 9 and 10 to an isdn network terminator 11 . during the pots mode the input terminals 5 and 6 are connected to the output terminals 7 and 8 . in the other case , in the isdn mode , the input terminals 5 and 6 are connected to the output terminals 9 and 10 . the isdn network terminator 11 supplies signals for the isdn telephone which is not further shown to its s 0 interface 12 . the detection circuit 3 includes a rectifier 13 , a threshold detector 14 , a timing element 15 , a first and a second pulse shaper circuit 16 and 17 and a bistable relay 18 and a microprocessor 19 . it is assumed that the selector switch has connected the input terminals 5 and 6 to the output terminals 7 and 8 ( pots mode ). the detection circuit 3 detects , for example , after a card provided for the operation of the analog telephone has been exchanged for a card provided for the operation of the digital telephone , that the telephone works in the isdn mode . the detection circuit 3 then works as follows : the supply voltage applied to the input terminals 5 and 6 of the selector switch 4 is converted by the rectifier 13 into a defined polarity voltage . the supply voltage is a dc voltage whose polarity is unknown . the threshold detector 14 , when a threshold voltage in the output voltage of the rectifier 13 reaches or surpasses a threshold voltage , produces a signal which activates the next timing element 15 . the timing element 15 is deactivated when the output voltage produced by the rectifier 13 is smaller than the threshold voltage . after a time ฯ , after the timing element 15 has been activated , the timing element 15 produces a certain output signal which is converted into a brief current pulse by the subsequent first pulse shaper circuit 16 . the timing element enables the suppression of noise pulses and the ac signaling voltage on the input terminals 5 and 6 . the brief current pulse produced by the first pulse shaper circuit 16 is supplied to the bistable relay 18 which changes to the isdn mode and connects in the selector switch 4 the input terminals 5 and 6 to the output terminals 9 and 10 . the detection circuit 3 further changes to a high - impedance state , so that the current flowing in the detection circuit 3 is much smaller than the current flowing through the input terminals 5 and 6 . after the isdn network terminator 11 has been coupled to the switching center 2 and during the operation in the isdn mode , the isdn network terminator 11 exchanges various messages with the switching center 2 ( exchange of digital codewords ). such an isdn network terminator 11 produces on a certain output a status message which gives information about whether data or messages are exchanged with the switching center 2 . such an exchange of messages is not possible , for example , when a module for analog operation has been newly inserted in the switching center 2 . the status message of the isdn network terminator 11 is received by the microprocessor 19 . in the case where the microprocessor 19 finds out that the isdn mode is not working , a signal is sent to the second pulse shaper circuit 17 which generates a brief current pulse . as a result of the brief current pulse applied to the bistable relay 18 , the selector switch will connect the input terminals 5 and 6 to the output terminals 7 and 8 . in this way the pots mode is used , in which the analog telephone is coupled to the switching center 2 . a detailed circuit diagram of the detection circuit 3 is shown in fig2 . the detection circuit 3 shows , just like fig1 the rectifier 13 , whose ac voltage terminals are connected to the input terminals 5 and 6 of the selector switch 4 and is arranged , for example , as a graetz bridge circuit . the positive output terminal of the rectifier 13 is connected to a resistor 20 whose other terminal forms a common node with a respective first terminal of a capacitor 21 , a resistor 22 and resistor 23 and to the drain terminal of an n - channel mos field effect transistor 24 . the second terminal of the resistor 22 is connected via two series - arranged further resistors 25 and 26 , the second terminal of the resistor 23 via a resistor 52 and a z - diode 27 and the second terminal of the capacitor 21 to the negative output terminal of the rectifier 13 . the cathode of the z - diode 27 and the terminal of the resistor 52 that is not connected to the resistor 23 are connected to the gate terminal of the transistor 24 and to a capacitor 28 . the other terminal of the capacitor 28 is connected to the negative output terminal of the rectifier 13 . the common terminal of the resistors 25 and 26 is connected to the base of an npn bipolar transistor 29 and to a resistor 30 . the emitter of the transistor 29 is connected to the cathode of a z - diode 31 whose anode is connected to the negative output terminal of the rectifier 13 , and the collector of the transistor 29 is connected to a resistor 32 . the other terminal of the resistor 32 is connected to a first terminal of a resistor 33 and the base of a pnp bipolar transistor 34 . the emitter of the transistor 34 , the second terminal of the resistor 33 , a first terminal of a resistor 51 and the source terminal of the transistor 24 form a common node . the collector of the transistor 34 is connected to a capacitor 35 and to the terminal of the resistor 30 that is not connected to the base of the transistor 29 . a further connection is formed by the other terminal of the capacitor 35 and the gate terminal of an n - channel mos field effect transistor 36 and of a resistor 37 whose other terminal is connected to the negative output terminal of the rectifier 13 . the source terminal of the transistor 36 is also connected to the negative terminal of the rectifier 13 and the drain terminal thereof to the negative terminal of a first winding of the bistable relay 18 . the first winding 38 actuates the switches of the selector switch 4 . the positive terminal of the winding 38 is connected to the emitter of an npn bipolar transistor 39 . in parallel with the winding 38 is connected a diode 40 . the collector of the transistor 39 is connected to a resistor 41 and to the base of an npn bipolar transistor 42 . a common terminal is formed by the base of the transistor 39 , the emitter of the transistor 42 and a first terminal of a resistor 43 . the collector of the transistor 42 and the other terminal of the resistor 41 are connected to the positive output terminal of the rectifier 13 . a further parallel circuit is formed by a second winding 44 of the bistable relay 18 and a diode 45 is arranged between the other terminal of the resistor 43 and the collector of an npn bipolar transistor 46 . the positive terminal of the winding 44 , which is provided for actuating the switches of the selector switch 4 , is connected to the resistor 43 and the positive terminal of the first winding . the emitter of the transistor 46 is also connected to the negative output terminal of the rectifier 13 just like the first terminals of two resistors 47 and 48 and the emitter of an npn bipolar transistor 49 . the base of the transistor 46 , the second terminal of the resistor 47 and the collector of the transistor 49 are connected to the emitter of the transistor of an optocoupler 50 . the collector of the transistor of the optocoupler 50 is connected to the second terminal of the resistor 51 . the anode of the diode in the optocoupler 50 is switched to the microprocessor 19 via a resistor 53 . the cathode of the diode in the optocoupler 50 is connected to ground . the second terminal of the resistor 48 and the base of the transistor 49 are further connected , via two series - arranged z - diodes 54 and 55 , to the first terminal of a resistor 56 , whose second terminal is connected to the positive output terminal of the rectifier 13 . the resistor 20 and the capacitor 21 form the timing element 15 . the threshold detector 14 comprises , in essence , the transistors 29 and 34 , the resistors 30 , 32 and 33 and the z - diode 31 . the first pulse shaper circuit 16 is formed by the transistor 36 , the capacitor 35 and the resistor 37 . the second pulse shaper circuit 17 comprises , in essence , the transistor 46 . when , for example , after a module has been built - in for the operation of a digital telephone in the switching center , or after the network station 1 has been taken into operation , a current flows from the switching center to the network station 1 , the capacitor 21 will be charged . when the charging state of the capacitor 21 reaches a certain threshold value , the transistor 29 becomes conductive and so does , as a result , the transistor 34 . the threshold value is determined by the base - emitter voltage of the transistor 29 and the zener voltage of the z - diode 31 . after the transistor 34 has become conductive , the capacitor 35 is charged . if the charging state of the capacitor 35 indicates a certain threshold value , the transistor 36 is briefly rendered conductive and thus delivers a brief current pulse to the first winding 36 , so that the first winding 38 puts the switches in the selector switch into the isdn mode . both the first and the second winding 38 and 44 respectively , receive the current from a current source which is formed by the transistors 39 and 42 and the resistors 41 and 43 . the diodes 40 and 45 connected in parallel to the windings 38 and 44 have a protective function for the transistors 36 and 46 . after the switches of the selector switch 4 have been actuated by the first winding 38 , the circuit becomes a high - impedance circuit , so that only a very small current flows into the detection circuit 3 . the high impedance is reached , more particularly , by the resistors 22 , 23 , 25 and 52 which are selected to be high - value resistors . a renewed current pulse cannot be received by the winding 38 until the capacitor 21 is recharged after being discharged . the transistor 24 and the z - diode 27 have the function of keeping the voltage for the elements 35 and 37 at a constant level , so that the first pulse shape does not become voltage - dependent . the capacitor 28 has a smoothing function . when the microprocessor 19 takes from the status message sent by the isdn network terminator 11 the information that the isdn mode is no longer present , the microprocessor delivers a pulse to the optocoupler 50 . this pulse is delivered to the transistor 46 by the transistor of the optocoupler 50 which electrically isolates the microprocessor 19 from the second pulse shaper circuit 17 . the transistor 46 briefly becomes conductive and leads a current pulse to the second winding 44 , so that the switches in the selector switch 4 change to the pots mode . together with the two series - arranged z - diodes 54 and 55 and the resistor 56 , the resistors 47 and 48 and the transistor 49 prevent the transistor 46 becoming conductive when the voltage on the output terminals of the rectifier surpass a voltage of 80 volts . in that case , t is impossible for the pots mode to be used . | 7 |
a scroll type fluid apparatus generally shown in fig1 as a scroll compressor assembly is referred to by reference numeral 20 . as the preferred embodiment of the subject invention is a hermetic scroll compressor assembly , the scroll apparatus 20 is interchangeably referred to as a scroll compressor 20 or as a compressor assembly 20 . it will be readily apparent that the features of the subject invention will lend themselves equally readily to use in a scroll appartaus acting as a fluid expander , a fluid pump , or to scroll apparatus which are not of the hermetic type . in the preferred embodiment , the compressor assembly 20 includes a hermetic shell 22 having an upper portion 24 , a lower portion 26 , a central exterior shell 27 extending between the upper portion 24 and lower portion 26 , and an intermediate , central frame portion 28 affixed within the central exterior shell 27 . the exterior shell 27 is a generally cylindrical body , while the central frame portion 28 is defined by a generally cylindrical or annular exterior portion 30 and a central portion 32 disposed across one end thereof . the annular exterior portion 30 of the central frame portion 28 is sized to sealingly fit within the exterior shell 27 so that it may be mated thereto by a press fit , by welding , or by other suitable means . integral with the central frame portion 28 is a generally cylindrical upper bearing housing 34 , which is substantially coaxial with the axis of the annula exterior portion 30 . a drive shaft aperture 36 extends axially through the center of the upper bearing housing 34 , and and upper main bearing 38 is disposed within the drive shaft aperture 36 . preferably , the upper main bearing 38 is made , for example , of sintered bronze or similar material , but may also alternatively be a roller or ball - type bearing , for accepting a rotating load therein . a motor 40 is disposed within the upper portion 24 and central shell portion 27 of the hermetic shell 22 . the motor 40 is preferably a single - phase or three - phase electric motor comprised of a stator 42 which is circumferentially disposed about a rotor 44 , with an annular space formed therebetween for permitting free rotation of the rotor 44 within the stator 42 as well as the flow of lubricant or refrigerant fluid . it will be readily apparent to those skill in the art that alternative types of motors 40 and means of mounting motor 40 would be equally suitable for application in the subject invention . for example , the stator 42 could be secured within the central shell portion 27 by a press fit therebetween . alternatively , a plurality of long bolts or cap screws ( not shown ) may be provided through appropriate apertures in the stator plates into threaded apertures in the central frame portion 28 for securing the motor 40 within the hermetic shell 22 . the scroll arrangement includes a first or drive scroll member 76 and a second or idler scroll member 78 , each having an upstanding involute scroll wrap for interfitting engagement with the other respective scroll wraps . the first scroll member 76 includes an upstanding first involute scroll wrap 80 which is integral with a generally planar drive scroll end plate 82 . the drive scroll end plate 82 includes a central drive shaft 84 extending oppositely the upstanding involute scroll wrap 80 . a discharge gallery 86 is defined by a bore extending centrally through the axis of the drive shaft 84 . the discharge gallery 86 is in flow communication with a discharge aperture 88 defined by a generally central bore through the drive scroll end plate 82 . the drive shaft 84 further includes a first , relatively large diameter portion 90 extending axially through the upper main bearing 38 for a free rotational fit therein , and a second relatively smaller diameter portion 92 which extends axially through the rotor 44 and is affixed thereto . the rotor 44 may be affixed to the rotor portion 92 of the drive shaft 84 by such means as a press fit therebetween or a power transmitting key in juxtaposed keyways . the second or idler scroll member 78 includes a second , idler scroll wrap 100 which is disposed in interfitting contact with the driven scroll wrap 80 . the idler scroll wrap 100 is an upstanding involute extending from an idler end plate 102 . two rectilinear idler key stubs 103 extend upwardly on the idler end plate 102 , as shown in fig3 . the idler key stubs 103 are disposed at radially opposed positions outside the idler scroll wrap 100 . an idler stub shaft 104 extends from the idler end plate 102 oppositely the idler scroll wrap 100 . the designation of the drive scroll member 76 as the first scroll member and the idler scroll member 78 as the second scroll member must be understood as arbitrary , made for the purposes of ease of description and therefore not as a limitation . it would be equally accurate to designate the idler scroll member 78 as the first scroll member and the drive scroll member 76 as the second scroll member . an annular bearing 110 , which may be a sleeve bearing made of sintered bronze material , or may be of the roller or ball - type , is disposed within an annular wall defining an idler bearing housing 112 which is integral with the lower hermetic shell portion 26 as a support means for rotationally supporting the second or idler scroll member 78 . in the preferred embodiment , the drive scroll end plate 82 includes two radially opposed extension members 120 extending parallel the scroll wrap 80 . the extension members 120 extend from positions near the outer periphery of the drive scroll end plate 82 and include end portions 122 . the extension members 120 are also disposed at positions which are generally 90 degrees removed radially from the positions of the idler key stubs 103 when the scrolls 80 and 100 are in interleaving engagement . preferably , the extension members are disposed on a line ee which includes the center line , or the axis of rotation , of the scroll member 76 , and hence are disposed at or substantially at 180 degrees of angular removal from each other . likewise , the idler keys 103 are disposed on a line kk which includes the center line , or the axis of rotation , of the scroll member 78 , and hence are also disposed at or substantially at 180 degrees of radial removal from each other . a coupling in the form of a ring 130 rests on the idler scroll member end plate 102 in sliding engagement . the ring 130 is annular in form , extending noncontactingly about the radial exterior of the scroll wraps 80 and 100 and further having four rectilinear drive key slots 132a , 132b , 132c , and 132d defined through the coupling ring 130 at radially equidistant intervals of approximately 90 degrees about the annular body of the ring 130 to comprise two pairs of oppositely disposed slots 132 , with slots 132a and 132c being one pair and slots 132b and 132d being the second pair . as shown particularly in fig3 the ring 130 includes four generally rectilinear broadened portions through which the slots 132 are defined so that the slots 132 may be of suitable size to accomodate drive keys in sliding engagement . the actual form of the ring 130 will depend somewhat upon the desired moderating moment sought from the coupling ring 130 , as the ring is preferably made of steel , aluminum or a similar material capable of suitably transmitting rotational torque between the scroll members 76 and 78 . it will be appreciated that the ring 130 may be formed to contain more or less mass in different portions of the annulus of the ring 130 , and that one or more additional mass m a 140 may be applied by mechanical or other means to the ring 130 for obtaining a suitably moderating moment as set forth below . for example , it is possible to form the ring 130 with a constant radial thickness so that the center of mass m c of the coupling ring 130 , the center of gravity cg , is centrally disposed in the coupling 130 , or to provide a ring 130 having a varying radial thickness or varying height ( measured in the axial direction ) so that the mass is unequally distributed about the coupling 130 , with the result that the center of mass m c of the coupling ring 130 , the center of gravity cg , is eccentrically disposed . those skilled in the art will also recognize that there are many alternative embodiments of the coupling means formed by the extension members 120 , the idler keys 103 and the ring 130 . for example , the coupling means may include any combination of key and slot arrangements , such as providing ring 130 with the extension members 120 and keys 103 affixed thereon and engaging slots formed in the respective scroll end plates . it will also be apparent that there are functionally equivalent coupling means ensuring concurrent rotation of the scroll members which may be employed which include a displaceable center of gravity for producing a moderating moment in the scroll apparatus 20 . in fig2 the scroll compressor assembly 20 is shown connected at the discharge aperture 50 and the suction aperture 52 to a fluid system such as generally is used in refrigeration or air conditioning systems . those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is but one fluid system in which the scroll compressor assembly 20 could suitably be utilized , and that application of the scroll compressor assembly 20 in refrigeration and air conditioning systems is to be taken as exemplary rather than as limiting . the refrigeration system , shown generally in schematic representation in fig2 in connection with the scroll compressor assembly 20 , includes a discharge line 54 connected between the shell discharge aperture 50 and a condenser 60 for expelling heat from the refrigeration system and in the process typically condensing the refrigerant from vapor form to liquid form . a line 62 connects the condenser 60 to an expansion device 64 . the expansion device 64 may be a thermally actuated or electrically actuated valve operated by a suitable controller ( not shown ), a capillary tube assembly , or other suitable means of expanding the refrigerant in the system . another line 66 connects the expansion device 64 to an evaporator 68 for transferring expanded refrigerant from the expansion device 64 to the evaporator 68 for the acceptance of heat and typically the evaporation of the liquid refrigerant to a vapor form . finally , a refrigeration system suction line 70 transfers the evaporated refrigerant from the evaporator 68 to the compressor assembly 20 , wherein the refrigerant is compressed and returned to the refrigeration system . it is believed that the general principles of refrigeration systems capable of using suitably a scroll compressor apparatus 20 are well understood in the art , and that further detailed explanations of the devices and mechanisms suitable for constructing such a refrigeration system need not be discussed in detail herein . it is believed that it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that such refrigeration or air conditioning systems may include multiple units of the compressor assembly 20 in parallel or series type connection , as well as multiple condensers 60 , evaporators 68 , or other components and enhancements such as subcoolers and cooling fans and so forth as are believed known in the art . fig3 and 3a present cross - sectional views of fig1 which more clearly disclose the subject invention . a line phi 0 is defined through the axis d of the drive scroll member 76 and axis i of the idler scroll member 78 . since these axes are fixed , the line phi 0 is also fixed with reference to the scroll apparatus 20 and may in turn be used as a line from which the angular disposition of the scroll apparatus components may be referenced . the line phi 0 also represents the point of zero crankangle and the point at which the outer ends of the respective scroll wraps 80 and 100 first make contact with the other respective scroll wrap to close the first or outer chamber . the reference line phi 0 intersects a centerline c which is parallel to with and centrally disposed between the axis d of the first scroll 76 and axis i of the second scroll 78 . this can be seen more clearly in fig4 where 0 defines the offset distance between the axis d and the axis i , and line c is disposed a distance of 1 / 2 0 from these axes . in fig3 the center of gravity cg of coupling ring 130 is angularly disposed at an angle phi 3 from the line phi 0 to produce a moderating moment . the coupling ring 130 , when slidingly engaging the extension members 120 and the idler keys 103 , comprises means for enhancing the nutational stability of the scroll members . for convenience of description , the angle phi 1 of the coupling ring 130 is considered to define the line ee upon which the extension members 120 are disposed , while angle phi 2 refers to the angle at which the line kk is disposed from the line phi 0 . when the coupling ring 130 has a center of gravity cg which is identical with the physical center of the coupling 130 , the cg is disposed at a distance r from the centerline c . the center of gravity cg of the coupling ring 130 is disposed at angle phi 3 from a line phi 0 . this is more clearly shown in fig3 a , which is an enlargement of the central portion of fig3 . those skilled in the art will understand that the angle phi 3 and the distance r define the disposition of the center of gravity cg when the scroll apparatus is at the position disclosed in fig3 since the actual location of the center of gravity cg changes as the scroll apparatus rotates . the center of gravity cg therefore may follow a cardioidal path or other curvilinear path , depending primarily upon the actual embodiment of the coupling means . turning now to fig4 the effect of the fluid forces within the scroll wraps 80 and 100 upon the scroll apparatus 20 is more clearly depicted . this figure represents an exaggerated depiction of the effects of these forces . the force components depicted are not intended to indicate actual numerical quantity of a given force , but rather the direction in which the forces act . the scroll wraps themselves , the extension members 120 , the coupling 130 and the keys 103 are deleted to permit a clearer view of the forces and the directions in which they act on each scroll . fig4 presents a cross - sectional view of the scroll apparatus 20 taken at an angular location at which there are five chambers c 1 through c 5 , as shown in fig3 . each of the chambers generates an axial separating force &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and a radial separating force &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;. for example , chamber c 1 would generate force vector a 1 as an axial separating force upon the end plate 82 tending to separate the drive scroll end plate 82 from the idler scroll end plate 102 , and force vector s 1 , a radial separation force , would act upon the scroll wrap 80 tending to cause a separation from the second scroll wrap 100 . both force vectors a 1 and s 1 would tend to cause a turning or tipping of the first scroll member 76 perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the scroll member . the total axial separation force &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; is equal to the vector sum a 1 plus a 2 plus a 3 plus a 4 plus a 5 and the net radial separation force s equals the vector sum s 1 plus s 2 plus s 3 plus s 4 plus s 5 . the net effect of the separation forces is to produce a force &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; which is offset from the axis of rotation of the first scroll member 76 due to the fact that the fluid forces and chamber locations and sizes vary . as a result , an instantaneous tipping moment m t is produced . the moment m t acts upon the scroll member 76 to produce a tipping or nutation shown as angle delta d . because the chambers are disposed at the same radial and angular location and the fluid forces are the same , but the axes of the scroll members 76 and 78 are offset , the forces in each chamber act to produce a tipping moment m t for each scroll member 76 and 78 , those being illustrated in fig4 as m ti and m td respectively . therefore , the forces in chambers c1 through c5 act to produce a tipping or nutation of the scroll member 78 shown as angle delta i , which may differ from the angle delta d produced in the scroll member 76 due to differences in the number , types , and sizes of bearing supporting the respective scroll member shafts and other constraints on the respective scroll member end plates . the scroll wraps 80 and 100 will typically separate when delta i and delta d differ . this calculation must be repeated for each angular position of the cycle of rotation for the respective scroll members 76 and 78 . as shown in fig4 an axial biasing force acting through axis d is provided by the axial biasing means . this force must be sufficient to exceed the axial separation force a , and in addition must supply a scroll tip contact force sufficient to prevent tipping of the scroll member end plate 82 at any given crankangle position . where the force a exceeds the axial biasing force acting through axis d , tipping due to the tipping moment m t will occur . tipping may even occur when the force a is less than the scroll axial biasing force where the force is insufficient to overcome both the separating force a and to provide an adequate counteracting moment . fig5 shows an analysis of the instantaneous moments acting upon one of the scroll members 76 or 78 during the rotation of the scroll member without the coupling 130 . crank angle position refers to the angular position of the respective scroll members as measured from the line phi 0 , between 0 ยฐ and 360 ยฐ ( one rotation ) on the horizontal axis of the diagram , while the vertical axis discloses the moment experienced at each angular position . the exemplary curve representing the instanteous net moment at each position is roughly sinusoidal for a full rotation of the scroll member . fig6 shows the instantaneous moments acting upon one of the scroll members 76 or 78 during the rotation of the scroll members with the cg of the coupling 130 disposed at various angles phi 3 , including phi 3 = 0 degrees , phi 3 = 30 degrees , and phi 3 = 330 degrees , where r is constant . it will be observed that the graph representing the instanteous moments for phi 3 = 330 degrees produces the highest maximum moment . the graph representing the instanteous moments for phi 3 = 0 degrees produces a lesser maximum moment . when the angle phi 3 = 30 degrees , the lowest maximum moment is produced in the exemplary apparatus . it will be appreciated that these graphs are illustrative and are by way of example only , rather than limiting , since the actual angle phi 3 selected for disposition of the coupling means will vary for each scroll apparatus 20 to which the subject invention is applied , and the actual nutation observed in any scroll apparatus 20 depends upon the actual tipping moment at any angular position versus the available counteracting moment for preventing nutation . the method of reducing the net moment of the scroll member by providing a moderating moment with the coupling 130 includes the following steps : the instantaneous tipping moment acting upon a first scroll is determined for each angular position ; the maximum tipping moment together with the angular or crankangle position or range of angular positions at which the maximum tipping moment acts is then determined ; a moderating moment required to moderate the first scroll maximum tipping moment is determined , based on the mass of the coupling ring 130 , and the radial and angular disposition phi 3 of the center of gravity cg of the coupling ring 130 to induce the desired moderating moment ; and engaging the first and second scroll members with the coupling cg disposed at the angle phi 3 by disposing the extension members 120 on a line ee at the angle phi 1 and the idler key stubs 103 on a line kk at the angle phi 2 . preferably , the maximum tipping moment , together with the range of crankangle positions at which the maximum tipping moment acts , is also determined for the second scroll by application of the same methodology so that the desired moderating moment may be produced by orienting the coupling to the advantage of the second scroll member if it is more beneficial to do so . as noted above and shown in fig7 one or more additional masses m a 140 may be asymmetrically applied to the coupling 130 which , as is illustrated in fig1 and 7 is generally symmetrical , either mechanically such as by welding or adhesive , or integrally at the time of manufacture . the mass m a moves the center of gravity cg off the axial centerline of the coupling 130 and alters the moderating moment generated by the coupling 130 . however , the determination of the angular positioning and amount of the mass m a is accomplished by determining the tipping moment to be overcome and the crank angle position of that tipping moment , and providing the mass m a on the coupling ring 130 at an angular position phi 4 and distance b from the line c so as to produce the desired moderating moment . those skilled in the art will recognize that enhancing the nutational stability of the co - rotating scroll apparatus 20 by optimizing placement of the coupling 130 to provide a moderating moment represents a substantial improvement in the art . no additional components are required in the scroll apparatus 20 , and the initial cost and operating expense is therefore minimized . furthermore , the moderating moment provided by the coupling reduces the required axial biasing force , reducing in turn the frictional losses between the tip scroll wraps 80 and 100 and the end plates 82 and 102 , respectively , which in turn reduces the power consumption of the scroll apparatus 20 for a given capacity , permitting the use of smaller and lighter motors 40 . in all respects , therefore , the subject invention represents a substantial improvement which reduces the initial cost and improves the overall efficiency of the scroll apparatus 20 . furthermore , although the subject invention is exemplified in a scroll apparatus 20 useful in refrigeration system applications , it will be undoubtedly appreciated that the subject invention is useful in all applications of the co - rotational scroll apparatus 20 , including pumps , expanders , fluid driven engines , and other applications , with like improvement in performance and reduction of expense . modifications to the preferred embodiments of the subject invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims that follow : | 5 |
fig1 is a plan view of an essential part of a magnetic disk drive 10 in an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention . fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) are a sectional view and a plan view , respectively , of a thin plate spring 50 . fig3 is a sectional view of assistance in explaining operations for fastening a magnetic disk to a hub structure with the thin plate spring 50 . a magnetic disk stack 13 ( 13 a , 13 b ), a head stack assembly ( hereinafter , abbreviated to โ hsa โ) 19 , a ramp 14 , an external terminal 21 and a voice coil yoke 25 are arranged on a base 11 . the magnetic disk drive 10 includes generally known components , but a process for tightening a fastening screw 17 included in a clamping mechanism is different from generally known ones . as shown in fig3 , the magnetic disk stack 13 includes two magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b . the clamping mechanism for holding the magnetic disk stack 13 includes the dished , thin plate spring 50 , the fastening screw 17 and a hub structure . as shown in fig3 , the hub structure includes a hub 29 and a shaft 27 . the magnetic disk stack 13 clamped by the clamping mechanism is rotated in the direction of the arrow a by a spindle motor . fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) are a sectional view and a plan view , respectively , of the dished , thin plate spring 50 which is an essential part of the clamping mechanism . shown also in fig2 ( a ) is the fastening screw 17 . the dished , thin plate spring 50 is formed by processing a stainless spring steel sheet of about 0 . 5 mm in thickness and is about 20 mm in a diameter . the thin plate spring 50 has a shape resembling a circular dish having a central part curved relative to a peripheral part . the thin spring plate 50 has a depressed part 56 formed in a central part thereof and provided with a through hole 51 in its central part . the depressed part 56 surrounding the through hole 51 has a flat surface . the flat depressed part 56 is used for deflection measurement . eight through holes 53 of a small diameter are formed around the depressed part 56 . the through holes 53 are used for restraining the thin plate spring 50 from turning when thin plate spring 50 is fastened by the fastening screw 17 and for balancing a rotary structure including the magnetic disks . a circumferential disk holding part 55 is formed in a peripheral part of the thin plate spring 50 . a flexible part extends between the through hole 51 and the disk holding part 55 . the disk holding part 55 applies a fastening pressure to the magnetic disk 13 a to fasten the magnetic disk stack 13 to the hub structure . when the thin plate spring 50 is placed on a flat surface with the disk holding part 55 in contact with the flat surface , a gap is formed between the central depressed part and the flat surface . thus the flexible part is deflected elastically when the central depressed part is pressed toward the flat surface . an annular part , surrounding the through hole 51 , of the thin plate spring 50 is a pressure - bearing part . when the fastening screw is screwed in a threaded hole of the hub 29 , the head of the fastening screw pushes the pressure - bearing part and , consequently , the flexible part is deflected to depress the disk holding part 55 elastically . in fig3 , the magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b are fastened to the hub 29 with the magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other by a spacer ring 45 . rotor magnets 43 are attached to the inner surface of a side wall of the hub 29 . the rotor magnets 43 and a stator coil 33 constitute the driving unit of the spindle motor . the stator coil 33 is fastened to the outer circumference of a bracket 35 fixedly held on the base 11 . a bearing 37 is fitted in a bore formed in the bracket 35 . a shaft 27 pressed in the hub 29 is supported in the bearing 37 . a thrust bearing 39 is fixed to the shaft 27 to bear a vertical thrust that acts on the shaft 27 . the magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b are provided with central through holes , respectively . the magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b are put on the hub 29 . the disk holding part 55 of the thin plate spring 50 is pressed against a part , around the through hole , of the magnetic disk 13 a to fasten the magnetic disks 13 a and 13 b to the hub 29 . the hub 29 , the shaft 27 , the bearing 37 , the thrust bearing 39 , the bracket 35 , the rotor magnets 43 and the stator coil 33 are the component members of the spindle motor . in the construction of the spindle motor shown in fig3 , the fastening screw 17 is screwed in a threaded hole formed in the shaft 27 , the central part of the thin plate spring 50 is elastically distorted , and the resilience of the elastically distorted central part of the thin plate spring 50 pushes down the magnetic disk holding part 55 . in fig3 , the threaded hole is formed in the shaft 27 . since the shaft 27 and the hub 29 are firmly joined together for simultaneous rotation , only the hub 29 , both the hub 29 and the shaft , or only the shaft 27 may be subjected to a tapping process . a screw driving device 103 provided with a screw driving tool suitable for driving the fastening screw 17 at its free end , and a cylindrical sleeve 101 shown in fig3 will be described later . fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ) are block diagrams of a magnetic disk attaching machine 100 for fastening the magnetic disk to the hub structure in a state before the fastening screw is tightened and in a state after the fastening screw has been tightened to deflect the thin plate spring 50 by a predetermined deflection , respectively . fig5 is a perspective view of the magnetic disk attaching machine 100 . the magnetic disk attaching machine 100 includes a sleeve 101 having an open first end on the side of the thin plate spring 50 and a second end through which the screw driving device 103 extends into the sleeve 101 . the screw driving device 103 includes a long shaft provided at its free end with a screw driving tool capable of snugly engaging in the slot of the head of the fastening screw 17 . a driving unit 115 drives the screw driving device 103 for rotation . the magnetic disk attaching machine 100 is provided with a pressing spring 106 for elastically pressing the sleeve 101 in the direction of the arrow b parallel to the axis of the fastening screw 17 . the thin plate spring 50 is deflected in the direction of the arrow b when a fastening pressure is applied to the thin plate spring 50 in the direction of the arrow b . a probe 105 is connected to the sleeve 101 so as to move in the direction of the arrow b together with the sleeve 101 . a reflecting surface 107 is formed in the free end of the probe 105 . an air discharge pipe 117 connected to the sleeve 101 is connected to an evacuating device , not shown . an electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 projects a beam of electromagnetic radiation , such as an infrared ray or a laser beam , on the reflecting surface 107 , receives the reflected beam and generates a distance signal representing the distance between the electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 and the reflecting surface 107 . a deflection measuring unit 111 determines a displacement by which the reflecting surface 107 is displaced in the direction of the arrow b on the basis of the distance signal provided by the electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 . a controller 113 controls general operations of the magnetic disk attaching machine 100 . a magnetic disk drive producing method using the magnetic disk attaching machine 100 for producing the magnetic disk drive 10 will be described with reference to fig4 and 6 . the magnetic disk drive producing method embodying the present invention is characterized by a step of fastening the magnetic disk to the hub structure , and the rest of the steps of the magnetic disk drive producing method may be the same as those of the generally known magnetic disk drive producing methods . the component parts of the spindle motor including the bearing 37 , the rotor magnet 43 , the stator coil 33 , the hub 29 and the shaft 27 are mounted on the base 11 in step 201 . the magnetic disk 13 b is put on the hub 29 , the spacer ring 45 is put on the magnetic disk 13 b , and then the magnetic disk 13 a is put on the spacer ring 45 in step 203 . subsequently , the thin plate spring 50 put on the magnetic disk 13 a such that the axis of the through hole 51 is aligned with the axis of the hub 29 . in step 205 , data on magnetic disk fastening conditions including a desired deflection and the rotating speed of the screw driving device 103 are entered into the controller 113 . the thin plate spring 50 is deflected by the sleeve 101 pressed by the pressing spring 106 against the thin plate spring 50 by a very small initial deflection not greater than about 5 % of a desired deflection by which the thin plate spring 50 is deflected upon the completion of screwing the fastening screw in the threaded hole . this initial deflection is within a tolerance for a desired deflection of the thin plate spring 50 . therefore the proper management of the deflection of the thin plate spring 50 is not hindered by the initial deflection . the controller 113 may take into account the modulus of elasticity of the pressing spring 106 and the weight of the sleeve 101 for the management of the deflection . in step 207 , the sleeve 101 is evacuated at a negative pressure to hold the fastening screw 17 on the first end of the sleeve 101 , the fastening screw 17 is aligned with the threaded hole of the shaft 27 and the sleeve 101 is brought into contact with the thin plate spring 50 . the sleeve 101 is pressed lightly against the depressed part 56 of the thin plate spring 50 to depress the depressed part 56 slightly . since the depressed part 56 has a flat surface , the sleeve 101 can be stably kept in contact with the depressed part 56 . therefore , the sleeve 101 will not be displaced from its correct position on the thin plate spring 50 and will not cause any measurement error at all while the fastening screw is being screwed in the threaded hole . the sleeve 101 is in contact with a part , which is deflected greatly by the fastening pressure applied by the fastening screw 17 to the thin plate spring 50 , of the thin plate spring 50 , measurement error in the measured deflection is small and a desired fastening pressure can be accurately applied to the thin plate spring 50 . in step 209 , the electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 projects a beam of electromagnetic radiation on the reflecting surface 107 and receives the reflected beam of electromagnetic radiation , and the deflection measuring unit 111 determines the position of the reflecting surface 107 with respect to the direction of the arrow b on the basis of an electric signal received from the electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 . this position is used as a reference position . in step 211 , the driving unit 115 drives the screw driving device 103 for rotation to rotate the fastening screw 17 at a predetermined rotating speed . in step 213 , the electromagnetic radiation send - receive device 109 continues sending the beam of electromagnetic radiation on the reflecting surface 107 , and the deflection measuring unit 111 calculates the displacement of the reflecting surface 107 from the reference position and sends a signal representing the displacement of the reflecting surface 107 to the controller 113 . in step 215 , the controller 113 monitors the displacement continuously to see if a deflection by which the thin plate spring 50 has been deflected is equal to a predetermined deflection ฮดx . upon the coincidence of the deflection of the thin plate spring 50 with the predetermined deflection ฮดx , step 217 is executed . in step 217 , the controller 113 sends a stop signal to the driving unit 115 to make the driving unit 115 stop driving the screw driving device 103 . in this embodiment , a desired fastening pressure can be produced when the predetermined deflection ฮดx is on the order of 0 . 2 mm . after the completion of a magnetic disk attaching operation in step 217 , steps for assembling the rest of the component parts including the hsa 19 , the ramp 14 and the external terminal 21 are carried out in step 219 . those steps to be carried out in step 219 may be carried out prior to the operations for attaching the magnetic disk to the hub structure . the foregoing magnetic disk drive producing method controls the fastening pressure for pressing the magnetic disk against the hub structure by the clamping mechanism on the basis of the deflection of the thin plate spring directly representing the fastening pressure instead of the torque applied to the fastening screw indirectly representing the fastening pressure . therefore , parameters affecting the actual fastening pressure are omitted and the magnetic disk can be fastened to the hub structure by a more accurate fastening pressure . consequently , the magnetic disk will not be dislocated relative to the hub during operation due to the application of an excessively low fastening pressure to the magnetic disk and the magnetic disk will not be distorted due to the application of an excessively high fastening pressure to the magnetic disk . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive . many embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the scope of the invention should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims alone with their full scope of equivalents . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the invention . moreover , features of the various embodiments may be combined or altered without departing from the scope of the invention . as such , the following description is presented by way of illustration only and should not limit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit and scope of the invention . with reference to fig1 - 2b , a ramp insert 10 is shown . the ramp insert 10 may be capable of being connected to the rails 102 of a ramp 100 by any appropriate means , such as being connected between successive rungs 104 of the ramp 100 , for example . the ramp insert 10 may provide a surface between the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 . this surface may ease in the loading and unloading of items , such as , motorcycles , dirt bikes , bicycles , mopeds , atvs , and the like . the ramp insert 10 may include a first section 12 and a second section 14 , as shown in fig2 a - 5 . the first section 12 may be of any appropriate shape or size , such as of a generally rectangular shape , for example . the second section 14 may be of any appropriate shape or size , such as of a generally rectangular shape , for example . the first section 12 and the second section 14 may be of generally similar shapes and sizes or they may be of different shapes and sizes , and should not be limited to those examples shown and described herein . the first section 12 and the second section 14 may be connected and movable with respect to one another . the overall length of the ramp insert 10 may be changed by moving the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 with respect to one another . to this end , the ramp insert 10 may be used in many types of ramps 100 having various distances between the rails 102 . in an embodiment , the second section 14 may retract into and extend from the first section 12 . in such an embodiment , the length of the ramp insert 10 may change depending upon the amount of the second section 14 that may be extended from or inserted into the first section 12 . to this end , the ramp insert 10 may have a minimum length where the second section 14 is at a refracted position within , below , or above the first section 12 . the ramp insert 10 may have a maximum length where the second section 14 is at an extended position from the first section 12 . it may be preferable to have at least a portion of one of the sections 12 , 14 overlapping the other section 12 , 14 to provide strength to the structure of the ramp insert 10 . while shown and described where the second section 14 may retract into or extend out of the first section 12 , the present invention should not be limited to such an embodiment , and it is clearly contemplated and will be appreciated that the first section 12 may retract into or extend out of the second section 14 . the first section 12 , for example , may have a track portion 30 for slidably moving the first section 12 with respect to the second section 14 , as best shown in fig5 - 8 . in such an embodiment , the second section 14 may have a groove portion 34 for engaging and slidably connecting to the track portion 30 , as best shown in fig2 a , 2 b , 9 and 10 . while shown and described as utilizing a track and groove portion 30 , 34 , the present invention should not be limited to such an embodiment , and it is clearly contemplated and will be appreciated that the first section 12 and the second section 14 of the ramp insert 10 may engage in any other appropriate manner . in an embodiment , the track portion 30 may include ribs 32 . the ribs 32 may extend from the top surface 20 of the first section 12 . the ribs 32 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the ribs 32 may be integrally formed with the first section 12 which along with the geometric shape of the ribs 32 may allow the ribs 32 to transmit the load from the center of the ramp insert 10 to the ends of the ramp 100 and , in turn , to the ground or vehicle in which the ramp 100 may be attached . in such an embodiment , the groove portion 34 may include grooves 36 . the grooves 36 may be of any appropriate shape or size , such as being substantially similar in size and shape to the ribs 32 , such that the sections 12 , 14 may be extended and / or retracted . as a result , the groove portion 34 may have a similar rib - like structure 38 located between the grooves 36 . the ribs 38 of the second portion 14 may be integrally formed with the second portion 14 . the track portion 30 and the groove portion 34 may provide structural support , when the ramp insert 10 is in use , such as standing on , walking on , or loading vehicles , atvs , etc . as a result of the track portion 30 and the groove portion 34 , the load bearing on the ramp may be transferred in a perpendicular direction to the top surface 20 of the ramp insert 10 and may be dispersed or otherwise absorbed by the ramp 100 , including the rails 102 and the rungs 104 . as best shown in fig2 a , 3 , 5 , 8 - 12 and 16 - 17 , the first section 12 and the second section 14 may include serrated portions 40 , 42 . the serrated portions 40 , 42 may move with respect to each other . in a preferred embodiment , the first section 12 may have a serrated portion 40 that may mate or otherwise engage with the serrated portion 42 of the second section 14 . the serrated portions 40 , 42 may engage to provide support as the sections 12 , 14 may be moved . the serrated portions 40 , 42 may also prevent rapid expansion or contraction of the sections 12 , 14 to the fully extended and fully retracted positions of the ramp insert 10 . fig1 illustrates a magnified view of the first and second sections 12 , 14 engaging via the serrated portions 40 , 42 in an embodiment . the first portion 12 may include an indentation portion 48 and a toothed portion 52 . the second portion 14 may include an indentation portion 50 and a toothed portion 54 . in such an embodiment , the indentation portion 50 and the toothed portion 54 of the second section 14 may engage the corresponding indentation 48 and tooth portion 52 of the first portion 12 . the first section 12 and the second section 14 may also include respective stopping portions 56 and 58 . the stopping portions 56 , 58 may prevent further movement of the first section 12 and the second section 14 away from each other such as to a position in which the first section 12 may be separated from the second section 14 . the ramp insert 10 may further include a locking mechanism 24 . the locking mechanism 24 may secure the first section 12 to the second section 14 to prevent movement and to permit movement of the sections 12 , 14 with respect to each other . the locking mechanism 24 may be of any appropriate type of device capable of securing and locking the first section 12 and the second section 14 so that the length of the ramp insert 10 may be maintained . in an embodiment , the locking mechanism 24 may include use of fasteners , such as a screw 26 and a nut 28 , for example . the screw 26 may be keyed and threaded into the nut 28 , as best shown in fig3 - 5 . the nut 28 may be keyed to the screw 26 such that the nut 28 may not thread out of or otherwise separate from the screw 26 . as illustrated in fig6 , the first section 12 may also include a recess 66 . the recess 66 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the recess 66 may be utilized for insertion and rotation of the screw 26 in one embodiment . the recess 66 may include an aperture 68 , as shown in fig8 . the aperture 68 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the aperture 68 may have a size and shape substantially similar to the screw 26 . rotation of the screw 26 in a first direction may permit movement of the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 to change the overall length of the ramp insert 10 . at a predetermined length , the screw 26 may be rotated in a second direction , such as the opposite of the first direction , for example , to secure the first section 12 and the second section 14 and thereby prevent relative movement of the first section 12 and the second section 14 . the ramp insert 10 may include a recessed portion 60 . the recessed portion 60 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the recessed portion 60 may include a first wall 62 and a second wall 64 . the recessed portion 60 may provide access to the locking mechanism 24 . the first wall 62 and the second wall 64 may be positioned at a distance from one another that may be substantially similar to the diameter of the nut 28 . accordingly , rotation of the nut 28 may be prevented by contact with the first wall 62 and the second wall 64 . to this end , the user may engage and disengage the locking mechanism 24 without holding the nut 28 . the locking mechanism 24 may permit the user to change or adjust the overall length of the ramp insert 10 to correspond to the distance between the rails 102 of a ramp , such as the rails 102 of the ramp 100 shown in fig1 , for example . the locking mechanism 24 may permit the ramp insert 10 to be secured into various different types of ramps 100 , such as ramps having differently or varyingly spaced rungs 104 and differently or varyingly spaced rails 102 . the locking mechanism 24 may also incorporate a security feature ( not shown ), such as a key lock to prevent removal by unauthorized use . the first section 12 and the second section 14 may include cutout portions 70 , 72 , as shown in fig2 b , 6 and 9 . the ramp insert 10 may include a support member 22 . the ramp insert 10 may include any appropriate number of support members 22 . the support members 22 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the cutout portions 70 , 72 may be of any appropriate shape or size , such as a recess aligned for insertion of the support member 22 , as best shown in fig2 b and 4 , for example . in an embodiment , each side of the ramp insert 10 may include the cutout portions 70 , 72 such that there may be two support members 22 in the ramp insert 10 . due to movement of the first section 12 and the second section 14 to create different lengths of the ramp insert 10 , support along the length of the ramp insert 10 and between the first section 12 and the second section 14 may improve the strength of the ramp insert 10 . the support member 22 may be a tubular member , a solid - bodied member , an i - beam member , or any other appropriate type of member capable of providing support for the first section 12 and the second section 14 . the support member 22 may be attached to the first section 12 or the second section 14 by any appropriate means , such as being fastened via fasteners , such as screws , rivets , adhesives or the like , fore example . in a preferred embodiment , the support member 22 may be attached to the first section 12 via fasteners 76 through the fastener holes 74 , as best shown in fig4 . the support member 22 may also engage frictionally on the surfaces of the cutout 72 of the second section 14 . in an embodiment , the support member 22 may be positioned on a distal end 16 and a proximate end 18 of the ramp insert 10 . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the support member 22 may be positioned at any appropriate location on the ramp insert 10 as well as be constructed in numerous other appropriate manners . the present invention should not be deemed as limited to any specific type of support member 22 , any number of support members 22 , or any location of the support member 22 . as shown in fig2 a , 2 b , 3 , 5 , 14 , 18 and 19 , the ramp insert 10 may include blocks 80 . the blocks 80 may be of any appropriate shape or size . in a preferred embodiment , one of the blocks 80 may be attached at each of the four corners of the ramp insert 10 . the blocks 80 may frictionally engage or otherwise connect to protrusions 84 of the ramp insert 10 , as shown in fig2 a . the blocks 80 may be positioned at a first position as shown in fig2 a . at the first position , the blocks 80 may protrude or extend a distance d 1 from the distal end 16 and the proximate end 18 of the ramp insert 10 , as shown in fig2 a . the blocks 80 may be positioned at a second position , as shown in fig1 . at the second position , the blocks 80 extend or protrude a distance d 2 from the proximate end 18 and the distal end 16 of the ramp insert 10 . the distance d 2 may be greater than the distance d 1 . the blocks 80 at the first position or at the second position may be secured to the rails 102 and / or the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 , as shown in fig1 and 14 . in an embodiment , the blocks 80 may frictionally engage or otherwise be secured to the rails 102 and / or the rungs 104 . to this end , the ramp insert 10 may have a first width ( or length ) at the first position of the blocks 80 and a second width ( at length ) at the second position of the blocks 80 . the second width may be greater than the first width . in addition , the ramp insert 10 may have a third width where the blocks 80 may be removed from the ramp insert 10 . the third width may be less than the first width and the second width . the blocks 80 may be interchangeable with other blocks 80 having different lengths so that the width of the ramp insert 10 can correspond to the open space between the rungs 104 of any type of ramp 100 . to ensure proper installation of the ramp insert 10 on the ramp 100 , the ramp insert 10 may include an indicator 90 . the ramp insert 10 may include an indicator 90 on the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 , as shown in fig2 a - 3 . the indicator 90 may be a line , marking , a groove , an indentation or any other appropriate type of distinguishing feature located at a predetermined distance from an end of the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 . the predetermined distance may be substantially similar to the distance of a recess in the rungs 104 in which the ramp insert 10 may be used . accordingly , the indicator 90 may be aligned with an edge of the rung 104 when the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 may be sufficiently within the rung 104 . therefore , the indicator 90 may provide the user with confidence that the ramp insert 10 is properly installed . fig1 and 19 illustrate perspective view of the blocks 80 in an embodiment of the invention . the blocks 80 may include apertures 82 . the apertures 82 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the ramp insert 10 may include protrusions 84 . the protrusions 84 may be of any appropriate shape or size . the apertures 82 may engage the protrusions 84 of the ramp insert 10 , as best shown in fig2 b and 5 . in a preferred embodiment , the shape and size of the apertures 82 may be capable of frictionally engaging the protrusions 84 of the ramp insert 10 . in a preferred embodiment , the blocks 80 may be separable from the ramp insert 10 . in use , the blocks 80 may be engaged on opposing sides by the rails 102 , the ramp insert 10 and / or the rungs 104 . for example , fig1 illustrates the blocks 80 at the first position and maintained between the rails 102 and the second section 14 of the ramp insert 10 . although the blocks 80 may be shown as being separable from the ramp insert 10 , one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the blocks 80 may be temporarily or permanently affixed to the ramp insert 10 , such as by connection to the protrusions 84 . the ramp insert 10 may be made of any appropriate type of material as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . in an embodiment , the ramp insert 10 may be manufactured from polypropylene plastic , or other suitable thermoplastic material such as by injection molding , for example . in such an embodiment , the ramp insert 10 may include impressions 92 , as best shown in fig5 , 8 , 10 and 13 . the impressions 92 may reduce the amount of material needed to manufacture the ramp insert 10 and to assist in removing the ramp insert 10 from a mold . the impressions 92 may be of any appropriate shape , size or type , such as , grooves , indentations , openings and / or apertures , for example . the impressions 92 may also aid in dispersing the load on the ramp insert 10 and provide structural support . in use , the ramp insert 10 may provide a structurally supportive surface at least partially filling an opening between successive rungs 104 of a ramp 100 . as shown in fig1 and 14 , the ramp insert 10 may be positioned between the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 . the blocks 80 may be removed , moved to the first position or moved to the second position so that the ramp insert 10 has a width corresponding to the width of the ramp 100 . in fig1 and 14 , for example , the blocks 80 may be pivoted or otherwise moved to the second position . the ramp insert 10 may be inserted into one of the rails 102 . the locking mechanism 24 may be unlocked , loosened , or otherwise disengaged from securement with the first section 12 and the second section 14 . the width of the ramp insert 10 may be adjusted by moving the first section 12 and / or the second section 14 . when the width of the ramp insert 10 is extended to the distance between the rails 102 and positioned on or in the rails 102 and / or the rungs 104 , the locking mechanism 24 may lock the first section 12 and the second section 14 and secure the ramp insert 10 to the ramp 100 . before locking the first section 12 to the second section 14 , the user may ensure that the first section 12 and the second section 14 are sufficiently within the rails 102 ( or the rungs 104 ) by ensuring that the indicator 90 is adjacent to , aligned with , or within the edges of the rails 102 . as a result , the ramp insert 10 may fill the gap between the successive rungs 104 of the ramp 100 for walking , standing and moving a vehicle or other object along the ramp 100 . the description in this and the preceding paragraphs should not be deemed as limited to a required order for securing the ramp insert 10 to the ramp 100 . the preceding steps to securing the ramp insert 10 may be accomplished in various orders within the spirit of the present invention . some additional embodiments of a ramp insert according the present teachings are described below . in the descriptions , all of the details and components may not be fully described or shown . rather , the main features or components are described and , in some instances , differences with the above - described embodiment may be pointed out . moreover , it should be appreciated that these additional embodiments may include elements or components utilized in the above - described embodiment although not shown or described . thus , the descriptions of these additional embodiments are merely exemplary and not all - inclusive nor exclusive . moreover , it should be appreciated that the features , components , elements and functionalities of the various embodiments may be combined or altered to achieve a ramp insert without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . with reference to fig2 - 21 , alternative embodiments of a ramp insert 200 are shown . the ramp insert 200 may be capable of being connected to the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 by any appropriate means , such as being connected between successive rungs 104 of the ramp 100 , for example . the ramp insert 200 may provide a surface between adjacent rungs 104 of the ramp 100 where , for example , an item may be pushed up ramp 100 onto a vehicle . the surface of the ramp insert 200 may ease in the loading and unloading of items , such as , motorcycles , dirt bikes , bicycles , mopeds , atvs , and the like . the ramp insert 200 may be removably attached to the ramp 100 such that it may be easily removed and attached to the ramp 100 at the discretion of the user . in the embodiment shown in fig2 - 21 , the ramp insert 200 may include a body 205 , a hook portion 210 , and a tail portion 220 . the ramp insert 200 may be integrally formed as a one - piece component such that the body portion 205 , hook portion 210 and tail portion 220 are formed from a single integral piece . alternatively , the hook portion 210 and the tail portion 220 may be attached to the body portion 205 such as by welding , using a fastener or the like . the body 205 may have a substantially flat top surface 225 and bottom surface 230 . the substantially flat top surface 225 assists in the loading and unloading of items , such as , motorcycles , dirt bikes , bicycles , mopeds , atvs , and the like as it may provide a substantially flat surface for which the item can ride . the substantially flat bottom surface 230 may permit the body 205 to sit substantially flat on the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 . in this embodiment , the hook portion 210 is sized to fit over the rung 104 of the ramp 100 . in the embodiment shown , the ramp insert 200 may include two hook portions 210 that fit over the rung 104 of the ramp 100 . the hook portions 210 may fit over the top of the rung 104 and extend or hook around the underside of the rung 104 that is immediately above the portion of the ramp 100 that the body 205 covers . while two hook portions 210 are shown , any number of such hook portions may be used with the ramp insert 200 . the ramp insert 200 may be dimensioned to have the tail portion 220 extend over the next adjacent rung 104 of the ramp 100 when hooked thereto with hook portions 210 . in this manner , ramp insert 200 may extend between a pair of adjacent rungs 104 and may fill a portion of the gap therebetween . the body 205 may further include a cutout portion 240 . the cutout portion 240 may be sized and shaped to allow the tail portion 220 to substantially fit within such cutout portion 240 so that a plurality of ramp inserts 200 may be positioned along ramp 100 in a continuous manner . as a result , a substantially continuous surface may be created using multiple ramp inserts 200 to facilitate loading and unloading of an item . when attaching the ramp insert 200 to the rung 104 , the tail portion 220 fits within the cut out 240 and may extend below the body 205 of the adjacent ramp insert 200 attached to the ramp 100 , such as shown in fig2 . the tail portion 220 may provide additional support for the body 205 of the adjacent ramp insert 200 so that it may support items that may need to move up and down the ramp 100 . the ramp insert 200 may be made of any appropriate type of material as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . in an embodiment , the ramp insert 200 may be manufactured from metal , polypropylene , or other suitable thermoplastic or polymer material such as by injection molding , by way of non - limiting example . in the embodiment shown in fig2 - 21 , the ramp insert 200 may be attached to the ramp 100 by placing the hook portion 210 or hook portions 210 around one of the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 . the body 205 will have the bottom surface 230 thereof sitting on the rung 104 to which the hook portion 210 or hook portions 210 engage . the body 205 may then extend between the rungs 104 and the tail portion 220 may extend above ( on top of ) the next adjacent rung 104 . if another ramp insert 200 is to be attached to the ramp 100 , the steps above may be repeated except that a portion of the body 205 of the other ramp insert 200 may fit above the tail portion 220 of the ramp insert 200 attached to the ramp 100 immediately above . the steps above to attach the ramp insert ( s ) 200 to the ramp 100 may be done in any order , and is not limited to that described above . in another alternative embodiment , such as that shown in fig2 - 23 , the ramp insert 300 is capable of being removably attached to the rungs 104 of the ramp 100 . the ramp insert 300 may include a body 305 , a hook portion 310 , and a top portion 325 . the body 305 , hook portion 310 and top portion 325 may be integrally formed from a single piece . alternatively , the hook portion 310 and top portion 325 may be attached to the body 305 such as by welding , using fasteners and the like . the ramp insert 300 may include two hook portions 310 ; although any number of hooks may be used without departing from this embodiment . the hook portions 310 are capable of removably attaching to a rung 104 of the ramp 100 . the hook portions 310 may be attached to or extend from a bottom surface 330 of the body portion 305 such that the hook portions 310 extend below the bottom surface 330 of the body portion 305 . in this embodiment , the hook portions 310 may engage the rung 104 ; specifically , the hook portions 310 may engage a bottom surface of the rung 104 while body portion 305 engages the top surfaces of the rung 104 engaged with hook portion 310 and the next adjacent rung 104 with body portion 305 resting on top of the adjacent rungs 104 , as shown in fig2 and 23 . the hook portions 310 may hold the ramp insert 300 on the ramp 100 . the top portion 325 of the ramp insert 300 may be shaped and sized to fit between two hook portions 310 of an adjacent ramp insert 300 being attached to the ramp 100 shown in fig2 . this may create a substantially continuous surface that may allow an item to move up the ramp 100 . the ramp insert 300 may be made of any appropriate type of material as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . in an embodiment , the ramp insert 300 may be manufactured from metal , polypropylene , or other suitable thermoplastic or polymer material such as by injection molding , by way of non - limiting example . in the embodiment shown in fig2 - 23 , the ramp insert 300 may be attached to the ramp 100 by placing the hook portion 310 or hook portions 310 around the rung 104 of the ramp 100 . the body 305 may have the bottom surface 330 thereof sitting on the rung 104 to which the hook portion 310 or hook portions 310 engages . the body 305 may then extend between adjacent rungs 104 and the top portion 325 may extend above ( on top of ) the next rung 104 . if another ramp insert 300 is to be attached to the ramp 100 , the steps above may be repeated and the other ramp insert 300 may fit between the top portion 325 of the ramp insert 300 immediately below . the steps above to attach the ramp insert 300 to the ramp 100 may be done in any order , and is not limited to that described above . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alternations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification . the claim as follows is intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claim or an equivalent thereof . | 1 |
the computer system of this embodiment is , as shown in fig3 provided with a power switch 101 , a power unit 102 , a power - on reset circuit 103 , a power - off interrupt controller 104 , and a power - off controller 105 . the power switch 101 does not connect or disconnect the power line directly , but outputs on / off signals according to directions . the power unit 102 supplies power to each unit of the system when inputted with an on - signal from the power switch 101 , and stops the supply when inputted with an off - signal from the power - off controller 105 . a cpu 106 is receives both a power - on reset signal outputted from the power - on reset circuit 103 and a power - off interrupt signal outputted from the power - off interrupt controller 104 . the computer system is also provided with a memory 107 , a rom 108 , and an i / o controller 109 all of which , the power - off controller 105 and the cpu 106 being connected with each other via bus lines . the i / o controller 109 controls a display device 110 , an input device 111 , a network communication unit 112 , a printer 113 , a hard disk drive 114 , and a preserving hard disk drive 115 to carry out data input / output operation among these units . the graphic display data to display images on the display device 110 is directly inputted from the memory 107 . the i / o controller 109 is provided with internal registers including a baud rate register for holding information indicating the communication speed with the input device 111 , and a hard disk ( hd ) transfer mode register for holding information indicating the data is transferred to / from the hard disk drive 114 on synchronous mode or another . the cpu 106 is , as shown in fig4 provided with a program counter ( pc ) 201 , a register for a processor status word ( psw ) 202 , general purpose register groups ( gro ) 203 - 209 each of which consists of 16 registers . the psw 202 includes these fields holding a current window pointer ( cwp ) 221 indicating the gr in use among the gr 203 - 209 , holding a current status ( cs ) 222 indicating the current mode state of the cpu 106 , and holding a previous status ( ps ) 223 indicating the mode state of the cpu 106 at the time an interrupt has occurred . the above mode state includes a supervisor mode in which the execution of privileged instructions or memory accesses associated with the system control is allowed , and a user mode in which the execution is not . in the memory 107 consisting of a ram , a main memory 901 and a vram area 902 are reserved as shown in fig5 . the main memory 901 includes an operating system area 901a , a window system area 901b , and an application program areas 901c / 901d . . . in the operating system area 901a , operating system programs , a memory management table for managing the use of the memory 107 , a process control table for managing the state of a running program and the like are stored . in the window system area 901b , window system programs , various data including the number of the windows opened or indicated on the display device 110 , the sizes and positions of each window are stored . in the vram area 902 , window data areas 902a / 902b . . . and the like holding the graphic display data of the images displayed on a window and the like are reserved when the window is opened . the computer system operates by the execution of the program routine stored in the memory 107 or the rom 108 . this routine is divided into functional units to make the description easier . as shown in fig6 ( a ) a power - off processing unit 3001 is initiated by the input of a power - off interrupt signal from the power - off interrupt controller 104 , and directs the power - off controller 105 to output a power - off reset signal after a system status preserving unit 3002 has stored the data held in each register of the cpu 106 , the memory 107 , the internal registers of the i / o controller 109 , or the like to the preserving hard disk drive 115 . it should be noted that the memory in the vram area 902 are excluded in the above procedure . the unit 3001 also sends control information to a print processing unit 303 which controls the printing operation of the printer 113 to avoid the troubles caused by powering off during the printing process . a power - on processing unit 4001 is initiated by the input of a power - on reset signal from the power - on reset circuit 103 , and transfers control to the routine which was running at the time the powering off operation , after a system status resuming unit 4002 has set the data stored in the preserving hard disk drive 115 to each of the registers in the cpu 106 and another unit . the unit 4001 also sends , if necessary , control information to a process control unit 301 for managing the process of an application program in execution , to a window system processing unit 302 for managing the window displayed on the display device 110 , and to the print processing unit 303 in order to avoid the troubles caused from the exact resuming of the status it was before the powering off . with the control information , the window system processing unit 302 refreshes the graphic display data stored in the vram area 902 at the powering back up . for this purpose , the power - on processing unit 4001 has a construction as shown in fig6 ( b ). a refresh request flag setting unit 4003 is initiated with the system status resuming unit 4002 while the data from the preserving hard disk drive 115 are stored in the memory 107 , and subsequently sets the refresh request flag indicating the necessity to refresh the graphic display data stored in the vram area 902 in an area within the operating system area 901a . having ( sensed ) the setting in accordance to a timing , a refresh requesting unit 4004 issues the refresh request to the window system processing unit 302 . more precisely , the window system processing unit 302 calls a library function stored therein for the refresh purpose . the description of the other units is omitted because they are the same as those provided in the conventional computer systems . they include the following units : a boot processing unit for activating the system at the time the powering on without resuming the data saved to the preserving hard disk drive 115 , an initializing processing unit for initializing the i / o controller 109 and the like , an operating system processing unit for executing an operating system program , an application processing unit generated by loading an application program . the operation of the computer system having the above construction is described as follows . interrupt operations are closely related with the operation of the power - off processing unit 3001 and the power - on processing unit 4001 . they are initiated by the input of an interrupt signal such as the power - off interrupt signal to the cpu 106 or by the execution of a software interrupt instruction . when an interrupt has occurred , the cpu 106 performs the following internal procedure before transferring control to the interrupt processing program . ( 1 ) shift the gr in use by incrementing the value of the cwp 221 for the interrupt process program in order to save the value of each register of the gr used before the interrupt . ( 2 ) save the value of the pc 201 at the point of the interrupt occurrence which indicates the address of the area in which the instruction to be fetched next is preserved by moving , for example , to the 16th register of the gr indicated by the cwp 221 . the value of pc 201 may be pushed to a stack . ( 3 ) move the value of the cs 222 to the ps 223 , and transfer control to the interrupt processing program . more precisely , the cpu 106 sets the execution starting address of the interrupt processing program predesignated according to the types of the interrupt signals or the like to the pc 201 and executes the interrupt processing program by the instruction stored in the address area . the process which was being executed before the interrupt occurrence is resumed by the execution of the interrupt returning instruction in the interrupt processing program . the cpu 106 carries out the following internal procedure to return to the state where it was before the interrupt occurrence . ( 1 ) move the value of the ps 223 back to the cs 222 to retrieve its original value ( the mode of the cpu is returned to the original ). ( 2 ) move the address stored in the 16th register of the gr indicated by the cwp 221 to the pc 201 . ( 3 ) decrement the value of the cwp 221 so that the gr used before the interrupt occurrence can be used . thus , the cpu 106 returns to the previous status where it was before the interrupt occurrence and resumes the execution according to the instructions stored in the address area indicated by pc 201 . ( the operation performed subsequent to the powering on when the state of the system is not preserved ) the computer system of this embodiment can be powered off even without preserving the system status as described later . the operation of displaying and editing a document at the powering back on at a later time is described with reference to fig7 . by turning the power switch 101 on , the power - on reset circuit 103 outputs a power - on reset signal , and the power - on processing unit 4001 is initiated ( s701 ). the unit 4001 transfers control to the boot processing unit without initiating the system status resuming unit 4002 after confirming that the system status was not preserved in the preserving hard disk drive 115 at the previous powering off operation by checking the value of a resumable flag 601 stored in the drive 115 as described later . the boot processing unit initialized the i / 0 controller 109 and other units by initiating the initializing processing unit , loads the operating system program from the hard disk drive 114 to the operating system area 901a , and transfers control to the operating system processing unit ( s702 ). at this time , the operating system processing unit accepts input operation of the user . according to the direction of the user to initiate the window system , the operating system processing unit loads the window system program to the window system area 901b to initiate the window system processing unit 302 ( s703 ). according to the direction of the user to open a window , the window system processing unit 302 displays a window 801 as shown in fig8 ( s704 ). at this time , the window system processing unit 302 stores the data including the position and size of the window 801 into the window system area 901b , and reserves a window data area 902a holding the graphic display data of the images displayed on the window 801 in the vram area 902 . according to the direction of the user to initiate a document displaying program within the window 801 , the operating system processing unit reserves an application program area 901c , and loads the application program from the hard disk drive 114 in order to initiate the application processing unit ( s705 ). according to the direction of the user to display a document preserved in the hard disk drive 114 before , the application processing unit displays the document within the window 801 by writing the graphic display data to the window data area 902a . according to the direction of the user to open another window , the window system processing unit 302 displays the window 802 in the same manner as ( s704 ), stores the data including the position and size of the window 802 into the window system area 901b , and reserves the window data area 902b holding the graphic display data of the images displayed on the window 802 in the vram area 902 ( s706 ). according to the direction of the user to initiate a document editing program within the window 802 , the operating system processing unit reserves an application program area 901d in the same manner as the ( s705 ), loads an application program from the hard disk drive 114 , and initiates the application processing unit ( s707 ). according to the various directions of the user to edit a new document with reference to the document displayed on the window 801 , the application processing unit processes the document editing , and displays it on the window 802 ( s708 ) by writing the graphic display data to the window data area 902b . a cursor 803 appeared on the window 802 in fig8 indicates the displaying position of a character inputted from the input device 111 . ( the operation performed before powering off with preserving the system status ) as shown in fig9 when the power switch 101 is turned off , the power - off interrupt controller 104 outputs a power - off interrupt signal , by which the power - off processing unit 3001 is initiated as interrupt processing as described before , regardless of the status of the application program or the like , and starts the system status preserving unit 3002 . the unit 3002 preserves the contents of the psw 202 of the cpu 106 to the psw field 602 of the preserving hard disk drive 115 shown in fig1 ( s401 ), and the contents of the grs 203 - 209 to the cpu register field 603 ( s402 ). the address in the pc 201 is not stored because it is not needed to resume the system status . the address to be set in the pc 201 to resume the system status where it was before the powering off is held in the 16th register of gr by the internal procedure performed at the time of interrupt occurrence . next , the unit 3002 stores all the contents of the memory 107 to the memory field 604 ( s403 ). however , the contents of the vram area are excluded in the procedure because they are re - constructible with the data stored in the application program areas 901c / 901d or the like , the detail of which is described later . only effective contents in the areas reserved by operating system processing unit , application processing unit or the like may be designed to be stored to the preserving hard disk drive 115 with reference to the memory control table held in the operating system area 901a . the unit 3002 also stores the data necessary to resume the system status among those held in the internal register in the i / o controller 109 or the like to the control unit register field 605 ( s404 ). later , the unit 3002 sets the value of the resumable flag field 601 to 1 in order to indicate that the system status is preserved , and returns control to the power - off processing unit 3001 ( s405 ). the unit 3001 directs the power - off controller 105 to output a power - off signal . the power - off controller 105 outputs it to the power unit 102 which accordingly stops power supply to each unit of the computer system ( s406 ). ( the operation performed subsequent to the powering on when the system status is preserved ) as shown in fig1 , when the power switch 101 is turned on , it outputs a power - on signal to the power unit 102 and to the power - on reset circuit 103 . the power unit 102 supplies power to each unit of the system . the power - on reset circuit 103 outputs a power - on reset signal to initiate the power - on processing unit 4001 . the unit 4001 first judges whether the value set in the resumable flag field 601 is 1 or not ( s501 ). if it is not , the unit 4001 passes control to the boot processing unit without starting the system status resuming unit 4002 , and loading of the operating system program and the like is performed as described before ( s510 ). if it is 1 , the unit 4001 first initiates the initializing processing unit to initialize the i / o controller 109 and the like ( s502 ). then , the unit 4001 passes control to the system status resuming unit 4002 which subsequently reads the contents preserved in the control unit resister field 605 of the preserving hard disk drive 115 in order to set them in the appropriate internal register of the i / o controller 109 or the like ( s503 ). the system status resuming unit 4002 reads the contents preserved in the memory field 604 to store them to the memory 107 ( s504 ). as previously mentioned , the contents of the vram area 902 are not resumed due to its non - preservation in the preserving hard disk drive 115 , thus nothing appears on the display device 110 as shown in fig1 even the graphic display data are read out from the vram area 902 . therefore , the unit 4002 initiates the refresh request flag setting unit 4003 to have it set the refresh request flag in an area within the operating system area 901a . since the window system area 901b and the window data areas 902a / 902b are resumed at this time , the display device 110 reads graphic display data from the memory 107 and displays the previous images which were being displayed before the powering off . the unit 4002 subsequently reads the contents of the grs 203 - 209 stored in the cpu register field 603 and sets them to the corresponding grs 203 - 209 ( s505 ). the unit 4002 next reads the contents of the psw 202 stored in the psw field 602 , sets them to the psw 202 ( s506 ) and returns control to the power - on processing unit 4001 . at this point , all the status except the address indicated by the pc 201 , the contents of the vram 902 , and the refresh request flag set within the operating system area 901a , return to the previous status where it was during the power - off processing unit 3001 being performing the interrupt process at the powering off . by the execution of return from interrupt instruction in the power - on processing unit 4001 , the computer system returns to the previous status where it was before the power - off interrupt signal is inputted , thus , the execution such as application processing is resumed ( s507 ). in a later time such when control is transferred to the operating system processing unit to a timing at a task switching or the like , the operating system processing unit initiates the refresh requesting unit 4004 in the unit 4001 , whereby it issues the refresh request to the window system processing unit 302 and resets the refresh request flag following its sensing of the refresh request flag setting therein . ( s508 ) then the window system processing unit 302 reconstructs the graphic display data based on the original data such as documents , layout , and font data stored in the window system area 901b or application program areas 901c / 901d , thereby renewing the contents of the vram area 902 , window data area 902a and 902b ( s509 ). the data reconstruction thus enables the display device 110 to display the image before the powering off by reading out the graphic display data from the vram area 902 . thus , the data necessary for resuming the system status including the contents of the psw 202 and grs 203 - 209 , the contents of the memory 107 , the contents of the internal register of the i / o controller 109 are stored to the preserving hard disk drive 115 before the powering off , and are read therefrom to be set to the registers and the like , thereby , resuming the previous operation which was running before the powering off . moreover , the data reconstruction based on the original data at the system power back up contributes to reduction of the memory capacity for the data preservation . since the preserving hard disk drive 115 preserves data without power supply , there is no limit on the time period before the next powering on . for obtaining the same effects , a non volatile memory such as an electrically erasable prom ( eeprom ) and a flash memory , a magneto - optic disk drive , and a magnetic tape drive can be used instead of a hard disk drive . ( the operation performed before powering off when the system status is not preserved ) as shown in fig1 , when the computer system is powered off without saving the system status , it must be returned to the initial status as follows . to prevent the system status from being preserved at the power off , the power - off processing unit 3001 is exchanged with another unit to direct the power - off controller 105 to output an off - signal without initiating the system status preserving unit 3002 . more precisely , the instruction to direct the output of an off - signal or the like may be written in the address area where the execution starts when a power off interrupt has occurred . the application processing unit stores the document in operation to the hard disk drive 114 according to the direction of the user ( s1001 ), and ends the editing program and displaying program of the documents ( s1002 ). at this time , the application program areas 901c / 901d are released , and control is passed to the window system processing unit 302 . the window system processing unit 302 closes the windows 801 and 802 ( s1003 ) to end the window system process according to the direction of the user ( s1004 ). at this time , the window system area 901b and the window data areas 902a / 902b are released , consequently control in transferred to the operating system processing unit . the operating system processing unit ends the operating system process according to the direction of the user ( s1005 ). at this time , the operating system area 901a is released , the computer system can start only the operating system processing unit according to the direction of the user , and the powering off processing unit 3001 according to the powering off interrupt signal . consequently , when the power switch 101 is turned off , the power - off processing unit 3001 sets the value of the resumable flag field 601 to 0 in order to indicate that the system status is not preserved , and directs the power - off controller 105 to output a power - off signal so that the power unit 102 stops power supply . the computer system of embodiment ii can re - display the previous image when the system is powered back on regardless of the kinds of window system , which varies due to differences in library functions for production / deletion of the window system and display data refreshing as well as in interfaces such as display images and operation methods . it is for this reason that the system calls the refresh library function by using that for the window for the image resumption . the system has the same construction as the one of embodiment i except that a power - on processing unit 4101 as shown in fig1 is installed instead of the power - on processing unit 4001 . the unit 4101 has a window system identifying unit 4102 in addition to the construction of the 4001 . the refresh request flag setting unit 4003 senses that the refresh request flag is set , meanwhile the window system identifying unit 4102 identifies the window system processing unit 302 based on window system identify conditions stored in the hard disk 114 as shown in fig1 . more precisely , the window system identifying unit 4102 identifies x - window system when the return value is other than null at the activation of xopendisplay (&# 34 ; null &# 34 ;) function , while it identifies sunview window system when the return value is 0 at the activation of we -- getparentwindow ( parent ) function . after the identification , the window system identifying unit 4102 transmits the identification to the refresh requesting unit 4004 to have it start , whereby it calls the library function for the refreshing display data corresponding to the identification . fig1 shows the operation of the system when it is powered back on with the power switch 101 after the power off while x - window system was used . the unit 4101 is initiated with the power switch 101 as described in the embodiment i . therefore , the 4101 restores the systems before the power off to restart the operation of the application process unit or the like ( s501 )-( s507 ), subsequently the refresh request flag setting unit 4003 sets the refresh request flag in the application process unit or the like . the window system restores its status before the power off , even though nothing is displayed on the display device 110 . the window system identifying unit 4102 is initiated with the operating system unit , then it reads out the window system identifying command from the hard disk drive 114 . first it calls we -- getparentwindow ( parent ) function in order to identify the operation of sunview window system ( s1501 ). when it identifies the sunview window system operation with the return value of 0 , the refresh requesting unit 4004 issues a refresh request for sunview window system to the window system process unit 302 ( s1502 ), whereby it renews the contents of the vram area 902 ( s1503 ). when it receives the return value other than 0 , it calls xopendisplay (&# 34 ; null &# 34 ;) function in order to identify the operation of x - window system ( s1504 ). having received the return value other than null , the refresh requesting unit 4004 issues a refresh request for x - window system to the window system process unit 302 ( s1505 ). based on original data such as documents , layout , and font data stored in the window system area 901b and application program area 901c / 901d , the window system process unit 302 reconstructs the graphic display data , thereby renewing the window data area 902a and 902b in the vram area 902 ( s1506 ). the display device 110 then reads out the display data from the vram area 902 , therefore displays the same image before the power off . the computer system of the embodiment iii has a function to automatically terminate the useless program resumption when the system is powered back on . an application program communicating with another computer is taken up as an example . when the counter party controls the display by using the window on the screen as a virtual terminal , the original data are not preserved in the computer system , disabling the system to re - construct the contents of the vram area 902 , therefore only displaying the window on the screen . the system has the same construction as the one of embodiment i except that a power - on processing unit 4201 as shown in fig1 is installed instead of the power - on processing unit 4001 . the power - on processing unit 4201 comprises a communication program identifying unit 4202 and a program termination requesting unit 4203 in addition to the construction of the unit 4001 , and a disposition processing request flag setting unit 4003 &# 39 ; is installed instead of the refresh request flag setting unit 4003 . having been set the disposition processing request flag , the disposition processing request flag setting unit 4003 &# 39 ; makes the refresh requesting unit 4004 issue the refresh request as well as have the communication program identifying unit 4202 identify the operation of the application program . the unit 4202 sets the disposition request flag following its sensing of the disposition processing request setting in accordance to a timing . if it identifies the operation of the application program , it initiates the program termination requesting unit 4203 . such identification is done based on a program execution condition table 1900 as shown in fig1 and a condition for identifying non - resumable program 2000 as shown in fig1 . then the program termination requesting unit 4203 issues the termination request to the application program identified by the unit 4202 . the program execution condition table 1900 is stored in the operating system area 901a . the program execution condition table 1900 includes a process id field 1901 and a command field 1902 . the process id field 1902 maintains process ids used for identifying the process of the program execution . the process ids are assigned by a process control unit 301 when a process for program execution is produced . the command field 1902 maintains the commands such as ones inputted by the operator with the input device 111 for the program execution . although the program execution condition table 1900 stores other data such as terminal reference numbers indicating the window opened as the virtual terminal in which the program in on the operation , description of these devices are omitted here since these are not the gist of the present invention . the condition for identifying non - resumable program 2000 has been previously stored in , for instance , the hard disk drive 114 . in fig1 , the program receiving the commands starting with &# 34 ; rsh &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; rlogin &# 34 ; are the non - resumable program . also in fig1 , &# 34 ;*&# 34 ; denotes that any character or characters are applicable thereto . the communication condition may be the basis of the identification . fig2 describes the operation when the power switch 101 is on after having preserved the status of the system with three windows 1701 , 1702 , and 1703 , and a clock 1704 as shown in fig2 when the system was powered off . the external computer system controls the identification of the window 1073 and the clock 1704 via the network communication 112 . as in embodiment i , the unit 4201 is initiated with the power switch 101 and in the meantime , the unit 4201 restores the status before the power off , restarting the application processing unit or the like ( s501 )-( s507 ). subsequently , the disposition processing request flag setting unit 4003 &# 39 ; sets the disposition processing request . initiated by the operating system processing unit , the refresh requesting unit 4004 senses the disposition processing request flag setting as in the same manner of embodiment i , then issues the refresh request to the window system processing unit 302 ( s508 ). the window system processing unit 302 renews the contents of the vram area 902 ( s509 ), whereby the display device 110 reads out the graphic display data from the vram area 902 to display the substantially same image before the power off as shown in fig2 . however , nothing is displayed in the window 1703 and the clock , because the contents of the vram area 902 are not re - constructed as previously mentioned , and because the system is disconnected to the external computer systems controlling the terminal program and clock indication at the power off . initiated by the operating system processing unit , the communication program identifying unit 4202 senses the disposition processing request flag setting , upon which it identifies the non - operatable condition of the application program using the commands &# 34 ; rsh several xclock &# 34 ; in the process id = 140 and the application program with the commands &# 34 ; rlogin several &# 34 ; in the process id = 155 based on the program execution condition table 1900 and the condition for identifying non - resumable program unit 2000 ( s2101 ). then the program termination requesting unit 4203 issues the termination request for the application program in response to the identification results ( s2102 ). the process control unit 301 renews the program execution condition table 1900 at the termination of the application program . the window system processing unit 302 renews the window system area 901b , therefore closing the window 1703 and the clock 1704 as well as renewing the vram area 902 ( s2103 ). as a result , only the windows 1701 and 1702 are displayed on the display device 110 as shown in fig2 . although the window is closed in the embodiment , it is not necessarily closed so that another program application is subsequently executed . the useless resumption program is not limited to the computer system used in the communication with another system as described in the embodiment . the users may be informed of the automatic termination of the resumed program application before the power off . the program termination requesting unit 4203 may be initiated at the power off , or the user may confirm the termination prior to the power off . the computer system of the embodiment iv can re - display the previous image regardless of the types of the windows used before the power off as well as to terminate automatically the useless resumption of the program . as shown in fig2 , the computer system of embodiment iv has the same construction as the one of the embodiments i , ii and iii except that a power - on processing unit 4301 having the window system identifying unit 4102 of the embodiment ii in addition to the power - on processing unit 4201 are installed . ( the operation of the system performed when the power switch 101 is on ) as in embodiment i , the unit 4301 is initiated with the power switch 101 . the power - on processing unit 4301 like the unit 4201 of the embodiment iii restores the system status before the power off , thereby initiating the application processing units or the like as well as setting the disposition request flag ( s501 )-( s507 ). initiated with the operating system processing unit , the window system identifying unit 4102 identifies the operation of the sunview window system or x - window system like in the embodiment ii . subsequently , the refresh requesting unit 4004 issues the refresh request corresponding to the operating window system , in the mean time , the window system processing unit 302 re - constructs the graphic display data , thereby renewing the contents of the window data areas 902a . . . of the vram area 902 ( s1501 )-( s1506 ). initiated with the operating system processing unit , the communication identifying unit 4202 identifies the non - resumable application program like in the embodiment iii . the program termination requesting unit 4203 issues the termination request of the application program in response to the identification result , in turn , the process control unit 301 renews the program execution condition table 1900 at the termination of the application program . the window system processing unit 302 closes the window after having renewed the window system area 901b as well as renewing the contents of the vram area 902 ( s2101 )-( s2103 ). above construction makes it possible to maintain the only continuable programs in the execution condition and to display the windows necessary for the program application on the display device 110 . the refresh request and termination request for the program may be issued prior to the execution of the interrupt restoring instruction without installing the refresh request flag setting unit 4003 or disposition request flag setting unit 4003 &# 39 ;. although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein . | 8 |
now the preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . since preferred embodiments are provided for the purpose that the ordinary skilled in the art are able to understand the present invention , they may be modified in various manners and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments described later . referring to fig1 a semiconductor substrate 102 is provided , wherein the semiconductor substrate is defined as an active region and a field region and it is cleaned by the cleaning process using at least one of diluted hf ( dhf ), sc - 1 , and boe . a field oxide film 104 is formed in the field region of the semiconductor substrate 102 . the field oxide film 104 is formed to have a trench structure using shallow trench isolation ( sti ) process or local oxidation of silicon ( locos ) process . referring to fig2 a number of gate electrodes 112 ( hereinafter , โ word lines โ) are formed on the semiconductor substrate 102 including the active region and the field region , which is the field oxide film 104 . word lines 112 include the gate oxide film 106 , the gate layer 108 , and a hard mask layer 110 . the gate layer 108 includes at least one of the poly silicon films or of the doped poly silicon films , or is formed to have the structure including poly silicon films and at least one of the insulator films between poly silicon films . the hard mask layer 110 is formed with the nitride film . subsequently , source and drain junction areas composed of low and high - density junction areas are formed on the semiconductor substrate , which is exposed to the both sides of word lines 112 in the active region and the field region . the low density junction area is formed by the lightly drain doped ( ldd ) ion - planting process . the high - density junction area is formed by the high density ion planting process using a mask as a spacer 114 , wherein the spacer is formed in the both sides of word lines 112 . on the other hand , the spacer 114 is formed with the nitride film thereof , or the stacked structure of the oxide film and the nitride film . referring to fig3 the insulator film 116 is deposited over the upper part of the structure . the insulator film 116 separates word lines electrically which are formed adjacently in the active region and the field region . the insulator film 116 is formed using at least one of the group comprising spin on glass ( sog ), un - doped silicate glass ( usg ), boron - phosphorus silicate glass ( bpsg ), phosphorus silicate glass ( psg ), plasma enhanced tetra ethyl ortho silicate glass ( peteos ), and inter poly oxide ( ipo ). in addition , the insulator film 116 is deposited to fill the gap between word lines formed adjacently . referring to fig4 a photoresist film is applied over the upper part of the structure , and then the photoresist pattern ( not shown ) opened locally is formed by performing exposure and development process using the photo mask , sequentially . it is preferable that the photoresist pattern is formed such that the active region is opened . in the following , the insulator film 116 is etched by the process using an etching mask as a photoresist pattern , resulting in landing plug contact ( lpc ) 118 formed . at this time , the etching process for forming lpc 118 is performed by a dry etching process requiring cheaper etching cost , however , preferably a plasma dry etching process . referring to fig5 the photoresist pattern used as the etching mask in fig4 is removed through strip process . and then , the poly silicon film 120 for lp is deposited over the upper part of the structure to fill lpc 118 . at this moment , it is preferable that the poly silicon film 120 for lp is deposited , thereby filling the gap between word lines formed in an lpc 118 region . referring to fig6 the poly silicon film 120 for lp is flattened by performing a polishing process ( hereinafter also referred to as โ a 1 st polishing process โ) of chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) method over the upper part of the structure . in the 1 st polishing process , doping material for flattening the poly silicon film for lp 120 only is silica - based slurry with boron ( b ) added , for example . it is preferable that the concentration of b is in the range of 2 wt % to 5 wt %. in the 1 st polishing process , for example , it is possible that the pressure applied to the main brain / retain ring / inner tube ( m / r / i ) of cmp equipment is in the range of 2 to 8 psi ( pound / in 2 ), and p / h &# 39 ; s rotation power of cmp equipment is in the range of 30 to 150 rpm . referring to fig7 a 2 nd polishing process is performed over the upper part of the structure . in the above 2 nd polishing process , for example , the slurry with phosphorus ( p ) added is used as a doping material for flattening the insulator film 116 , the poly silicon film for lp 120 and the hard mask layer 110 at the same time . it is preferable that the concentration of p is in the range of 2 wt % to 5 wt %. in the 1 st polishing process , for example , it is possible that the pressure applied to the main brain / retain ring / inner tube ( m / r / i ) of cmp equipment is in the range of 2 to 8 psi ( pound / in 2 ), and p / h &# 39 ; s rotation power of cmp equipment is in the range of 30 to 150 rpm . as a result , lp 122 is formed between word lines of the lpc region through the 2 nd polishing process . according to the present invention , it is possible to polish evenly and separate the adjacent word lines stably by performing the flattening process using slurry with a doping material added at the time of polishing process . moreover , according to the present invention , it is possible to prevent the short from taking place by securing stably the polishing process for forming a landing plug stably and improving the marginality of space when forming storage nodes or bit line self align contacts , wherein the short otherwise could be generated between the storage nodes or bit line self align contacts and word lines . although the foregoing description has been made with reference to the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that changes and modifications of the present invention may be made by the ordinary skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and appended claims . | 7 |
described since the advent of the internet , online advertising has steadily evolved into a multi - billion dollar a year industry . online portals such as yahoo ! operate advertising networks that target online advertising to internet users based on their interests . users &# 39 ; interests are determined by gathering data on their internet browsing habits and targeting advertising accordingly . these networks target users by assigning them to segments based on the users &# 39 ; visits to certain websites . for example , a user who visits a sports website may be added to a sports segment by an advertising network , and the user may subsequently be presented with advertisements pertaining to sports upon visiting other websites within the advertising network . these advertising networks typically operate by using cookies to track users &# 39 ; browsing history . upon visiting a webpage from which a user connects with an advertising network for the first time , the network writes a cookie onto the user &# 39 ; s hard drive that uniquely identifies the user to the network . on subsequent visits to websites within the advertising network , the advertising network accesses the previously created cookie and updates a user profile constructed from the user &# 39 ; s browsing history . because the overwhelming majority of online content accessed by internet users on a desktop or a laptop is delivered via a web browser , this approach suffices for desktops and laptop platforms . however , the advent of mobile computing has presented a new set of challenges . mobile devices have many unique characteristics and features that distinguish them from desktop and laptop computers . mobile devices are highly personalized and , unlike desktop and laptop computers , are typically not shared between users . users often carry their mobile devices with them and leave them on at all times . many mobile devices include global positioning system ( gps ) receivers , allowing the mobile platform operating system to transmit the user &# 39 ; s location to remote entities . perhaps most importantly , new models of content delivery have emerged to accommodate the smaller form factor of mobile devices . on a mobile phone or a tablet device , the user may access online content through various different applications in addition to a web browser . because of the smaller form factor of mobile phones and tablet devices , mobile web browsers are limited in what they can display , and many sites deliver downsized versions of web pages to users who access them from mobile devices . in addition , browsing the web on a mobile device can be cumbersome due to the smaller form factor and ( on many devices ) the lack of a hardware keyboard . consequently , unlike desktop platforms , a large portion of online content accessed by users of mobile platforms is delivered through portal - specific applications . thus , simply tracking which sites the user has accessed with a mobile web browser is unlikely to yield an accurate or complete user profile upon which to base the targeting of advertisements . instead , mobile platforms are better suited for a technique that accounts for the unique features and characteristics of mobile devices . a technique that segments users based on the applications the users have installed on their mobile devices and the manner and frequency with which they use them would be more effective in delivering advertising that accurately reflects the users &# 39 ; interests . the applications that a user has installed on his mobile device are better indicators of the user &# 39 ; s interests and reveal information about the user &# 39 ; s online and non - online computing activities . because of the highly personalized nature of mobile devices , the applications installed on a user &# 39 ; s mobile device are likely to have been downloaded by the owner of the device and not by others . the design and implementation of the embodiments disclosed herein have thus been guided by the goal of using information about the applications a user has installed on his device in lieu of his browsing history in targeting online advertisements . the operation of one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the flow diagram 100 depicted in fig1 . at step 101 , the applications installed on a user &# 39 ; s device are determined . this may be accomplished through a number of different techniques . the platform may provide access to this information directly through a simple subroutine call . alternatively , the application store or marketplace may provide access to the user &# 39 ; s application download history . in this embodiment , the application store or marketplace may transmit a list of applications the user has installed from a remote server . in any embodiment , the information about a user &# 39 ; s applications may further include data pertaining to the usage patterns of each application , such as the total amount of time the user spent using each application and how many instances each application was accessed . any technique for determining the applications installed on a user &# 39 ; s device may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 102 , the weighting factor of each application is calculated . the weighting factor represents a determination of how representative a particular application is of a user &# 39 ; s interests . according to one embodiment , the application weighting factor may be calculated based on the amount of time an application is accessed during a given time period , the number of times an application is accessed during a time period , the amount of time that has elapsed since the application was last accessed , and a metric corresponding to the complexity of the application . any criteria or means of determining the weighting factor of each application may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 103 , each application is categorized by genre . this may be determined from the classification of the application within the application store or marketplace or from a separate taxonomy developed specifically for advertising purposes . an application may be assigned to multiple categories , and multiple applications may be grouped into a single category . for example , the application yahoo ! finance may be assigned to the categories โ finance โ and โ online services โ. the category โ finance โ may further include a financial calculator application with no online functionality , and the category โ online services โ may further include a social networking application with no finance - related content . the genre categorization roughly corresponds to user segmenting , and categories may represent broad genres or very specific ones . any protocol for categorizing applications may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 104 , the applications are further categorized by the time during which they are used . for example , if the user uses the yahoo ! finance application on weekdays during working hours , then yahoo ! finance may be assigned to a working hours category . if the user uses the yahoo ! messenger application during commuting hours , then the yahoo ! messenger application may be assigned to a commuting hours category . an application may be assigned to more than one category , and a category may include more than one application . any technique for categorizing applications by the time of use may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 105 , each genre category is assigned a priority based on the collective weights of the applications in that category , as determined in step 102 . according to one embodiment , the priority of a category is computed as the sum of the weighting factors of each application in the category . according to another embodiment , the priority computation incorporates the time of use categorizations determined in step 104 . the categories may then be ranked according to priority . any technique for determining priority may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 106 , the highest priority category is transmitted to an advertising network . at step 107 , an advertisement corresponding to the highest priority category is received from the advertising network and delivered to the user . according to one embodiment , the advertisement may be selected remotely from a repository of advertisements that is paired to each category using a matrix . in this embodiment , the data collected regarding the applications installed on a user &# 39 ; s device is transmitted to an advertising server , where the advertisement is selected . the advertisement may be delivered to the user within a browser application on the user &# 39 ; s device or within another application . alternatively , the advertisement may be delivered to the user on his desktop . in this embodiment , the user may be identified by the platform owner or advertising network and paired with his user device if the user has signed in to an online service operated by the platform owner or advertising network from a desktop or laptop computer . any technique for selecting or delivering the advertisement may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . portions of the procedure described above may need to be repeated periodically in order to continue delivering targeted advertising that accurately reflects the user &# 39 ; s current interests . the applications installed on a user &# 39 ; s device and their usage patterns can change frequently as the user removes applications , downloads and installs new ones , uses some applications less , and begins using other applications more . thus , the data pertaining to the user &# 39 ; s applications upon the basis of which advertising is selected should be kept up - to - date . according to one series of embodiments , steps 101 through 104 are repeated at designated intervals . in one such embodiment , these steps may be performed in a batch operation executed every week or every month . in another such embodiment , the steps may be repeated every time a modification is made to a user &# 39 ; s set of installed applications , such as the installation , removal , or updating of an application . any protocol for keeping application data up - to - date may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . steps 104 , 105 , 106 and 107 of the flow diagram 100 are illustrated further according to an embodiment by the flow diagram 200 depicted in fig2 . at step 201 , time of use data of each application is received . at step 202 , a categorization scheme is determined . for example , the categorization scheme may be limited to days of the week , e . g ., each category corresponds to a different day of the week . alternatively , the categorization scheme may correspond to particular types of time periods , e . g ., working hours , commuting hours , evening hours , etc . alternatively , the categorization scheme may correspond to time periods of the day , e . g ., morning , afternoon , evening , late night , etc . any categorization scheme may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 203 , the applications are categorized into time of use categories using the time of use data and the categorization scheme . for example , if the categorization scheme corresponds to days of the week and application a is used only on mondays and fridays , then application a is assigned to the monday category and the friday category . at step 204 , the applications in each category are assigned a weight based on their level of use during the time period denoted by the category . in one embodiment , these weights are absolute , and are correlated only to the number of instances or amount of time an application is used . for example , if application a is used for an average of fifteen minutes on fridays and an average of half an hour on mondays , then application a is assigned a greater weight in the monday category than in the friday category . similarly , if the device is used more frequently or for greater lengths of time on mondays than on fridays , then the sum of the weights of the applications in the monday category is greater than the sum of the weights of the applications in the friday category . at step 205 , the applications in each category are grouped according to their genre categorization determined in step 103 . at step 206 , the weight of each genre grouping within each time of use category is determined . this may be taken as a cumulative value by simply adding up the weights of the applications within each genre grouping . alternatively , this may be taken as an average of the weights of the applications within each genre grouping . any technique for determining the weight of each genre grouping may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . at step 207 , the time of use category corresponding to the current time period is determined . at step 208 , the priorities of each of the genre categories determined in step 103 are calculated , as described above with respect to step 105 . in this embodiment , for each genre category , the calculation takes into account the weight of the corresponding genre grouping in the time of use category denoting the current time period , as determined in step 206 . if no applications from a genre grouping have been used during the current time period , then no weight is added to the priority of that genre grouping &# 39 ; s corresponding genre category . if the device is seldom used during the current time period , then the weights of the genre groupings would likely have little bearing on the priority of each genre category . conversely , if the device is heavily used during the current time period , then the weights of the genre groupings are likely to be a significant factor in the priority calculation , and the genre category with the highest priority is likely to correspond to the genre grouping with the highest weight . at step 209 , the highest priority category is transmitted to an advertising network . at step 210 , an advertisement corresponding to the highest priority category is received from the advertising network and delivered to the user . according to one series of embodiments , a user may be presented with an advertisement that is specific to his current location . for example , a user who accesses his device while at work may receive an advertisement for an establishment that is located near his workplace . this functionality may be enabled by a gps receiver within the device , a standard feature in many smartphones . the platform operating system may receive the user &# 39 ; s coordinates from the gps module within the device and transmit them to an external entity , which translates them to an address on a map . alternatively , in devices that lack gps receivers , the user &# 39 ; s location may be approximated using the internet protocol ( ip ) address of the device , or the location of the cellular transmission tower that the device connects to for sending and receiving data . any technique for determining the user &# 39 ; s location may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . an advertising network may utilize this information to enhance the accuracy and precision of targeted advertisements . one such embodiment is illustrated by the flow diagram 300 depicted in fig3 , which corresponds to steps 106 and 107 of the flow diagram 100 depicted in fig1 or steps 209 and 210 of the flow diagram 200 depicted in fig2 . at step 301 , the location of the user is determined . at step 302 , the location of the user and the highest priority genre category , which may be determined according to the procedure described in relation to step 105 or step 208 above , are transmitted to an advertising network . at step 303 , an advertisement corresponding to the transmitted location and the highest priority genre category is identified . for example , if the user &# 39 ; s location is in manhattan , n . y . and the highest priority genre category is fine dining , then advertisements for upscale restaurants in manhattan would be identified . at step 304 , the identified advertisement is received from the advertising network and delivered to the user . according to one series of embodiments , the application weighting factor described above in relation to step 102 of the procedure depicted in flow diagram 100 may be computed using a mathematical formula . as noted above , the mathematical formula may take factors such as the amount of time an application is accessed during a given time period , the number of times an application is accessed during a time period , the amount of time that has elapsed since the application was last accessed , and a metric denoting to the complexity of the application into account . in one such embodiment , the following formula may be used : wherein w a is the weight of application a , time week is the total time in minutes that application a was accessed in a week , duration week . is the average duration of time in minutes for which application a was accessed during the week , complexity is the application complexity factor ( a metric denoting the complexity of application a ), and last is the number of days that have elapsed since application a was last accessed . any formula for determining the application weighting factors may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . in one series of embodiments , the application complexity factor corrects for disparities in the complexity of each application . because some applications are larger and have longer processing times than others , the total length of time an application is used may not be an accurate measure of how important it is to the user . for example , if application a connects to several remote servers and executes a series of complex algorithms upon startup , it may take a lengthy amount of time to load . meanwhile , application b may be a simple application that has limited functionality but loads up quickly . if application a starts up once during the time in which it takes application b to start up five times , deriving the application weighting factor exclusively from the total time that each application is used would yield equivalent results for application a and application b if a user accessed application a once but accessed application b five times during a given time interval . this may not accurately reflect the user &# 39 ; s interests , since he has accessed application a once but accessed application b five times . incorporating the number of instances that each application is accessed into the application weighting factor may not entirely correct for this discrepancy . even if application a and application b were of equal complexity , the number of instances that each application is accessed would seem to indicate that application b is more important to the user than application a , which also may not be the case . thus , in this series of embodiments , the application complexity factor normalizes the weighting factor of each application . in one such embodiment , the application complexity factor is determined based on how long the application takes to start up , whether the application is a short duration application or a long duration application , and the amount of memory that the application requires . these factors may be represented by the following formula : wherein c a is the complexity factor of application a , duration is a binary value indicating whether the application is a short duration application or a long duration application , mem_size is a value indicating how much memory the application requires , and startup_time is a value indicating how long the application takes to start up . mem_size and startup_time may be absolute figures or values along a relative scale ( e . g ., low = 1 , mid = 2 , high = 3 , etc ). in this embodiment , the complexity factor may range from 1 ( highest ) to 0 . 1 ( lowest ). an exemplary environment 400 within which some embodiments of the invention may operate is illustrated in fig4 . the diagram of fig4 depicts an advertising entity 401 , a content portal 402 , an advertising network 403 , and client devices 413 - 416 . the advertising entity 401 is a provider of products or services who seeks to place an online advertisement within the content portal 402 . the advertising entity 401 includes an advertising server 404 and an advertisement database 405 . the content portal 402 is a publisher or other provider of online content that seeks advertisements from advertising entity 401 . the content portal 402 includes a content server 410 and a content database 412 . the advertising network 403 matches requests for advertisements received from the content portal 402 or the client devices 413 - 416 with advertisements received from the advertising entity 401 . the advertising network 403 includes an advertising network server 406 , an advertisement database 407 , a request database 408 , and an event log database 409 . according to one embodiment , the advertising network 403 may be affiliated with and / or operated by the content portal 402 . in this embodiment , there may be a direct connection ( not pictured ) between the advertising network 403 and the content portal 402 . the client devices may include a desktop pc 413 , a laptop pc 414 , a smartphone 415 , a tablet pc 416 , or any other device capable of displaying a web page . all communication between and among the advertising entity 401 , the content portal 402 , the advertising network 403 , and the client devices 413 - 416 occurs over the network 417 . although the embodiments disclosed herein have been described with respect to mobile devices such as a smartphone 415 or a tablet 416 , they may also be applied to non - mobile devices such as a desktop pc 413 or a laptop pc 414 . the embodiments recited above may be executed wholly or partially within any of client devices 413 - 416 , advertising network 403 , and content portal 402 . the operation of various elements of the environment 400 according to an embodiment is illustrated in the flowchart 500 depicted in fig5 . at step 501 , an application on a client device 413 - 416 generates a request for an advertisement . the application may be a web browser , a portal - specific content browser , an application with only limited networked functionality ( such as a calculator or a game ), or the operating system itself . at step 502 , the client device transmits the request along with the device application data ( gathered and computed according to any of the embodiments described above ) to the advertising network 403 . at step 503 , the advertising network receives the request and the application data and retrieves a corresponding advertisement . at step 504 , the advertising network transmits the advertisement to the client device . at step 505 , the client device displays the advertisement to the user and the procedure ends . the operation of various elements of the environment 400 according to an alternate embodiment is illustrated in the flowchart 600 depicted in fig6 . this embodiment may operate within variations of environment 400 in which client devices 413 - 416 do not communicate directly with the advertising network 403 . at step 601 , any device from among client devices 413 - 416 transmits a request for specific content to the content server 410 . the content may be a webpage for display within a web browser or other multimedia data for display within a portal - specific application . at step 602 , the content server 410 retrieves the requested content from the content database 412 . at step 603 , the content server 410 requests application data from the client device . at step 604 , the client device transmits the application data to the content server 410 . at step 605 , the content server 410 transmits the application data to the advertising network 403 . at step 606 , the advertising network server 406 retrieves an advertisement corresponding to the application data from the advertisement database 407 . at step 607 , the advertising network 406 transmits the advertisement to the content portal 402 . at step 608 , the content server 410 incorporates the advertisement into the content requested by the client device . at step 609 , the content server 410 transmits the requested content incorporating the advertisement to the client device . at step 610 , the client device displays the advertisement to the user and the procedure ends . fig7 is a diagrammatic representation of a network 700 , including nodes for client computer systems 702 1 through 702 n , nodes for server computer systems 704 1 through 704 n , nodes for network infrastructure 706 1 through 706 n , any of which nodes may comprise a machine 750 within which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one of the techniques discussed above may be executed . the embodiment shown is purely exemplary , and might be implemented in the context of one or more of the figures herein . any node of the network 700 may comprise a general - purpose processor , a digital signal processor ( dsp ), an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or other programmable logic device , discrete gate or transistor logic , discrete hardware components , or any combination thereof capable to perform the functions described herein . a general - purpose processor may be a microprocessor , but in the alternative , the processor may be any conventional processor , controller , microcontroller , or state machine a processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices ( e . g . a combination of a dsp and a microprocessor , a plurality of microprocessors , one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a dsp core , or any other such configuration , etc ). in alternative embodiments , a node may comprise a machine in the form of a virtual machine ( vm ), a virtual server , a virtual client , a virtual desktop , a virtual volume , a network router , a network switch , a network bridge , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a cellular telephone , a web appliance , or any machine capable of executing a sequence of instructions that specify actions to be taken by that machine any node of the network may communicate cooperatively with another node on the network . in some embodiments , any node of the network may communicate cooperatively with every other node of the network . further , any node or group of nodes on the network may comprise one or more computer systems ( e . g . a client computer system , a server computer system ) and / or may comprise one or more embedded computer systems , a massively parallel computer system , and / or a cloud computer system . the computer system 750 includes a processor 708 ( e . g . a processor core , a microprocessor , a computing device , etc ), a main memory 710 and a static memory 712 , which communicate with each other via a bus 714 . the machine 750 may further include a display unit 716 that may comprise a touch - screen , or a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), or a light emitting diode ( led ) display , or a cathode ray tube ( crt ). as shown , the computer system 750 also includes a human input / output ( i / o ) device 718 ( e . g . a keyboard , an alphanumeric keypad , etc ), a pointing device 720 ( e . g . a mouse , a touch screen , etc ), a drive unit 722 ( e . g . a disk drive unit , a cd / dvd drive , a tangible computer readable removable media drive , an ssd storage device , etc ), a signal generation device 728 ( e . g . a speaker , an audio output , etc ), and a network interface device 730 ( e . g . an ethernet interface , a wired network interface , a wireless network interface , a propagated signal interface , etc ). the drive unit 722 includes a machine - readable medium 724 on which is stored a set of instructions ( i . e . software , firmware , middleware , etc ) 726 embodying any one , or all , of the methodologies described above . the set of instructions 726 is also shown to reside , completely or at least partially , within the main memory 710 and / or within the processor 708 . the set of instructions 726 may further be transmitted or received via the network interface device 730 over the network bus 714 . it is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein may be used as , or to support , a set of instructions executed upon some form of processing core ( such as the cpu of a computer ) or otherwise implemented or realized upon or within a machine - or computer - readable medium . a machine - readable medium includes any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a machine ( e . g . a computer ). for example , a machine - readable medium includes read - only memory ( rom ); random access memory ( ram ); magnetic disk storage media ; optical storage media ; flash memory devices ; electrical , optical or acoustical or any other type of media suitable for storing information . | 6 |
it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the performer or other user to manipulate a performance prop such that a portion of the body , such as an arm , or an object , may be passed through the performance prop , with this device resulting in allowing the performer a greater degree of freedom and range of movement with the prop during performance or other activities , with this device specifically being a fire or light performance prop shaped such that it can be rotated 360 degrees in the hand of the performer , allowing the arm to pass through it and between the wicks of the prop and additionally with this prop allowing the performer or other user to move the prop along other portions of the body such as legs or torso with said portion of the body being between the wicks . it is an additional object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the performer or other user to rapidly remove or install wicks or lights on a performance prop , with this device allowing the performer or user to rapidly remove wicks and / or install new wick on the performance prop , with this device allowing the installation of wicks of different size and type , lights in place of wicks , or a combination of wicks and lights , with this device allowing wicks and lights to be configured to the prop in such a way as to result in the formation of new shapes or configuration of props , thus allowing for more varied or diverse types props that can be used in more varied or diverse types of performances , or shorter preparation time between performance sets . it is an additional object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the performer or other user to modulate the shape and function of a performance prop , with this device being comprised of sub - units such that these sub - units allow the performer or other user to variously configure the constituent sub - units of the device resulting in multiple different forms of the reconfigured sub - units , allowing the user to compose multiple forms of performance props from two or more of constituent sub - unit device ( s ). it is an additional object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the performer or other user to rapidly remove or install grips or handles or other performance or comfort enhancing modules on a performance prop , with this device allowing the performer or user to rapidly remove grips or modules and / or install new grips or modules on the performance prop , with this device allowing the installation of grips or modules of different size and type , light up grips such as color changing led , or a combination of grips and modules , with this device allowing grips or modules to be configured to the prop in such a way as to result in the formation of new shapes or configuration of props , thus allowing for more varied or diverse types props that can be used in more varied or diverse types of performances , or shorter preparation time between performance sets . the primary embodiment of this invention is shown in figures ( 001 ) and ( 002 ). device is a crescent shape about 13 โณ tall and 14 โณ wide and 0 . 09 โณ thick , with center section ( d ) of device ( 002 ) of the crescent is the main handle area and is about 1 . 75 โณ wide with holes ( f ) which a finger or thumb may be passed allowing the performer to spin the device ( 002 ) around finger or thumb . the arms ( c ) of the crescent taper from the 1 . 75 โณ width at the main grip ( d ) down to about โ
โณ at the ends ( a ) of the arms ( c ) where the wicks ( b ) and wick attachment points ( a ) are located . in some embodiment &# 39 ; s , the length of the arms , or the relative angles of the arms , or the thickness of the device , or the relative placement of the holes , or the proportions of the main grip area or any other feature may be altered . in some embodiments the device is made from high strength aluminum alloy . in other embodiments the device is made from steel , carbon fiber , composite , or other materials . in some embodiments the device is made from multiple types of material that are joined together in a manner known in the art . the use of high strength aluminum or composites will facilitate a lightweight and durable design while not conducting heat to the performers hand . in some embodiment &# 39 ; s , the device finish can be bare aluminum , or the device can be plated , such as anodized , painted or powder coated , in any color or combination of colors , as is known in the art . in some embodiment &# 39 ; s , the device can be used with wicks or lights on the ends of the arms . in other embodiments the device can be used without wicks or lights . in an example of the first embodiment , the performer could use any of the finger holes to spin the device around a finger . in another example , the performer could move the device such that an object or portion of the body could pass between the wicks or lights ( 020 , 021 , 022 ). the second embodiment of this invention , shown in figure ( 003 ) comprises of rapidly removable and replaceable wicks ( a ). the wicks ( a ) are removable by removing the fasteners ( b ) at the very end of the arms and sliding the wicks ( a ) off . new wicks , or wicks of different size and type , or light modules , such as color changing led , may then be slid on in place of the removed wicks and the fasteners re - installed . removal of one or both of the wicks from each unit also facilitates the function of attaching the units together , arm to arm , to form new shapes . in some embodiment &# 39 ; s two units can be attached together to form an โ s โ shape ( 015 , 016 , 017 ). in other embodiment &# 39 ; s 4 or more units can be attached together to form double โ s โ shapes ( 018 , 019 ). in an example of the second embodiment , a performer needs to replace worn out wicks or would like to use larger wicks or use light modules , the performer simply removes the fasteners at the ends of the arms and slides the wicks off and the new ones on . in another example , the performer wants to use the device in an alternate configuration with additional units . the performer simply removes the fasteners at the end ( s ) of the arm ( s ) and slides one or more of the wicks off and then uses the same fasteners to attach multiple devices together ( 015 , 016 , 017 , 018 , 019 ). the third embodiment of this invention , shown in figures ( 004 - 020 ), comprises of unit re - configurations with , and without the need of tools . multiple units can be attached together in a variety of arrangements using one of a plurality of attachment means . in some embodiments , the attachment means are built in magnets ( 002 e ), with this configuration being suitable for rapid , temporary assembly and / or rapid reconfiguration , including reconfiguration during a performance . in other embodiment &# 39 ; s , the attachment means are fasteners such as threaded bolts and nuts , used for a more solid assembly . in other embodiment &# 39 ; s , other attachment means known in the art are used . in some embodiment &# 39 ; s , the device can be used as an individual unit . in other embodiment &# 39 ; s , one device is combined with one or more additional devices to form one or more configurations of coupled devices . in an example of the 3rd embodiment , two or more devices can be configured such that they form โ fan โ configurations ( 003 , 004 , 005 ) or variations of the โ fan โ configurations ( 007 , 010 ). in another example of the 3rd embodiment , two or more devices can be configured such that they form โ cross โ configurations ( 006 , 009 ). in another example of the 3rd embodiment , two or more devices can be configured such that they form โ star โ configurations ( 008 , 011 ). in another example of the 3rd embodiment , two or more devices can be configured such that they form โ circle โ configurations ( 012 , 013 , 014 ). in another example of the 3rd embodiment , two or more devices can be configured such that they form โ s โ configurations ( 015 , 016 , 017 ), or variations of the โ s โ configurations ( 018 , 019 ). the fourth embodiment of this invention , shown in figure ( 023 ) comprises of rapidly removable and replaceable grips or handles ( b ), or performance or comfort enhancing modules such as color changing led modules ( a ). the grips ( b ) or other modules are held in place by one or more of a plurality of attachment means . in some embodiments , the attachment means are built in magnets , with this configuration being suitable for rapid , temporary assembly and / or rapid reconfiguration , including reconfiguration during a performance . in other embodiment &# 39 ; s , the attachment means are fasteners such as threaded bolts and nuts , used for a more solid assembly . in other embodiment &# 39 ; s , other attachment means known in the art are used . in other embodiments , the grips , or other modules , may have light modules in them , such as color changing led . in an example of the 4th embodiment , the performer may use the device as single units or in any variety of configurations of any number of units , the performer may then snap , or secure , grips onto the device to achieve a more comfortable grip or handle . the performer may choose to affix grips with lights in them or other light modules to enhance the performance through the use of any single color or color changing lights . fig1 . device as a single unit with basic dimensions shown . fig2 . device as a single unit with main components shown . fig3 . device as two units attached in a โ fan โ configuration . fig4 . device as three units attached in a โ fan โ configuration . fig5 . device as four units attached in a โ fan โ configuration . fig6 . device as two units attached in a โ cross โ configuration . fig7 . device as three units with two in โ fan โ configuration as in figure and a third flipped in โ cross โ configuration . fig1 . device as four units with three in โ fan โ configuration and a third flipped in โ cross โ configuration . fig1 . device as two units attached in a โ circle โ configuration . fig1 . device as two units attached in an alternate โ circle โ configuration . fig1 . device as two units attached in an alternate โ circle โ configuration . fig1 . device as two units attached in an โ s โ configuration . fig1 . device as two units attached in an โ s โ configuration with a finger loop bracket also installed . this additional finger loop bracket will allow the user to spin the โ s โ configuration around user &# 39 ; s finger . fig1 . device as two units attached in an alternate โ s โ configuration . fig1 . device as four units attached in a double โ s โ configuration . fig1 . device as six units attached in an alternate double โ s โ configuration . fig2 . person holding a single device showing the range of movement allowed by rotating the device 360 degrees in the wrist . figure shows the device as the wicks pass on either side of the fore arm . fig2 . images of persons holding a single device showing how the device can be passed over portions of the body or other objects . figure shows the device as the wicks pass on either side of the upper arm . fig2 . images of persons holding a single device showing how the device can be passed over portions of the body or other objects . figure shows the device as the wicks pas on either side of the leg . fig2 . device as a single unit with removable grips and light modules shown . fig2 . finger loop bracket . allows user to mount bracket to devise to add an extra finger loop where needed . | 5 |
referring now to fig1 the spear apparatus 2 is shown as part of a bottom hole assembly 4 that includes a jar 6 for jarring an object 7 contained within the well bore . as depicted in fig1 a drilling rig 8 is situated on a drilling platform 10 that may be a semi - submersible drilling rig . a sub - sea tree 12 is situated on the sea floor 14 which isolates the bore hole 16 , surface casing 18 and intermediate casing ( not shown ) as is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art . a work string 22 extends from the drilling rig 8 . the work string 22 may be drill pipe , coiled tubing , snubbing pipe , or production string . this list is illustrative . the work string 22 will have a bottom hole assembly 4 attached thereto that may include a jar 6 even though other types of devices are certainly possible . as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , as the angle of the bore hole 16 deviates from vertical to horizontal , the possibly of sticking down hole assemblies increases . also , many down hole assemblies may require manipulation and / or application of force for proper operation and functioning . thus , the highly deviated wells cause a significant problem with delivering force and / or rotation to the bottom hole assembly 4 . alternatively , if the bottom hole assembly 4 becomes lodged , transmitting force to the lodged assembly is very difficult . an advantage of the present invention is that the object 7 may be latched onto , pumped through with fluid , and unlatched multiple times ( if desired ) in order to accomplish the necessary task as will be more fully understood hereinafter . the present invention is applicable to many other uses within a well such as during a completion or work over phase . thus , the present invention allows the operator to engage an object and thereafter transmit a longitudinal force thereto . it should be noted that through out the description , like numbers in the drawings refer to like components . referring now to fig2 a & amp ; 2b , the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explained . as seen in fig2 b , the spear apparatus 2 generally comprises an upper mandrel housing member 30 that contains an outer cylindrical surface 32 that contains an opening 34 for placement of a set screw ( not shown ). the surface 32 terminates at the radial surface 36 which in turn extends to the inner cylindrical surface 38 and shoulder 40 . the shoulder will extend to the internal thread means 42 which in turn stretches to the bore 44 and the internal thread means 46 . the mandrel 48 contains the external thread means 50 that cooperate with the internal thread means 42 . the mandrel 48 extends to the cylindrical surface 52 . the cylindrical surface 52 has contained therein an activating means 54 for activating the locking means which will be described in greater detail later in the application . the activating means 54 in the preferred embodiment is an aperture 54 communicating the outer diameter of the mandrel 48 with the inner diameter of the mandrel 48 . as seen in fig2 a , the surface 52 will also contain the groove 56 that contains the surfaces 56a , 56b , and 56c . the surface 52 continues to the reduced diameter surface 58 which in turn extends to the chamfered surface 60 and in turn extends the cylindrical surface 62 , with the surfaces 60 , 62 being also referred to as cam surfaces . the cylindrical surface 62 terminates at the radial shoulder 64 that extends to the cylindrical surface 66 , with the surface 66 continuing to the chamfered surface 68 . the chamfered surface 68 will in turn lead to the end 70 , with the end 70 leading to the angled surface 72 that in turn leads to the first inner bore 74 and second inner bore ( of increased diameter ) 76 which is in communication with the bore 44 . as seen in fig2 b , the activating means aperture 54 is in communication with the bore 76 . the collet member 80 will now be described . the collet member 80 generally comprises an upper housing 82 , collet housing 84 , and lower housing 86 . the upper housing 82 has a first outer cylindrical surface 88 that extends to the radial shoulder 90 that terminates at the second outer cylindrical surface 92 , with the surface 92 having contained therein an opening 93 for placement of an allen screw ( not shown ). extending radially inward will be the internal thread means 94 that in turn extends to the first inner bore surface 96 . the first inner bore surface 96 leads to the chamfered surface 98 that in turn extends to the second inner bore surface 100 , with the second inner bore surface 100 concluding at the radial shoulder 102 . the radial shoulder 102 concludes at the third inner bore 104 which in turn stretches to the fourth inner bore ( of reduced inner diameter ) 106 , with the fourth inner diameter bore 106 containing thereon a groove for placement of a seal member ( o - ring 107 ). the fourth inner bore 106 terminates at the shoulder 108 . as seen in fig2 b , a spring cell 193 is formed between the shoulder 108 , mandrel 48 , and the inner cylindrical surface 38 for placement of a biasing means 110 for biasing the collet member 80 . the biasing means 110 may be a conical spring , belleville washer springs , or even a charged inert gas . referring now to fig2 a , the collet housing 84 will now be described . the collet housing 84 has external thread means 112 that cooperate with the internal thread means 94 , with external thread means 112 extending to surface 114 and on to the shoulder 116 . the shoulder 116 terminates at the outer cylindrical surface 118 which in turn extends to the shoulder 120 . the shoulder 120 terminates at the surface 122 which continues to the external thread means 124 which in turn extends to the collet tines 126 outer cylindrical surface 127 ( not shown in fig2 a ). the collet tines 126 may be a solid piece , or may be formed as several individual segments . in the preferred embodiment , the tines 126 will be individual segments that extend from the continuous collet housing 84 . by having individual segments , the collet tines 126 have more elasticity for engagement with the down hole object , as will be more fully explained . in the preferred embodiment , the individual tines 126 will be bowed , or contracted , as seen in fig4 . the individual collet tines 126 outer cylindrical surface will extend to the chamfered surface 128 which in turn terminates at the outer surface 130 , with the outer surface 130 concluding at the angled surface 132 . the angled surface 132 stretches to the radial end 134 , with the radial end 134 cooperating with the radial shoulder 64 of the mandrel 48 . extending radially inward will be the inner surface 136 that cooperates with the cylindrical surface 62 of the mandrel 48 , with the inner surface 136 extending to the angled surface 138 which in turn extends to the inner surface 140 . the lower housing 86 is seen in fig2 a . generally , the lower housing 86 comprises an outer cylindrical surface 144 that has disposed therein an opening 146 for placement of an allen screw ( not shown ), with the surface 144 terminating at the radial end 148 . extending radially inward will be the inner bore surface 150 that will have contained thereon the internal thread means 152 that cooperate with the external threads 124 . the inner bore surface 150 concludes at the radial end 154 . with reference to fig2 a , the locking means for locking the collet member 80 with the mandrel 48 will now be described . the locking means consist of a detent member 160 , a detent housing 162 , and a piston means 164 for activating detent member 160 and detent housing 162 into a locked position . a chamber area 159 is formed by upper housing 82 , collet housing 84 , seal member 107 and the mandrel 48 . the detent housing 162 , detent member 160 , and piston means 164 are located within the chamber 159 . fig3 depicts an enlarged sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the detent housing 162 and piston means 164 . generally , the detent housing 162 comprises an outer cylindrical surface 166 that concludes at radial end 168 which in turn extends radially inward to the inner bore surface 170 . as depicted , multiple slots 172 have been milled into the housing 162 so that arms are formed on the housing 162 for cooperation with the piston means 164 as will be more fully explained . the inner bore surface 170 terminates at the radial end 174 . the piston means 164 comprises an outer cylindrical surface 176 having a groove 177 for placement of a sealing device ( not shown ), with the surface 176 that concludes at the radial end 178 . extending radially inward will be the first inner bore surface 180 and second inner bore surface 182 , with the first inner bore 180 containing a groove 184 for placement of an o - ring . the second inner bore surface 182 concludes at the end 186 . as depicted in fig3 the piston means 164 has a plurality of slots 188 milled therein generating multiple prongs 190 for cooperation with the slots 172 of the detent housing . the individual prongs 190 will have angled faces 192 . the detent means 160 ( shown in fig2 b but not shown in fig3 ) for cooperating with the groove 56 will be placed in between the piston means 164 and the detent housing 162 . while the detent member 160 shown is a spherical device , other shapes may be used such as oval , lug shaped , etc . in operation of the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 a & amp ; 2b , the apparatus 2 will be positioned within the well bore 16 via attachment to the work string 22 . the work string 22 may be a drill string , coiled tubing , snubbing pipe , etc . the work string 22 with attached spear apparatus 2 ( connected via the internal thread means 46 ) will be lowered into the well bore in the run - in position seen in fig2 a - 2b , which is also known as latched or engaged . as seen in fig2 a - 2b , the spear apparatus 2 has no compressive load . therefore , the spring member 38 within the chamber 193 acts against the shoulder 108 so that the collet member 80 is extended , and in particular , the collet tines 126 are urged against the radial shoulder 64 of the mandrel 48 . the position seen in fig2 a & amp ; 2b may be referred to as the latched , run and / or engaged position . the detent member 160 is secured into the detent housing 162 for cooperation with the piston means 164 . since the detent member 160 is not positioned within relative to each other i . e . the mandrel 48 and collet member 80 are not locked together . referring now to fig4 the spear apparatus 2 is shown in the compressed position when a load has been applied to the tool to sufficiently bias the spring within the spring cell 193 . this situation arises , for instance , when the operator is lowering the spear 2 on the work string 22 into engagement ( latching ) with the down hole object 7 to be latched onto . another situation may be that the operator is ready to unlatch from the down hole object 7 . yet another situation includes when the operator desires to transmit a down jarring action via the work string 22 to the down hole object 7 . thus , in the position seen in fig4 the work string 22 has been slacked - off so that the weight of the work string 22 is transmitted to the down hole object 7 . this in turn causes the mandrel 48 to be lowered relative to the object 7 as well as the collet member 80 so that the spring within the spring cell 193 is compressed . once the spring is fully compressed , the mandrel 48 and the collet member 80 can no longer be lowered . at the fully compressed position , a down jarring action may be attempted by the operator . the down jarring action may be desirable in order to dislodge the down hole object 7 , or alternatively , may be desirable in causing necessary mechanical manipulation to set or un - set down hole devices such as packers . during the course of operations , the operator may desire to pump a fluid down the inner diameter of the work string 22 and inner diameter 74 , 76 of the spear apparatus 2 . thus , pumping of the fluid would begin . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , the fluid being pumped down the inner diameter of the spear apparatus 2 would also enter the activating means 54 , and the hydraulic pressure thus created would act in the chamber 159 . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , the pressure increase within the chamber 159 acts on the piston means 164 , and in particular , the radial end 178 . in turn , the pressure within the chamber 159 will force the piston means 164 into engagement with the detent housing 162 , with the multiple prongs 190 cooperating with multiple slots 172 . the detent member 160 is held within the housing by the hydraulic pumping . the angled faces 192 will be pressed against the detent member 160 . with reference to fig5 once the operator slacks off weight , i . e . lifts up on the work string , continued pumping will in turn cause the detent member 160 to be urged into the groove 56 since the angled faces 192 of the prongs 190 cooperate with the curved detent member 160 in order to force the detent member 160 into the groove 56 . the angled nature of the faces 192 insure that detent member 160 falls into the groove 56 regardless if the well bore is vertical or horizontal . once the detent member 160 is in the groove 56 , continued pumping creates a continuous pressure within the chamber 159 so that the piston means 164 continues to act on the detent housing 162 . this continued pumping acts to force the detent member 160 onto the face 56c thereby holding the detent member 160 into the groove 56 . when the detent member 160 is held into place as described , the mandrel 48 and collet member 80 will be effectively locked together . as seen in fig5 this may be referred to as the released position since the tool 2 is effectively release from the fishing neck , or alternatively , may be referred to as the locked position since the mandrel 48 and the collet member 80 are locked together . the operator may exert a pulling force on the work string , or may alternatively , exert a downward force on the work string . regardless , the mandrel 48 and collet member 80 stay locked together as long as pumping is continued . thus , during the pumping , the operator may pull out of the well since the collet tines surface 130 is free to collapse to surface 58 . in order to release from the locked position , the operator may discontinue pumping . the piston means 164 will no longer be urged downward into engagement with the detent housing 162 . thus , the detent members 160 are allowed to fall out of the groove 56 . the operator may then raise the work string 22 which in effect raises the mandrel 48 . this has the effect of allowing the biasing means 110 to expand and urge the collet member 80 downward relative to the mandrel 48 into the position seen in fig2 . note the position of the collet tines 126 in relation to the cam surfaces 60 , 62 of the mandrel 48 which effectively expands the collet surface 130 into engagement with the fishing neck of the down hole object . this position of the spear apparatus 2 also corresponds to the latched position . if the tool 2 is latched to the object , the operator may begin to pull on the work string 22 which effectively pulls the object in order to dislodge it . if it is desired to pump fluid again , the tool 2 will not return to the locked position of fig5 . according to the teachings of the present invention , the tool will not go from the latched position of fig2 and return to the locked position of fig5 ( where the collet and mandrel are locked together ) unless the tool 2 is set on a bottom overcoming the biasing of the spring 110 . referring now to fig6 a cross - sectional view of the collet tines 126 about the mandrel 48 taken along line a -- a of fig2 b . thus , the individual collet tines 126 have been separated apart via the cam surfaces 60 , 62 of mandrel 48 . the outer surface 130 of the collet tines 126 may be used to engage with the down hole object . fig7 represents the a cross - sectional view of the collet tines 126 taken along line b -- b of fig4 . thus , the individual collet tines 126 are allowed to collapse to the reduced outer surface 58 of the mandrel 48 thereby allowing the outer surface 130 to clear the down hole object &# 39 ; s opening i . e . fishing neck . a sequence of figures showing the preferred embodiment of fig2 entering , being latched within an object , and thereafter being released will now be described . fig8 is an illustration showing the embodiment of fig2 a & amp ; 2b entering a fishing neck of a bottom hole object . thus , the cylindrical surface 62 of the mandrel 48 is allowed through the opening 200 of the object 202 which will in turn contact the angled surface 132 , and in particular , push the tines 126 up relative to the mandrel 48 thereby allowing the tines to contract about the surface 58 . the object 202 contains a first diameter inner bore 204 that extends to the second diameter inner bore 206 so that an engagement area is formed , which is commonly referred to as a fishing neck . the spear 2 may be continued to be lowered which allows the mandrel 48 to continue downward relative to the object 200 . this continued movement will compress the spring 110 . due to the reduced diameter of the mandrel surface 58 , the tines 126 will be allowed to collapse about the mandrel thereby allowing the outer surface 130 to pass the opening 200 of the object 202 . referring now to fig9 the spear 2 of fig8 is shown entered into the opening 200 of the bottom hole object 202 . thus , the collet tines 126 were not allowed to proceed downward into the inner bore 206 due to the outer diameter of the tines 130 . next , and as seen in fig1 , the tines 126 will expand within the fishing neck with an upward pull on the work string due to their interaction with the cam surface 60 , 62 . in this position , the outer surface 130 engages with the inner bore 204 and opening 200 so that the spear 2 is latched into the object 202 . the operator may wish to begin pumping the fluid down the work string 22 . if the operator wishes to release from the object , the operator will slack off weight on the work string 22 so that the tines may collapse about the mandrel 126 , and then initiate pumping which will in turn lock the detent members 160 into the groove 56 as previously described and as shown in fig5 . once the locking means have been activated , the operator may pull out of the opening 200 since the tines 126 have been allowed to contract as seen in fig1 . the operator is given the option of pulling into and out of the object 202 with the design of the present invention . fig1 depicts another embodiment of the invention herein disclosed . this embodiment will contain a spring means 230 for biasing the piston means 164 into the detent housing 162 and into the groove 56 as previously described . the spring means 230 may be a conical spring and will be located within the spring chamber 232 that is formed between the housing 82 and the mandrel 48 . in operation , as the mandrel 48 is lowered into contact with the object , the collet tines 126 will be allowed to slide about the mandrel 48 . the continued downward movement of the work string will compress spring means 110 and once the groove 56 is aligned with the detent member 160 , the spring means 230 will urge detent member 160 into the groove so that the collet member 80 is locked relative to the mandrel 48 . once locked , the operation of pumping may progress as previously described with reference to fig9 . in order to unlock the collet member 80 from the mandrel 48 , the operator will slack - off weight so that the mandrel end 68 and collet tine end 134 are both contacting the object thereby transmitting a force to the spring 110 so that the spring 110 compresses . once the spring 110 is compressed , shoulder 36 will abutt shoulder 90 which in turn allows the detent member 160 to become unseated within the groove 56 . once unseated , the operator can lift - up on the work string quickly which in turn allows the spring 230 to urge the detent member 160 and the detent housing 162 downward relative to the mandrel 48 , as seen in fig1 . changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 4 |
hereinafter , the present invention is described by specific embodiments with reference to the accompanied drawings to make the principle , the features , and advantages of the present invention more apparent . as shown in fig4 , in a first case of ms handover , the bs allocates two service connections with same qos for each of the downlink and the uplink of the ms in the process of switching the ms to a bs from an rs attached thereto , or from a bs to an rs attached thereto , so as to ensure that respective bandwidth is allocated for the ms both in the source bs and the destination bs . in the process of handover , there are two service paths at the same time between the ms and the bs , one is a direct path between the ms and the bs , another is a relay path passing through the rs . in order to be distinguished , hereinafter different ies will be described on the senders and receivers of the burst blocks indicated by the ies , for example , a bs - rs ie indicates an ie specifying a parameter of a burst block sent from a bs to an rs , i . e ., an ie in a dl - map message ; an rs - ms ie indicates an ie specifying a parameter of a burst block sent from an rs to an ms , which may be a relay - ie in a ul - map or a dl - map message , or an ie in a ul - map ( rs ) or a dl - map ( rs ) message . bs downlink direction indicates a direction in which a bs sends data to its direct underling ( rs or ms ); bs uplink direction indicates a direction in which a direct underling ( rs or ms ) of a bs sends data to the bs ; rs downlink direction indicates a direction in which an rs sends data to its direct underling ( ms ); rs uplink direction indicates a direction in which a direct underling ( ms ) of an rs sends data to the rs . as shown in fig6 and 7 , in a first embodiment of the present invention , a solution for implementing handover is as follows : 1 ) in the bs downlink direction , the bs sends same data to the rs and the ms respectively , and uses a bs - rs ie and a bs - ms ie respectively in the dl - map to indicate burst blocks in different positions . the rs receives downlink data according to the bs - rs ie indication , and the ms receives downlink data according to the bs - ms ie indication ; 2 ) in the bs uplink direction , the bs uses an rs - bs ie and an ms - bs ie respectively in the ul - map to indicate burst blocks in different positions . the rs sends uplink data according to the rs - bs ie indication , and the ms sends uplink data according to the ms - bs ie indication . 3 ) in the rs downlink direction , a relay data parameter forwarded by the rs to the ms can be indicated by a relay - ie in the dl - map ( rs ) or dl - map in the bs frame structure , and define the position and profile of each burst in the respective ms downlink connection passing through the rs . according to different rs relay modes , the ms retrieves a relay parameter in two ways : ( a ) high - level relay mode , where the relay parameter of the ms is retrieved through the rs relaying ; ( b ) simplified relay mode , where only relayed data pass through the rs , the relay parameter of the ms is retrieved by receiving the respective position of the bs frame . 4 ) in the rs uplink direction , a relay data parameter to be forwarded by the rs from the ms to the bs can be indicated by the relay - ie in the ul - map ( rs ) or ul - map ; and define the position and the profile of each burst in the respective ms uplink connection passing through the rs . with this solution , the bs needs to allocate bandwidths both for the rs and the ms ( for example , occupying different sub - channels ). as shown in fig6 , the bs employs a unicast mode , and the relay data parameters forwarded by the rs to the ms and bs are indicated by the relay - ie in the dl - map and ul - map . dl - burst 1 , dl - burst 2 and dl - burst 3 are data blocks respectively sent from the bs to the rs , from the bs to the ms , and from the rs to the ms , in which dl - burst 2 and the dl - burst 3 should be data blocks with same contents , while dl - burst 1 should contain at least the contents of dl - burst 2 and dl - burst 3 ( because the rs may have data from other mss to relay ). ul - burst 1 , ul - burst 2 and ul - burst 3 are data blocks respectively sent from the ms to the rs , from the rs to the bs and from the ms to the bs , in which ul - burst 1 and the ul - burst 3 should be data blocks with same contents , while ul - burst 2 should contain at least the contents of ul - burst 1 and ul - burst 3 ( because the rs may have data from other mss to relay ). as shown in fig7 , the bs employs a unicast mode , and the relay data parameters forwarded by the rs to the ms and bs are indicated by the dl - map ( rs ) and ul - map ( rs ). contents of other data blocks are the same as that in fig6 . as shown in fig8 and 9 , in a second embodiment of the present invention , solution for implementing handover is as follows : 1 ) in the bs downlink direction , the bs sends only one set of data , the bs - rs ie and the bs - ms ie in the dl - map indicate the burst block at a same position for the rs and the ms to receive at the same position . the rs receives downlink data according to the bs - rs ie indication , and the ms receives downlink data according to the bs - ms ie indication ; 2 ) in the bs uplink direction , the bs employs the rs - bs ie and the ms - bs ie in the ul - map respectively to indicate the burst block at a same position . the rs sends uplink data according to the rs - bs ie indication , and the ms sends uplink data according to the ms - bs ie indication ; 3 ) the relay data parameters between the rs and the ms are set in the same way as that in the first embodiment . compared with the first embodiment , the rs and the ms in this embodiment obtain the same bandwidths , but occupy the bs bandwidth by only half of that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig8 , the bs employs a multicast mode , and relay data parameters forwarded by the rs to the ms and bs are indicated by the relay - ie in the dl - map and ul - map . as shown in fig9 , the bs employs a multicast mode , and relay data parameters forwarded by the rs to the ms and bs are indicated by the dl - map ( rs ) and ul - map ( rs ). in addition to the first and second embodiments , in the first case of handover , it is also possible to re - map only the bs - rs ie and bs - ms ie in the bs downlink dl - map , or re - map only the rs - bs ie and ms - bs ie in the bs uplink ul - map . as shown in fig1 and 19 , in the first and the second embodiments for the first case of handover , a basic handover flow exemplified by an ms switching from an rs to a bs is as follows : 1 ) before handover , the ms receives data blocks forwarded by the rs according to the dl - map ( relay - ie ) or the dl - map ( rs ) indication received directly from the bs or relayed by the rs ; and sends data blocks to the rs according to the dl - map ( relay - ie ) or the dl - map ( rs ) indication received directly from the bs or relayed by the rs . 2 ) the handover process is initiated , the bs ensures that there are two service paths between the bs and the ms , such as , in the downlink direction : ( a ) bs โ rs , rs โ ms ; ( b ) bs โ ms ; and in the uplink direction , ( a ) ms โ rs , rs โ bs ; ( b ) ms โ bs ; ( for hard handover ( fbss ):) 3 ) the ms ceases receiving data from or sending data to the rs firstly ; 4 ) the ms starts to receive data or send data to the bs directly ; 3 ) the ms receives data from or sends data to the bs directly without interrupting receiving data from or sending data to the rs ; 4 ) the ms interrupts receiving data from or sending data to the rs ; fig1 and 11 show another solution of the present invention where a dedicated relay zone is already allocated in the frame structure , and other embodiments are similar to this . dl - zone switch ie indicates the starting position of a dl relay zone , and ul - zone switch ie indicates the starting position of a ul relay zone . data relayed by the rs to the ms presents in the dl relay zone , and data from the ms relayed by the rs to the bs presents in the ul relay zone . as shown in fig5 , in the second case of ms handover , the ms moves to switch from rs 1 to rs 2 . similar to the processing in the first case of handover , the bs needs to ensure that same connection bandwidths are available in both the handover source station ( rs 1 ) and the handover destination station ( rs 2 ) to be allocated to the ms during the ms handover process . in the process of handover , there are two service paths exist between the ms and the bs , one is a relay path passing through the rs 1 , and another is a relay path passing through the rs 2 . embodiments of the present invention also provide an apparatus for configuring service paths in a relay system . the apparatus includes : a determining unit adaped to determine whether an ms needs handover or not , the handover including handover between a bs and an attached rs or handover between different rss attached to a bs ; a configuring unit adapted to configure the service paths ; in which : when the determining unit determines that the ms needs handover between a bs and an rs attached thereto , or between different rss attached to a bs , the configuring unit configures service paths respectively between a handover source station and the ms and between a handover destination station and the ms . as shown in fig1 and 13 , in a third embodiment of the present invention , solution for implementing handover is as follows : 1 ) in the bs downlink direction , the bs - rs 1 ie and the bs - rs 2 ie in the dl - map indicate burst blocks at different positions respectively , i . e ., the bs sends same data to the rs 1 and the rs 2 respectively . the rs 1 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 1 ie indication , and the rs 2 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 2 ie indication ; 2 ) in the bs uplink direction , the bs employs the rs 1 - bs ie and the rs 2 - bs ie in the ul - map to indicate burst blocks at different positions respectively . the rs 1 sends uplink data according to the rs 1 - bs ie indication , and the rs 2 sends uplink data according to the rs 2 - bs ie indication ; 3 ) in the rs downlink direction , relay data parameters forwarded to the ms by the rs 1 and the rs 2 can be indicated by the relay - ie in the dl - map ( rs ) or the dl - map in the bs frame structure , and point at burst blocks at different positions which is received in diversity combination by the ms . the ms retrieves the relay parameters in two ways depending on the different rs relay modes : ( a ) in a high - level relay mode , the relay parameters of the ms are retrieved through rs relaying ; ( b ) in a simplified relay mode , only relay data pass through the rs , the relay parameters of the ms are retrieved through receiving respective positions of the bs frame by the ms ; 4 ) in the rs uplink direction , relay data parameters from the ms to be relayed by the rs 1 and the rs 2 to the bs can be indicated by the relay - ie in the ul - map ( rs ) and the ul - map in the bs frame structure , and point at burst blocks at different positions ; the ms needs to send two same sets of data . as shown in fig1 , the bs - rs 1 in the dl - map indicates the position of each burst in the respective connection of the ms attached to the rs 1 in the downlink direction ; the bs - rs 2 ie in the dl - map indicates the position of each burst in the respective connection of the ms attached to the rs 2 in the downlink direction ; the rs 1 - bs ie in the ul - map indicates the position of each burst in the respective connection of the ms attached to the rs 1 in the uplink direction ; the rs 2 - bs ie in the ul - map indicates the position of each burst in the respective connection of the ms attached to the rs 2 in the uplink direction . the dl - burst 1 , dl - burst 2 , dl - burst 3 and dl - burst 4 are data blocks sent respectively from the bs to the rs 1 , from the bs to the rs 2 , from the rs 1 to the ms and from the rs 2 to the ms . the dl - burst 3 and dl - burst 4 should be data blocks with same contents , and the dl - burst 1 and dl - burst 2 should contain at least the contents of the dl - burst 3 and dl - burst 4 ( because the rs 1 and the rs 2 may have data from other mss to relay ). the ul - burst 1 , ul - burst 2 , ul - burst 3 and ul - burst 4 are data blocks sent respectively from the ms to the rs 1 , from the ms to the rs 2 , from the rs 1 to the bs and from the rs 2 to the bs . the ul - burst 1 and ul - burst 2 should be data blocks with same contents , and the ul - burst 3 and the ul - burst 4 should contain at least the contents of the ul - burst 1 and ul - burst 2 ( because the rs 1 and rs 2 may have data from other mss to relay ). as shown in fig1 and 15 , in a fourth embodiment of the present invention , solution for implementing handover is as follows : 1 ) in the bs downlink direction , the bs sends only one set of data , the bs - rs 1 ie and the bs - rs 2 ie in the dl - map indicate the burst block at a same position for the rs 1 and the rs 2 to receive at the same position . the rs 1 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 1 ie indication , and the rs 2 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 2 ie indication ; 2 ) in the bs uplink direction , the bs employs the rs 1 - bs 1 ie and the rs 2 - bs ie in the ul - map to indicate the burst block at a same position . the rs 1 sends uplink data according to the rs 1 - bs ie indication , and the rs 2 sends uplink data according to the rs 2 - bs ie indication ; 3 ) the relay data parameters between the rs and the ms are set in a same way as that in the third embodiment . compared with the third embodiment , the rs 1 and the rs 2 obtain the same bandwidths , but occupy the bs bandwidth by only half of that in the third embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 17 , in a fifth embodiment of the present invention , solution for implementing handover is as follows : 1 ) in the bs downlink direction , the bs - rs 1 and the bs - rs 2 in the dl - map indicate burst blocks respectively at different positions , i . e ., the bs sends same data to the rs 1 and rs 2 respectively . the rs 1 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 1 ie indication , and the rs 2 receives downlink data according to the bs - rs 2 ie indication ; 2 ) in the bs uplink direction , the bs employs the rs 1 - bs ie and the rs 2 - bs ie in the ul - map to indicate burst blocks at different positions . the rs 1 sends uplink data according to the rs 1 - bs ie indication , and the rs 2 sends uplink data according to the rs 2 - s ie indication ; 3 ) in the rs downlink direction , relay data parameters forwarded by the rs 1 and rs 2 to the ms can be indicated by the relay - ie in the dl - map ( rs ) or the dl - map in the bs frame structure , and points at the burst block at a same position , which is received in diversity combination by the ms ; 4 ) in the rs uplink direction , relay data parameters from the ms forwarded by the rs 1 and the rs 2 to the bs can be indicated by the relay - ie in the ul - map ( rs ) or the ul - map in the bs frame structure , and points at the burst block at a same position . the ms needs to send two same sets of data . in addition to the third , fourth and fifth embodiments , in the second case of handover , the solution may also include other combinations of the following four aspects : ( 1 ) whether the bs - rs 1 ie and the bs - rs 2 ie in the bs downlink are re - mapped or not ; ( 2 ) whether the rs 1 - bs ie and the rs 2 - bs ie in the bs uplink are remapped or not ; ( 3 ) whether the rs 1 - ms ie and the rs 2 - ms ie in the rs downlink are re - mapped or not ; and ( 4 ) whether the ms - rs 1 ie and the ms - rs 2 ie in the rs uplink are re - mapped or not . fig1 and 19 show respectively the handover flows for hard handover and the soft handover performed by the ms in embodiments of the present invention . as exemplified by the ms switching from the rs 1 to the rs 2 in the second case of handover , the basic handover flow is as follows : 1 ) before handover , the ms receives data blocks forwarded by the rs 1 according to the dl - map ( relay - ie ) or the dl - map ( rs ) indication directly received from the bs or relayed by the rs 1 ; and sends data blocks to the rs 1 according to the dl - map ( relay - ie ) or the dl - map ( rs ) indication directly received from the bs or relayed by the rs 1 ; 2 ) the handover process is initiated , the bs ensures that there are two service paths between the bs and the ms , such as , in the downlink direction : ( a ) bs โ rs 1 , rs 1 โ ms ; ( b ) bs โ rs 2 , rs 2 โ ms ; in the uplink direction , ( a ) ms โ rs 1 , rs 1 โ bs ; ( b ) ms โ rs 2 , rs 2 โ bs ; 3 ) the ms ceases receiving data from or sending data to the rs 1 firstly ; 4 ) the ms starts to receive data from or send data to the rs 2 directly ; 3 ) the ms receives data from or sends data to the rs 2 directly without interrupting receiving data from or sending data to the rs 1 ; 4 ) the ms interrupts receiving data from or sending data to the rs 1 ; in the embodiment , when a dedicated relay zone is already allocated in the frame structure , operation is similar to that in the first embodiment . a dl - zone switch ie is appended in the dl - map message to indicate the starting position of a dl relay zone , and a ul - zone switch ie is appended in the ul - map message to indicate the starting position of a ul relay zone . data forwarded by the rs 1 or rs 2 to the ms present in the dl relay zone , data to be relayed by rs 1 or rs 2 from the ms to the bs present in the ul relay zone . in the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention , when an ms switches between a bs and an rs attached thereto , or between different rss attached to a bs , service paths are configured by the bs respectively between the handover source station and the ms , and between the handover destination station and the ms , so as to ensure service continuity in the ma handover process and improve the handover reliability . furthermore , in this method , the downlink and uplink map information elements may be re - mapped to a same burst block position to save bandwidth . the above embodiments are used for illustrating and explaining the principle of the present invention . it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments . for those skilled in the art , various alterations and modifications without departing from the substance and the range of the present invention should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention . | 7 |
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawing , which form a part hereof . the illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description , drawing , and claims are not meant to be limiting . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here . first , the multimode terminal has a module that supports a plurality of communication schemes ( for example , a code division multiple access ( cdma ), a global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), and the like ). the multimode terminal may have a plurality of communication modules that supports the plurality of communication schemes , respectively , or may support the plurality of communication schemes through a software defined radio ( sdr ) function . second , the multimode terminal may perform a multimode relay ( hereinafter , mrs ) function . mrs indicates that a terminal performs a repeater function with respect to another communication scheme at the same time of operating as a general mobile communication terminal through a predetermined communication scheme . that is , the mrs indicates providing , as a repeater with respect to another terminal , a communication module that is not being currently utilized for communication with a serving base station within the multimode terminal . third , the mrs function enables on / off based on a setting of a user of the multimode terminal . fourth , when a remaining battery amount of the multimode terminal is decreased to be less than a predetermined value , performing of the mrs function may be limited even though the mrs function is in an on state . fifth , when the multimode terminal employs a resource of the multimode terminal for communication relay with another terminal , a resource usage amount of the multimode terminal occurring due to the communication relay may be verified by a base station and a network provider . an incentive may be assigned in proportion to the resource usage amount . sixth , the multimode terminal may perform only a downlink relay function , may perform only an uplink relay function , or may perform all of the downlink relay function and the uplink relay function . seventh , a variety of operation scenarios may be present based on an environment between a base station requesting mrs and the multimode terminal supporting the mrs . when an operation scheme of the multimode terminal varies based on the above operation scenario , a battery usage amount according thereto and the like may also vary . accordingly , an allowance level thereof may be predetermined . hereinafter , exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a case in which a multimode terminal receives an mrs request from a serving base station of the multimode terminal and performs mrs . fig1 is a network configuration to describe a communication relay method according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , and fig2 a through 2c are flowcharts of the communication relay method according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . specifically , fig2 a illustrates a process of requesting and accepting mrs , and fig2 b and 2c illustrate a process of suspending communication relay by a terminal and a base station , respectively . referring to fig1 and fig2 a through 2c , a communication network according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a serving base station 100 , and a multimode terminal 110 and a target terminal 120 that are positioned within coverage of the serving base station 100 . the serving base station 100 is aware of information ( a position of a terminal , a communication scheme , a channel state , whether an mrs function is on or off , and the like ) associated with performing mrs of terminals that communicate with the serving base station 100 . therefore , the serving base station 100 directly selects , as a relay terminal , the multimode terminal 110 that directly supports the mrs function and requests the multimode terminal 110 for the mrs . when the serving base station 100 selects the relay terminal , the serving base station 100 may go through verifying whether a terminal is providing the mrs function , verifying whether a remaining battery amount of the terminal is greater than or equal to a predetermined value , and verifying whether a channel state of the terminal is greater than or equal to a predetermined level . in this instance , when the selected multimode terminal 110 is capable of measuring a channel state with the target terminal 120 , the multimode terminal 110 may transmit the measured channel state to the serving base station 100 . when the channel state is poor , the serving base station 100 may select , as the relay terminal , a new terminal that supports the mrs function . in response to the mrs request , the multimode terminal 110 may automatically perform the mrs function to thereby relay communication between the serving base station 100 and the target terminal 120 . during the communication relay , both the multimode terminal 110 that is performing the mrs function and the serving base station 100 may make a request for suspending the communication relay . when a user switches off the mrs function , when the remaining battery amount is decreased to be less than the predetermined value , or when the channel state is degraded to be less than the predetermined level , the multimode terminal 110 side may make a suspension request . in this instance , the serving base station 100 accepts the suspension request and immediately searches for another multimode terminal to perform the mrs function . when the communication relay is not required any more , or when relay performance of the multimode terminal 110 that is currently performing the mrs function is degraded to be less than the predetermined level , the serving base station 100 side may notify the corresponding multimode terminal 110 about suspension . in response to the notification , the multimode terminal 110 suspends performing of the mrs function and enters into a standby mode in which the multimode terminal 110 waits for the mrs request from the base station . a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication relay method in a case where an mrs request base station is different from a serving base station of a multimode terminal that supports mrs , and the mrs request base station and the serving base station mutually make a close cooperation . fig3 is a network configuration to describe a communication relay method according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , and fig4 is a flowchart of the communication relay method according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . referring to fig3 and 4 , a communication network according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a serving base station 300 , an mrs request base station 301 , a multimode terminal 310 , and a target terminal 320 . the mrs request base station 301 is in a state closely cooperating with the serving base station 300 and thus , may be aware of a portion ( a position of a terminal , a communication scheme , whether an mrs function is on or off , and the like ) of information associated with performing mrs of terminals that support an mrs function through the serving base station 300 , however , may not be accurately aware of some information ( a channel state and the like ). accordingly , a method of basically selecting a terminal candidate group based on remaining information excluding the channel state and then receiving an actual channel state of each of the terminals that belong to the terminal candidate group and selecting the multimode terminal 310 to perform the mrs function is employed . here , there is a method of further narrowing the terminal candidate group . in general , even though a communication scheme is different , or even though a network provider is different , an installation position of a base station may be similar . accordingly , a channel state between the serving base station 300 and the terminal and a channel state between the mrs request base station 301 and the terminal may be estimated to be generally proportional . accordingly , the terminal candidate group may be further narrowed based on the estimated channel state . referring to a process of requesting and accepting mrs , the mrs request base station 301 makes a request for mrs cooperation by providing the neighboring serving base station 300 in mutual cooperation with information ( a position , a communication scheme , a channel state threshold , and the like ) of a multimode terminal to perform the mrs function , which is required by the mrs request base station 301 . next , the serving base station 300 transfers the request of the mrs request base station 301 to terminals of the terminal candidate group that is determined to be appropriate . next , each of the terminals of the terminal candidate group measures a channel state using a communication module corresponding to a requested communication scheme , and transmits the measured channel state to the mrs request base station 301 . in this instance , the channel state basically indicates a channel state between the mrs request base station 301 and a terminal of the terminal candidate group . when the terminal of the terminal candidate group is capable of measuring a channel state with the target terminal 320 , the channel state may further include a channel state between the terminal of the terminal candidate group and the target terminal 320 . next , based on the channel states transmitted from the terminals of the terminal candidate group , the mrs request base station 301 selects , as the relay terminal , the multimode terminal 310 to perform the mrs function . when all of the transmitted channel states are unsatisfactory , the mrs request base station 301 may repeat the above process by requesting the serving base station 300 about the mrs cooperation again . next , the mrs request base station 301 requests the selected multimode terminal 310 to perform the mrs function . in response to the request , the multimode terminal 310 automatically performs the mrs function to relay communication between the mrs request base station 301 and the target terminal 320 . during the communication relay , both of the multimode terminal 310 that is performing the mrs function and the mrs request base station 301 may make a request for suspending the communication relay , which is the same as described above with reference to fig2 b and 2c . a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication relay method in a case where an mrs request base station is different from a serving base station of a multimode terminal that supports mrs and the mrs request base station and the serving base station do not cooperate with each other . fig5 is a flowchart of a communication relay method according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . the network configuration is the same as fig3 . referring to fig3 and 5 , the mrs request base station 301 is not cooperating with the serving base station 300 and thus , is unaware of information ( a position , a communication scheme , a channel state , whether an mrs function is on or off , and the like ) of a multimode terminal to perform the mrs function . accordingly , an mrs request is performed through broadcasting and a relay terminal is selected from among terminals responding thereto . referring to a process of requesting and accepting mrs , the mrs request base station 301 initially transmits terminal request information for performing the mrs function through a broadcasting scheme . in this instance , two correspondence schemes may be employed . first , when no cooperation is performed between base stations , the mrs request base station 301 broadcasts terminal request information only over a network of the mrs request base station 301 . the above scheme may obtain only information of a communication scheme activated in a multimode terminal supporting the mrs function and needs to connect a corresponding communication module based on a predetermined time unit in order to verify an mrs request of other communication schemes . accordingly , additional power consumption may occur . second , the mrs request base station 301 shares terminal request information required by the mrs request base station 301 with other base stations and broadcasts the terminal request information over a network of each of the base stations . the above scheme may obtain the mrs request of various types of communication schemes through activated communication modules of multimode terminals that support the mrs function and thus , enables a more efficient operation . next , each of the terminals having verified the broadcast terminal request information verifies a corresponding channel state . when the channel state satisfies a level required by the mrs request , each of the terminals transmits the channel state to the mrs request base station 301 . here , the channel state basically indicates a channel state between the mrs request base station 301 and a terminal supporting the mrs . when the terminal supporting mrs is capable of measuring a channel state with the target terminal 320 , the channel state may further include a channel state between the corresponding terminal and the target terminal 320 . next , based on the transferred channel states , the mrs request base station 301 selects , as the relay terminal , the multimode terminal 310 to perform the mrs function . when all of the transmitted channel states are unsatisfactory , the mrs request base station 301 may repeat the above process by returning to an operation of broadcasting the mrs request again . next , the mrs request base station 301 requests the selected multimode terminal 310 to perform the mrs function . in response to the request , the multimode terminal 310 automatically performs the mrs function to relay communication between the mrs request base station 301 and the target terminal 320 . during the communication relay , both of the multimode terminal 310 that is performing the mrs function and the mrs request base station 301 may make a request for suspending the communication relay , which is the same as described above with reference to fig2 b and 2c . fig6 is a configuration diagram of a multimode terminal 600 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . referring to fig6 , the multimode terminal 600 of the present disclosure includes a plurality of communication modules 610 to support a plurality of communication schemes , and an mrs module 620 to relay communication between a base station and a target terminal through a communication module that is not being currently utilized by a terminal among the plurality of communication modules 610 , in response to a request of the base station . the mrs module 620 may include an on / off setting unit 621 to provide a user with a setting function about whether to utilize an mrs function , a channel management unit 623 to determine whether a terminal is capable of performing the mrs function by measuring a channel state of the terminal with respect to a communication scheme requested by the base station , a battery management unit 625 to determine whether the terminal is capable of performing the mrs function by monitoring a remaining battery amount of the terminal , and a communication control unit 627 to relay communication between the base station and a target terminal , or to suspend the communication relay by accepting the request of the base station based on a setting state of the on / off setting unit 621 and the determination result of the channel management unit 623 and the battery management unit 625 . the mrs module 620 may further include a state display unit 629 to display whether the terminal is currently performing the mrs function , and / or resource usage amount information of the terminal through the communication relay . a detailed function and operation method of a multimode terminal by each of constituent elements is the same as described above with reference to the first , second , and third exemplary embodiments . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration , and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure . accordingly , the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting , with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in the form of a playing apparatus . the apparatus includes a pickup element 2 for reading the signal from the information carrier . the pickup element 2 includes a read head 4 and usually also a preamplifier 6 . the output of the pickup element 2 is coupled to an input 10 of a signal processing device 12 via an equalizer 8 adapted to equalize the signal . the signal processing device 12 has its input 10 coupled to the inputs of a first signal path 14 and a second signal path 16 . the first signal path 14 includes means 20 for delaying the signal . the second signal path 16 includes means 22 for at least two times differentiating the signal with respect to time . a first input 36 of a controllable switching element 38 is coupled to an output 28 of the first signal path 14 . a second input 40 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to an output 32 of the second signal path 16 . a control input 42 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to an output 34 of a decision circuit 26 . a control signal on the control input 42 of the controllable switching element 38 determines whether the first input 36 or the second input 40 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . the signal processing device shown in fig1 can be implemented with analog components as well as time - discrete components . a first input 24 of the decision circuit 26 is coupled to the output 28 of the signal path 14 . a second input 30 of the decision circuit 26 is coupled to the output 32 of the second signal path 16 . the decision circuit 26 supplies a signal , which is dependent on the signals applied to the first input 24 and the second input 32 of the decision circuit 26 , to the output 34 of the decision circuit 26 . the signal processing device shown in fig1 can be implemented with analog or time - discrete components . fig2 shows a modification of the signal processing device shown in fig1 . all the elements in the figure are controlled by a clock signal having the frequency f s . the clock signal is generated by a clock generator , not shown . the signals in the figure have been sampled with the frequency f s . the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 is coupled to the input 102 of a first time delay element 104 . the signal on the input 102 is delayed by m clock periods and is applied to the output 106 of the first time delay element 104 . the parameter m in said function is a constant having a value greater than or equal to 1 . a first subtracter circuit 108 has a first input 110 coupled to the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 , a second input 112 coupled to the output 106 of the delay element , and an output 114 for transferring the subtraction result . a second time delay element 118 has an input 116 coupled to the output 114 of the subtracter circuit 108 and has an output 120 for transferring the input signal delayed by m clock periods . a second subtracter circuit 122 has a first input 124 coupled to the output 120 of the second time delay element 118 , a second input 126 coupled to the output 128 of the second subtracter circuit 122 , and an output 128 for transferring the subtraction result . a multiplier circuit 130 has an input 132 coupled to the output 128 of the second subtracter circuit 122 and has an output 134 for transferring the input signal multiplied by a constant ยผ . the first time delay element 104 and the first subtracter circuit 108 together form a circuit for a first - order differentiation with respect to time . the signal on the output 114 of the first subtracter circuit 108 corresponds to a first - order differentiated signal received from the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 . the second time delay element 118 and the second subtracter circuit 122 together form a circuit for a first - order differentiation with respect to time , the output signal of the circuit being inverted . the signal on the output 128 of the second subtracter circuit 122 is inverted because the coupling to the first input 124 and the second input 126 has been interchanged with respect to the coupling to the first input 110 and the second input 112 of the first subtracter circuit 108 . by means of the afore - mentioned circuits it is achieved that the signal on the output 128 of the second subtracter circuit 122 corresponds to an inverted second - order differentiated signal from the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 . the constant ยผ of the multiplier circuit 130 has been selected in such a manner that the maximum gain provided by the two first - order differentiation circuits and the multiplier circuit together is substantially equal to 1 . moreover , the time delay element 104 in the present embodiment provides a time delay which is substantially equal to the time delay introduced by the succession of the two first - order differentiation circuits and the multiplier circuit 130 . as a result , the decision circuit 26 and the controllable switching element 38 receive time - equivalent samples at their inputs . table 1 represents three possible versions of the decision circuit 26 . in the table the parameters in1 and in2 represent the time - equivalent samples on , respectively , the first input 24 and the second input 30 of the decision circuit 26 . the last two columns specify the actions to be transferred to the controllable switching element 38 by means of the control signal . the first embodiment of the decision circuit 26 utilizes a criterion to determine the action to be transferred to the controllable switching element 38 by means of the control signal . when the amplitude of the signal on the second input 30 is larger than the amplitude of the signal on the first input 24 the controllable switching element is set to the state in which the second input 40 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . when the amplitude of the signal on the second input 30 is smaller than or equal to the amplitude of the signal on the first input 24 , the controllable switching element is set to the state in which the first input 36 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . the second embodiment of the decision circuit 26 utilizes a condition and a criterion to determine the action to be transferred to the controllable switching element 38 by means of the control signal . when the condition is satisfied the criterion is evaluated . this means that if the polarity of the signal on the first input โ pol ( in1 )โ and the polarity of signal on โ pol ( in2 )โ the second input 30 of the decision circuit 26 are equal is determined whether the amplitude of the signal on the second input 30 is larger than the amplitude of the signal on the first input 24 . compliance with this criterion results in the action in which the second input 40 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . non - compliance with said criterion results in the action in which the first input 36 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . however , if the condition is true that a signal on the first input 24 of the decision circuit 26 has another polarity than a signal on the second input 30 of the decision circuit 26 , it is determined whether the amplitude of the signal on the second input 30 is larger than twice the amplitude of the signal on the first input 24 . compliance with this criterion results in the action in which the second input 40 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . non - compliance with said criterion results in the action in which the first input 36 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . a third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that in the case that the signals on the two inputs of the decision circuit 26 have different polarities , always the first input 36 of the controllable switching element 38 is coupled to the output 44 of the controllable switching element 38 . the operation of the invention shown in fig1 will be explained with reference to the diagrammatic representation of the signal waveforms in the time diagrams in fig3 a , 3 b , 3 c , 3 d , 3 e and 3 f . the signals in the time diagrams are time - continuous representations of the time - discrete signals used in an embodiment . fig3 a shows the error - free signal before it is stored on the information carrier . after the signal has been read from the information carrier by means of a pick - up element 2 and has been equalized by the equalizer 8 a signal as shown in fig3 b is obtained on the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 . this figure clearly shows that some peaks in the signal can drop to values around the average signal value as a result of baseline wander . as a result of this , the zero crossings of these peaks sometimes cannot be detected or are detected at the wrong instants , for example , in a coupled bit detector ( not shown ). fig3 c shows the signal obtained on the output 28 of the first signal path 14 , which includes time delay means 20 , when the signal of fig3 b is applied . when the signal shown in fig3 b is differentiated two times in that the second signal path 16 includes means 22 for performing two differentiations with respect to time , a signal as shown in fig3 d is obtained on the output 32 of the second signal path . subsequently , the signal shown in fig3 c and fig3 d is applied to , respectively , the first input 24 and the second input 30 of the decision circuit . if the decision circuit 26 is in accordance with version 1 of table 1 , the output 34 of the decision circuit 26 supplies a control signal as shown in fig3 e to the input 42 of the controllable switching element 38 . the high value 300 corresponds to the action โ select in2 โ and the low value 302 corresponds to the action โ select in1 โ. the control signal shown in fig3 e is applied to the input 42 of the controllable switching element 38 and ensures that the signals applied to the first input 36 and the second input 40 , which signals are as shown in fig3 c and fig3 d , respectively , are coupled to the output 44 , as a result of which a signal as shown in fig3 f is obtained . in the signal now obtained the zero crossings are more in conformity with the zero crossings in the original signal ( fig3 a ) than the zero crossings in the signal ( fig3 b ) on the input 10 of the signal processing device 12 . it will be evident that the embodiment having a receiving unit in the form of a pickup element 2 has been given merely by way of example . the information carrier in said embodiment can take the form of a tape or disc . however , alternatively a receiving unit can be adapted to receive signals via a digital transmission channel , such as signals via a cable or via the ether . an apparatus in accordance with the invention improves signals received from said information carriers by reducing the influence of inter - symbol interference on the zero crossings of these signals . | 6 |
in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical , mechanical , electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory . these algorithmic descriptions and representations are the ways used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . an algorithm is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result . the steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . it should be borne in mind , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions , terms such as โ processing โ or โ computing โ or โ calculating โ or โ determining โ or โ displaying โ or the like , refer to the action and processes of a computer system , or similar computing device , that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( e . g ., electronic ) quantities within the computer system &# 39 ; s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . in the figures , the same reference number is used throughout to refer to an identical component which appears in multiple figures . signals and connections may be referred to by the same reference number or label , and the actual meaning will be clear from its use in the context of the description . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . the following terms and acronyms may be used in the specification : root - system โ the entity who is the owner and administrator of the router chassis . the root - system user functions with โ root โ privileges over all router components and has the ability to monitor all lrs through the admin plane . rp โ route processor ( manages all cards in a rack and runs routing software for its lr ) primary - admin โ a rp designated for managing the entire physical router . this is where the configuration used to manage and partition the physical router is stored . there may be some system software that only runs here . primary - lr โ the rp where the authoritative configuration to manage the lr is stored . there may be some lr management software that only runs on this node . root - lr โ an external entity that has configuration and management control over a lr . root - lr has control over one lr and can assign users and privileges within that lr . owner - lr โ in some embodiments , this is the lr associated with root - system . it may be the default lr and may be the access point to manage the admin plane . lr user โ an external entity that has restricted ( restrictions defined by the root - system or by the root - lr ) access to a lr . admin plane โ a plane of communication distinct from the intra - lr communication to allow coordination between lrs . lr plane โ a plane of communication that comprises all nodes within a lr and is distinct from the admin plane and all other lr planes . in some embodiments the lr plane of one lr does not overlap physically with that of other lrs . fig1 a is a block diagram of a physical router hardware and operating environment 100 in which different embodiments of the invention can be practiced . in some embodiments of the invention , router 100 includes one or more line card shelves 102 , one or more fabric shelves 104 and one or more optics shelves 106 . a group of one or more shelves may be referred to as a โ rack โ or โ bay โ. in some embodiments , each shelf includes a number of slots capable of accepting and interconnecting differing types of router elements . the shelves are interconnected using fiber optic cables . in some embodiments , fabric shelf 104 is divided into two backplanes , comprising two sets of autonomous control planes that share power and cooling resources within the rack they occupy . in some embodiments , a fabric rack may include up to 48 cards to manage s2 fabric elements . optics shelf 106 is optional , and when part of a router 100 may contain wdm ( wave division multiplexing ) equipment , optical switches used for wavelength switching , and other optical components such as amplifiers and long reach optics . fig1 b is a diagram providing further details of the router hardware and operating environment according to an embodiment of the invention , including the differing types of router elements that may be placed in line card shelves 102 . in some embodiments , router elements that may be placed in the slots of line card shelves 102 include shelves controllers ( sc ), route processors ( rp ) 110 , line cards ( lc ) 112 and distributed route processors ( drp ) 114 . scs or rps 110 may be used to manage the hardware components of a given rack ( bay ) if necessary , although primary control of the entire system , including the rack may be through the primary - admin ( described below ) in some embodiments . in some embodiments there may be two scs or rps 110 per rack for redundancy purposes , with the second sc or rp 110 operating in a stand - by mode . the drp 114 and lc 112 router elements within router environment 100 may be allocated as described in detail below to logical routers configured within router environment 100 . in some embodiments , scs may not be allocated to a lr ; rather they are a resource managed by an admin plane . thus scs are not accessible to the lr operators and are accessible only by the root - system operators . it should be noted that the router elements assigned to a lr may be located in multiple line card racks 102 , they need not be colocated in a single rack . this is further illustrated in fig1 d described below . in some embodiments , scs and / or rps 110 provide the following functions in the line card rack 102 : bringup and image download to cards in the rack inventory management without respect to lr assignment . they will take the primary - admin role according to configuration and election mechanisms . when operating as primary - admin , a rp will perform inventory partitioning among lrs . in some embodiments , once initial partitioning is done and a primary - admin is selected , the subsequent inventory management can be done through the admin plane ( with partitioning data still residing on the rps or scs and being modified through the admin plane ). in other embodiments , the partitioning of the system is predicated on the election of a primary - admin , where the partitioning configuration is stored . synchronization of inventory data between multiple scs / rps oir detection diagnostics of all cards / components in a rack card redundancy / fail - over control environment monitoring and cooling control configuration and monitoring of connections to the cross - connect fabric control of the internal gigabit ethernet and fast ethernet or other buses in some embodiments scs / rps 110 have persistent storage such as a flash memory card or hard disk , and may be used to store the inventory of partitioning of h / w ( cards ) into lrs and diagnostic logs for the local rack and cards within it . the scs in fabric racks 104 and optics racks 106 have similar basic functionality and fabric / optics specific functions as described above with respect to rps 110 . line cards 112 switch data that is traversing the router and have per interface fault monitoring , configuration , accounting and performance monitoring components . line cards 112 also collect statistics regarding the flow of network data passing through the line card 112 . in some embodiments , line cards 112 include a general purpose cpu and specialized switching hardware for packet switching at line rates . in addition , line card 112 may include flash memory to contain a boot image for the line card processor . drp 114 comprises a general purpose processor available to run routing , management and router infrastructure software . in some embodiments , a single drp board insertable in a slot in a line card shelf contains two processing elements . in these embodiments , there are two sets of physical hardware , one for each processing element on the board . in some embodiments , the two processing elements on a board share a fabric connection . boot image software and configuration data is maintained on persistent storage on the drp . in some embodiments , the persistent storage is flash memory , however any persistent storage mechanism known in the art may be used . other software and data may be maintained on a disk such as a pcmcia disk on drp 114 . drps may be used to load share instances of routing processes ( ospf , is - is , bgp etc ). processes running on rps and drps manage the functioning of a lr . for example , a rib ( routing information base , based on the information obtained from drps ) is built , converted to fib ( forwarding information base ) which is then downloaded to line cards using the switch fabric . processes on these cards also perform other network layer 3 functions like restoration , mpls and traffic engineering support , routing protocol and connection management and static routing configuration , acl support etc . a lr is managed through software running on its rps and / or drps . for example , a lr user / root - lr ( either human or machine ) can connect to the lr using corba ( common object request broker architecture ), cli ( command line interpreter ), snmp ( simple network management protocol ) or http ( hyper - text transfer protocol ). the primary - lr contains configuration and provisioning information for a lr and aggregates performance , accounting , and fault management functions for a lr . high bandwidth data is configured through commands hosted on the primary - lr , but the data can be sent directly to an external collector using a path set up through switching fabric and a linecard . persistent storage on a primary - lr element such as a pcmcia disk may be used to store configuration , performance , accounting and fault management data . in some embodiments , a primary - lr performs one or more of the following functions : main programmatic and non - programmatic access point to a lr ( corba / cli / snmp / http support ) lr loopback address / management proxy servers location ( for management connectivity which is routed to the router over the lc interfaces ) lr โ wide configuration creation and modification ( including configuration of interfaces , routing protocols , lr user profiles etc ) lr monitoring access point ( performance , accounting , and fault management at interface granularity level ). maintain operational data โ lc status , routing tables , etc . maintain performance statistics maintain accounting data fault management information โ lc failure control , etc . system diagnostics access and diagnostics related information debugging / diagnostics information warm restart images thus in some embodiments , the primary - lr is at the logical center of the lr and acts as the entity with routing and proxy intelligence . routing and configuration of the lr is distributed across drps 114 , the drps 114 are in turn managed via the primary - lr . if the router system 100 is composed of many lrs , each lr is managed by a separate primary - lr . it is possible that some aspects of the primary - lrs functionality may be distributed across more than one drp 114 or rp 110 card for scalability reasons . it is also possible that the entire router system 100 can function as a single lr . one rp 110 may be designated or elected as a primary - admin . the primary - admin manages the admin plane 140 ( fig1 d ), which is how root - system manages the router . in some embodiments , the primary - admin is used to manage all hardware components of the router , either directly or indirectly through rps 110 and / or scs . if the root - system also operates a lr , the rp 110 that is elected primary - admin may also have the primary - lr role for the owner - lr . persistent storage on the primary - admin may be used for storing configuration information , alarm and performance data used by common hardware in the router environment 100 , diagnostic logs for all router components , and lr administrative statistics , audit and accounting logs . in some embodiments , the primary - admin provides one or more of the following functions in the router ( though in some embodiments some of these functions may be distributed amongst other nodes in the admin plane ): inventory management and lr resource allocation / administration bring up management and image management of all cards , including oir handling ( through rp or sc ) diagnostics of all cards / components . overall router health monitoring management of resources shared among lrs ( e . g . fabric , environmental monitors ) some mibs ( management information base ), statistics , logging , alarm and audit capabilities useful for an router owner . includes snmp agent to export inventory , fault , performance data card redundancy / fail over control ( through rp or sc ) fig1 c is a diagram providing further details of the data communications external and internal to the hardware and operating environment according to an embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , rps 110 and scs on differing racks are interconnected through a gigabit ethernet switch 120 . lr components within a rack such as rp 110 , drps 114 and lcs 112 may be interconnected using a fast ethernet 122 in some embodiments . additionally , lr components including rps and drps and lcs in lc racks 102 both within a rack and on differing racks are interconnected via fabric cross connect 126 . in some embodiments it is noted that the data flow ( data that travels in the data plane ) between distinct lrs is not internally switched through the fabric cross connect 126 . rather , this data is routed external to the router and then is routed back in . system management messages may be constrained to using a certain paths . for example , flow accounting data may be constrained to use a fabric 126 path to an external collector . the path may be predetermined through a hardcoded entry or through a configuration entry . this path constraint is desirable in order to ensure predictable delivery and ordering . during router bringup and lr configuration , a combination of the internal gigabit ethernet 120 and fast ethernet 122 may be used . in some embodiments , the switching fabric 126 is unavailable at bringup time . additionally , primary - admin and sc 110 may need to interact in order to exchange configuration tables and other related data . this interaction typically takes place over the internal fast ethernet 122 . statistics , debugs and logs from the lcs 112 may be uploaded to an rp 110 or drp 114 through the fabric 126 . in addition to the inherent external communications provided by lcs 112 , drps 114 , rps 110 and scs are also capable of communicating with entities external to a router 100 . rps , drps and scs in some embodiments may include a 10 / 100 ethernet connection 128 and a console port 130 to communicate with external entities . in some embodiments , rps 110 and drps 114 include a gigabit ethernet connection 124 and an on - board debug port 126 . gigabit ethernet connection 124 may be used to allow root - lrs to configure a lr and to perform fcaps functions regarding the lr . if rp 110 is functioning as an primary - admin , the router owner may use the gigabit ethernet connection 124 for super configuration of the router and for performing fcaps and diagnostics functions for the entire router . on - board debug port 126 may be used to provide initial hardware and software debugging capabilities . fig1 d is a diagram illustrating exemplary plane boundaries within a router 100 that has been configured with two lrs 142 . 1 and 142 . 2 on four line card racks 102 . as shown in fig1 d , an lr may include elements from more than one line card rack 102 . in the exemplary configuration , lr 142 . 1 includes router elements in lcs 102 . 1 , 102 . 2 and 102 . 3 , while lr 142 . 2 has been configured with router elements n lcs 102 . 3 and 102 . 4 . in addition , the admin plane 140 ( shaded area ) for the router is shown as including elements ( rps , and scs ) from each of the line card racks 102 in the router . the elements in the admin plane participate in the configuration and management of the router and the lrs configured within the router . fig2 is a diagram of a router software environment 200 according to an embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , router software environment 200 includes a network and service management ( nsm ) component 202 , an element management system 204 , a web interface 206 and software components executed within an lr 142 . an element management system 204 in some embodiments may be provided through a separate workstation / server . the workstation may be a unix based workstation ( e . g . sun solaris ). in some embodiments , ems 204 communicates with the physical router 100 using corba , however other communications methods may be used . the ems typically has disk storage with a relational database management system ( e . g . oracle ), which may be used to store configuration , performance , alarm and accounting data . in alternative embodiments , ems 204 may be provided as a module running within a router system 100 . in some embodiments , ems 204 provides web based gui and fcaps applications to aid in the provisioning , event correlation and performance monitoring of a lr . in some embodiments , an instance of ems 204 is configured such that it may only manage one lr through communications with a rp 110 associated with the lr . alternatively , ems 204 may be configured to communicate with an primary - admin , in which case the ems 204 has access to the entire physical router . network and service management ( nsm ) 202 is logically above the ems system 204 and may include customer provided / developed applications , third - party applications , and network flow and provisioning tools . because ems 204 is optional , nsm 202 can also interact directly with the physical router 100 . typically nsm systems focus on service provisioning , service monitoring ( including network performance and statistics ), billing and fault handling / reporting . in varying embodiments of the invention , software running within a lr includes various software components ( referred to collectively as control agents 218 ) configured to communicate with software modules such as ems 204 and / or nsm 202 in order to support configuration , fcaps , software downloads , and test / diagnoses of router 100 and lrs within router 100 . in various embodiments , software in the lr includes one or more of inventory component 220 , configuration component 222 , alarm component 224 , performance / accounting component 226 , download component 228 and / or test / diagnosis component 230 . in some embodiments , these control agents 218 interface with an object model 240 that stores data regarding various aspects of router 100 or lrs configured within router 100 . additionally , a variety of communications mechanisms may be used to communicate with control agents 218 in lr plane 142 . examples of such mechanisms include tftp 208 , corba 210 , snmp 211 , cli ( command line interface ) 214 and http 216 . in some embodiments , security mechanisms may be provided for the communications mechanisms through username - password protection , multiple user privilege levels , access lists , secure shell ( ssh ), snmp v3 , corba , and http security mechanisms ( e . g . secure socket layer โ ssl ). object model 240 may include an object request broker ( orb ). in some embodiments , the orb may be based on omg corba 2 . 3 or later specification . due to the embedded nature , an orb incorporated by modules such as rp 110 or other element within an lr plane 142 may fall somewhere between the full and the minimum specification defined by omg . examples of orbs that may be used within varying embodiments of the invention include e * orb , orbexpress , tao and visibroker . fig3 a - 3b are flowcharts illustrating methods for creating and maintaining a logical router according to embodiments of the invention . the methods to be performed by the operating environment constitute computer programs made up of computer - executable instructions . describing the methods by reference to a flowchart enables one skilled in the art to develop such programs including such instructions to carry out the methods on suitable computers ( the processor or processors of the computer executing the instructions from computer - readable media ). the methods illustrated in fig3 a - 3b are inclusive of acts that may be taken by an operating environment executing an exemplary embodiment of the invention . fig3 a illustrates a method for creating a lr according to an embodiment of the invention . the method begins by creating at least one lr on the physical router ( block 305 ). the configuration of a router may be referred to as โ super configuration โ, while configuring each individual lr may be referred to as lr configuration . in some embodiments , an lr is created by the primary - admin . primary - admin gets the inventory information on which cards are available in the system from the scs and / or rps . in some embodiments , all cards that are not assigned to another lr are assigned to the owner - lr . the super configuration may be stored on any form of persistent storage , and in some embodiments is stored on a disk accessible within the admin - plane . in some embodiments , the primary - admin is the only entity through which the owner can perform a super configuration . based on this configuration , the logical router daemon ( lrd ) running on the primary - admin node creates lr partitioning tables and distributes appropriate necessary information to the lrd in other lrs . the lrd in the owner - lr administers the partitioning of the system into multiple lrs , and the lrd in each lr ( including the owner - lr ) manages the inventory for that lr . next , router elements are allocated to the newly created lr ( block 310 ). in some embodiments , router elements may be allocated by identifying the card slots ( specified by a rack number and a local slot number ) that belong to which lr . the card slots refer to only the slots that can accommodate lc , drp or rp cards . this super configuration may create a runtime slot - to - lr inventory table ( see table 1 ) maintained by system inventory software in the admin plane . note that the card slots also can be unassigned from any lr and reassigned to other lrs . in fact , the entire lr may be dismantled ( with the exception of owner - lr in embodiments with such an lr ). also , some card slots may not be assigned to any lr in some embodiments . in some embodiments , admin plane configuration will reflect which card slots are unassigned in a free pool , for later assignment . in some embodiments , a lr is created so as to have at least one rp card . additionally , lc , drp and further rp cards may be assigned to the lr . in some embodiments , it is assumed that an lc , drp , or rp may only belong to one lr and cannot belong to more than one lr at the same time . typically a lr will have one or more rp , drps and lcs . scs , fabric and optical cards are shared resources owned by physical router / admin plane and do not belong to any particular lr . super configuration may also specify the configuration of lr to fiber / wavelength assignment within optical racks . in some embodiments , only entities with root - system privileges are allowed to perform super configuration . super configuration may also specify what image each card / lr will use . this information is distributed to scs and rps in the admin plane . in some embodiments root - lr will be able to specify the image or parts of the image that will run within their lr . note that during the system &# 39 ; s normal operation , card slots may be added and / or removed by adding or deleting racks because of upgrades or failure . also , depending on the end user deployment , lrs may be created and deleted dynamically by root - system configuration . as a result , it is desirable that the partitioning scheme be dynamic since boot - time static partitioning may be too limiting . those of skill in the art will appreciate that other mechanisms could be used to identify lr membership instead of or in addition to card slots . for example , an identifier uniquely identifying a router element may also be used to specify the lr association . in some embodiments , lr creation is not complete until the root - system does some minimal configuration in the primary - lr card of the particular lr for permitting a root - lr to do the full lr configuration later . if there is no rp or drp card in a lr or the initial configuration is not complete , that lr will remain non - operational . in some embodiments , a slot - lr inventory database is used within the router to specify the association between a card slot and a lr . the lrd that handles the admin plane configuration may create this database when lrs are created . whenever lrs are created / deleted / reallocated , or when card slots are added / deleted to any of the existing lrs , the lrd may update this database . this configuration is stored in persistent storage and hence this database can be recreated across reboots of the router . in some embodiments , a table is used to specify slot to lr assignments . in alternative embodiments , a list , array or other data structure may be used to specify slot to lr assignments . table 1 below provides an example of a slot - lr table used in one embodiment of the invention . in the example shown , the cards located in rack 1 , slot 1 and rack 2 slot 1 have been allocated to lr 1 , the card located in rack 1 slot 2 have been allocated to lr 2 , and , the card in rack 2 slot 2 has been allocated to lr 3 . in alternative embodiments , lr identifiers such as lr names may be associated with each rack and slot in the system in a configuration database maintained by admin plane . after root - system configures the router ( through owner - lr / admin plane ) with appropriate software images , runs diagnostics to ensure that the system performs correctly and optionally partitions the router into multiple lrs , each lr is then ready for configuration by a corresponding root - lr . next , the lr itself is configured ( block 315 ). in some embodiments , intra - lr partitioning concerns assigning / unassigning lcs and drps to appropriate drps . this is typically done by the root - lr , an entity which is allowed ( by root - system ) to configure a lr . many root - lrs can be configured on a lr . the root - lr table is set up by the owner when the router is commissioned or when a lr is created . intra - lr partitioning is dynamic i . e . card slots may be added / removed to / from the lr and also the cards within the assigned slots are oir - able . in some embodiments , the lr configuration includes configuring which drps or rps will manage a set of lcs or run certain processes within the logical boundary of the lr . this configuration may be done through a lr configuration . note that during slot assignment to lrs , there may or may not be line cards in the slots . generally only the rps or scs in the rack know whether there are cards in the slots or not and this information is then distributed to the lrd and other processes . also , typically only the rps in the local rack can detect oir of cards . in some embodiments , the admin plane contains this information from scs and provides means for notifying lrd in each lr . when a lr is configured , the lrd may query the lrd in the owner - lr or the admin - plane inventory information for the list of slots that are owned by its lr and which slots have what cards currently and further register for oir events with admin plane inventory management software for any future oir events within those slots . also , in some embodiments , when card slots themselves are added / removed from the lr by root - system through the admin plane configuration , admin plane configuration software will provide for notification to the appropriate lrd , which then will take appropriate action . also , the root - system may request complete shutdown of a lr when the entire lr is being dismantled . some embodiments of the invention maintain a slot - rp assignment table . generally there is one slot - rp table per rack , and the table may be maintained by admin plane . in some embodiments , this table is typically used as an optimization step during a discovery process . drps and lcs query the admin plane for their assignment information , and that this information is used to find the lrd for their lr . in some embodiments , root - lr may have limited access to the root - system configuration , and that configuration would be used by the rp when its associated lr boots . the rp may have access to the system part of the primary - admin configuration . fig3 b illustrates a method for handling the insertion of a router element according to an embodiment of the invention . the method begins by detecting the insertion of a router element card into a slot in the router ( block 320 ). in some embodiments , the insertion of the router element card into the slot cause the card to power up and bootstrap with code stored in on - board memory such as an on - board flash memory . in some embodiments , a signal is sent to the sc or rp for the rack to notify the card of the insertion . next , in some embodiments , the admin plane for the router is notified of the insertion by the sc or rp ( block 325 ). admin plane will pass this event to the lrd that owns that slot ( if there is any ) of the card by looking up the slot - rp assignment in a configuration database . alternatively the notification may be multicast in some embodiments to all lrds , but only the owning lrd takes action . also , in some embodiments , corresponding snmp traps may be generated on both admin and lr to facilitate card auto - discovery on external management stations . additionally , a boot image may be sent to the card ( block 330 ). in some embodiments , the bootstrap process on the card initializes a fast ethernet interface and the initial bootstrap program starts an image loader that establishes communication with sc or rp for system image downloading . images for the router element cards may be kept in a persistent storage device associated with the sc or rp in the same rack . in some embodiments , the image loader ( launched by the bootstrap process ) multicasts request for a system image by specifying inventory information in the message ( e . g . card type , slot number , etc .). the sc or rp selects the image and transfers it to the router element card via the fe link . next , a check is made to determine if the router element card is allocated to a lr ( block 335 ). in some embodiments all potential lr elements default to the lr associated with the owner - lr , so the above check is always affirmative for these elements . each sc may keep a copy of a subset of the lr assignment table ( table - 1 ) that contains only slots in the same rack . after a router element card is up and running , it queries the sc or rp for information about joining the appropriate lr plane ( block 345 ). the sc or rp sends a response by looking up the slot assignment table or by querying the lrd in the owner - lr . otherwise , in some embodiments the id of the owner - lr will be given to the router element card . the router element card becomes a member of the owner - lr ( block 340 ). alternatively , the card may be assigned to a free pool . systems and methods for providing a logical router within a physical router have been disclosed . the systems and methods described provide advantages over previous systems . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention . the terminology used in this application is meant to include all of these environments . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . therefore , it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof . | 7 |
referring now to the drawing in detail wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the various figures to designate like elements , there is shown in fig1 a perspective view of a survey data collecting system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally as 10 . the system 10 is comprised essentially of a booklet having a front page or leaf 12 , a back leaf 14 and a plurality of intermediate leaves 16 and 18 . all of the leaves have a height of about eight inches which is approximately the length of a standard size business check . the widths of the front leaf 12 and back leaf 14 are substantially the same . the intermediate leaves 16 and 18 , however , have widths which differ from each other and which are smaller than the front and back leaves for the reasons which will become more apparent hereinafter . as shown most clearly in fig2 the back leaf 14 is perforated at 20 throughout the height thereof and intermediate its width so as to form a first portion 22 which is attached by the binding to the front leaf 12 and a second portion 24 which is remote therefrom . the rear side of the second portion 24 which is the side shown in fig2 has various indicia 26 printed thereon to form a bank check . the indicia 28 along the edge of the check are printed in magnetic ink which is standard for bank checks . this check is intended to be a negotiable instrument and can be negotiated and used like any other check by detaching the second portion 24 from the first portion 22 along the perforation 20 . fig3 shows the front side of the second portion 24 of the back leaf 14 . printed on this side of the portion 24 which is , in effect , the back side of the check , are a plurality of spaces or boxes 30 arranged in three columns : 32 , 34 and 36 . each column is actually comprised of two columns of boxes 30 , one under the heading &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; and one under the heading &# 34 ; no .&# 34 ; however , for ease of description , each pair of boxes are being considered to be in a single column . these boxes serve as spaces for answers and are consecutively numbered starting with the top boxes in the right - hand column 32 downwardly as shown . thus , in the embodiment shown in fig3 answer boxes 1 through 8 are in column 32 , answer boxes 9 through 16 are in column 34 and answer boxes 17 through 24 are in column 36 . it should be readily apparent that these numbers are by way of example only and that it is possible to significantly increase the number of boxes in a column . it is also possible to increase the number of columns . for the reasons which will become more apparent hereinafter , the number of intermediate leaves is one less than the number of answer columns . thus , in the embodiment shown , there are three answer columns , 32 , 34 and 36 and accordingly there are two intermediate leaves 16 and 18 . the front sides or surfaces of the intermediate leaves 16 and 18 and of the first portion 22 of the back leaf 14 have a series of questions thereon to which answers are being requested . the questions are arranged vertically one above the other so as to correspond with the answer spaces . in the embodiment shown , questions 1 through 8 appear on the front side of intermediate leaf 16 , questions 9 through 16 appear on the front side of the intermediate leaf 18 and questions 17 through 24 appear on the front side of the portion 24 of the back leaf 14 . it should be readily apparent that if more space is needed for the questions , they can begin on the back side of the preceding leaf . for example , question 9 shown at the top of the front side of intermediate leaf 18 could begin at the top of the back side of intermediate leaf 16 at point 38 and continue straight across . as stated above , the intermediate leaves 16 and 18 are of different widths . the difference is equal to the space between adjoining columns 32 , 34 or 36 . furthermore , the leaves are arranged in descending order of width from the front leaf 12 . thus , it should be readily apparent that when the intermediate leaves are all in a closed position , i . e . moved flat against the back leaf 14 , intermediate leaf 16 covers all of the answer columns except column 32 . in this position , each of the questions appearing on the front side of the intermediate leaf 16 are in alignment with the answer spaces 1 through 8 and the questions can be answered thereo as indicated . after the first eight questions are answered , intermediate leaf 16 is turned and with intermediate leaf 18 overlying column 36 , questions 9 through 16 on the front side of intermediate leaf 18 are in proper alignment with the answer spaces in column 34 . intermediate leaf 18 is then turned to expose column 36 so that questions 17 through 24 printed on the front surface of portion 22 can be answered . when all of the questions have been answered , the check can be detached along perforation 20 and cashed . it should be readily apparent that the numbers of questions , numbers of columns and numbers of intermediate leaves shown in the drawing are by way of example only and that the quantities of these various elements can be decreased if desired or can be significantly increased . furthermore , while in the preferred embodiment , it is shown that the answers can be marked directly on the rear surface of the check , it is also possible to place one or more intermediate pages just before the back leaf 14 which intermediate pages could include carbon paper or some similar transfer substance so that answers would be indirectly placed in the various answer spaces . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention . | 1 |
the following illustrative embodiments are provided to illustrate the disclosure of the present invention , these and other advantages and effects can be apparent to those in the art after reading this specification . fig3 a to 3g are cross - sectional views showing a semiconductor package structure and a fabrication method thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , wherein fig3 e โฒ is a top view , and fig3 e is a cross - sectional view taken along line 3 e - 3 e of fig3 e โฒ. referring to fig3 a , a metal plate 30 having a first surface 30 a and an opposite second surface 30 b is provided , wherein the first surface 30 a has a die mounting area 301 and a plurality of contact pad areas 302 . the metal plate 30 can be made of copper . referring to fig3 b , the metal plate 30 is patterned from the first surface 30 a towards the second surface 30 b so as to form a plurality of concave portions 300 in the metal plate 30 outside the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 , wherein the concave portions 300 surrounding the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 . the patterning of the metal plate 30 or the formation of the concave portions 300 can be implemented by means of a resist layer ( not shown ) and performed by an etching process . since such a technique is well known in the art , detailed description thereof is omitted herein . referring to fig3 c , a dielectric layer 31 is formed on the patterned metal plate 30 , with the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 exposed from the dielectric layer 31 . specifically speaking , a dielectric layer 31 is coated in the concave portions 300 and on the first surface 30 a , and then a portion of the dielectric layer 31 which is higher than the first surface 30 a is removed to expose the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 . the dielectric layer 31 can be made of a polymer material comprising an epoxy resin . in addition , the higher portion of the dielectric layer 31 can be removed by a grinding process such that the dielectric layer 31 thus ground is flush with the surfaces of the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 . referring to fig3 d , a first resist layer 32 a is formed on the first surface 30 a and the dielectric layer 31 , and a plurality of first open areas 320 a is formed in the first resist layer 32 a ; meanwhile , a second resist layer 32 b is formed on the second surface 30 b , and a plurality of second open areas 320 b is formed in the second resist layer 32 b such that the second open areas 320 b thus formed correspond in position to the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 , respectively . referring to fig3 e and 3 e โฒ, a metal layer 33 is formed in the first open areas 320 a , and a plurality of metal pads 34 is formed in the second open areas 320 b , respectively . the metal layer 33 comprises a die pad 333 corresponding in position to the die mounting area 301 and a plurality of traces 332 . each of the traces 332 comprises a trace body 3321 , a bond pad 3322 extending to the periphery of the die pad 333 , and a trace end 3323 opposite to the bond pad 3322 and connected to a corresponding one of the contact pad areas 302 . the metal pads 34 correspond in position to the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 , respectively . thereafter , the first resist layer 32 a and the second resist layer 32 b are removed . the metal layer 33 and the metal pads 34 can be formed by an electroplating process and can be made of one or more selected from the group consisting of au , pd , and ni , for example , au / pd / ni / pd . referring to fig3 e โฒ, the contact pad areas 302 are arranged in array to surround the die mounting area 301 , and the bond pads 3322 are disposed at the periphery of the die pad 333 to surround the die pad 333 . referring to fig3 f , a semiconductor chip 35 is mounted on the die pad 333 and electrically connected to the bond pads 3322 through a plurality of bonding wires 36 , and an encapsulant 37 is formed to cover the semiconductor chip 35 , the bonding wires 36 , the metal layer 33 and the dielectric layer 31 . referring to fig3 g , the portions of the metal plate 30 that are not covered by the metal pads 34 are removed so as to form a plurality of metal pillars 303 corresponding in position to the die mounting area 301 and the contact pad areas 302 and protruding from the dielectric layer 31 . finally , a singulation process is performed to obtain a semiconductor package structure 3 . the present invention further discloses a semiconductor package structure 3 , which comprises : a dielectric layer 31 having a third surface 31 a and an opposite fourth surface 31 b ; a metal layer 33 disposed on the third surface 31 a and comprising a die pad 333 and a plurality of traces 332 , each of the traces 332 comprising a trace body 3321 , a bond pad 3322 extending to the periphery of the die pad 333 , and a trace end 3323 opposite to the bond pad 3322 ; a plurality of metal pillars 303 penetrating the third surface 31 a and the fourth surface 31 b of the dielectric layer 31 , wherein one ends of the metal pillars 303 exposed from the third surface 31 a are connected to the die pad 333 and the trace ends 3323 , and the surfaces of the exposed ends of the metal pillars 303 are flush with the third surface 31 a , and the other ends of the metal pillars 303 protrude from the fourth surface 31 b ; a semiconductor chip 35 mounted on the die pad 333 ; a plurality of bonding wires 36 electrically connecting the semiconductor chip 35 to the bond pads 3322 ; and an encapsulant 37 covering the semiconductor chip 35 , the bonding wires 36 , the metal layer 33 and the third surface 31 a of the dielectric layer 31 . the semiconductor package structure 3 further comprises a plurality of metal pads 34 disposed on the ends of the metal pillars 303 protruding from the fourth surface 31 b , respectively . in the semiconductor package structure 3 , the metal pillars 303 can be made of copper ; the dielectric layer 31 can be made of a polymer material comprising an epoxy resin ; the metal layer 33 and the metal pads 34 can be made of one or more selected from the group consisting of au , pd , and ni . preferably , the metal layer 33 and the metal pads 34 are made of the same material . further , referring to fig3 e โฒ, the metal pillars 303 are arranged in array to surround the die pad 333 , and preferably , the bond pads 3322 are disposed at the periphery of the die pad 333 to surround the die pad 333 . fig4 a to 4g are cross - sectional views showing a semiconductor package structure and a fabrication method thereof according to another embodiment of the present invention , wherein fig4 e โฒ is a top view , and fig4 e is a cross - sectional view taken along line 4 e - 4 e of fig4 e โฒ. referring to fig4 a , a metal plate 40 having a first surface 40 a and an opposite second surface 40 b is provided , wherein the first surface 40 a has a die mounting area 401 and a plurality of contact pad areas 402 . the metal plate 40 can be made of copper . referring to fig4 b , the metal plate 40 is patterned from the first surface 40 a towards the second surface 40 b so as to form a plurality of concave portions 400 in the metal plate 40 outside the contact pad areas 402 , respectively . the patterning of the metal plate 40 or the formation of the concave portions 4300 can be implemented by means of a resist layer ( not shown ) and performed by an etching process . since such a technique is well known in the art , detailed description thereof is omitted herein . referring to fig4 c , a dielectric layer 41 is formed on the patterned metal plate 40 , with the contact pad areas 402 exposed from the dielectric layer 41 . specifically speaking , a dielectric layer 41 is coated in the concave portions 400 and on the first surface 40 a , and then a portion of the dielectric layer 41 which is higher than the first surface 40 a is removed to expose the contact pad areas 402 . the dielectric layer 41 can be made of a polymer material comprising an epoxy resin . in addition , the dielectric layer 41 can be removed by a grinding process such that the dielectric layer 41 thus ground is flush with the surfaces of the contact pad areas 402 . referring to fig4 d , a first resist layer 42 a is formed on the first surface 40 a and the dielectric layer 41 , and a plurality of first open areas 420 a is formed in the first resist layer 42 a ; meanwhile , a second resist layer 42 b is formed on the second surface 40 b , and a plurality of second open areas 420 b is formed in the second resist layer 42 b such that the second open areas 420 b thus formed correspond in position to the contact pad areas 402 , respectively . referring to fig4 e and 4 e โฒ, a plurality of traces 432 is formed in the first open areas 420 a , and a plurality of metal pads 44 is formed in the second open areas 420 b . each of the traces 432 comprises a trace body 4321 , a bond pad 4322 extending into the die mounting area 401 , and a trace end 4323 opposite to the bond pad 4322 and connected to a corresponding one of the contact pad areas 402 . the metal pads 44 correspond in position to the contact pad areas 402 , respectively . thereafter , the first resist layer 42 a and the second resist layer 42 b are removed . the traces 432 and the metal pads 44 can be formed by an electroplating process and can be made of one or more selected from the group consisting of au , pd , and ni , for example , au / pd / ni / pd . referring to fig4 e โฒ, the contact pad areas 402 can be arranged in array to surround the die mounting area 401 , and the bond pads 4322 can be arranged in array in the die mounting area 401 . referring to fig4 f , a semiconductor chip 45 is flip - chip mounted on the bond pads 4322 so as to be electrically connected to the traces 432 , and an encapsulant 47 is formed to cover the semiconductor chip 45 , the traces 432 and the dielectric layer 41 . referring to fig4 g the portions of the metal plate 40 that are not covered by the metal pads 44 are removed so as to form a plurality of metal pillars 403 corresponding in position to the contact pad areas 402 and protruding from the dielectric layer 41 . finally , a singulation process is performed to obtain a semiconductor package structure 4 . the present invention further discloses a semiconductor package structure 4 , which comprises : a dielectric layer 41 having a third surface 41 a and an opposite fourth surface 41 b , the third surface 41 a having a die mounting area 401 and a plurality of contact pad areas 402 ; a plurality of traces 432 disposed on the third surface 41 a , each of the traces 432 comprising a trace body 4321 , a bond pad 4322 extending into the die mounting area 401 , and a trace end 4323 opposite to the bond pad 4322 ; a plurality of metal pillars 403 penetrating the third surface 41 a and the fourth surface 41 b of the dielectric layer 41 , wherein one end of each of the metal pillars 403 is exposed from the third surfaces 41 a and connected to the trace ends 4323 of the traces 432 , allowing the exposed surfaces of the ends of the metal pillars 403 to be flush with the third surface 41 a of the dielectric layer 41 , and the other ends of the metal pillars 403 protrude from the fourth surface 41 b ; a semiconductor chip 45 mounted on the bond pads 4322 and electrically connected to the traces 432 ; and an encapsulant 47 covering the semiconductor chip 45 , the traces 432 and the third surface 41 a of the dielectric layer 41 . the semiconductor package structure 4 can further comprise a plurality of metal pads 44 disposed at the ends of the metal pillars 403 protruding from the fourth surface 41 b , respectively . in the semiconductor package structure 4 , the metal pillars 403 can be made of copper ; the dielectric layer 41 can be made of a polymer material comprising an epoxy resin ; the traces 432 and the metal pads 44 can be made of one or more selected from the group consisting of au , pd , and ni . preferably , the traces 432 and the metal pads 44 are made of the same material . further , referring to fig4 e โฒ, the metal pillars 403 can be arranged in array to surround the die mounting area 401 , and preferably , the bond pads 4322 are annularly arranged within the die mounting area 401 . according to the present invention , the bond pads and traces formed at the chip mounting side of the dielectric layer shorten the bonding wires and prevent tangling of the bonding wires , thereby improving the electrical connection quality of the package structure . further , when the semiconductor package structure is soldered to a printed circuit board , since the metal pillars protrude from the bottom surface of the dielectric layer , it facilitates the formation of stable solder joints between the metal pillars and the printed circuit board and prevents solder overflow and bridging . in addition , the present invention provides high density and array arranged i / o connections so as to extend the application range of the semiconductor package structure . the above description of the specific embodiments is intended to illustrate the preferred implementation according to the present invention but is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . accordingly , all modifications and variations completed by those with ordinary skill in the art should fall within the scope of present invention defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings in detail , and particularly to fig1 there is shown a facsimile recording machine 20 , in a side view , comprising a base or frame portion 22 , a housing 24 , and a cover 26 connected thereto by a hinge 28 . a roll of moist electrosensitive paper 30 is journalled about a spool 32 supportively disposed within the housing 24 . a rotatable drum 34 is also journalled within the housing 24 , the drum 34 housing a flexible , scanning helical electrode 36 disposed therearound , which is in electrical contact with the proper circuitry of the facsimile recording machine 20 . a pair of drive rollers 38 are rotatively disposed above the rotatable drum 34 , one each in the housing 24 and the cover 26 . a loop or band electrode 40 , shown in fig1 and 2 , is disposed within a frame 42 secured in the cover 26 , the frame 42 having a loop electrode drive motor 44 arranged therethrough , and an adjustable linear track support 46 therealongside . the linear track support 46 holds the straight portion of the loop electrode 40 against the web of electrosensitive paper 30 as it is pulled therepast . the loop electrode 40 is caused to move through its circuitous path by the drive motor 44 which is coordinated with the speed of the drive rollers 38 and the rotatable drum 34 . the drive rollers 38 pull the web or paper 30 between the loop and helical electrodes 40 and 36 and through the nip they generate between one another . the band electrode 40 carried on the hinged cover 26 swings with the cover until the ends of its straight portion engage stop screws 27 ( fig1 a , 2 and 4 ). each stop screw 27 is adjustable in a flange 28 on the housing 26 so as to position the straight electrode portion in a predetermined position relative to the helical electrode 36 for correct pressure of the band electrode against the flexible helical electrode . the loop electrode 40 is held in a linear configuration for that portion of its path which is comprised of the linear track support 46 , the linear track support 46 including an elongated lubricious member 48 movably arranged within a u - shaped channel 50 , as shown in fig3 and 5 . the frame 42 has a flange 52 to which the adjustable linear track support 46 is attached . a bearing strip 54 is secured to the flange 52 and comprises a portion of the linear track support 46 . the flange 52 has a plurality of concave fingers 56 disposed therealong , which are bowed outwardly along their centers to provide a smooth yet firm bearing surface against which the loop electrode 40 may slide . the u - shaped channel member 50 has an inner wall 60 and an outer wall 62 , the inner wall having a support edge 64 . the lubricious member 48 , as mentioned above , is disposed within the u - shaped channel 50 and is fixedly attached to the flange 52 at a plurality of points therealong . the u - shaped channel 50 may be moved in a direction &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; transverse to the direction of motion of the loop electrode 40 , which is indicated by the letter &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, in fig3 . movement of the u - shaped channel 50 may be effected by a movement mechanism 70 which in the first embodiment comprises an arm 72 which pivots about a fixed pin 74 . the pin 74 extends through an arcuate slot 76 in the outer wall 62 of the channel 50 , and into the stationary lubricious member 48 . one end of the arm 72 is movably attached to a pivot pin 78 , which pivot pin 78 is secured to the outer wall 62 of the channel 50 . the other end of the arm 72 is moved back and forth in the direction indicated by the arrow &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, shown in fig3 by a biasing means 80 which may be a pressurized cylinder , a spring device a portion of which may be secured to the frame 42 , or the arm 72 may even be moved manually . the end of the arm 72 to which the biasing means 80 is adapted , has an indicating knob 82 disposed therein , shown in fig3 and 4 . a plurality of holes 84 or detents are arranged in the outer wall 62 of the channel 50 to indicate successive locations of movement of the swingable end of the arm 72 . the lubricious member 48 has a cut - out portion 86 which eliminates any interference it may have with the knob 82 . fig4 and 6 show the relative position of the loop electrode 40 with respect to the location of the indicating knob 82 at the end of the biased arm 72 . fig4 shows the knob 82 in indicating hole 84 marked number 1 in fig3 . the walls 60 an 62 of the channels only partially envelope and mate with the lubricious member 48 , because the loop electrode 40 in this figure is of full width and has not yet begun to erode . the support edge 64 of the inner wall 60 which is in sliding engagement with the non - eroding edge of the loop electrode 40 , is positioned only approximately halfway down the side of the flange 52 of the frame member 42 . fig5 shows the fixed pin 74 near the lower end of the arcuate slot 76 , and fig6 shows the pivot pin 78 secured to the outer wall 62 , as well as a securing means 90 which fastens the lubricious member 48 to the flange 52 , through an opening 92 in the inner wall 60 of the channel 50 , which opening 92 permits the lubricious member 48 to remain fixedly secure with respect to the frame 42 , while permitting the channel 50 to slide therearound , upon proper activation of the movement mechanism 70 . the swingable arm 72 as shown in fig7 is situated with the knob 82 in the last indicating hole 84 , designated here as a number 3 . in this position , support edge 64 of the inner wall 60 of the channel 50 is caused to push the non - eroding edge of the loop electrode 40 to a position further alongside the flange 52 , to compensate for the material lost or eroded from the loop electrode 40 as the facsimile machine 20 has been used . the elongated lubricious member 48 is more fully enclosed by the walls 60 and 62 of the channel 50 , as shown in fig8 and 10 . that is , the eroded edge of the loop electrode 40 is approximately the same distance from the distal edge of the flange 52 of the frame 42 as it was when the loop electrode 40 was new and not eroded and the channel 50 in a preadjusted position . a second embodiment of the movement mechanism 70 is shown in fig1 , where the transverse movement of the channel 50 , indicated by the letter &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is effected by an eccentrically rotating disc 100 in a closely mating cam relationship with a port 102 having a plurality of edges 104 disposed in the outer wall 62 of the u - shaped channel 50 . the rotating disc 100 has a lip 106 which is connected to a lever arm 108 . the disc 100 may rotate about an axis 110 arranged eccentrically with respect to the disc 100 and fixed with respect to the lubricious member 48 into which it is embedded . the lever arm 108 may be caused to swing arcuately in the direction of the arrow labeled &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; as shown in fig1 , by a means 112 such as a spring biasing means , a pneumatic biasing means , or by manual manipulation , all adapted to actuate the movement mechanism 70 by proper means as erosion of the loop electrode 40 occurs . the positions of the lever arm 108 as shown in solid lines in fig1 shows the initial positions with respect to the channel 50 and with respect to the elongated lubricious member 48 , and is depicted in cross - section similarity in fig1 . during erosion of the loop electrode 40 , the lever arm 108 may be pivotally swung to the position indicated by phantom lines shown in fig1 and which position is also shown in fig1 wherein the camming relationship of the disc 100 and the portion in the outer wall 62 have caused the channel 50 to move with respect to the flange 52 to cause the loop electrode 40 to move transversely with respect to its direction of motion , thus providing a replenished edge to the web of paper 30 traveling therepast . indicia of location of the lubricious member 48 with respect to the channel 50 is accomplished by a plurality of color coded spots 116 on the lubricious member 48 which are successively exposed through an opening 118 in the outer wall 62 of the channel 50 as relative movement therebetween progresses . the bearing strip 54 is shown more fully in fig1 and 15 , with the bowed fingers 56 formed thereacross which press the loop electrode 40 as it travels in touching engagement with the moving web of paper 30 . the lubricious member 48 , may preferably be constructed from a plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene having proper lubricity and rigidity characteristics . as shown in fig1 the loop electrode may be in the form of a band having two lengthwise , parallel portions bonded together , for example a portion of relatively precious metal such as silver ag , and a portion of relatively base metal such as steel or stainless steel alloy ss . the exposed , eroding portion is of silver , the precious metal , supported by the steel portion which though it lacks the black marking qualities of silver is a good support for the silver . thus , there has been shown a facsimile recording machine having a closed loop electrode which is adjustably supported in a linear configuration along that portion of the electrode which is in contact with the moving paper , the interrelationship of which causes the erosion thereof , and the subsequent need for close linear adjustable support thereof for optimum message reproduction . | 7 |
the present inventors have made diligent studies to accomplish the facile disposal or reclaiming of used copying paper and as a result found the following . a lactic acid obtained by the lactic acid fermentation of glucose is directly dehydratively condensed , or a cyclic dimer of lactic acid ( lactide ) is ring - opening polymerized , to prepare a lactic acid - based resin , and this lactic acid - based resin is incorporated into a toner as a binder , whereby the toner can be imparted with hydrolyzability and biodegradability . the so - obtained hydrolyzable and biodegradable toner can achieve the above objects . the cyclic dimer of lactic acid ( lactide ) is obtained by concentrating a lactic acid aqueous solution to obtain a lactic acid polycondensate and allowing the lactic acid polycondensate to react under heat ( 140 ยฐ to 200 ยฐ c .) in the presence of a catalyst . the reaction product is distilled , recrystallized and dried , and the resultant cyclic dimer of lactic acid ( lactide ) is used as a monomer for the ring - opening polymerization . in the present invention , the dehydrative condensation and the ring - opening polymerization are carried out by a bulk polymerization method . in the bulk polymerization method , the monomer is polymerized in the absence of a solvent and other dispersing media . the dehydrative condensation has a problem in that it is difficult to obtain a lactic acid resin having a high molecular weight since the polymerization and the depolymerization are brought into an equilibrium state when the molecular weight of the resin reaches a certain value . it is therefore preferred to employ a bulk polymerization method in which a cyclic dimer of a lactic acid is used as a monomer . for the ring - opening polymerization , a solution polymerization method may be employed , while the bulk polymerization method has the following advantages , and the present invention uses the bulk polymerization method . a . there is no odor caused by a residual solvent when the toner is heat - fixed , which serves to maintain a clean environment of an office where a copying machine is installed . b . there is used no solvent when the toner is heat - melted and kneaded , which serves to maintain a clean environment of a plant where the toner is produced . c . there is used no solvent , which serves to provide the toner at a less expensive price . the ring - opening polymerization of the lactide is preferably carried out in the presence of a tin compound . the lactic acid - based resin is produced with an apparatus such as an extruder , a pressure kneader or a banbury mixer . the lactic acid - based resin is available , for example , as a product supplied by shimadzu corporation in the trade name of &# 34 ; lacty &# 34 ;. a lactic acid - based resin is easily hydrolyzable in the presence of an alkali solution , and it has an advantage in that a toner containing a colorant such as carbon black can be effectively removed from used copying paper . in the present invention , it is required to block the terminal of the lactic acid - based resin with an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal for improving the toner in the stability of chargeability by preventing the toner from absorbing water in the atmosphere . specifically , at a later stage of the polymerization or during the kneading of the lactic acid - based resin whose terminal is not blocked or a mixture of said resin with the above additive under heat , an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt is added in an amount of 0 . 5 to 2 mol per mole of the polymerization initiator , thereby to block the terminal of the lactic acid - based resin of the formula ( i ) with a carboxy salt . the above salts include salts of hydroxides , bicarbonates , phosphates , acetates and p - toluenesulfonates . particularly referred are sodium hydrogencarbonate , sodium phosphate , potassium bicarbonate , calcium acetate and magnesium acetate , since these have a low melting point and have excellent reactivity so that the terminal of the lactic acid - based resin can be effectively blocked with a carboxy salt . the colorant used in the present invention includes carbon black , a monoazo red pigment , a diazo yellow pigment , a quinacridone magenta pigment and an anthraquinone pigment . the charge control agent includes a nigrosine dye , a quaternary ammonium salt and a monoazo metal complex dye . as the offset preventer , preferred is an polyolefin having a weight average molecular weight of approximately 1 , 000 to 45 , 000 . the polyolefin is required to have high dispersibility in lactic acid monomer or dimer or the lactic acid - based resin , and it increases the fusion temperature of the toner if it has too high a melting point . in view of these points , it is preferred to use a polyolefin having a proper molecular weight . the weight average molecular weight of the polyolefin is particularly preferably about 2 , 000 to 6 , 000 . further , the softening point of the polyolefin is preferably 100 ยฐ to 180 ยฐ c ., particularly preferably 130 ยฐ to 160 ยฐ c . specific examples of the above polyolefin include polyethylene , polypropylene and polybutylene . of these polyolefins , polypropylene is particularly preferred . the offset preventer which can be used effectively can be further selected from fatty acid metal salts such as zinc salt , barium salt , lead salt , cobalt salt , calcium salt and magnesium salt of stearic acid , zinc salt , manganese salt , iron salt and lead salt of olefinic acid and zinc acid , cobalt salt and magnesium salt of palmitic acid ; higher fatty acids having at least 16 carbon atoms ; higher alcohols having at least 16 carbon atoms , esters of polyhydric or monohydric alcohols ; natural or synthetic paraffins ; fatty acid esters or partial saponification products thereof ; and ethylene - bisstearoylamides . the above offset preventers may be used alone or in combination . the amount of the offset preventer per 100 parts by weight of the binder resin or the monomer to constitute the binder resin is generally 0 . 1 to 10 parts by weight , preferably 0 . 5 to 5 parts by weight . the toner for electrophotography , provided by the present invention , may contain other thermoplastic resin as a binder resin in combination with the lactic acid - based resin . the &# 34 ; other &# 34 ; thermoplastic resin includes polystyrene , polyacrylic acid ester , a styrene - acrylate copolymer , polyvinyl chloride , polyvinyl acetate , polyvinylidene chloride , a phenolic resin , an epoxy resin and a polyester resin . when the &# 34 ; other &# 34 ; thermoplastic resin is used in combination with the lactic acid - based resin , the amount of the &# 34 ; other &# 34 ; thermoplastic resin based on the total weight of the binder reins is preferably 80 % by weight or less , particularly preferably 50 % by weight or less . when the amount of the &# 34 ; other &# 34 ; thermoplastic resin exceeds 80 % by weight , the bonding strength thereof to a paper surface is too high , and the toner shows decreased deinking properties . when the toner of the present invention is used as a biodegradable toner , it is preferred not to incorporate the &# 34 ; other &# 34 ; thermoplastic resin . the toner of the present invention is obtained by a method in which the additives such as the colorant , the charge control agent , the offset preventer , etc ., are added , as required , to the lactic acid - based resin prepared by the polymerization in the presence of at least one additive selected from the colorant , the charge control agent and the offset preventer , the mixture is melt - kneaded , the kneaded mixture is cooled to solidify it and the solidified mixture is pulverized and classified . of the above two methods , the latter method has an advantage in that the additives such as the colorant , the charge control agent , the offset preventer , etc ., can be contained in the binder resin in a state where these additives are remarkably uniformly dispersed in the binder resin . that is because , by polymerizing the monomer which is to give the binder resin in a state where the additives are mixed with the monomer , the additives are mixed with the monomer in a liquid state before the completion of the polymerization of the monomer . that is , when the monomer itself is in a liquid state ( or it may be in a solution state ), the additives can be fully uniformly dispersed in the monomer . as a result , the additives are fully uniformly dispersed among molecular chains of the resin . when the colorant , carbon black in particular , is uniformly dispersed in the binder resin , the toner shows a decreased intrinsic volume resistance , and the toner for electrophotography exhibits stable chargeability . this is also the case with the charge control agent . when the offset preventer is uniformly dispersed in the binder resin , there can be obtained a toner for electrophotography which has non - offset properties effective for practical use and which can be fixed with a hot roller . a fluidization agent such as hydrophobic silica or colloidal silica and a magnetic powder may be incorporated into the toner for electrophotography , provided by the present invention , in order to impart the toner with fluidity . these additives may be used in a state where the toner particle surfaces are covered with particles of these additives . the toner for electrophotography , provided by the present invention , may be mixed with a carrier comprising an iron powder , ferrite or granulated magnetite for the use of the mixture as a two - component developer . further , when a magnetic material is incorporated into the toner , the toner can be used as a one - component developer without mixing it with any carrier . the present invention will be detailed hereinafter with reference to examples , in which &# 34 ; part &# 34 ; stands for &# 34 ; part by weight &# 34 ; and &# 34 ;%&# 34 ; stands for &# 34 ;% by weight &# 34 ; unless otherwise specified . ______________________________________l - lactide ( supplied by shimadzu corporation ) 100 partslauryl alcohol 0 . 05 parttin octylate (&# 34 ; cosmos 29 &# 34 ; supplied by th . 0 . 2 partgoldschmidt ag ., catalyst forring - opening polymerization ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was fed to the raw material feeding port of a twin - screw kneading extruder . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., and the screw rotation was set at 60 rpm in one direction . a nitrogen gas was introduced through a feeding port . the average residence time in the twin - screw kneading extruder was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having an opening diameter of 2 mm , and the extrudate was cooled to solidify it , and the solidified polymer was cut to give chips of a lactic acid - based resin . the so - obtained chips had a weight average molecular weight of 100 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( 1 ) in which n was 1 , 400 and r was dodecyl . ______________________________________lactic acid - based resin obtained in referential 100 partssynthesis example 1polyolefin wax (&# 34 ; np - 105 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsui 2 partspetrochemical industries , ltd .) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) carbon black (&# 34 ; ma - 100 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsubishi 6 partskasei corporation ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was mixed with a super mixer and melt - kneaded under heat with a twin - screw kneader , and the kneaded mixture was pulverized with a jet mill . then , the pulverized product was classified with a dry - method flush classifier to give negatively chargeable toner particles having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm . 100 parts of the so - obtained toner particles and 0 . 3 part of hydrophobic silica (&# 34 ; r972 &# 34 ;, supplied by nippon aerosil co ., ltd .) were stirred with a henschel mixer for 1 minute to allow the hydrophobic silica to adhere to the toner particles , whereby a toner ( a ) for electrophotography was obtained . a toner ( b ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the amount of the lactic acid - based resin was changed to 50 parts and that 50 parts of a styrene / acrylate copolymer resin (&# 34 ; nc - 6550 &# 34 ; supplied by nippon carbide industries co ., inc .) was added . a toner ( c ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with 100 parts of the same styrene / acrylate copolymer resin as that used in comparative example 2 . a toner ( d ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with 100 parts of a polyester resin ( ncp - 33b , supplied by nippon carbide kogyo ). a toner ( e ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with 100 parts of the same styrene / acrylate copolymer resin as that used in comparative example 2 . ______________________________________l - lactide ( supplied by shimadzu corporation ) 100 partslauryl alcohol 0 . 05 parttin octylate (&# 34 ; cosmos 29 &# 34 ; supplied by th . 0 . 2 partgoldschmidt ag ., catalyst forring - opening polymerization ) carbon black (&# 34 ; ma - 100 &# 34 ; supplied by mitsubishi 6 partskasei corporation ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was fed to the raw material feeding port of a twin - screw kneading extruder . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., and the screw rotation was set at 60 rpm in one direction . a nitrogen gas was introduced through a feeding port . the average residence time in the twin - screw kneading extruder was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having an opening diameter of 2 mm , and the extrudate was cooled to solidify it , and the solidified polymer was cut to give chips of a lactic acid - based resin . the so - obtained chips had a weight average molecular weight of 110 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( 1 ) in which n was 1 , 500 and r was dodecyl . ______________________________________lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis 106 partsexample 1polyolefin wax (&# 34 ; np - 105 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsui 2 partspetrochemical industries , ltd .) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was mixed with a super mixer and melt - kneaded under heat with a twin - screw kneader , and the kneaded mixture was pulverized with a jet mill . then , the pulverized product was classified with a dry - method flush classifier to give negatively chargeable toner particles having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm . 100 parts of the so - obtained toner particles and 0 . 3 part of hydrophobic silica (&# 34 ; r972 &# 34 ;, supplied by nippon aerosil co ., ltd .) were stirred with a henschel mixer for 1 minute to allow the hydrophobic silica to adhere to the toner particles , whereby a toner ( f ) for electrophotography was obtained . ______________________________________l - lactide ( supplied by shimadzu corporation ) 100 partslauryl alcohol 0 . 05 parttin octylate (&# 34 ; cosmos 29 &# 34 ;, supplied by th . 0 . 2 partgoldschmidt ag ., catalyst forring - opening polymerization ) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was fed to the raw material feeding port of a twin - screw kneading extruder . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., and the screw rotation was set at 60 rpm in one direction . a nitrogen gas was introduced through a feeding port . the average residence time in the twin - screw kneading extruder was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having an opening diameter of 2 mm , and the extrudate was cooled to solidify it , and the solidified polymer was cut to give chips of a lactic acid - based resin . the so - obtained chips had a weight average molecular weight of 110 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( 1 ) in which n was 1 , 500 and r was dodecyl . ______________________________________lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis 102 partsexample 2carbon black (&# 34 ; ma - 100 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsubishi 6 partskasei corporation ) polyolefin wax (&# 34 ; np - 105 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsui 2 partspetrochemical industries , ltd .) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was mixed with a super mixer and melt - kneaded under heat with a twin - screw kneader , and the kneaded mixture was pulverized with a jet mill . then , the pulverized product was classified with a dry - method flush classifier to give negatively chargeable toner particles having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm . 100 parts of the so - obtained toner particles and 0 . 3 part of hydrophobic silica (&# 34 ; r972 &# 34 ;, supplied by nippon aerosil co ., ltd .) were stirred with a henschel mixer for 1 minute to allow the hydrophobic silica to adhere to the toner particles , whereby a toner ( g ) for electrophotography was obtained . ______________________________________l - lactide ( supplied by shimadzu corporation ) 100 partslauryl alcohol 0 . 05 parttin octylate (&# 34 ; cosmos 29 &# 34 ;, supplied by th . 0 . 2 partgoldschmidt ag ., catalyst for ring - openingpolymerization ) polyolefin wax (&# 34 ; np - 105 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsui 2 partspetrochemical industries , ltd .) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was fed to the raw material feeding port of a twin - screw kneading extruder . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., and the screw rotation was set at 60 rpm in one direction . a nitrogen gas was introduced through a feeding port . the average residence time in the twin - screw kneading extruder was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having an opening diameter of 2 mm , and the extrudate was cooled to solidify it , and the solidified polymer was cut to give chips of a lactic acid - based resin . the so - obtained chips had a weight average molecular weight of 100 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( 1 ) in which n was 1 , 400 and r was dodecyl . ______________________________________lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis 102 partsexample 3carbon black (&# 34 ; ma - 100 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsubishi 6 partskasei corporation ) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was mixed with a super mixer and melt - kneaded under heat with a twin - screw kneader , and the kneaded mixture was pulverized with a jet mill . then , the pulverized product was classified with a dry - method flush classifier to give negatively chargeable toner particles having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm . 100 parts of the so - obtained toner particles and 0 . 3 part of hydrophobic silica (&# 34 ; r972 &# 34 ;, supplied by nippon aerosil co ., ltd .) were stirred with a henschel mixer for 1 minute to allow the hydrophobic silica to adhere to the toner particles , whereby a toner ( h ) for electrophotography was obtained . ______________________________________l - lactide ( supplied by shimadzu corporation ) 100 partslauryl alcohol 0 . 05 parttin octylate (&# 34 ; cosmos 29 &# 34 ; supplied by th . 0 . 2 partgoldschmidt ag ., catalyst for ring - openingpolymerization ) carbon black (&# 34 ; ma - 100 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsubishi 6 partskasei corporation ) polyolefin wax (&# 34 ; np - 105 &# 34 ;, supplied by mitsui 2 partspetrochemical industries , ltd .) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) ______________________________________ a raw material having the above composition was fed to the raw material feeding port of a twin - screw kneading extruder . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., and the screw rotation was set at 60 rpm in one direction . a nitrogen gas was introduced through a feeding port . the average residence time in the twin - screw kneading extruder was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having an opening diameter of 2 mm , and the extrudate was cooled to solidify it , and the solidified polymer was cut to give chips of a lactic acid - based resin . the so - obtained chips had a weight average molecular weight of 120 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( 1 ) in which n was 1 , 650 and r was dodecyl . a raw material composed of the lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis example 4 was mixed with a super mixer and melt - kneaded under heat with a twin - screw kneader , and the kneaded mixture was pulverized with a jet mill . then , the pulverized product was classified with a dry - method flush classifier to give negatively chargeable toner particles having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm . 100 parts of the so - obtained toner particles and 0 . 3 part of hydrophobic silica (&# 34 ; r972 &# 34 ;, supplied by nippon aerosil co ., ltd .) were stirred with a henschel mixer for 1 minute to allow the hydrophobic silica to adhere to the toner particles , whereby a toner ( i ) for electrophotography was obtained . ______________________________________lactic acid - based resin obtained in referential 100 partssynthesis example 1natural wax (&# 34 ; rice wax , supplied by noda wax co ., 2 partsltd . ) charge control agent (&# 34 ; nxvp 434 &# 34 ;, supplied by 2 partshoechst ) ______________________________________ a white toner ( j ) having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm was obtained from a raw material having the above composition in the same manner as in comparative example 1 . a white toner ( k ) having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 3 except that no carbon black was used . a raw material having the above composition was fed to a twin - screw extruder through a feeding port , and 0 . 2 part of sodium bicarbonate was fed through a second feeding port . the cylinder temperature was set at 190 ยฐ c ., the screws were rotated at 60 rpm in one direction , and nitrogen gas was introduced through a supplying port . the average residence time of the materials was 15 minutes . the resultant polymer was extruded through a nozzle having a opening diameter of 2 mm , cooled to solidness and cut to give lactic acid - based resin chips . the lactic acid - based resin had an weight average molecular weight of 120 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( i ) in which n was 1 , 650 and r was sodium . a lactic acid - based resin was obtained in the same manner as in synthesis example 5 except that the sodium bicarbonate was replaced with calcium acetate . the lactic acid - based resin had an weight average molecular weight of 110 , 000 . this resin had the formula ( i ) in which n was 1 , 500 and r was calcium . a toner ( l ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with the lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis example 5 . a toner ( m ) for electrophotography was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 1 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with the lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis example 6 . a white toner ( n ) having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 6 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with the lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis example 5 . a white toner ( o ) having an average particle diameter of 12 ฮผm was obtained in the same manner as in comparative example 6 except that the lactic acid - based resin was replaced with the lactic acid - based resin obtained in synthesis example 6 . the toners for electrophotography obtained in the above examples and comparative examples were tested as follows . the toners for electrophotography , obtained in examples 1 to 4 and comparative examples 1 to 5 were used for forming test images having a black and white ratio of 6 % on surfaces of paper sheets having a weight of 75 g / m 2 to prepare test sheets . then , hand - made paper sheets were prepared from these test sheets under the following conditions . defibering : an aqueous dispersion containing 5 . 0 % of the test sheet , 0 . 7 % of naoh , 3 . 0 % of sodium silicate , 3 . 0 % of h 2 o 2 and 0 . 2 % of a deinking agent (&# 34 ; liptol &# 34 ; s2800 , supplied by lion corporation ) was stirred in a beaker at 50 ยฐ c . for 20 minutes . dilution - dehydration - kneader treatment : water was added to the aqueous dispersion such that the aqueous dispersion had a solid content of 5 %, and the mixture was centrifugally dehydrated . further , pulp , sodium silicate , etc ., were added such that the mixture had a pulp content of 20 %, a sodium silicate content of 3 . 0 % and an naoh content of 0 . 5 %, and these components were disaggregated with a kneader . aging : the disaggregation mixture was aged at 50 ยฐ c . for 2 hours . floatation : water was added to the aged product to prepare a dispersion having a pulp concentration of 1 %, and fine air bubbles were introduced into the dispersion for 7 minutes to allow the bubbles to adsorb the toner . the bubbles adsorbing the toner went upward and floated on the water surface , whereby the toner and the water were separated . washing : 2 . 4 grams of the deinked pulp was washed with 1 liter of water twice . preparation of hand - made sheet : a hand - made sheet having a basis weight of 100 gm 2 was prepared with a tappi sheet machine . evaluation of deinking properties : the numbers of toner spots having a diameter of more than 100 ฮผm ( visually detectable size ) and a diameter of 60 to 100 ฮผm present on the hand - made sheet having an area of 9 cm 2 were counted visually and through a microscope . table 1 shows the above test results . each value in table 1 shows the number of remaining toner spots . table 1______________________________________60 ห 100 ฮผm more than 100 ฮผm totalnumber number number______________________________________cex . 1 9 6 15cex . 2 10 10 20cex . 4 30 28 58ex . 1 8 6 14ex . 2 10 5 15ex . 3 10 4 14ex . 4 8 5 13cex . 3 34 28 62cex . 5 28 25 53ex . 5 8 9 17ex . 6 10 8 18______________________________________ ex . = example , cex . = comparative example table 1 clearly shows that the toner for electrophotography , provided by the present invention , shows excellent deinking properties . each of toners ( a ) to ( m ) was individually melt - molded into a film having a thickness of about 50 ฮผm , and allowed to remain in soil for 6 months . the films from the toners ( a ), ( d ), ( f ), ( g ), ( h ), ( i ), ( j ), ( l ) and ( m ) completely disappeared in form , and the film from the toner ( b ) also mostly disappeared in form , while the films from the comparative toners ( c ), ( e ) and ( k ) remained intact in form . the white toners ( j ), ( k ), ( n ) and ( o ) were allowed themselves to remain in soil for 3 months . the white toners ( j ), ( n ) and ( o ) were completely decomposed , while the white toner ( k ) was not decomposed . the kneaded mixture ( not pulverized ) obtained in comparative examples 1 and 2 and examples 1 and 4 were cut to a thickness of 0 . 5 ฮผm , and their cross sections were observed through an optical microscope ( 400 times ). table 2 shows the number of dispersed carbon black particles in the field of microscopic vision . headings in table 2 show the diameters of the carbon black particles and numbers of carbon black particles having these diameters . table 2______________________________________over 10 ฮผm 10 ห 5 ฮผm below 5 ฮผm______________________________________cex . 1 7 21 abundantcex . 2 6 13 abundantex . 1 0 4 abundantex . 4 0 3 abundant______________________________________ ex . = example , cex . = comparative example table 2 shows that the dispersion states in examples 1 and 4 were excellent . 4 parts of each of the toners obtained in examples 1 , 2 and 3 and comparative examples 1 and 2 was separately mixed with 96 parts of a ferrite carrier (&# 34 ; f1530 &# 34 ;, supplied by powdertech co ., ltd .) to prepare two - component developers for image evaluation . the so - obtained developers were evaluated with an electronic copying machine (&# 34 ; bd - 3810 &# 34 ;, supplied by toshiba corporation ) to give excellent background - free images having a high image density . table 3 shows the image quality of the initial copy and 5 , 000th copy . triboelectric charge : measured with a blow - off frictional charge measuring apparatus supplied by toshiba chemical co ., ltd . image density : measured with a reflection densitometer &# 34 ; rd - 914 &# 34 ; supplied by macbeth . background : measured with a color difference meter &# 34 ; z - 1001dp &# 34 ; supplied by nippon denshoku kogyo co ., ltd . table 3______________________________________toner density tribo - electricin developer charge ( ฮผc / g ) image density backgroundin - in - in - in - itial , 5000th itial , 5000th itial , 5000th itial , 5000th______________________________________cex . 4 . 0 4 . 4 - 21 . 8 - 18 . 6 1 . 42 1 . 45 0 . 68 0 . 82cex . 4 . 0 4 . 2 - 22 . 4 - 21 . 2 1 . 41 1 . 42 0 . 62 0 . 752ex . 14 . 0 4 . 1 - 22 . 3 - 21 . 5 1 . 42 1 . 43 0 . 41 0 . 52ex . 24 . 0 3 . 9 - 23 . 5 - 24 . 2 1 . 41 1 . 42 0 . 48 0 . 60ex . 34 . 0 4 . 2 - 22 . 5 - 21 . 2 1 . 42 1 . 44 0 . 52 0 . 65ex . 44 . 0 3 . 9 - 23 . 4 - 24 . 0 1 . 42 1 . 42 0 . 33 0 . 45ex . 54 . 0 3 . 9 - 21 . 8 - 22 . 0 1 . 42 1 . 41 0 . 56 0 . 60ex . 64 . 0 3 . 9 - 22 . 1 - 22 . 4 1 . 41 1 . 41 0 . 58 0 . 61______________________________________ table 3 shows that the toners obtained in examples 1 to 6 gave excellent images free of background . the toners obtained in examples 5 and 6 and comparative examples 1 and 4 were evaluated in the same manner as in ( 4 ) image quality and utilization under testing environmental conditions of a low temperature and a low humidity ( 10 ยฐ c ., 30 % rh ) or a high temperature and a high humidity ( 35 ยฐ c ., 85 % rh ). table 4 and 5 show the image quality of the initial copy and 3 , 000th copy obtained under environmental conditions of a low temperature and a low humidity ( 10 ยฐ c ., 30 % rh ) or a high temperature and a high humidity ( 35 ยฐ c ., 85 % rh ). table 4______________________________________10 ยฐ c ., 30 % rh ) toner density tribo - electricin developer charge ( ฮผc / g ) image density backgroundin - in - in - in - itial , 3000th itial , 3000th itial , 3000th itial , 3000th______________________________________ex . 54 . 0 4 . 0 - 22 . 4 - 23 . 6 1 . 42 1 . 41 0 . 56 0 . 59ex . 64 . 0 4 . 1 - 21 . 9 - 23 . 4 1 . 42 1 . 41 0 . 58 0 . 62cex . 4 . 0 4 . 1 - 22 . 1 - 24 . 5 1 . 42 1 . 37 0 . 60 0 . 65cex . 4 . 0 3 . 8 - 22 . 2 - 26 . 5 1 . 41 1 . 30 0 . 57 0 . 604______________________________________ ex . = example , cex . = comparative example table 5______________________________________ ( 35 ยฐ c ., 85 % rh ) toner density tribo - electricin developer charge ( ฮผc / g ) image density backgroundin - in - in - in - itial , 3000th itial , 3000th itial , 3000th itial , 3000th______________________________________ex . 54 . 0 4 . 1 - 21 . 5 - 21 . 0 1 . 42 1 . 42 0 . 62 0 . 68ex . 64 . 0 4 . 1 - 21 . 3 - 20 . 9 1 . 42 1 . 42 0 . 63 0 . 66cex . 4 . 0 4 . 4 - 21 . 5 - 18 . 4 1 . 41 1 . 44 0 . 65 0 . 85cex . 4 . 0 4 . 2 - 21 . 0 - 15 . 3 1 . 41 1 . 47 0 . 59 1 . 054______________________________________ ex . = example , cex . = comparative example the toner in comparative example 4 is liable to show a decrease in image density in a low - temperature low - humidity environment . further , the toner in comparative example 4 an increase in background in a high - temperature high - humidity environment due to a decrease in triboelectric charge . the toners in examples 5 and 6 are free from dependency on any one of the above environmental conditions and show excellent image quality . the toner for electrophotography composed mainly of a lactic acid - based resin , provided by the present invention , reacts with water in an alkaline aqueous solution , and the resin molecules are hydrolyzed to decrease the bonding strength . therefore , it can permit the facile deinking with an existing deinking system . as a result , the recycling of used copying paper is advantageously advanced . further , the toner of the present invention is biodegradable , and has advantages in that a recovered toner can be disposed of without any problem and that waste paper can be disposed of without any problem . | 6 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . referring to fig3 there is shown a transformation coding apparatus for transforming a block of data representative of an object having a certain shape and a portion of the boundary of that object . the transformation coding apparatus includes a transformer 31 for dct - transforming an n ร n - size data block bi and outputting n ร n transformation coefficients f1 . a transformation coefficient selector 32 selects and outputs transformation coefficients using the transformation coefficients f1 and the data block bi . an inverse transformer 33 inversely transforms the selected transformation coefficients fs and outputs a restored data block to a repetition controller 35 . an encoder 34 functions to perform variable - length - coding on the selected coefficients fs . the repetition controller 35 calculates a mean square error of the input data block bi and the restored data block br , comparing the calculated result with a predetermined reference value , and outputting a control signal for completing the selection of coefficients in the transformation coefficient selector 32 , if the calculated mean square error is less than the predetermined reference value . fig4 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the transformation coefficient selector 32 . the transformation coefficient selector 32 includes a block selector 41 for receiving the data block bi , selecting the data block bi or the error block , and outputting the selected block bd . a pattern former 42 receives transformation coefficients of the data block bi from the transformer 31 , and forms and outputs pattern blocks bp ( n ) with respect to the individual transformation coefficients . the pattern former 42 stores the pattern blocks and outputs pattern blocks bp ( k ) corresponding to a select index . a comparator 43 selects a pattern block from among the pattern blocks bp ( n ) which best - matches the block bd selected by the block selector 41 , and outputs the select index . a coefficient restoring portion 44 restores the transformation coefficient corresponding to the select index selected by the comparator 43 . an error calculator 45 then calculates an error between the block bd selected by the block selector 41 and the pattern block bp ( k ) corresponding to the select index input from the pattern former 42 , and produces an error block , which is output to the block selector 41 . a completion controller 46 completes selection of the pattern block in the comparator 43 according to the control signal generated by the repetition controller 35 . referring to fig5 the pattern former 42 includes an inverse transformer 51 for performing an inverse transformation with respect to the input n ร n transformation coefficients , forming n ร n pattern blocks bp ( n ), and outputting the pattern blocks bp ( n ) to the comparator 43 . a memory 52 is coupled to an output of the inverse transformer 51 , and stores the pattern blocks bp ( n ). a controller 53 outputs pattern blocks bp ( k ) to the error calculator 45 . the pattern blocks bp ( k ) correspond to the select index , and are chosen from among all of the pattern blocks bp ( n ) which are stored in the memory 52 . as shown in fig6 the comparator 43 is composed of a mean square error calculator 61 for calculating a mean square error of the pattern block with respect to the respective coefficients of the block bd and the n ร n pattern blocks bp ( n ), and a bit quantity variation calculator 62 for calculating the amount of variation of the bit quantity generated by additionally adding one coefficient to the bit quantity of the selected coefficients . the comparator also includes a selector 63 for selecting a pattern block of a coefficient which maximizes the ratio of the mean square error ( calculated by the mean square error calculator 61 ) with respect to the amount of variation of the bit quantity , which is calculated by the bit quantity variation calculator 62 for the n ร n pattern block . the operation of the transformation apparatus for a block of data representing an object having a certain shape and a boundary portion of that object according to the present invention will now be described in detail . the transformer 31 dct - transforms the n ร n - sized block bi , which is received from the video divider 11 , to produce the n ร n transformation coefficients f1 . the transformation coefficients f1 are input to the transformation coefficient selector 32 . the transformation coefficient selector 22 , in response to the input n ร n transformation coefficients and the input block bi , selects and outputs transformation coefficients fs from among the n ร n transformation coefficients . the procedure for selecting a predetermined number of the transformation coefficients in the transformation coefficient selector 32 will be described with reference to the detailed block diagram of the transformation coefficient selector 32 shown in fig4 . the block selector 41 selects and outputs an input block bi received from the video divider 11 in the process of selecting a first transformation coefficient . the selector 41 then selects and outputs an error block between the pattern block bp ( k ) ( with respect to the transformation coefficient which has been selected in the previous process ) and the input block bi . the pattern former 42 forms , outputs and stores pattern blocks bp ( n ) with respect to the individual n ร n transformation coefficients received from the transformer 31 . in addition , if the select index k is input , the pattern blocks bp ( k ) corresponding to the input select index k are output . the operation of the pattern former 42 will be described with reference to the detailed block diagram of the pattern former shown in fig5 . referring to fig5 the inverse transformer 51 performs inverse transformation with respect to each of the input n ร n transformation coefficients received from the transformer 31 , and forms the n ร n pattern blocks bp ( n ). the pattern blocks bp ( n ) are output to the comparator 43 and are also stored in the memory 52 of the pattern former 42 . the memory 52 stores the pattern blocks bp ( n ) output from the inverse transformer 51 . the controller 53 receives the select index k and outputs pattern blocks bp ( k ), which correspond to the select index , to the error calculator 45 . the comparator 43 selects a pattern block which best - matches the block bd selected by the block selector 41 from among the pattern blocks bp ( n ) received from the pattern former 42 , and outputs the corresponding select index k . the selection operation of the pattern block in the comparator 43 will be described with reference to the detailed block diagram of the comparator 31 shown in fig6 . the mean square error calculator 61 calculates a mean square error of the pattern block bd received from the block selector 41 and the pattern blocks bp ( n ) received from the pattern former with respect to all the pattern blocks which have not been selected until then , and outputs the result as ฮดmse ( n ) with respect to each pattern block . the bit quantity variation calculator 62 calculates and stores the bit quantity of the coefficients which have been selected until then , and calculates the amount of variation of the bit quantity generated according to any additional coefficient to output the calculated result as ฮดbit ( n ). the selector 63 receives the mean square error ฮดmse ( n ) and the amount of variation of the bit quantity ฮดbit ( n ), and selects a pattern block of a coefficient which maximizes a ratio ฮดmse ( n )/ ฮดbit ( n ) of the mean square error with respect to the amount of variation of the bit quantity , to thereby output the index k as a select index . that is , the selector 63 outputs the select index k which maximizes the ratio of the mean square error ฮดmse ( k ), which is decreased according to the added k - th coefficient , with respect to the amount ฮดbit ( k ) of variation of the bit quantity which is increased according to the added k - th coefficient among the n ร n coefficients . the coefficient restoring portion 44 receives the select index k selected by the comparator 43 and restores and outputs the transformation coefficient corresponding to the select index k . the output transformation coefficient is a select index output from the transformation coefficient selector 32 . the error calculator 45 calculates an error between the block bd selected by the block selector 41 and the pattern block bp ( k ) corresponding to the select index received from the pattern former 42 , and produces an error block . the error block is then output to the block selector 41 . the completion controller 46 completes selection of the pattern block by the comparator 43 according to the control signal generated by the repetition controller 35 . that is , the completion controller 46 completes the selection of the transformation coefficient by the transformation coefficient selector 32 if the mean square error between the restored block with respect to the selected transformation coefficients and the input block is less than the predetermined reference value . thus far , the operation of the transformation coefficient selector 32 , which is an essential element of the transformation coding apparatus for a data block corresponding to a boundary of an object according to the present invention has been described . referring back to fig3 the inverse transformer 33 inversely transforms the transformation coefficients fs selected by the transformation coefficient selector 32 , and then produces the restored block br . the encoder 34 variable - length - codes the transformation coefficients fs selected by the transformation coefficient selector 32 , and then outputs the encoded data . the repetition controller 35 calculates a mean square error between the transformation coefficient selector 32 and the restored block br and then allows the transformation coefficient selector 32 to complete the selection of the transformation coefficient if the calculated mean square error is smaller than the reference value . as described above , the transformation coding apparatus for a data block of an object having a certain shape and a boundary portion of the object , in accordance with the present invention , selects a coefficient which maximizes the ratio of the mean square error ฮดmse ( k ). the mean square error ฮดmse ( k ) is decreased according to the added select coefficient ( k - th coefficient ), with respect to the amount ฮดmse ( k ) of variation of the bit quantity , which is increased according to the added coefficient ( k - th coefficient ). as a result , the original quality of the picture is enhanced and the amount of data required for the picture is reduced . while only certain embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein , it will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing form the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
this disclosure provides details and examples of virtual drive storage technologies . described systems and techniques include mechanisms for virtualizing physical storage devices , such as a disk drive and a ssd into a virtual drive . described systems and techniques include mechanisms for moving files between physical drives of a virtual drive to optimize performance of the virtual drive . using different types of physical drives can provide advantages such as increased access performance and increased storage . fig1 shows an example of a mapping technique for a virtual drive associated with two physical drives . a logical drive can be associated with two or more physical drives such as a ssd 120 and a disk drive 130 . a mapping technique 100 maps a logical address 110 such as a logical block address ( lba ) of a virtual drive to a logical address suitable for input to one of the physical drives 120 , 130 of the virtual drive . in this example , a lba space 105 is partitioned into first and second address ranges 115 , 125 . the first range 115 includes addresses from 0 to k . the second range 125 includes addresses from k + 1 to l . here , l is greater than k , and k is greater than 0 . a first mapping translates , if required , lbas in the first range 115 to lbas suitable for the ssd 120 . a second mapping translates lbas in the second range 125 to lbas suitable for the disk drive 130 . here , lbas from k + 1 to l are mapped to addresses 0 to l - k , respectively , where address l - k is the maximum logical address value of the disk drive 130 . based on the mappings , the mapping technique 100 maps a logical block address 110 onto one of multiple address ranges . the address ranges are respectively associated with physical drives 120 , 130 . the mapping technique 100 is not limited to two physical drives , but can be applied to three or more physical drives , or partitions thereof , that are associated with a virtual drive . various potential advantages of a virtual drive including a ssd and a disk drive , as described , can include faster boot - up time , faster read and write performance , and increased storage capacity . fig2 shows an example of a system architecture that includes a ssd and a hdd . a processor 205 uses a controller 210 to communicate with two physical drives 215 , 220 that are virtualized into a single logical drive . various examples of physical drives 215 , 220 include ssd 215 and hdd 220 . in some implementations , the ssd 215 includes nand flash memory . in some implementations , the ssd 215 includes nor flash memory . in some implementations , the ssd 120 includes double data rate ( ddr ) memory with a battery backup . various examples of physical interfaces between the processor 205 and the controller 210 include peripheral component interconnect ( pci ), pci express ( pcie ), serial advanced technology attachment ( sata ), small computer system interface ( scsi ), serial attached scsi ( sas ), universal serial bus ( usb ), and interfaces for memory cards such as multimediacards ( mmcs ). various examples of host software communication protocols include advanced host controller interface ( ahci ), non - volatile memory host controller interface ( nvmhci ), integrated drive electronics ( ide ), and intelligent input / output ( i2o ). in some implementations , a processor 205 uses a mapping technique 100 to control selection of a physical drive 215 , 220 to store data to a logical drive . for example , a virtualization process running on a processor 205 can maintain the virtualization of the physical drives 215 , 220 . an application running on the processor 205 can write to a specific lba . the virtualization process can transform the lba into a transformed logical address . the virtualization process can issue a write command to the controller 210 with the transformed logical address and an identification of the target physical drive 215 , 220 . the processor 205 can write files to the logical drive . in some cases , writing a file to a logical drive includes rewriting the file to the logical drive at a different logical address via a move operation . in some implementations , a processor 205 performs a move operation that includes reading a file from one of the physical drives 215 , 220 and writing the file to the other drive . in some implementations , a move operation includes operating a controller 210 to transfer one or more files between physical drives 215 , 220 . in some implementations , the controller 210 uses a mapping technique 100 to control selection of a physical drive 215 , 220 when processing a write command from a processor 205 . for example , a controller 210 can maintain the virtualization of the physical drives 215 , 220 . the controller 210 can receive a write command produced by an application running on the processor 205 . the write command can include a lba and write data . the controller 210 selects a physical drive 215 , 220 based on the lba included in the write command . fig3 shows another example of a system architecture that includes a ssd and a hdd . a data processing system can include processor electronics such as a controller 305 . a controller 305 includes one or more processors 310 , memory 315 , and interfaces 320 , 325 for communicating with respective physical drives such as a ssd 330 and a hdd 335 . interfaces 320 , 325 for communicating with physical drives can include circuitry to generate address signals , data signals , or both . in some implementations , the controller 305 includes integrated circuitry effecting the processor 310 , memory 315 , and interfaces 320 , 325 . fig4 shows an example of a system architecture that includes dual controllers , a ssd , and a hdd . a data processing system can include processor electronics such one or more processors 405 and one or more controllers 410 , 420 . the processor 405 can communicate with two or more controllers 410 , 420 that respectively control two or more physical drives such as a ssd 430 and a hdd 440 . the processor 405 can perform a virtualization process to create a virtual drive out of the ssd 430 and the hdd 440 . fig5 shows an example of a system architecture that includes two hdds and a multi - partitioned sdd . a controller 510 can partition a ssd 530 into two or more partitions 540 , 545 . a partition can be referred to as an extent . the controller 510 can group a first partition 540 of the ssd 530 and a first hdd 520 to create form a first virtual drive . the controller 510 can group a second partition 545 of the ssd 530 and a second hdd 525 to form a second virtual drive . a host system 505 can communicate with either the first or second virtual drive via the controller 510 . a host system 505 can include one or more processors . in some implementations , the host system 505 includes the controller 510 . a host system 505 can run an operating system ( os ) that provides access to a file system stored on a drive , such as a virtual drive or a physical drive . the os can load a driver that virtualizes physical drives . in some implementations , the os loads a driver that can communicate with physical drives configured as a virtual drive . fig6 shows an example of an operating system storage stack architecture . an operating system storage stack architecture can include an os file system driver 600 , one or more os storage stack drivers 605 , os disk class driver 610 , and disk filter driver 615 . the os file system driver 600 can provide a file system functionality to the operating system and various applications . the disk filter driver 615 can communicate with multiple drivers associated with different physical drives . the disk filter driver 615 can communicate with a storage controller driver 620 associated with a physical drive such as a hdd 625 . the disk filter driver 615 can communicate with another controller driver 640 associated with a physical drive such as a ssd 645 . for example , the disk filter driver 615 can communicate with a flash controller driver 640 that is operable to interact with flash memory in a ssd 645 . in some implementations , a bridge driver 630 is communicatively coupled with the disk filter driver 615 and the flash controller driver 640 . in some implementations , the bridge driver 630 is operable to translate commands between the disk filter driver 615 and the flash controller driver 640 . in some implementations , the disk filter driver 615 includes functionality to create a virtual drive . in some implementations , the disk filter driver 615 is aware of a controller that combines two or more drives into a virtual drive . in some implementations , one or more drivers such as the os file system driver 600 are not aware of drives that are virtual and treat such drives as physical drives . fig7 shows an example of a virtual drive storage process . a controller , host system , or combination thereof can run a virtual drive storage process . at 705 , the process operates drives including a ssd and a hdd . in some implementations , operating drives includes communicating with a controller that is in communication with the ssd and the hdd . in some implementations , operating drives includes communicating with two or more controllers that are in communication with the ssd and the hdd , respectively . in some implementations , operating drives includes communicating with the ssd and the hdd by a controller , or alternatively without requiring a controller . at 710 , the process virtualizes the ssd and the hdd to be a single logical drive with a logical address space of 0 to l . in some implementations , the process can make the ssd and the hdd appear as a single drive to an operating system . in some implementations , a controller can virtualize physical drives . virtualization can happen each time a controller and a host system are powered up . in some implementations , virtualization includes accessing a configuration file that specifies physical drive mappings for a virtual drive during an initialization process after power is turned on . at 720 , the process determines , based on a file to be written to the logical drive , a target logical address that corresponds to one of the ssd and the hdd . determining a target logical address can include selecting a target logical address logical within the logical address space of the logical drive based on a characteristic of the file . for example , an operating system can write a file to a logical drive . the process can identify a characteristic of a file such as a file type or file usage . the process can select a target logical address based on the type such that the file will be written to the ssd . alternatively , the process selects a different target logical address such that the file will be written to the hdd . in some implementations , a target logical address includes a logical block address . in some implementations , determining a target logical address can include translating a logical address within the logical address space of the logical drive to a logical address within the logical address space of one of the ssd and hdd . at 730 , the process writes the file to the logical drive at the target logical address to effect storage on one of the ssd and the hdd . in some cases , writing the file , at 730 , can include moving the file from the ssd to the hdd , or vice versa . in some implementations , the target logical address is based on the logical address space of one of the ssd and hdd . in some implementations , the target logical address is based on the logical address space of the virtual drive . in some implementations , an operating system &# 39 ; s file system driver does not permit external selection of a target logical address . in such implementations , the process can allow the operating system to write to a target logical address that the operating system selects . after an initial write by the operating system , the process , at 720 , can select a different target logical address based on a characteristic of a file . for example , if the initial target logical address corresponds to the hdd , then the process can select a target logical address that corresponds to the ssd . the process , at 730 , writes the file to the logical drive to move the file to the new target logical address . an operating system may assign logical addresses , e . g ., logical block addresses , from lower address values to higher address values . therefore , it may be advantageous to map a ssd , of a virtual drive , to be at a lower address range than a hdd of the virtual drive such that the initial location of files will be on the ssd as space permits . to manage space on the ssd , a process can move less frequently used files from the ssd to the hdd . in some implementations , an operating system provides an application programming interface ( api ) to move files that have been already written to a drive . for example , a storage process can use such an api to move files after an initial write to a drive . in some implementations , an operation system can provide an api to control selection of target logical addresses for an initial write of a file to a drive . fig8 shows another example of a virtual drive storage process . a virtual drive storage process , at 805 , virtualizes two or more physicals drives to be a single logical drive with a logical address space of 0 to l . the process , at 810 , maps logical block addresses of a first address range from 0 to k to a first physical drive . at 815 , the process maps logical block addresses of a second address range from k + 1 to l to a second physical drive . here , l is greater than k , and k is greater than 0 . at 820 , the process selects a target logical address that corresponds to one of the physical drives . the process selects a target logical address based on a characteristic of a file to be written to the logical drive . in some implementations , selecting a target logical address includes selecting a target logical address to move a file from one of the physical drives to the other . at 825 , the process causes a controller to select , based on the target logical address , one of the physical drives . causing a controller to select can include sending a write command to a controller , where the write command includes the target logical address . in some implementations , the process includes a driver identifier in the write command . for example , the controller can select a drive based on a drive identifier in a write command . in some implementations , a portion of the target logical address , e . g ., the most significant bit of the target logical address , acts as a drive identifier . in some implementations , the process converts the target logical address into an address that is compatible with an address range associated with the drive . at 830 , the process causes the controller to write the file to the selected physical drive . in some implementations , sending a write command to a controller can cause the controller to select one of the physical drives and to write a file to the selected physical drive . fig9 shows an example of a virtual drive storage process that includes monitoring file usage information . a virtual drive storage process , at 905 , monitors usage information of files on a logical drive that is associated with a ssd and a hdd . at 910 , the process selects a file based on usage information such as a usage frequency to move from the hdd to the ssd . selecting a file based on usage information can including using a relative usage frequency of a file . the process can determine relative usage frequencies of files stored on the logical drive based on a data structure such as a file usage log or table . for example , the process can select one or more files that are used more than other files to move to the ssd . at 915 , the process selects a target logical address that corresponds to the ssd . at 920 , the process moves , based on the selected target logical address , the file from the hdd to the ssd to decrease a read access latency of the file . fig1 shows another example of a virtual drive storage process that includes monitoring file usage information . a storage process , at 1010 , monitors usage information of files on a logical drive that is associated with a ssd and a hdd . monitoring usage information can include accessing an operation system file that tracks file access information such as a last access time or an access count . at 1015 , the process selects a file based on usage information to transfer from the ssd to hdd . selecting a file can include determining a relative usage frequency based on the usage information of two or more files . in some implementations , the process uses a last access time and a date threshold to search for infrequently used files . in this example , a search can be limited to addresses within the address range corresponding to the ssd . at 1020 , the process selects a target logical address that corresponds to the hdd . selecting such a target logical address can include using a mapping table that identifies one or more address ranges and one or more physical drives , respectively . at 1025 , the process moves , based on the selected target logical address , the file from the ssd to the hdd to increase available space on the ssd . moving a file can include reading the file from the ssd , writing the file to the hdd , and deleting the file from the ssd . deleting a file can include marking the file as deleted without requiring an erasure of the file . fig1 shows another example of a virtual drive storage process that includes file type identification . a storage process , at 1110 , identifies a type of the file to be written to a logical drive associated with a ssd and a hdd . identifying a type of the file can include identifying a file to be rewritten to the logical drive via a move . identifying a file type can include accessing a portion of a file name such as a file extension string . in some implementations , identifying a file type can include accessing a portion of a file to determine a file type . in some implementations , identifying a file type can include determining the source of the file , e . g ., the owner of the process responsible for sourcing the file to be written . in some implementations , files associated with owners such as โ administrator โ or โ root โ can be assigned to the ssd . at 1115 , the process selects , based on a type of a file to be written to the logical drive , a target logical address that corresponds to one of the ssd and the hdd . at 1120 , the process writes the file to the logical drive at the target logical address to effect storage on one of the ssd and the hdd . in some implementations , the process includes moving the file from the ssd to the hdd or from the hdd to the ssd . moving the file can include the selecting , at 1115 , and the writing , at 1120 . a host system can run a hyper - drive utility to interact with one or more virtual drives , e . g ., hyper - drives . in some implementations , a hyper - drive utility can partition a non - volatile memory into one or more extents . a hyper - drive utility can virtualize a non - volatile memory extent and a hdd as a single disk . a hyper - drive utility can run as a background process . in some implementations , such a utility is included as part of a file system driver . a hyper - drive utility can optimize the storage of files on a hyper - drive . the hyper - drive utility can place hot ( e . g ., frequently used ) applications into a hyper extent , which resides in a ssd that includes non - volatile memory . for example , the utility can move an executable application file to a hyper extent . the utility can move cold ( e . g ., rarely used ) applications from the hyper extent to a hdd extent . for example , if an application is not used for a period of time , the utility can move files associated with the application from the hyper extent to the hdd extent . in some implementations , a hyper - drive utility can identify files to assign to the hyper extent based on one or more characteristics such as file type , file usage , or both . the utility can cause storage on the hyper extent of operating system files such as a page file or a swap file . the utility can cause storage on the hyper extent of startup application files . the utility can cause the storage of files associated with frequently used applications on the hyper extent . if there is an update of a hot application , the utility can move the update to the hyper extent . in some implementations , the utility accesses a list of pre - defined file types to determine whether to store a file on the hyper extent . a virtual drive address space , such as a hyper - drive address space , can include the range [ lba 0 , lba n ] being assigned to a ssd and the range [ lba n + 1 , max_lba ] being assigned to a hdd . max_lba represents the maximum lba value associated with the hyper - drive address space . in some implementations , an operating system is operable to write files starting at the beginning of an address space . if the operating system is agnostic to the physical drive layout of a hyper - drive , then a hyper - drive utility can move files between the physical drives to optimize performance of the hyper - drive . moving files between drives can include reading data of the file , using a new lba to be associated with the file , and writing file data to the new lba . in some implementations , the utility can cause the operating system to have pre - defined lba ranges for one or more types of files . such pre - defined ranges can correspond to a ssd of a hyper - drive . in some implementations , hyper - drive address space can include the range [ lba 0 , lba n ] being assigned to a hdd and the range [ lba n + 1 , max_lba ] being assigned to a ssd . a few embodiments have been described in detail above , and various modifications are possible . the disclosed subject matter , including the functional operations described in this specification , can be implemented in electronic circuitry , computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations of them , such as the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof , including potentially a program operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform the operations described ( such as a program encoded in a computer - readable medium , which can be a memory device , a storage device , a machine - readable storage substrate , or other physical , machine - readable medium , or a combination of one or more of them ). the term โ data processing apparatus โ encompasses all apparatus , devices , and machines for processing data , including by way of example a programmable processor , a computer , or multiple processors or computers . the apparatus can include , in addition to hardware , code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question , e . g ., code that constitutes processor firmware , a protocol stack , a database management system , an operating system , or a combination of one or more of them . a program ( also known as a computer program , software , software application , script , or code ) can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , or declarative or procedural languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system . a program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data ( e . g ., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document ), in a single file dedicated to the program in question , or in multiple coordinated files ( e . g ., files that store one or more modules , sub programs , or portions of code ). a program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . while this specification contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed , but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments . certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination . moreover , although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination , and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . similarly , while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order , this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order , or that all illustrated operations be performed , to achieve desirable results . in certain circumstances , multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous . moreover , the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments . | 6 |
the problem of reconstructing two haplotypes from genotype data generated by general mapping techniques can be considered according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , with a focus on single molecule methods . the genotype data is a set of observations d = d i each observation is derived from one of the two distinct but unknown haplotypes . each observation di = d ij is a set of observations over the loci index j with d ij โ r r . mapping processes are subject to noise , for which a gaussian model d ij ห n ( ฮผ , ฯ ) with parameter ฮผ depending on the underlying haplotype of d i can be assumed . mapping processes are designed to discriminate the polymorphic allele types in the data space for each locus . hence , the set of observation points d ij can be derived from a mixed distribution , which may display bimodal characteristics in the presence of a polymorphic feature . by estimating the parameters of the distribution , a posteriori distribution that a particular point in r r may be derived from an allele type can be assigned . since the mapping errors for d ij and d ij , can be assumed to be independent , determining and computing the posteriori distribution for haplotypes with product allele types is likely straightforward , and is one of the advantages of utilizing single molecule methods in association studies . one of the problems of phasing is to determine which haplotypes are most likely to account for the observed genotype data . it is preferable to establish the phase by inferring the most likely parameter correlations across the loci index accounting for the posteriori distribution . the system , method and software arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applicable to datasets generated by a wide spectrum of mapping techniques . in this manner , a large number of polymorphic markers of different types ( e . g . snps , rflps , micro - insertions and deletions , satellite copy numbers ) can be used in an association procedure in accordance with the present invention . an exemplary embodiment of system , method and software arrangement presented herein can utilize mapping techniques capable of a ) discriminating alleles at polymorphic loci , and b ) providing haplotype data at multiple loci . other known polymorphic genetic markers may be used by the system , method , and software arrangement according to the present invention . a mapping technique designed for association studies should preferably be discriminating . in particular , for each polymorphic loci , data points in the data space r r which are derived from separate allele types should preferably form distinct clusters in the data . one of the exemplary techniques which allows an observation of a single haplotype over multiple loci may preferably be used for an efficient phasing procedure that can be used . for example , single molecule methods may be of exemplary interest . the models and analysis presented herein relates to and is effected by such methods &# 39 ; applicability to association studies . as an example , the length between two restriction fragments may be considered . the observable ฯ may be modeled as a random variable depending on the actual distance ฮผ . then , it is possible to isolate a specific pair of restriction sites on one of the haplotypes h 1 , and let the distance between them be provided by ฮผ 1 . the distance between the homologous pair on the second haplotype h 2 can be provided by ฮผ 2 . an observation ฯ from the genotype data can then be either derived from h 1 or h 2 , denoted ฯ ห h 1 and ฯ ห h 2 , respectively . using the rflp sizing mapping technique , observable d ij , can have independent error sources depending on loci - specific parameters . the set { d ij , i โ[ 1 . . . n ]} can provide points in r which may be discriminated using , e . g ., a gaussian mixture model . due to the uncertainty of mapping and underlying haplotypes , posteriori distribution ฮฑ ( x )=[ p ( x ห h 1 ), p ( x ห h 2 )] can be selected to model the data rather than determined allele types . the additional description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is organized into the following four sections : section 1 describes the em - algorithm procedure used with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , section 2 discusses the phasing problem , addressed by the present invention , section 3 describes a procedure implementation and examples thereof , and section 4 describes results and applications of the present invention . section 1 . em - algorithm for detection of bi - allelic polymorphisms of the present invention the use of the em - algorithm for inferring parameters of a gaussian mixture model is a well - known technique ( see dempster et al ., 1977 , j . roy . stat . soc . 39 : 1 - 38 ; and roweis et al . 1999 , neural computation 11 : 305 - 345 ), and , as described herein , also useful in the detection of biallelic polymorphisms . in the presence of polymorphisms at loci j , informative mapping data can provide a bimodal distribution in the data space r r . detailed exemplary computations for e - step and m - step of the em - algorithm are described herein in the examples section . for each locus j , the em - algorithm can be executed in accordance with the present invention until convergence occurs , the result being : ฮฑ k ( x ), { circumflex over ( ฯ )}= { circumflex over ( ฮผ )} 1 , ฮผ 2 , . . . , ฮผ k , ฯ in this example , a is a posteriori probability that data point ฯ is derived from allele type k โ[ 1 , 2 , . . . , k ]. criteria for polymorphisms . let { circumflex over ( ฯ )} ( d ) denote the limit of the em - algorithm with data set d at the loci j . the following issue may be raised : when will a locus exhibit two specific allele variations ? in the setting when k = 2 , as in the remainder of this description ( hence { circumflex over ( ฯ )}= ฮผ 1 , ฮผ 2 , ฯ ), polymorphic loci are defined as events : effectiveness of the em - algorithm . mapping techniques may contain errors that are gaussian across a diverse set of technologies . genetic markers may be associated or linked to allele types in the population . the mixture model / technique treated with em algorithm can operate effectively , and possibly distinguishing fits beyond visual accuracy . the constraint for a single value of a can force the em - algorithm to result in one of two steady states , e . g ., ฮผ 1 โ ฮผ 2 or ฮผ 1 = ฮผ 2 ( a single gaussian ). although the em - algorithm estimates are slightly biased , the estimators are consistent , and the bias is known to diminish with larger data sets . the individual experimental data { d ij : i โ[ 1 . . . n ]} can be mapped to posteriori probability that measures over the allele classes . thus , a probability function ฮฑ ( y ) reflecting a confidence ( in the presence of mapping error ) that point y corresponds to one of our allele types can be produced . for polymorphism assignments , false positives are unlikely to disturb the phasing , while false negatives may affect the size of phased contigs . โ phasing โ is the problem of determining the association of alleles , due to a linkage on the same haplotype . letting ฮป j be the allele space at loci j , a haplotype may be considered an element of the set : ฯ j โ[ 1 , 2 , . . . , m ] ฮป j . in phasing polymorphic alleles for an individual &# 39 ; s genotype data ( a mix of two haplotypes ), it can be assumed that about half of the data can be derived from each of the underlying haplotypes h 1 and h 2 . in this context , haplotypes have a complementary structure in that the individual &# 39 ; s genotype should be heterozygous at each polymorphic locus . a haplotype space can be defined in accordance with the present invention , and methods for estimating the probability that an observation d i is derived from a particular haplotype over a set of loci are described . the maximum likelihood problem for haplotype inference can then be formulated , and this formulation may be the proposed solution to the phasing problem . haplotype space and joint distributions . the full space of haplotypes is the product over all allele spaces { 1 , 2 , . . . , m }. in general , haplotype space is in one - to - one correspondence with m ={โ 1 , 1 } m . the discrete - measure space ( m , 2 m ) can be used to denote the haplotypes , while m [ j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v ] denotes the haplotypes over the range of loci j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v . the result of phasing genotype data may be a probability measure on the space ( m , 2 m ). noiseless data may result in a measure assigning 1 / 2 to each of the complementary haplotypes , and 0 to all others . this uniform measure over complements corresponds to perfect knowledge of what the haplotypes are . the procedure that can be used by an exemplary embodiment of the system , method and software arrangement of the present invention is consistent in that the correct result is achieved for suitably large data sets . for example , let ฮป j be the allele set for the polymorphic loci j . two bi - allelic loci j and j โฒ can be used . for clarity , we will assume that ฮป j ={ a , a } while ฮป j โฒ ={ b , b }. a data observation d i may be derived from one of the four classes : ab , ab , ab , ab . because the mapping noise at loci j and j โฒ are independent , the probability ( based on the loci a posteriori ) that the observation can be derived from the following four classes : ฮฑ jj โฒ ( i ) can be defined as the estimated probability distribution for observation i on haplotypes over the loci j , j โฒ: ฮฑ jj โฒ is defined as the estimated probability distribution over the data set on haplotypes over the loci j , j โฒ: for ฯ โ m [ j 1 , j 2 . . . , j m ] and ฮฑ j w p w ( d i )= prob ( d i ห ฯ w ) with ฯ w โ ฮป j w , the estimates can be extended to any set of indices producing : complementarity . in phasing the diploid genotype data into two haplotypes ฯ 1 , ฯ 2 โ m , there may be a special property present , e . g ., haplotype p 2 can be complementary to haplotype ฯ 1 , denoted ฯ s = ฯ 1 . the complementary pair of haplotypes may be represented by a change of variables ฯ โ{โ 1 , 1 } m โ 1 , and the transformation to the haplotypes may be given by the map : in evaluating the data , there may be a possible 2 m โ 1 complementary pairs of allele types to search . the confidence of a set of complementary haplotypes can be modeled as a probability distribution on the discrete measure space m , 2 m which is the convex hull of the following set of extremal points which correspond to certain knowledge of complementary haplotypes . these values can represent the uniform distribution over complementary haplotypes and geometrically are vertices of a high dimensional hypercube . for example , let a [ j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v ] be the corresponding distribution over the haplotype space m [ j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v ]. maximum likelihood problem . for every loci j , it can be assumed that the data { d ij : i โ[ 1 . . . n ]} contains an equal distribution of data from the underlying haplotypes h 1 , h 2 that can be inferred . using the estimated values ฮฑ for the joint distribution over loci product spaces , the haplotypes most likely producing ฮฑ can be computed . the corresponding maximum likelihood problem may be formulated as follows : similarly , for any specified set of loci { j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v }, a likelihood function l m [ j 1 1 , j 2 , . . . j v ] may be defined as the most likely to produce posterior ฮฑ j 1 , j 2 , . . . j v over the space m [ j 1 , j 2 , . . . j v ]. the description provided below in the examples section is derived from a taylor - series expansion of the likelihood function . it demonstrates that the mle result in set a is the vertex of a 2 m โ 1 hyper - cube closest to the estimated joint probability function ฮฑ , measured by a modified l 2 norm . with this result , the following function to be used in the algorithms presented later can be assumed : compute ฯ ฮต a [ j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v ] minimizing ๎ข ๎ข ฯ j โ [ j 1 , j 2 , โฆ ๎ข , j v ] ๎ข ( a j - ฮธ j ) 2 a j ๎ข ๎ข over ๎ข ๎ข ฮธ โ a exemplary procedures generally focus on growing disjoint - phased contiguous sets of loci called contigs . for example , all loci can be assigned an arbitrary phase and begin as a singleton phased contig . a join operation checks if these phased contigs may be phased relative to one another using a function called verify - phase . verify - phase can be designed to check a phasing criteria , for example refuting a hypothesis of hardy - weinberg equilibria is discussed below in the examples section . other examples of suitable phasing criteria are known to those of ordinary skill in the art . such criteria may , for instance , be based on the statistical distribution of haplotypes in the ambient population , on the perfect phylogeny hypothesis , or on the relation to genotypes of parents , siblings and other closely - related family members . if a pair of phased contigs can be joined by passing the test , implied by verify - phase function , then the disjoint sets are combined into a single phased contig and the joint distribution over the set is computed with the mle - collapse function . after completion of a successful join operation , the resulting distribution function may be regarded as the most likely one among all haplotypes that can generate the observed data over the specified loci . because the growth of contigs is monotonic and depends on local information available at the time of the operation , an adjust operation is also considered that fractures and rejoins contigs using a larger locality of data than what was available during the join . the operations are described in detail , the results are analyzed , and methods for avoidance of incorrect operations are indicated . collapse . the collapse of the phase operation can be described as the mle - collapse function , the example of which is shown in fig1 which provides a collapse of the phase of two polymorphic loci 30 into a single haplotype 40 . it may be used to update a joint probability distribution over a set of contigs , and has the effect of keeping the contig structures bound to haplotype states which simplifies the computing of a phase . fig2 shows an exemplary illustration of the phase of three polymorphic loci 70 provided into two complementary haplotypes 80 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention join : let k be a parameter denoting neighborhood size . let c 1 ={ j 1 , j 2 , . . . , j v } and c 2 +{ j 1 โฒ, j 2 โฒ, . . . , j w โฒ}; then the join operation is as follows : given joint - probability functions ฮฑ j 1 , ฮฑ j 2 , . . . , ฮฑ j v , ฮฑ j โฒ 1 , ฮฑ j โฒ 2 , . . . ฮฑ j โฒ w , compute the joint probability function ฮฑ c 1 , c 2 with formula compute - phase ( c 1 = { j 1 , j 2 ,..., j v } , c 2 = { j โฒ 1 , j โฒ 2 ,..., j โฒ w } , k ) assume j v in c 1 is such that d ( j v , c 2 ) โฆ d ( j , c 2 ) โ j ฮต c 1 : return ฮฑ ( j v )( j โฒ 1 j โฒ 2 ... j โฒ v ) join ( c 1 = { j 1 , j 2 ,..., j v } , c 2 = { j โฒ 1 , j โฒ 2 ,..., j โฒ w } , k ) compute - phase ( c 1 = { j 1 , j 2 ,..., j v } , c 2 = { j โฒ 1 , j โฒ 2 ,..., j โฒ w } , k ) if ( verify - phase ( ฮฑj 1 j 2 ... j v ) ) then ฮฑ j 1 , j 2 ... j v โ mle - collapse ( j 1 j 2 ,..., j v ) , the method , system and software arrangement of an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention can estimate the haplotypes by solving an ordered set of local mle problems . implementation . input . the input is a set of data points { d ij โ r r : i โ[ 1 . . . n ], j โ[ 1 . . . m ]}. the following assumptions are made about the input : for each j the points d ij , d 2j , . . . , d nj are derived from the gaussian mixture model corresponding to mapping data at polymorphic loci j . for each i points d i1 , d i2 , . . . , d im are independent random variables with parameters associated to underlying haplotypes . with the knowledge of the mapping order of polymorphic loci , the positions of the genome can be assumed to be ฯ 1 , ฯ 2 , . . . , ฯ m . implementation . pre - process . the em - algorithm procedure can be executed for each locus : { d ij : i โ[ 1 . . . n ] observable }โ{{ circumflex over ( ฯ )} j : ฮฑ j }โ j โ[ 1 , . . . , m ]. the result is a set of estimates for bi - allelic loci , {{ circumflex over ( ฯ )} 1 , { circumflex over ( ฯ )} 2 , . . . , { circumflex over ( ฯ )} m }, as well as a set of functions estimating the probability that any data point derives from the distinct alleles { ฮฑ 1 , ฮฑ 2 , ฮฑ m }. next , a join schedule can be constructed . letting ฮฒ j = ฯ j + 1 โ ฯ j , the results are sorted into an index array giving an increasing sequence : j 1 , j 2 , . . . j v , . . . j m โ 1 . implementation . main algorithm and data structure . contigs can be maintained in a modified union - find data structure designed to encode a collection of disjoint , unordered sets of loci , which may be merged at any time . union - find supports two operations , union and find ( see tarjan , 1983 , data structures and network algorithms , cbms 44 , siam , philadelphia ). for example , union can merge two sets into one larger set , and find can identify the set containing a particular element . loci j may be represented by the estimated distribution ฮฑ j , and can reference its left and right neighbor . at any instant , a phased contig may be represented by : an mle distribution or haplotype assignment for the range of loci in the contig ( if one can be evaluated ). boundary loci : each contig has a reference to left - and right - most locus . in the vth step of the procedure , consider the set of loci determined by ฮฒ v , { j v , j v + 1 }: if find ( j v ) and find ( j v + 1 ) are in distinct contigs c p and c q , then ( a ) attempt to union c p and c q , by use of the join operation , and ( b ) update the mle distribution and boundary loci at the top level if the join is successful . implementation . output . output can be a disjointed collection of sets , each of which is a phased contig . it represents the most likely haplotypes over that particular region . implementation . time complexity . the preprocess may involve using the em - algorithm / procedure once for each locus . the convergence rate of the em - algorithm procedure has been analyzed ( see ma et al ., 2000 , neural computation 12 : 2881 - 2907 ) and depends on the amount of overlap in the mixture of distributions . for moderate - sized data sets , no difficulties with convergence of the em - algorithm procedure have been observed . the time complexity of the main exemplary procedure can be estimated by implementing the k - neighbor version . for each ฮฒ jv there may be two find operations . the number of union operations preferably does not exceed the cardinality of the set { ฮฒ j : j โ[ j 1 , j 2 , . . . j m โ 1 ]}, as contigs grow monotonically . the time - cost of a single โ find โ operation is preferably at most ฮณ ( m ), where ฮณ is the inverse of ackermann &# 39 ; s function . therefore , the time cost of all union - find operations is preferably at most o ( mฮณ ( m )). the join operation , on the other hand , uses the execution of the k - neighbor optimization routine , at a cost of o ( k ). thus , the main exemplary procedure has a worst - case time complexity of and may be regarded as approximately linear in the number of markers , m for all practical purposes , since k is likely a small constant . rflp examples . the method , system and software arrangement of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be demonstrated on two simulated data sets composed of ordered restriction fragment lengths subject to sizing error . fig3 , which shows exemplary haplotypes , obtained using such exemplary embodiment is presented in the following bands : the band 100 nearest the bottom in the layout is the simulated haplotype . the second band 110 from the bottom is the haplotype molecule map for a diploid organism . these molecules ( which are sorted into two haplotype classes in the layout ) can be mixed and made available to the procedure of the present invention as a single set of genotype data . the third band 120 from the bottom shows the results of the em - algorithm and the set of markers that are determined to have polymorphic alleles . the fourth band 130 in the layout provides the history of contig operations . from this tree , it is possible to view : 1 ) the developing k - neighborhoods , and 2 ) the distinct phased contigs . the top band 140 in the layout provide the algorithmic output for this problem , including phased - in subsets that span the distance indicated by the bars above and below the loci markers . the areas where phase structure overlaps but cannot extend are regions that are of interest to target with more specific sequences , in order to extend the phasing . a simple verify - phase function which checked that the posteriori distribution c a , c b is separated by a distance of c & gt ; 0 from the point may be used as an example . in practice , it was discovered that the parameter c should preferably depend on the local coverage . for the first simulation on dataset i , shown in fig3 , a relatively small set was chosen so that the potential limitations of the procedure may be revealed . here the neighborhood size was set to k = 5 . false positive rflp detections were not guarded against , yet phasings are computed . it is clear that mistakes provided therein were likely due to the low coverage library . in the second simulation on dataset ii , seen in fig4 , the result 200 shows that good phasing results may be achieved even on large , sparse data sets . if d ( ฮฑ , a )& lt ;โ for some โ small enough . maximizing ฯฯ โ( 0 , 1 ) m โ 1 ฮธ ฮฑฯn ฯ over ฮธ โ a is equivalent to minimizing f ( ฮธ )= f ( ฮฑ )+โ f ( ฮฑ )โ( ฮธ โ ฮฑ )+( ฮธ โ ฮฑ ) t f โณ ( ฮฑ )( ฮธ โ ฮฑ )+ o (||( ฮธ โ ฮฑ )|| 2 ) โ f ( ฮฑ )= 0 , this is a standard mle result for a multi - nominal distribution . computing the quadratic function : letting l 1 = l ( ฮฑ ) and assuming there is a second local optima for the likelihood function value at l 2 , let we must show that there is a ฮด so that { ฮธ : || ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 & lt ; ฮด } cv ( ฮฑ ). and this is clear from the inequality l 1 โ l 1 n || ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 โ o (|| ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 )& lt ; f ( ฮธ )& lt ; l 1 โ l 1 n || ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 + o (|| ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 ) we conclude that if there is a point of a โ{ ฮธ :|| ฮธ โ ฮฑ || ฮฑ 2 & lt ; ฮด } then it must be the unique maxima in a for our likelihood function . the chi - squared statistical test for determining whether allelic data at loci j and j โฒ display linkage disequilibrium , and hence are not in hardy - weinberg equilibrium ( hwe ) has been reviewed in great detail . see weir , 1996 , genetic data analysis ii , sinauer associates , sunderland , mass . for details and a complete statistical treatment . the chi - squared statistical test for gametic disequilibrium at two loci has been modified by using additive disequilibrium coefficients to adjust to our population model . the end result is a chi - squared statistical test that allows the rejection of hwe from observed frequencies alone . since determination of linkage is a prerequisite to phasing , or at least in finding structure in the joint distribution over allele spaces of adjacent loci , this statistical test is important . the boundaries of haplotype blocks ( or phased contigs ) are an interesting and important issue in understanding population dynamics . for example , let d ab denote the disequilibrium coefficient between alleles a at loci j and b at locij โฒ: where p ab , p a , p b are the population frequencies for allele type : ab , a , b respectively . in the presence of hwe d ab can be expected to be zero . letting { circumflex over ( d )} ab denote an estimate from estimate frequencies : the variance can be computed using fisher &# 39 ; s approximate variance formula . under the assumption that loci j and j โฒ are in hwe , d ab = 0 and : from this information , it is possible to construct a chi - squared test to evaluate the hypothesis that alleles a and b at loci j and j โฒ are acting as they would if they were in hwe . it is possible to reject the hwe hypothesis correctly 9 times in 10 by using a reference value of z 2 & gt ; 2 . 71 , or we may reject hwe correctly 99 times in 100 using reference values z 2 & gt ; 6 . 63 . if alleles are linked by a haplotype , this test may be used as the verify - phase function mentioned previously in this text . the data at loci j can refer to the observed distances between restriction sites j and j + 1 , as they are derived from two haplotypes h 1 and h 2 with underlying genome distances ฮผ 1 and ฮผ 2 . the distribution of data points for loci j is given by : it is preferable to make a simplifying assumption that ฯ = 1 / 2 ( ฮผj 1 + ฮผj 2 ) , so that f j may be closely approximated by : for loci j the set of points { d ij = i โ[ 1 , 2 , . . . n ]} is data . it is preferable to infer the model parameters ฯ ={ ฯ = ฮผ 1 , ฮผ 2 } and posteriori distribution or by use of the em - algorithm . the subscript j can be dropped in the following equation , the objective being to iteratively optimize the function : the em - algorithm procedure can be executed until convergence in the parameter space occurs . exemplary detailed computations for the e - step and m - step are provided in the appendix . detailed proofs of each step are provided below . and b =โ{ square root over ( 2 ฯฯ 2 )}. it is shown that the answer is given by maximizing each summand and hence given by : the simulation results described herein demonstrate that locally the phasing may be highly accurate . when local coverage derived from one haplotype is low , the detection of polymorphisms can become difficult . in the first dataset , a false negative detection may be found on the 8 th marker from the left . this false negative was due to zero coverage from one of the haplotypes at that point . the ninth marker can be a false positive detection , and may be attributed to zero coverage from one haplotype and low coverage ( two molecules ) from the alternative haplotype . the false positive does not cause errors in the phase information for correctly detected polymorphic loci in the phased - contig achieved over marker index in the set { 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 }. designing a mapping experiment targeting a polymorphic marker in the set { 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 } can allow one to phase the two contigs into a single contig . the results of the method for haplotype phasing of the present invention may be assessed in terms of two absolute quantities : resolution and accuracy . not only does the method of the present invention provide conclusions , it also reports a confidence level associated with the conclusion . since an individual &# 39 ; s haplotype structure is singular and absolute , any method that makes conclusions about that structure should assess its own accuracy . the method according to the present invention provides this assessment in such a way that the resolution and accuracy of the conclusions drawn for an individual scale with the amount of effort ( i . e . mapping experiments ) expended on that individual . this feature of the method is important because ( a ) an accurate and high resolution determination of an individual &# 39 ; s haplotype structure may be drawn in the absence of knowledge or information from her / his pedigree or sub - population , in contrast to population - based studies , which rely on mapping data from a set of closely related individuals , and ( b ) since resolution and accuracy scale with effort , the same scaling relationship is present for cost . in various applications of the method and system of the instant invention where different resolutions and accuracies are required , the present method provides a better estimate for the same cost when compared to currently available alternative methods . fig5 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system 300 according to the present invention which is capable of storing thereon the storage arrangement of the present invention , and operable to execute thereon the method according to the present invention . in particular , the system includes a processing arrangement 310 and a storage arrangement 320 . the storage arrangement 320 can be one or more hard drives , memory ( read - only memory , random access memory โโ ram โ. dram ). cd - roms . floppy disks . etc . and / or combination thereof , and may store thereon a software arrangement ( e . g ., a software program ). the software program can be accessed by the processing arrangement 310 ( e . g ., a processor such as intel pentium ยฎ processor ), and the software arrangement can make the processing arrangement operable to execute the exemplary embodiment of the present described herein . for example , the system 300 can receive genotype data associated with one or more genetic sample , either from external sources or from the storage arrangement 320 . the processing arrangement 310 ( executing the software arrangement obtained from the storage arrangement 320 ) obtains the data , and performs the procedures in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . after the processing is completed by the processing arrangement 310 , the processing arrangement can obtain and output haplotype data for respective genetic sample ( in block 340 ). in addition or as an alternative , the processing arrangement 310 can obtain a confidence level of accuracy of the obtained haplotype data ( block 350 ), and / or results of examination of a linear number of polymorphic genetic markers ( block 360 ). fig6 shows a flow diagram of a top level of one exemplary embodiment of the method 400 according to the present invention for establishing the haplotype of one or more genetic samples from genotype data obtained from the corresponding one or more genetic samples . this method can be executed by the system 300 of fig5 , or by any other arrangement or system that is capable of implementing the method . for example , in step 410 , the genotype data ( associated with one or more genetic samples ) is obtained . then , in step 420 , the polymorphic genetic markers are identified from the genotype data . further , one or more associations of the polymorphic genetic markers across genetic loci are determined to obtain the information associated with the haplotype data . while the invention has been described in connecting with preferred embodiments , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that other variations and modifications of the preferred embodiments described above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a consideration of the specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein . for example , the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also be applicable for polyploid organisms , as well as diploid organisms . it should be understood that the present invention is operable on one or more chromosome of an organism , and can be used even if certain marker information is ambiguous or missing altogether . it is intended that the specification and the described examples are considered as exemplary only , with the true scope and spirit of the invention indicated by the following claims . additionally , all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein . | 6 |
as required , detailed aspects of the present invention are disclosed herein , however , it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the invention , which may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting . for example , up , down , front , back , right and left refer to the invention as orientated in the view being referred to . the words , โ inwardly โ and โ outwardly โ refer to directions toward and away from , respectively , the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof . forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction of travel , if appropriate . said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned , derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning . an embodiment of the present invention is generally designed to interface with an aircraft &# 39 ; s electrical and control systems to implement an โ ice protection control law โ to control and operate the ice protection system which prevents ice from forming on the aircraft &# 39 ; s wings . referring to the drawings in more detail , the reference numeral 2 generally indicates a wing ice protection system . this system is primarily comprised of a number of power control modules ( pcms ) 4 and at least one master control unit ( mcu ) 6 . as shown in fig1 , the pcms 4 and mcu 6 can be stacked and scaled for aircraft of different size and differing requirements . it should be noted that heating elements may be contained within other surfaces of an aircraft , and the present invention is capable of energizing any heating element located within the surface of an aircraft . the pcms 4 provide power to the individual heating zones located on the wings of the aircraft ( not shown ). the pcm units are scalable , ideally in increments of 4 zones per line - replaceable unit ( lru ), to accommodate any number of zones required for ice protection . the pcms 4 use a modern solid - state proportional control design to deliver the exact amount of power needed , and only when desired or requested by the mcu 6 . the solid state design provides for high reliability and efficiency over conventional mechanical or pneumatic systems . each pcm 4 contains extensive built - in - test and the ability to provide fault isolation in the event of critical controller or system failures without affecting the remaining non - faulted zones , thus providing n + 1 redundancy and high system availability . in addition , the pcm architecture embodies an asymmetric proof design to eliminate the possibility of asymmetric icing failure conditions . each pcm 4 may be linked to a single heating zone or multiple heating zones . the ice protection system 2 could be arranged such that each pcm feeds output to a single heating zone on the right wing of an aircraft while also feeding output to the mirror - imaged zone on the left wing . in the case of fault or failure of a single pcm , such an arrangement would prevent asymmetrical heating which could destabilize the plane during flight . the mcu 6 interfaces with the aircraft &# 39 ; s systems 7 and is responsible for implementing the ice protection control law . the mcu can be used in dual redundant arrangement as shown in fig1 - 6 , to provide for enhanced availability and to satisfy high - level system safety requirements . each mcu in a dual arrangement may be kept in separate housings interfaced together , or the components may share a single housing . each pcm and mcu contains a number of fault sensors , temperature sensors , and other sensors for determining failure of a pcm or mcu and allowing redundant systems to boot up . this ensures that the failure of a single pcm will not result in the failure of the entire ice protection system 2 . fig1 shows the scalability of the ice protection system 2 , including a set of four pcms 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 , 4 . 3 , 4 . 4 , and a dual - redundant mcu set 6 . 1 , 6 . 2 . fig2 and 3 demonstrate the wiring connections between these elements and how they are integrated into the aircraft system . the first mcu 6 . 1 is directly connected to the ice detector via a first connection 12 . 1 , the air data system via a first connection 14 . 1 , and the maintenance computer via a first connection 16 . 1 , while the second mcu is also connected to the same systems via secondary connections 12 . 2 , 14 . 2 , 16 . 2 . this allows for redundant backup in the instance of failure of the first mcu 6 . 1 . the mcus 6 . 1 , 6 . 2 further feature a discrete interface 10 for interfacing with the aircraft system , and an isolation interface 8 for interfacing with the redundant mcu . fig3 shows the component makeup of the mcus 6 . 1 , 6 . 2 and the pcms 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 , 4 . 3 , 4 . 4 . specifically , each mcu 6 includes a microcontroller 18 , a power supply 20 , a bus interface 22 , and an aeronautical radio , inc . ( arinc ) interface 24 . this allows the mcu to communicate directly with the aircraft &# 39 ; s built in system . the pcms 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 , 4 . 3 , 4 . 4 each also include a microcontroller 18 for communication with the rest of the system 2 . fig4 is a detailed schematic of a pcm 4 . the pcm includes a temperature sense switch 28 which allows the pcm to activate or deactivate the ice protection system when the temperature sensor signal 26 from the wing is received by the pcm microcontroller 18 . fig5 is a detailed schematic of an mcu 6 , showing the connections between the mcu and the aircraft &# 39 ; s systems 7 . fig6 shows an embodiment of the ice protection system 2 defined in detail above , as it would be stored . each pcm 4 and mcu 6 are stored in a housing . the housing will be highly resistant to temperature , shock , and corrosion . each housing includes a transport handle 30 , ventilation screen 32 , and fasteners 34 for bolting the housing to a storage rack or other storage means , and indicator leds 36 for providing information to users or technicians monitoring the system 2 . as stated above , the pcm 4 and mcu 6 stack typically includes 4 pcm devices and one or two mcus . these โ stacks โ can be mounted into a rack unit 38 as shown in fig7 to service larger aircraft . although fig7 shows a large rack cabinet , the present invention could be in the form of a centralized card replaceable rack unit or other rack assembly . views of these organizational structures can be seen at fig8 . fig9 displays a test sample of the zero - cross proportional power control from an embodiment of the present invention . it is to be understood that the invention can be embodied in various forms , and is not to be limited to the examples discussed above . the range of components and configurations which can be utilized in the practice of the present invention is virtually unlimited . | 1 |
the following nomenclature shall be use in the instant disclosure . the collection of information that is provided , to a messaging platform is the โ information package .โ it can be received by the platform as a single file , it can be accumulated by the messaging platform , and its content can be voice , data , or both . the โ information package โ may include an โ addressee information portion ,โ a โ sender information portion ,โ one or more โ eis portions ,โ a โ data portion ,โ and a โ content portion .โ when the messaging platform is accessed by a party for whom the sender sent an information package , the party is provided with a โ message ,โ which is an instantiation of the information that the sender wished to communicate to the recipient . also , the message may correspond to the content portion of the information package , to a modified version of the content portion , or be wholly created from other than the content portion ( typically when a content portion is not included in the information package ). the message may be such that it presents to the party accessing the platform a voice segment ( the typical voice messaging arrangement ), text ( the typical e - mail arrangement ), text with images , images ( which may include text images ), or video ( images that change with time ). additionally , the message may also comprise a โ first page ,โ which is what is presented to the recipient first , and โ subsequent pages ,โ which are presented to the recipient in response to some action by the recipient . a typical prior art arrangement of the โ first page โ and โ subsequent pages โ concept is found in e - mail that may comprise a text message plus an icon in the first page , and the icon points to an attachment which typically is a text file . ( a non - messaging platform example , which is described in more detail below , is the internet .) that text file , according to the above defined nomenclature , comprises one of the โ subsequent pages .โ lastly , the โ message โ might not be completely pre - stored in the platform . that is , some or all of the message may be created for the recipient at the time the recipient accesses the platform . fig1 presents a flow chart of the process carried out in conventional voice messaging platforms ; and as can be observed , it repeats cyclically . block 5 determines whether a new information package is present at the platform . when it is , control passes to block 10 . otherwise , control passes to block 50 . block 10 is responsible for receiving arriving information packages . this well known function is responsible for communication with the telecommunication network via a particular agreed - upon protocol . it may comprise a voice response unit that prompts a calling party to leave a voice message , software adapted for receiving e - mail , etc . once the information package is received in the platform , block 20 parses the information package to identify the recipient . in the case of e - mail , the recipient is specified in the addressee information portion of the information package , and the software therefore merely looks at that part of the information package . once the recipient is identified , block 30 stores the message in the recipient &# 39 ; s mailbox , if appropriate . if the recipient is not recognized by the messaging platform , the message is either returned to the sender or discarded with or without an appropriate message to the sender . in the case of voice messaging platforms , some systems receive messages only from recognized recipients ( by means of a discrimination process carried out in the telecommunication network ) or they create mailboxes for whichever recipient is identified . as an aside , while the disclosure speaks of information packages arriving and the messaging platform , or arriving at the messaging platform from the communications network , there is a known condition where the sender and the recipient ( s ) are associated with the same messaging platform and , in such a case , the information package from the sender does not , strictly speaking , โ arrive โ at the platform . still , for purposes of the instant disclosure and the appended claims , terms such as โ arriving โ and โ receiving โ are intended to include the notion of an information package โ arriving โ at or being โ received โ at a messaging platform even when the sender is on the same platform . returning to fig1 block 40 initiates a process for informing the recipient that a message has arrived . in the case of voice messaging platforms , that may conventionally comprise repeated attempts to connect to the recipient &# 39 ; s phone . in the case of e - mail , for example , that may comprise setting of an appropriate flag associated with that recipient that causes a message to be given ( such as โ you have mail โ) when the recipient logs on to the platform . the flow chart of fig1 continues with a dotted line leading to block 50 . the dotted line intends to suggest that the process which includes blocks 50 - 70 , as it is drawn , may be a continuation of the process that encompasses blocks 10 - 40 , or it may be an independent process that encompasses only blocks 50 - 70 . block 50 determines whether a party accessed (โ called in โ) the platform to retrieve messages . if so , control passes to block 55 . otherwise , control passes to block 5 . block 55 identifies the caller . once the caller is identified , block 60 determines whether there is a message waiting for the caller ; i . e ., whether the caller is also a recipient of a stored message . if such a message exists , control passes to block 70 where the message , and all other messages for that recipient , are provided to the recipient , typically in an interactive manner . fig2 presents a portion of one information package construct that comports with the principles disclosed herein . it includes an eis portion 100 followed by a data portion 150 and a content portion 200 ( the addressee information portion and the sender information portion are not shown , for sake of simplicity ). the combination of the eis portion and the data portion can also be thought of as the โ program portion .โ eis portion 100 is depicted to have execution portions and each such portion contains a type identifier coupled to eis text ( e . g ., program code ). the type identifier specifies whether the eis is to be executed when it arrives , at some specified time or times ( e . g ., at 6 p . m . ), at some computable time ( e . g ., four hours from now ), or at the time the recipient accesses his or her messages . fig3 is a flow chart of the processes carried out by a messaging platform that implements the disclosed principles . like fig1 fig3 depicts a cyclically repeating process . block 5 determines whether a new information package is present at the platform . if a new information package is present , control passes to block 10 . otherwise , control passes to block 50 . also as in fig1 block 10 receives the information package . block 21 parses the information package to separate the eis portions contained in the information package and the content portion contained in the information package ( and also identify the recipient if that information is sufficiently definite ). block 22 stores the content portion in a pre - assigned area of the platform &# 39 ; s memory , and block 23 stores and classifies the received eiss that are associated with the content portion . illustratively , the classification is into type 1 , 2 or 3 : a type 1 eis is one that is to be executed when the message arrives , a type 2 eis is one that is to be executed at a predefined or computable time , and a type 3 eis is one that is to be executed at time of access . block 24 ascertains whether at least one type 1 eis is present . if one is , block 25 executes it and returns control to block 24 . after all type 1 eiss are executed , block 26 determines whether at least one type 2 eis is present . if such an eis is present , block 27 executes it and returns control to block 26 . in executing type 2 eiss , block 27 first determines the time at which the eis code is to be executed . this information may be embedded in the type field , in the remainder of the eis portion , or in the data field ( a choice of the protocol &# 39 ; s designer ). block 27 then sets a timer and enters a wait loop . when the appropriate time arrives , the remainder of the eis code is executed . both blocks 25 and 27 include a call to execution modules that are standard to the messaging platform ( analogous to the functions of blocks 20 , 30 and 40 in fig1 ). the call is effected when recipients of the content portion are known to the platform , and the modules store information in the appropriate mailbox and initiate processes to inform a recipient of the fact that a message is available . the modules may include other processing as well . it should be recognized , of course , that if a type 1 or type 2 eis causes the identification of more than one recipient for the content portion of the information package , then blocks 25 or 27 will have created a number of images of the content ( perhaps identical and perhaps not ) and the called execution modules place the various messages for the various recipients in the appropriate mailboxes . it may also be noted that when the content portion is determined to have a number of recipients , one option is to keep the content portion of the information package ( or even the message itself , if it is common to all recipients ) in a common area and insert a pointer in the mailboxes of the appropriate recipients to link to the common area where the message is stored . the linking approach is a fairly straightforward programming tool that is used extensively , including in the internet environment ( linking to a specific location in a file , or to a specific file in any internet site ). indeed , by use of the linking approach messages can be stored in a storage area that is outside the messaging platform . block 50 , as in fig1 determines whether a party has accessed (โ called in โ) the messaging platform to retrieve messages . when there are no such incoming calls , control passes to block 5 . otherwise , control passes to block 55 where the identity of the calling party is ascertained . thereafter , block 60 determines whether the calling party is a recipient of a stored message . when that is the case , control passes to block 61 . otherwise , control returns to block 5 . block 61 is the first block in a loop which comprises blocks 61 , 62 , 63 and 64 . block 61 selects a first message for the recipient ( perhaps pursuant to a selection by the recipient ) and the corresponding type 2 and type 3 eiss . block 61 first retrieves the type 2 eiss to determine whether the eiss have been executed ; i . e ., whether the eiss &# 39 ; time of execution has arrived . if it has not , the unexecuted eis is either executed as if its time of arrival has arrived , or not executed at all , depending on a predetermined flag set by the sender within the execution code of the eis . thereafter , the type 3 eiss are executed . the eiss are executed in block 62 . once the eiss have been executed , the message is provided to the recipient by block 63 and control passes to block 64 which determines whether additional messages exist for that recipient . if that is the case , control returns to block 61 . otherwise , control passes to block 5 . it may be noted that blocks 62 and 63 may cooperate in the course of executing the type 3 eis . for example , the type 3 eis may specify that a portion of the stored message should be provided to the recipient , followed by a prompt that invites the recipient to provide an input signal . based on that input signal , the eis may provide additional information or message portions to the recipient , or may take some other measures . that , basically , describes an interactive messaging session . fig2 includes data portion 150 . this field increases the power of the improved messaging platform further by providing a mechanism for the message sender to provide data . this data may be used by the various eiss to control what is executed , how it is executed , and what data is employed in the course of execution . in the examples that follow , some of the power inherent in the inclusion of a data portion may be better appreciated . the discussion above addressed itself to the processes carried out in the messaging platform once a message arrives . there is , of course , the question of how eiss are created in the platform that creates the message to be sent . this question may be answered differently for different media . for example , when leaving a voice message , the creation of the message for the recipient is effectively accomplished in the platform where the message is stored . in other applications , such as e - mail , the message is created in a platform under the control of the sender . clearly , in the latter example , it is easier for the sender to create eiss that have different , and sophisticated , execution programs . in voice message platforms , on the other hand , the user will most likely be limited to a selection from among a preselected set of eiss . the tremendous enhancements that are possible with a messaging platform that operates in accordance with the present disclosure are almost innumerable . the following describes but a few of them . it is our expectation that the telecommunication network in the united states will comprise messaging platforms that are manufactured by different concerns . it is not unlikely that such platforms will have different capabilities . this includes different features and perhaps even common features that are implemented differently . a messaging platform in accordance with the principles disclosed herein would execute the eiss that are included in the arriving messages to create message portions that are either as intended by the sender or as close to it as can be achieved on the particular receiving messaging platform . one concern that exists with messaging platforms where an incoming information package includes executable code is security . in the abstract , it is possible to guard against the acquisition of viruses that can play havoc with the messaging platform , but people are leery of arrangements that permit the effective downloading of software . while the operating system of the messaging platform can be imbued with virus protections ( e . g ., analyze the incoming information packages , limit the area to which eiss can write data , etc . ), it is also possible to guard against viruses by slightly modifying the function of the eiss . specifically , the messaging platform can be arranged to include a large number of eiss ( of all types ), and the information package can be limited to merely specifying which of the eiss that are resident in the messaging platform are to be executed . thus , the notion of an eis is broader than merely a collection of executable code ( the art sometimes refers to such code as an โ applet โ) and extends to a mere pointer to resident code . since the eis is executed on the messaging platform , it is possible to modify various segments , or fields , of the message portion based on a variety of factors . as indicated above , one such field may be the recipient , or recipients , of the content portion . typically , a sender who constructs the information package would create an incompletely defined addressee and provide information that allows the messaging platform to execute and determine the identity of one or more addressees . the recipient may be specified by means of the eis accessing data portion 150 , accessing a database within the messaging platform , or accessing a database outside the messaging platform . the database accessing may be of the type that is intimately related to the sender . for example , โ go to my list of soccer team players โ ( specified beforehand by the sender ), or โ broadcast to everyone on my block โ ( related to an attribute of the sender ). the database accessing may also be of the type that relates to an attribute of the recipients . for example , โ broadcast to all division managers โ, etc . another portion of the message that may be conveniently modified is the salutation to the recipient . that would , of course , have to be created by the eis after the recipients are identified . it may be noted that accesses to such a database can be based on information that is personal to the recipients , stored in the messaging platform , and not shared with the outside world . this may be attractive to people who are protective of their privacy . in some languages the verbs are gender sensitive . for such languages it desirable to change the verb gender based on the gender of the recipient , and that information can also be obtained from a database that the messaging platform maintains of its recipients . finally , sensitivity to the sender &# 39 ; s information can also be obtained . for example , the message to the recipient may be accompanied by a picture that is generated locally in the messaging platform . thus , when the sender is a male , for example , a male &# 39 ; s generic picture / icon can be presented . as indicated above , type 2 eiss are executed at a specified time . this is very useful in many applications where the sent messages are , effectively , reminders . a sender may determine that reminders presented too early are ineffective and , certainly , reminders that are presented too late are useless . the capability to inject a message into a recipient &# 39 ; s mailbox no sooner than a certain time and to , perhaps , extract it from the mailbox after a certain time is therefore very useful . the above example of extracting a message from storage because the time of its viability has passed can be implemented , as indicated above , with an appropriate eis and data ( perhaps in the data portion ) that is included in the information package . however , it can also be realized with a separate information package from the same sender . this can be achieved by permitting the sender to operate on messages that were previously sent by the sender . in a sense , this is a more powerful capability because a sender may not know at the time that he or she sends an information package that at some future time the sender would like to rescind it . by including a message id , for example , the sender of an information package can send another information package that includes a message id and a selected operation relative to the message or messages in the platform that have that message id . the selected operation can be a deletion , a partial modification of the message or messages , or even a complete substitution . type 3 eiss can be used to achieve all of the functionalities that are achievable with type 1 and / or type 2 eiss other than resolving recipient ambiguities . on the other hand , type 3 eiss can implement functionalities that directly interact with the recipient . there are many examples where type 3 eiss control the message that is delivered to the recipient . one such example is control of the message delivered to a recipient when the content portion of the information package comprises a plurality of message sub - portions which are selected and delivered to the recipient based on responses provided by the recipient to prompts . for example , a customer may have inquired with sears about the availability of certain items . sears may then send an information package where the message delivered to the recipient begins with โ dear mrs . smith , you have inquired about the availability of snow blowers , shoes and parkas . press 1 for the location of the sears store that currently carries the snow blowers ; press 2 for the shoes ; and press 3 for the parkas .โ the customer may at that point be interested only in the snow blower ; therefore the customer would press 1 , listen to the message about the snow blowers and hang up . another example of an interactive message may be one that includes the statement โ press 1 if you wish to send back a message or press 2 if you wish to be connected to the sender .โ again , the customer may press 1 , 2 , or neither . when the customer presses 1 , the messaging platform initiates a process that accepts the message recipient &# 39 ; s return information package and attempts to contact the sender and deliver that recipient &# 39 ; s response . of course , if the sender is unavailable and connection is made to another ( or the same ) messaging platform , then the returned information package is stored in that other message platform . when the customer presses 2 , the messaging platform can simply couple the message &# 39 ; s recipient to a central office line to provide a dial tone and the ability to establish a call . a more sophisticated approach may be for the messaging platform to obtain the destination for the about - to - be - launched call either from the information package itself ( by determining who the sender was from the sender information portion of the information package , and the sender &# 39 ; s phone number from a database ) or from the message &# 39 ; s recipient , establish a call as requested , and bridge the message &# 39 ; s recipient to the established call . software for implementing the return messaging โ which , effectively , is also the software for making outgoing calls โ is well known . still another example of an interactive message is one where the message requests the recipient to provide information . the information thus provided ( voice and / or data ) can then be sent by the messaging platform to a destination specified in the eis . this , effectively , is a polling application . the ability to perform processing generally , and processing on sub - portions of the content portion in particular , allows for an easy incorporation of messages that mix media . for example , a content portion of an information package may contain one sub - portion that is a video , another sub - portion that is text or an image , and still another sub - portion that is voice . an appropriately provisioned eis can take care of outputting the various message sub - portions to the recipient as the nature of the information requires . the above suggests that the different media sub - portions are presented to the recipient in the order specified by the sender , but that is not a limitation of the process disclosed herein . the broader scope is appreciated by viewing the message presented to the recipient as one that has a first page and subsequent pages . in the internet environment , which is not a messaging environment , the notion of first page and subsequent pages is well known . when a user is connected to the internet , the user is presented with a page which typically is the โ home page โ of the provider ( although the first page can in fact be selected by the user ). the home page has image buttons or text buttons , and clicking on those buttons connects the user to a different location in a file , to a different file in the same internet site , or to a file in another internet site . in a similar manner , the message presented to a recipient in the context of this disclosure can contain a first page which includes voice , image , or text buttons , and subsequent pages . the subsequent pages may be comprised of sub - portions of the information package , may be derived from information that is local to the messaging platform , or it may be remote to the messaging platform . an example where an information package might contain no content portion at all is one where , for example , the sender sends an information package with an eis that connects the recipient to the sender &# 39 ; s home page . the recipient would thus be connected to the internet , would be privy to that which the sender wished the recipient to access , and would have the ability to expand from there to โ surf โ on the internet . | 7 |
the apparatus and process of the present invention offers a more environmentally safe and effective alternative to purifying water containing hydrocarbons because it uses laser light energy , which does not require the use of consumable materials such as chemicals . embodiments of the laser ablation and filtration method and apparatus of the present invention can be used to assist and / or replace current filtration methods . before turning to fig1 and 4 - 13 , which illustrate examples of various embodiments of the method and apparatus of the present invention , reference is made to fig2 - 3 . fig2 - 2a illustrate a chart showing absorption spectra of oil , from open journal of marine science : detecting oil spill contamination using airborne hyperspectral data in the river nile , egypt ( available at : http :// file . scirp . org / html / htmlimages / 9 - 1470129x / 297a010a - dc5f - 4305 - adf9 - a7cd430 31658 . png ), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . as discussed in detecting oil spill contamination using airborne hyperspectral data in the river nile , egypt , the interaction between the oil slick and the optical electromagnetic radiation is governed by the light transmission and reflection through the oil slick . four recognizable windows of absorption of electromagnetic radiation with oil contamination , are 1 ) visible range from 400 - 800 ฮผm ; 2 ) near infrared range from 1100 ฮผm to 1220 ฮผm ; 3 ) near infrared range from 1600 ฮผm to 1760 ฮผm ; and 4 ) short wave infrared range from 2200 ฮผm to 2350 ฮผm [ 12 ]-[ 14 ]. fig2 shows the spectral response of the in - situ sampling sites in the nile river in correlation with the predefined four absorption windows . fig3 - 3a illustrate a chart showing absorption spectrum of liquid water across a wide wavelength range . strong bands : 2900 nm , 1950 nm , 1450 nm . medium bands : 1200 nm , 900 nm . weak bands : 820 nm , 730 nm . the hydroxide ( oh ) bonds of water , for example have a strong absorption near 3 , 000 nm or 3 microns . ( the chart shown is available at : http :// omlc . org / spectra / water / abs / index . html ( which is hereby incorporated herein by reference ). turning now to fig4 - 13 , the laser ablation apparatus 10 of the present invention comprises a vessel 11 ( see fig5 - 6 , 8 - 9 ). a vessel 11 , which may be a containment vessel or other container or a pipe or tube , contains or houses a liquid 20 to be processed and / or purified during the laser ablation and filtration process , wherein the contaminated liquid 20 may be flowed therethrough , or contained within a vessel 11 while undergoing laser ablation . the laser ablation apparatus 10 has a laser source or scanner 40 for providing and directing laser light energy 12 to the liquid 20 to be purified . in various embodiments , the vessel 11 contains the contaminated liquid 20 that will undergo the ablation and filtration process and the laser energy 12 during the treatment process . the process may utilize a wide range of wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum such as , but not limited to uv light , wavelengths from the visible color spectrum such as green and blue lasers , infrared lasers , as well as others . for example , 1064 nm , 532 nm , 355 nm , and / or 266 nm lasers can be used individually or simultaneously for optimal effects . for example , 1064 nm , 532 nm , 355 nm , and / or 266 nm laser radiation can be obtained from a nd : yag laser . the laser 40 may be positioned within or outside a vessel 11 . a vessel 11 may be a containment vessel or container manufactured for the laser ablation and filtration process . a vessel 11 may also be an existing or prior art vessel or container adapted for use with the laser filtration process . alternatively , the vessel 11 may be a pipe or tube in the field , for example , and the process may be applied within a pipe or tube in the field . the process may be applied directly to a vessel / pipe / tube 11 in the field via inserting a laser source 40 into the vessel / pipe / tube 11 or adding a laser source 40 attachment to the vessel / pipe / tube pipe 11 . if a laser 40 is positioned outside a vessel 11 , a window 90 preferably is provided on the vessel 11 , which will allow the laser energy 12 to travel through the window 90 and within the vessel 11 to the liquid 20 housed within ( see fig8 ). the position of a laser source 40 within or outside a vessel 11 is important to the laser removal process . preferably the laser 40 is positioned so as to maximize exposure of the liquid 20 and contaminates to be removed by the laser energy . the position of the scanner affects the path 15 of the laser energy 12 . to provide a desired controlled containment and laser ablation and filtration process , certain sizing parameters are preferably applied including angle and inclination of the laser source 40 , retention time for the laser process to be applied and based on geometry of the containment or vessel 11 for proper inclination . in various embodiments one or more mirrors 80 may be utilized to affect the path 15 of the laser energy 12 wherein laser energy 12 will bounce off the one or more mirrors 80 . additionally certain mechanical devices can be included for removal of oil , grease , gas or other contaminates and for removal of one or more by - products created by the laser process , i . e . residual oil or microbubbles . preferably compartmental containment is provided as a vital feature for separation and removal of unwanted contaminates . in addition to residual oil , micro - bubbles may be produced as a byproduct of the laser process . due to their size and physical characteristics , sub 50 micron by definition , the containment and compartmentalization process becomes more important and crucial to the management of the process . compartmentalization and sizing of the compartments based on flow and flow characteristics will add to the success of the overall process of laser ablation and micro - bubbles . a vessel or container 11 may comprise a collection chamber , or a series of chambers . in various embodiments , the chambers may have perforated membranes , which allow clean water to pass therethrough but captures separated contaminates . in various embodiments a ventilation system may be integrated to collect and separate gasses that are created in the ablation process . preferably a gas collection area or mechanism will be physically , and / or optically separated from the path 15 of the laser beam 12 in order to avoid any risk of potentially igniting flammable gasses or materials . turning now to the laser ablation process , in various embodiments the laser ablation process preferably comprises obtaining one or more samples of contaminated water or liquid that will undergo the laser ablation process . absorption , fluorescence , and microscopy , of the one or more samples are preferably evaluated . absorption , fluorescence and microscopy information , characteristics and / or data can be evaluated and recorded by using absorption spectroscopy such as ultraviolet - visible spectroscopy . for example , a spectrometer such as a silver - nova , that is commercially available at http :// www . stellarnet . us , can be used . absorption and fluorescence characteristics , information and data help with identifying the type of liquid or fluid , the type of hydrocarbon ( s ) within the fluid and also other types of contaminates that may be present . video microscopy can help with identifying physical changes of the oil droplets , solid particles , and gas bubbles . the data may be collected by spectroscopic instruments , video microscopy instruments , gravimetric testing , and / or with other suitable analytical tools , currently existing or which may be developed in the future . absorption characteristics also help inform the decision on which wavelengths are selected for the laser based on the wavelength &# 39 ; s ability to travel through the particular liquid , the capability of being absorbed by the liquid and capability of being absorbed by the hydrocarbon or other targeted contaminate . after evaluating absorption , fluorescence and microscopy characteristics and / or other collected data for the purpose of determining the liquid composition and contaminants present therein , the process includes selecting a specific or desired wavelength of pulsed , modulated , or continuous wave laser energy at a sufficient energy density to target a particular , or more than one , unwanted hydrocarbon or other contaminant , based on the absorption characteristics of the hydrocarbons , contaminates and the liquid . next , contaminated water will be flowed , pulled or otherwise into the containment vessel . a desired laser source and configuration will be selected . laser energy can then be supplied throughout the contaminated liquid , within the containment vessel , at the selected wavelength . a selected time interval and temperature may also be utilized . the laser energy will travel through the liquid and be absorbed by the hydrocarbon , gas , grease and / or other targeted contaminate for vaporizing , denaturing , rendering inert , killing and / or separating from the liquid , e . g ., rising to the top of the liquid wherein it may flow to a collection reservoir or chamber . examples of laser scanner configurations will be discussed further below with reference to fig5 - 9 . in various embodiments , separated hydrocarbon , gas , grease , and / or other targeted contaminates are disposed of after removal , e . g . flowed to a collection chamber or reservoir or sump 16 . a vessel 11 may be configured so that separated or transformed hydrocarbons or contaminates flow to the top of the liquid , wherein the separated or transformed hydrocarbons can be separated from the liquid through gravity separation , for example , and then flowed to a collection chamber or reservoir or sump 16 . to remove separated contaminates , skimmer devices such as spillover weirs , rotatable paddles , or flight and rake systems , may be used to assist with removal and flow of separated materials to a collection chamber or collections sump 16 . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the method , wherein contaminated water 20 flows into vessel 11 . separated or transformed hydrocarbons or contaminates can flow to the top of the liquid and to a collection chamber 16 . prior to flowing to a collection chamber they could also be flowed through skimmer devices such as spillover weirs , rotatable paddles , or flight and rake systems . processed water exits vessel 11 after the laser ablation process is complete . a collection chamber or series of chambers , perforated membranes , or a ventilation system preferably will be integrated to collect and separate the gasses that are created in the ablation process . preferably this gas collection area or mechanism is physically and / or optically separated from the path of the laser beam in order to avoid any risk of potentially igniting flammable gasses . additional reference is made to u . s . pat . nos . 8 , 834 , 723 ; 8 , 834 , 724 ; 9 , 095 , 786 ; and to u . s . patent application publication no . us20160009571a1 , each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference , which are directed to apparatuses and methods for separation and removal of hydrocarbons or other contaminates from a liquid . after laser energy is applied under selected parameters and for a selected time interval , data may be gathered and collected on the one or more samples of the processed or purified liquid , including on the amount of hydrocarbon or contaminants remaining in the liquid , as well as the type of hydrocarbon or contaminants that remain in the liquid . if necessary , the process may be repeated until only a desired minimum amount of the hydrocarbon or contaminate remains in the liquid , e . g . under 15 ppm ( 15 microliter / liter ) hydrocarbon . the same liquid may also undergo the laser ablation and filtration process again wherein one or more different selected wavelengths are utilized to target one or more different hydrocarbons or contaminates that may be present in the liquid . in various embodiments , after purifying the liquid , the liquid may be returned to a reservoir , or to the source of the liquid or used downhole . in various embodiments , more than one laser source or scanner , e . g . two , three , four , five or more , may be used , each laser source or scanner tuned to the same parameters , to increase exposure of the liquid to the laser beam by having multiple laser paths directed through the liquid at the same time . in various embodiments , more than one laser source or scanner , e . g . two , three , four , five or more , may be used , each laser source or scanner tuned to one or more different parameters , e . g ., one or more different wavelengths , to send laser beams at different wavelengths and / or different parameters through the liquid at the same time . turning now to fig1 , an example will be discussed . fig1 illustrates absorption and fluorescence data 13 gathered while performing the laser ablation process on a sample of contaminated water . the absorption and fluorescence spectra of hydrocarbons is shown . the lines designated by a - a highlight the 500 - 550 nm peak . the following example is illustrative and is not exhaustive . hydrocarbons present in a liquid are measured via an asd spectroradiomete , to absorb around 400 - 800 nm , with a peak fluorescence around 500 - 550 nm ( see fig1 - 1a and fig2 - 2a ). laser radiation can be used to target the entire hydrocarbon that is known to fluoresce at these wavelengths . for example a 532 nm laser radiation is an effective wavelength because this particular wavelength passes through both fresh and salt water fairly well ( fig3 ) and is also strongly absorbed by hydrocarbons . other wavelengths , selected based on their absorption characteristics into a particular contaminant , and the fluid can also be used . for example , wavelengths may be selected that will penetrate the liquid and will be absorbed by the hydrocarbon and cause vaporization , denaturing or separation of the hydrocarbon from the fluid . also , in various embodiments a wavelength will be selected so the liquid absorbs some of the laser light energy while the laser light energy is passing through the liquid . uv laser radiation can also be used to neutralize pathogens , bacteria , and other unwanted organisms in water . the laser ablation and filtration apparatus and process offers a more environmentally safe and effective alternative to purifying water because it uses laser light energy , which does not require the use of consumable materials such as chemicals . laser ablation filtration methods can be used to assist and / or replace prior art or current filtration methods . in various embodiments , laser filtration methods can be used to assist and / or replace current filtration methods . fig4 - 4a illustrate before and after results for water 20 processed and / or purified with a laser ablation process . fig4 a is a photograph view illustrating a sample of contaminated water 20 , and then a sample of processed water 30 . contaminated water 20 had hydrocarbon levels measuring at 21 . 42 ppm . after going through a laser ablation and filtration process the processed water 30 had hydrocarbon levels measuring at 6 . 70 ppm . during the experimental study , 1064 nm 100 ns laser pulses in a prototype system were used to successfully reduce the concentration of a gulf of mexico offshore location for a major oil company oil dispersion in water , at room temperature , by 75 % by vaporizing the oil that was emulsified in the water . as shown in fig4 a , the water turned visibly clearer after exposure to the laser pulses , a gas was generated , and the measured parts per million of the hydrocarbon content decreased by 75 %. in various embodiments one or more different selected wavelengths may be used individually or at the same time to achieve optimal results while purifying water and to target one or more different kinds of contaminates at the same time . in various embodiments a wavelength between 266 nm and 1064 nm may be utilized to purify water containing hydrocarbons . in other embodiments a wide range of wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum can be utilized to target varying hydrocarbons or other contaminates based on the particular wavelengths effect on the contaminants or hydrocarbons . in various embodiments multiple different wavelengths may be utilized to process and / or clean water containing a plurality of different types of hydrocarbons or other containments , the wavelengths selected based on absorption and / or florescence and / or microscopy characteristics or data of the liquid and particular hydrocarbons at issue so that the laser energy will be able to travel through the liquid , reach the hydrocarbon or other contaminate , and vaporize , denature , separate or otherwise render inert the hydrocarbon or other contaminate . it is foreseen that laser radiation at 532 nm , e . g . high frequency 532 nm , will be even more effective at exciting and removing hydrocarbons than a 1064 nm wavelength , from water based on the known absorption characteristics of water and hydrocarbons . in various embodiments a combination of more than one wavelength , used simultaneously , is foreseen to provide optimal results . when using multiple wavelengths , multiple hydrocarbons and contaminants having different absorption characteristics may be targeted at one time . for example wavelengths such as , but not limited to , 1064 nm and 532 nm and 355 nm and 266 nm can be used at the same time to achieve optimal desired results while purifying water . in various embodiments , one or more wavelengths , for example wavelengths such as , but not limited to , 1064 nm and 532 nm and 355 nm and or 266 nm can be used individually , in sequence when processing the liquid more than one time , to achieve optimal desired results while purifying or cleaning the liquid . in various embodiments the same wavelength , e . g . 1064 nm and 532 nm and 355 nm and or 266 nm , can be used in sequence when processing the liquid more than one time to achieve optimal desired results while purifying or cleaning the liquid . in various embodiments wavelengths of 1064 nm and 532 nm are preferably selected for targeting hydrocarbons in water , including fresh or salt water , and the 1064 nm or 532 nm wavelengths may each be utilized alone , and / or together , and / or in sequence in a laser ablation process . 532 nm and 1064 nm are related harmonically as 532 nm is the second harmonic of 1064 nm laser light . 1064 divided by 2 = 532 . in various embodiments , the laser ablation process may be used in a mobile device or incorporated into a floating or submerged vessel ( e . g ., a motorized vessel ) or incorporated into an apparatus that can filter water around it or process water that passes through it as it floats or moves . such a vessel system could be placed inside of a water holding tank and purify the water or it could be , for example , released into the ocean to deal with an oil spill . instead of the water flowing through a stationary system , the system may be mobile and move through the water and process the water while the vessel moves through the water . for example , a self - contained vessel may comprise a laser filter , wherein the vessel can suck or gather or flow water into it as it moves , or while it is stationary , and process the water . in various embodiments the self - contained floating or moveable vessel can also be equipped with sensors , e . g ., an ex - 100 sensor , commercially available at http :// www . advancedsensors . co . uk , that measures parts per million ( ppm ) of oil or other contaminates present in water . the vessel may be configured to activate once a designated level of hydrocarbons or contaminates is reached . activation could be automatically set to occur when a certain level of hydro - carbon or contaminate is measured . alternatively , activation could occur , manually or remotely , or via other suitable means when a hydro - carbons or other contaminates measure at a specified level . fig5 illustrates an arrangement wherein a laser scanner 40 is positioned at or near a corner of a vessel 11 , for example a corner junction of a pipe system or containment vessel 11 . as shown , a laser scanner 40 is at corner of pipes or vessel 11 , firing parallel to the flow direction . a laser path 15 is illustrated . such a configuration includes incorporation of a laser scanning system 40 , such as , but not limited to , those manufactured by g . c . laser systems inc . for the gc - 1 laser system . additional scanning systems 40 can also be used in which the laser energy of beam 12 exits the system 40 as a cone to trace out a closed curve of a circle or oval . the laser energy 12 cone can be fired down the length of the pipe or containment vessel 11 until it terminates on the walls . all water or liquid 20 passing through the pipe 11 must pass through the laser 12 cone as it flows through the pipe 11 . the pipe 11 can for example be round or square or rectangle , or other desired shape . fig6 - 6c illustrate an arrangement wherein a laser scanner 40 is positioned above a pipe or vessel 11 , firing perpendicular to the flow direction . such a configuration utilizes a scanning system 40 in which the laser beam 12 exits the system 40 as a cone to trace out a closed curve of a circle or oval . the top view and side views show that as liquid 20 passes past the laser beam 12 circular scan , it is exposed to the laser beam 12 twice : 1 & amp ; 2 . the first exposure is as the liquid 20 enters the circle , and the second exposure is as the liquid 20 exits the circle . the liquid material 20 is processed twice as efficiently in such a configuration with a laser beam 12 circular scan as with a linear scan method , by comparison , because the liquid 20 gets double the exposure . a laser beam 12 linear scan , running a line perpendicular to the direction of the flow , in such a configuration allows the material to react with the laser beam 12 once as the liquid 20 passes . the side views in fig6 a - 6c show different configurations of how the laser beam 12 cone can be shaped to interact with the material : a : direct shot from scanner into liquid 20 at an angle , e . g ., preferably a 5 to 45 degree angle ( see fig6 a ). b : scanner 40 interacts with and optic 60 such as a telecentric f - theta lens that creates a more perpendicular tube out of the incoming cone ( see fig6 b ). c : laser 12 cone is fired into a focusing lens 70 such as a regular lens or f - theta lens to create more intense focus in a particular focal plane or zone ( see fig6 c ). in various embodiments a laser beam can be directed into a chamber at an angle other than 90 degrees . this type of design can be executed by having a window 90 composed of a material which transmits the laser radiation on the pipe or containment vessel to allow the laser beam to enter the pipe . fused silica is an example of such a material for a window . the pipe or containment vessel 11 can be square or round or any other desired shape . a square shape , in cross section , pipe or container 11 is preferred as allowing a more efficient exposure of the liquid 20 to a laser beam 12 . one face of a square pipe 11 would preferably feature a fused silica , or other suitable material , window 90 to allow the laser beam 12 to enter . fig7 a - 7e illustrate examples of some possible laser scanner 40 configurations . the laser source or scanner 40 can be designed , for example , with different optics to create a laser beam 12 having a 2 dimensional flat plane ( a + c ) ( see fig7 a - 7c ), a three dimensional tube ( a + d ) ( see fig7 a and 7d ), or a cone scan pattern ( b + e ) ( see fig7 b and 7e ). each scan pattern or path 15 has unique benefits and attributes , for example a scan pattern or path that creates a flat plane ( a + c ) can produce a laser field wall that is easy to manipulate , while a laser tube ( a + d ) or cone path ( b + e ) can allow for two exposures of the material that passes through it . line scanning and / or circular or oval scanning laser systems 40 can be used . fig8 a - 8d illustrates examples of how one or more laser beams 12 can be bounced around in a path 15 inside a tube 11 for maximum exposure . the laser light or beam 12 enters a vessel / chamber / tube / pipe 11 , which has a liquid or fluid therein , or flowing through it , e . g ., contaminated liquid 20 , at an angle other than 90 degrees , and can be bounced around with mirrors 80 that are placed either inside the vessel / chamber / tube / pipe 11 ( see fig8 c - 8d ) or on the outside of the vessel / chamber / tube / pipe 11 ( see fig8 a - 8b ) behind fused silica ( or other appropriate material ) windows 90 , for example . having the mirrors 80 on the outside of a fused silica window 90 can help keep the mirrors clean . the laser path 15 can terminate at a target 100 , in the liquid over a distance ( see fig8 d ), or on the wall of the tube ( see fig8 a - c ). the target 100 can be simply an inert energy dump material or can be made of a material that will facilitate plasma formation and cavitation bubbles . as illustrated in fig8 a , the mirrors 80 can be spaced apart from one another a selected distance on top and bottom portions of a vessel / container / tube / pipe 11 , wherein the top mirrors 80 are positioned offset from the bottom mirrors 80 . as illustrated in 8 b - 8 d , alternatively a single larger mirror 80 can be placed on interior or exterior top and bottom portions , over the entire length of the vessel / tube / container / pipe 11 for which the laser energy 12 will travel in a path 15 . in the examples of fig8 a - c a single laser source or scanner 40 is used to provide laser energy 12 that bounces around the mirrors within the container in a path 15 . in fig8 d two lasers 40 are utilized . the two laser scanners 40 may be set to the same or different wavelengths to target one or more types of hydrocarbons or contaminates present in the liquid . if both laser scanners 40 are set to the same wavelength , it will increase the exposure of the liquid to the laser energy of the particular wavelength . if the laser scanners 40 are set to different wavelengths , then more than one type of hydrocarbon or contaminate may be targeted at the same time . in various embodiments any desired number of laser scanners 40 , e . g ., 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or more as desired may be utilized to maximize exposure of the liquid to a particular laser wavelength or to target multiple contaminants at one time . fig9 is a three dimensional rendering example of a laser path 15 from fig8 . as illustrated , the laser light or energy 12 โ wall โ or plane bounces around in the vessel / container / tube / pipe 11 , increasing the amount of exposure the liquid 20 gets to the laser energy 12 as it flows through the vessel / container / tube / pipe 11 . fig1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the process of the present invention wherein contaminated liquid 20 flows into a container or vessel or pipe 11 to undergo a laser ablation process , wherein separated or transformed hydrocarbons or other contaminants are separated from the contaminated liquid 20 and flowed to a collection chamber 16 , e . g ., continuously flowing therethrough , and wherein clean or processed water 30 exits the container or pipe or vessel 11 after being exposed to the laser energy . a similar process can be performed with a submergible vessel . a similar process can also be performed wherein rather than continuously flowing through vessel or pipe 11 , the contaminated water enters a vessel or pipe or chamber 11 and stops flowing to undergo a laser ablation process . after the laser ablation process it can then be flowed to an exit . after the laser ablation process contaminants can also be flowed to a collection chamber or series of chambers . skimmer devices such as spillover weirs , rotatable paddles , or flight and rake systems , may be used to assist with removal and flow of separated materials to a collection chamber or collections sump 16 . a collection chamber or series of chambers , perforated membranes , or a ventilation system can also be integrated to collect and separate the gasses that are created in the ablation process . fig1 - 13 show bubbles 18 formed during a laser ablation process . fig1 illustrates contaminated liquid 20 that is darker in color than the contaminated liquid 20 of fig1 . bubbles are starting to form in fig1 , with more present in fig1 and with the bubbles rising . fig1 illustrates a photo that was taken after a red aiming beam was used in the dark , that shows the path of the laser energy through the liquid . this red aiming beam is replaced by the actual laser beam during the process . in order to confirm repeatability , depending on the parameters and laser power being used , 1 - 5 minutes exposure to laser energy such as shown in the figures , gives noticeable , visible , purifying results . the following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention : all measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure , at sea level on earth , unless indicated otherwise . all materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible , unless indicated otherwise . the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 2 |
the present invention relates to a muzzle compensator and brake that includes a one or more thick washers or sections that can be removed and replaced individually with different gas discharge angles to divert the exit gasses at various angles to return the weapon to a zero point keeping it stable and on - target . the system can rapidly tune a firearm in the field . turning to fig1 , an embodiment of the present invention for use with a rifle is shown . the compensator has a center section that includes an elongated tube much like an extension of the weapon &# 39 ; s barrel . a front end 1 has a threaded hole that screws onto the muzzle of the pistol . while screwing is the preferred mounting method for the compensator , any way of mounting the compensator to the end of the barrel is within the scope of the present invention . one or more removable washers or sections 6 , each having one or more gas exit ports 4 are removably inserted onto the center section . fig2 shows an enlargement of a typical removable section 6 or tuning washer with two gas ports 4 . each removable section 6 is designed to fit on the compensator and to allow compressed gas to exit at a chosen angle . different removable sections can be supplied that direct gasses at different angles for tuning . fig3 shows details of a typical center section . as stated with respect to fig1 , a front end piece 1 attaches to the muzzle of the weapon . the center section includes an elongated tube 7 with top gas exit ports 12 and side gas exit ports 8 spaced along the elongated tube 7 . in a preferred configuration , there are at least three sets of gas exit ports along the elongated tube 7 . an end piece 2 can be attached to the distal end of the elongated tube 7 to hold the removable sections 6 in place . each removable section 6 can be keyed to match a key or the shape of the elongated tube 7 so that , once mounted , it cannot rotate . each removable section 6 includes one or more angled gas exit ports 4 . different removable sections 6 can have different gas exit angles allowing the weapon to be tuned by replacing a section with one angle by a section with a different angle . fig4 - 5 show an embodiment of the present invention designed for use on a pistol . again , a front end 1 attaches to the muzzle of the weapon . an elongated tube 7 contains one or more gas exit ports 8 . one or more removable sections 6 each contain one or more gas exit ports 4 set at a predetermined angle . the elongated center section 7 terminates in an end post 9 . after all of the removable sections 6 are in place , an end piece 2 with optional counter - sunk holes 5 can hold the removable sections 6 in place . the removable sections or washers 6 have two more different angles machined into each section . examples are 15 - 20 , 25 - 30 or 35 - 40 degrees . these numbers represent the angle which the section diverts the high pressure gas after the gun has been discharged . when the section is placed on the center section , only the top ports are used . the bottom ports are turned off . there are typically two ports of each angle on each section . rotating the section 180 degrees causes the second angle to be selected rather than the first angle . either angle may be used . the first removable tuning section in fig5 shows the top 20 degree ports turned on and the bottom 15 degree ports turned off . the second or more distal section shows the top 15 degree ports turned on and the bottom 20 degree ports turned off . these can be adjusted by turning or replacing the sections . fig6 - 7 show a different embodiment of the center section and the end piece 2 . the front end 1 can have an inner beveled interface 11 as can the end piece 2 . again , the end piece 2 can have a plurality of counter - sunk holes 5 . fig8 a - 8e show the rifle embodiment of fig6 - 7 assembled with different levels of compensation . as can be seen in fig8 a , the bullet or other projectile or projectiles pass from left to right in the figure through the device from the front end 1 to the exit piece 2 . compensation for each removable section 6 is typically specified by a four - digit number . the first two digits specify recoil compensation ; the second two digits specify muzzle rise compensation . in this specification scheme , the larger the number , the more force applied to the muzzle . as the rear of the bullet or projectile passes through the device , it passes the first removable section . here the pressure is at its highest . as it passes the second removable section , the pressure is less ( since some of the gas escaped through the ports in the first removable section ). finally , as the rear of the projectile passes the third removable section , the pressure is considerably less than it was at the first section . thus , an identical port in a different position along the device exerts decreasing force as its position moves toward the exit end of the compensator . in the case of rise compensation . thus moving a removable section from the distal end of the device ( low pressure ) to the middle position results in more downward force on the muzzle , or if moved to the first position ( high pressure ) more downward force yet . fig8 a shows a chart of different possible tuning configurations that can be achieved with three removable sections 6 . the actual part shown has 3500 for the high pressure section , 3500 for the middle section and 2525 for the low pressure end section . fig8 b shows the same device reconfigured for 3500 , 2525 and 3500 . fig8 c shows a configuration for 2525 , 3500 and 3500 . the change in tuning can be made in minutes in the field , and can be adjusted until the weapon is fully compensated . different side ports have different predetermined angles with respect to the central axis ; top ports can have different sizes to adjust for muzzle rise , or they can be adjusted by moving sections fore and aft . any number of ports and any possible angles are within the scope of the present invention . also , some of the removable sections have no top ports . these have 00 value in lift compensation . removable sections with 00 in the lift compensation can be installed in a reverse configuration ( rotated 180 degrees , or reversed , so that the ports face the opposite direction along the central barrel axis with respect to the direction of projectile travel ). this allows force to be applied in the opposite direction to fine tune recoil compensation . with this type of section installed , the top holes are typically closed off . for example , fig8 c shows the low pressure distal section installed so that the port 13 is facing away from the exit section , while fig8 e shows the section reversed so the port is facing toward the exit section . this feature allows very fine tuning . fig8 d shows three stock center sections 2020 , 2525 and 3535 . as can be seen , the recoil compensation on these parts is 20 , 25 and 35 . this is accomplished with different angled side ports . the rise compensation on these parts is 20 , 25 and 35 . this can be done with different sized holes , or by placing the same sized section at a different location fore or aft as previously explained . any number of differently configured removable sections is within the scope of the present invention . in general , the removable sections or washers are one or more devices that have gas exit ports that can slide over the compensator barrel . each device has a series of ports and / or slots that redirect gasses when the firearm is discharged . the present invention is the only system where the user can change the direction and force of the pressurized gas without removing and reinstalling a different compensator . the expulsion of gas diverted by the removable sections at predetermined angles allows the tuning of a firearm with respect to the weight of the projectile , the power charge and the shooting style of the user . it should be noted that when referring to the central axis of the gun barrel and the compensator or the direction of projectile travel , a forward direction is away from the shooter , and a rearward direction is toward the shooter . it should also be noted that while the present description has concentrated on rifles and pistols , the present invention can be used with any firearm including shotguns , gas discharge pellet guns , and other types of weapons or firearms . use with any firearm or gas discharge weapon is within the scope of the present invention . fig9 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention integrated with a gun barrel 62 . fig1 shows the embodiment of fig9 assembled on the barrel 62 . a barrel , which can belong to a rifle , pistol , shotgun , pellet gun or any other weapon or firearm , is shown in fig9 - 10 . the forward part of the barrel 60 has a series of smaller holes 12 and a recessed area 63 with a series of larger gas exit ports 8 . the most forward end of the barrel 61 is simply an extension of the barrel 62 with a muzzle hole for projectile exit 64 . similar to previous embodiments , one or more removable sections 6 each contain one or more top gas exit ports 4 set at a predetermined angle , and one or more side exit ports 65 also set to a predetermined angle . after all of the removable sections 6 are in place , an end piece 2 with optional counter - sunk holes 5 can hold the removable sections 6 in place . the system can be keyed or un - keyed for rotation of the removable sections for tuning . this embodiment works on the same principle as previous embodiments , but is fully integrated into the weapon . again , the present invention is not limited to rifles , pistols or shotguns , but may be used with any type of gas discharge weapon . several descriptions and illustrations have been presented to aid in understanding the present invention . one with skill in the art will realize that numerous changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . each of these changes and variations is within the scope of the present invention . | 5 |
the invention consists of an electrophysiological sensor 1 ( fig1 ), comprised of an electrode array 3 used for acquiring physiological signals from a patient and an interface cable 2 which connects to the electrode array 3 . this sensor is typically connected to a biopotential signal monitor 7 that contains memory storage 4 , a processor 5 and a display device 6 which are used to store , analyze and display the physiological signals to a user . electrophysiological data is transmitted from the contact surface or surfaces of the electrode 10 or electrodes ( shown in fig2 a & amp ; 2 b ) to the monitor 7 ( not shown ) by the typical method of direct contact between conductive snaps 11 on the electrode array and snap sockets 30 ( referring to the top half of a snap connector ) embedded in the interface cable . the electrode array , which adheres to the patient &# 39 ; s skin consists of at least one electrophysiological electrode 10 , preferably constructed of silver / silver chloride . an rfid transponder 12 is adhesively affixed to the electrode array . an rfid transponder 12 is comprised of an antenna 21 and a transponder integrated circuit ( ic ) 22 ( fig3 ). the microchip 22 on the rfid transponder 12 is a memory device that is programmed by the biomedical sensor manufacturer with data regarding the history and status of the electrode array . in this embodiment , the rfid transponder 12 is constructed on a flexible substrate 23 , preferably polyester or polypropylene . it has a coil antenna 21 preferably formed of etched or deposited copper , but may also be aluminum . the rfid transponder ic 22 has adequate eeprom memory capacity of to store any required data . alternately , the memory may be eprom or prom ( programmable read - only memory ). preferably the transponder ic 22 has a memory capacity of 256 - 512 bytes . one such ic is the nxp slis3001 ( i - code1 )( nxp semiconductors netherlands b . v ., eindhoven , the netherlands ). the rfid transponder 12 is passive which means that it contains no battery and draws its power from the host system via the interrogator antenna ( not shown ). the transponder resonates in the high frequency ( hf ) band (ห 13 . 56 mhz ) the transponder 12 has adhesive backing and is formed in the shape of an annular ring , no more than 1 . 5 inches ( 38 mm ) in diameter . this is in line with commercially available rfid transponders . the transponder is affixed to the electrode array with the antenna and the ic on the surface that contacts the electrode , thus aiding in protecting the electronics from damage due to exposure to liquid or improper handling . it is positioned around a male ekg electrode - type post or โ snap โ 11 on one electrode in the array . in alternate embodiments , the transponder could be of any shape or design that would enable it to be mounted on the electrode array . in an alternate embodiment still , multiple transponders may be placed on multiple electrodes in the array . upon connection of the electrode array 3 to the patient interface cable 2 , both electrophysiological data and data relating to the electrode array are transmitted to the biopotential signal monitor ( not shown ). electrophysiological data is transmitted via the snaps while electrode array data stored on the transponder ic such as data pertaining to authentication , manufacturing information and validity of the electrode array , are transmitted by radio frequency transmission ( rf ). the patient interface cable 2 ( fig4 a & amp ; 4 b ) has a connector 39 at one end that mates with the biopotential signal monitor . at the opposing end , the cable has multiple embedded ekg electrode - type sockets 30 designed to attach to the snap in the center of each electrode in the electrode array . there are an equivalent number of sockets in the cable as there are electrodes in the array . there may be as few as one socket in the cable . the ekg electrode - type sockets 30 are electrically connected by a series of conductive wires 31 . in an alternate embodiment the sockets are mounted in fixed positions in a flexible circuit board with conductive traces to from the cable and to conduct signal from each electrode of the array via the snap socket to the monitor . in yet another embodiment the transmission lines are conductive traces which are constructed of a conductive ink , such as silver / silver chloride ( ag / agcl ) printed on a flexible substrate on the substrate of the flexible circuit board . the patient interface cable housing the ekg electrode - type sockets and conductive transmission lines is over - molded 38 with a thermoplastic elastomeric material . only the bottom surface of the snap socket is exposed for attachment to the electrode array 3 . this assists in protecting the circuit and the contacts from the harsh environment of an operating room , reduces the likelihood of liquid ingress and also creates a flexible interface for easy use by clinicians and for patient fit . the patient interface cable 2 also houses an rfid interrogator system . the interrogator system is comprised of an interrogator ic , the antenna for the interrogator 32 , and 2 matching circuits . the interrogator ic may have an integrated microprocessor for preliminary processing of the data . in the preferred embodiment , the interrogator system is contained on two printed circuit boards ( pcbs ) embedded in the cable โ the tail pcb 40 and the head pcb 33 . the interrogator ic may be the mlx90121 ( melexis ) chip or a similar commercially available chip that operates in the hf frequency band ( 13 . 56 mhz ). the rfid interrogator ic may be capable of communicating with microchips compliant with any of various iso contactless integrated circuit proximity and vicinity card protocols , e . g . iso 14443a / b , iso 15693 . in this embodiment , the interrogator antenna is located on the head pcb 33 while the interrogator ic is located on the tail pcb 40 . components for power management and to reduce interference may also be mounted on this tail pcb 40 . additionally , the tail pcb may also contain a relatively narrow band passive filter centered around 13 . 56 mhz to receive the input of the mlx90121 , or equivalent interrogator ic . the external filter keeps the esu interference from exceeding the input voltage capacity of the mlx90121 . for power management , in the preferred embodiment , a switching power supply is used to limit the voltage to the power amplifier of the mlx90121 rather than a standard current limiting circuit which uses power less efficiently . in another embodiment , the power limitation is overcome by using a bank of capacitors on the tail pcb . capacitors can be charged at a slow rate and draw the charge out of them at a high rate . a 10 mf capacitor bank can be charged up to 5 volts with a 1 ma charge current over a period of 1 second and then it can be drawn at 10 ma for 0 . 1 second . in this preferred embodiment , the interrogator antenna 32 is etched on the head pcb 33 . two conductive wires , specified as a 100 ohm twisted pair 34 are connected at one end to the head pcb 33 and at the other end , to the tail pcb 40 . such conductive wires transmit ac signal to the head pcb thus providing power to the interrogator antenna 32 . as illustrated in fig5 , attached to the interrogator ic 50 is an impedance matching circuit 51 that matches the output impedance of the interrogator ic 50 to the 100 ohm twisted pair transmission line 34 . transmission lines of other impedances ( e . g . 50 ohm or 300 ohm ) may also be used . at the far end of the transmission line is a matching circuit 52 and an antenna 32 . the matching circuit 52 matches the impedance of the transmission line 34 to the impedance of the antenna 32 and forms a resonant circuit with the antenna . this matching circuit may also include a resistor to lower the q of the resonant circuit to increase the bandwidth of the circuit . the interrogator antenna 32 generates an rf electric field with the transponder antenna 21 enabling communication with the transponder ic 22 . the placement of this head pcb 33 is around or alternately beside a snap socket in the location corresponding to the affixed transponder on the electrode array . the head pcb is held in place by a solder connection to the snap . alternately it may be held in place by a thermoplastic over - mold ( or pre - mold ). the head pcb may share the same flexible substrate as the conductive traces and / or may be a combination of a flexible and a rigid circuit board to increase strength and reliability . the interrogator antenna 32 has a maximum diameter of 30 mm . the interrogator antenna 32 on the head pcb 33 is placed such that when the cable and electrode array are mated , the antenna is positioned directly above and parallel to the rfid transponder 12 affixed to the electrode array , as illustrated in fig4 a . in the preferred embodiment , the tail pcb 40 is integrated into the connector 39 that mates with the biopotential signal monitor . in one embodiment , the interrogator antenna and interrogator ic are co - located on the head pcb . the matching circuits are then modified to accommodate the change in relative position between the interrogator antenna and the interrogator ic . in yet another embodiment , the tail pcb 40 containing the circuitry including an interrogator ic , a microprocessor , and electronics and for matching the interrogator antenna may be housed in an independent enclosure or be integrated into the monitor hardware . in this application , when the electrode array 3 is mechanically attached to the patient interface cable 2 , by the conductive snaps 11 mated to snap sockets 30 , and the interrogator antenna 32 and the rfid transponder 12 are consequently in proximity to the other , the preferred distance between the interrogator antenna and the transponder when the cable is connected to the electrode array is 2 - 15 mm . when the transponder ic is brought within the field generated by the interrogator , a measurable voltage change is observed at the output of the antenna matching circuit 52 . detection of this voltage change is used as a means to detect the presence of the transponder . in one embodiment , the interrogator system continuously checks via continuous polling for a change in voltage by way of an analog - to - digital converter that is constantly sampling the voltage . an alternate embodiment would use a hardware voltage comparator to sense the change in voltage . this voltage change can be used as a means to detect the presence of the transponder . an alternate means of transponder detection is to simply interrogate the device and determine if there is any response . these detection methods also enable the interrogator system to detect the absence , or removal of the transponder from the detection field . thus , the biopotential monitoring system knows when the electrode array is and is not connected to the patient interface cable . once the transponder is detected , the two components can communicate via rf modulation as per standard rfid communication methods . fig6 outlines the high - level steps for detection and communication . the system detects a change in voltage 60 and then proceeds to interrogate the transponder ic 61 . if the transponder does not respond to interrogation by the interrogator 62 , the state of the system returns back to trying to detect a voltage change 60 . if the transponder does respond to interrogation by the interrogator 63 , the interrogator proceeds to read the data packet stored on the transponder ic 64 contained by the transponder . then the data packet is decrypted by the microprocessor if the data was previously encrypted 65 and the structure of the data is converted to is07816 format to emulate a smart module 66 , which is what is expected by the legacy host system . once the data is converted , it is passed on to the biopotential signal monitor for further processing 67 โ primarily authentication and validation of the sensor . the authentication and validation aspects of this system are described in detail in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 298 , 255 . additionally , the data packet may be revised , possibly to reflect a change in sensor status , for example incrementing a usage counter , and then written to the transponder ic . various data concerning the origin and manufacture of the electrode array are stored in the transponder ic . this data includes but is not limited to a key code , a manufacturer code , an oem code , a product shelf life code , an electrode type code , the lot code and serial number and the usage count . all or a part of the data are stored in encrypted form with a single or multiple layered encryption . the data may also include a digital signature that may be used to authenticate and validate the electrode array in the manner taught by u . s . pat . no . 6 , 298 , 255 . the manufacturer code is used to authenticate the source of the electrode array , while the product shelf - life code , the usage count and the sensor type code are used to determine whether the sensor meets the necessary criteria for use . calibration data relating to the electrode array may also be stored in the transponder ic , allowing avoidance of recalibration if the sensor is disconnected and reconnected to a different monitor . this is commonly done in medical or hospital settings in conjunction with patient transport . in an alternate embodiment , where the restrictions imposed by the legacy system are not applied , methods and components relating to the power limiting circuitry and to the conversion of the data to contact based is07816 data structure are not incorporated . in an alternative embodiment , the rfid transponder is embedded into an optoelectrical device for obtaining biological signals . these devices contain no direct contact with the patient , so the rfid transponder is a convenient way to keep the device from having any external contacts such as the ones on a contact smart chip . the incorporation of rfid - based technology into an electrophysiological monitoring system provides several important and significant advantages , both technical and economic . the wide - spread and ever increasing acceptance and demand for rfid tagging ( i . e . affixing an rfid transponder on any item ) in a number of industries has driven the cost of rfid microchips to much less than that of non - rfid semiconductor memory devices of similar capability and capacity . in addition , implementing rfid as an alternative to contact smart chips requires fewer electrical connections to the sensor . this provides a lower manufacturing cost due to the reduction in the required number of conductive traces and contact pads on both the sensor side and the monitor side of their connection . the lack of contact connections and the absence of the associated connection pads and conductors also provide increased reliability by avoiding device failures caused by poor contact impedances and the likelihood of a communication malfunction due to the ingress of fluids such as water or body fluids into the space between adjacent contact pads . this implementation of wireless technology may also be advantageous in a context in which the biomedical sensor does not form a mechanical connection with the monitor but rather the acquired signals are also transmitted by a wireless technology . in such a context , this invention has important advantages for maintaining device sterility . while the foregoing invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments , various alterations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art . all such alterations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , or its application , or uses . with reference to the figures , there is shown a cargo retention system 10 that is mounted within the interior compartment of a vehicle . system 10 generally includes one or more overhead bar modules 16 , and mounting elements 18 which are secured to an interior surface of the roof structure or an upper body side portion of the vehicle and coordinate with the opposing ends of bar module 16 , as shown in fig1 . while not specifically shown , it is within the scope of the present invention to provide mounting elements 18 as integrated formations in an interior trim component of a vehicle . specifically , the formation of mounting element 18 can be integrally formed in a coat hook ; grab handle ; interior light bezel or housing ; b , c , or d pillar trim panels ; body side quarter trim panels ; or any other component within the interior of the vehicle that will provide sufficient structural support for the overhead bar modules 16 and the cargo reasonably expected to be secured thereto . bar module 16 generally includes an elongated bar 20 , which in the preferred embodiment is an extruded aluminum tube . bar 20 may be made by a variety of methods and of a variety of materials including , but not limited to , metal , plastic , resin , wood , or a composite including any or all of the above . bar 20 may also be made from separate elongated members that are telescopically connected to each other , or that are separately connected to a common third bar , allowing bar 20 to span differing widths . secured to bar are retention devices 24 . retention devices 24 , in the preferred embodiment , are strap members 26 having a first end secured to bar 20 by a retainer 28 and a second end which freely passes through a loop 30 distally displaced along bar 20 , as shown in fig2 . free end 32 of strap member 26 is laid back upon a middle section 34 of strap member 26 and provides an interlocking fastening means 36 therebetween . interlocking fastening means 36 may be any of a wide variety of fastening means known in the industry including , but not limited to , velcro ยฎ, snaps , dual - lock ยฎ, and the like . further , it is within the scope of the present invention to incorporate a dual ring synching system ( similar to that used with automobile and motor cycle helmets ) at or near loop 30 . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , retention devices 24 are clamping arms 38 , as shown in fig3 . clamping arms 38 include a first end pivotally secured to bar 20 , and a second end 39 selectively attachable to bar 20 . in use , the second end is detached from bar 20 and is pivoted to an open position . the item of cargo is placed between arm 38 and bar 20 . arm 38 is then pivoted to a closed position and second end 39 is attached to bar 20 to secure the cargo . in farther alternative embodiments of the present invention , retention devices 24 are hook members or eyelet members ( both not shown ) or any other useful device suitable for retaining cargo such as sport equipment , car accessories , or grocery bags . near each opposing end 40 of bar 20 there is located a connector element 42 adapted to engage mounting element 18 , as shown best in fig2 . connector element 42 need not be symmetrical at each opposing end of bar 20 as will become apparent below . connector element 42 provides a hook portion 46 that is axially biased inward toward bar 20 by a spring . the inward bias of the hook portion 46 aids in retaining bar 20 in mounting element 18 , as shown in fig4 and 5 . while a spring bias element can be incoorpated in each opposing end of bar 20 , it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a spring bias element only on one of the two opposing ends of bar 20 and provide a fixed hook portion ( not showh ) a the other end , or to provide a fixed portion on both opposing ends of bar 20 . mounting element 18 provides attachment locations for securing mounting element 18 to an interior surface of the roof or body side structure of the vehicle . further included is a retention aperture 19 coordinated with hook portions 46 . in an alternative embodiment as shown in fig3 connector element 42 provides a pin portion 48 that is axially biased outward from bar 20 by a spring . the outward bias of the pin portion 48 aids in retaining bar 20 against mounting element 18 , again , while a spring bias element can be incorporated in each opposing end of bar 20 , it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a spring bias element only on one of the two opposing ends of bar 20 and to provide a fixed pin portion ( not shown ) at the other end , or to provide a fixed pin portion on both opposing ends of bar 20 . an overhead net module 50 can be incorporated with cargo retention system 10 , as shown in fig6 . net module 50 spans between and is removably connected to attachment locations 52 ( shown in fig1 ). net module 50 of the preferred embodiment includes an elastic net portion 54 , attached to elastic end chords 56 that are secured to side panel members 58 . in alternative embodiments , net portion 54 may be made from a non - elastic material , or end chords 56 may be made from a non - elastic material , or both net portion 54 and end chords 56 may be made from a non - elastic material . at each opposing end of side panel members 58 there is provided a hook means 60 intended to engage attachment locations 52 thereby securing the net module 50 between bars 20 . net module 50 is intended to secure items that do not lend themselves to being retained by retention devices 24 . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings , that various changes , modifications , and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention . | 1 |
the following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements . various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . the data structures and code described in this detailed description are typically stored on a computer readable storage medium , which may be any device or medium that can store code and / or data for use by a computer system . this includes , but is not limited to , magnetic and optical storage devices such as disk drives , magnetic tape , cds ( compact discs ) and dvds ( digital versatile discs or digital video discs ), and computer instruction signals embodied in a transmission medium ( with or without a carrier wave upon which the signals are modulated ). for example , the transmission medium may include a communications network , such as the internet . fig1 illustrates a network 104 that is connected to multiple network nodes , namely , a computer 102 , an smtp ( simple mail transfer protocol ) server 118 , an ntp ( network time protocol ) server 120 , an netbios ( network basic input output system ) server 122 , a pop3 ( post office protocol 3 ) server 124 , and a dns ( domain name system ) name server containing configuration information 116 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . network 104 can generally include any type of wire or wireless communication channel capable of coupling together network nodes . this includes , but is not limited to , a local area network , a wide area network , or a combination of networks . in one embodiment of the present invention , network 104 includes the internet . a network node , such as a computer 102 , can generally include any type of communication device capable of communicating with other network nodes via a network . this includes , but is not limited to , a computer system based on a microprocessor , a mainframe computer , a server , a printer , a video camera , an external disk drive , a router , a switch , a personal organizer , and a mobile phone . network 104 allows a source network - node , such as a computer 102 , to communicate with a target network - node , such as an smtp server 118 . but , before the communication can take place , the source network - node , computer 102 , needs to know the name or the ip address of the target network - node , smtp server 118 . typically , such configuration information can be obtained by computer 102 using dhcp during system boot and can be stored for later use . fig1 illustrates a collection of configuration information 106 that can be stored on a computer 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . this collection of configuration information 106 includes one or more pieces of configuration information , such as , an smtp server name 108 , an ntp server name 110 , a pop3 server name 112 , and a netbios server name 114 . among other uses , collection of configuration information 106 allows computer 102 to provide various services to its users . for example , computer 102 can use the smtp server name 108 , which is part of collection of configuration information 106 , to communicate with the smtp server 118 , thereby providing e - mail services to its end users . fig2 illustrates a dns packet 200 that contains multiple pieces of information that can be used by a network node , such as a computer 102 , to exchange information with a dns name server 116 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . dns - query packets and dns - response packets both use the same dns packet format . specifically , a dns packet 200 contains an identification field 202 , which allows a network node , such as a computer 102 , to match queries to the corresponding responses . dns packet 200 also contains a flags field 204 , which among other things , indicates whether the dns packet 200 is a query or a response . furthermore , dns packet 200 contains four variable - length fields , namely , queries 214 , response resource - records 216 , authority response - records 218 , and additional information response - records 220 . these variable - length fields are used for exchanging information between a network node , computer 102 , and a dns name server 116 . additionally , dns packet 200 contains four other fields , namely , a number of queries field 206 , a number of response resource - records field 208 , a number of authority resource - records field 210 , and a number of additional information resource - records field 212 , which specify the number of entries in the four variable - length fields . fig3 illustrates the structure of a query 300 that makes up the queries field 214 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . query 300 contains a domain name field 302 , which specifies the domain name that is being queried . furthermore , query 300 includes a query type field 304 , and a query class field 306 , which specifies the type and the class of the query 300 , respectively . fig4 illustrates the structure of a resource record 400 that can be used by a dns name server 116 to provide information in response to a query in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . specifically , resource record 400 contains a domain name field 402 , which specifies the domain name under consideration . resource record 400 also contains a resource - record type field 404 and a resource - record class field 406 , which specifies the type and class of the resource record , respectively . additionally , resource record 400 includes a time to live field 408 , which specifies the amount of time ( in seconds ) that the resource record can be cached by a network node , such as a computer 102 . furthermore , resource record 400 contains a resource data field 412 , which is a variable - length field that can be used by dns name server 116 to provide information to the network node , computer 102 , in response to a query . resource record 400 also contains a resource data length field 410 , which specifies the amount of data in the variable - length resource data field 412 . fig5 presents a flowchart illustrating the process that a network node , such as a computer 102 , can use to lookup configuration information by querying a dns name server containing configuration information 116 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . first , computer 102 creates a dns - query packet 200 , which includes a query 300 containing a key ( step 502 ). more specifically , the domain name 302 in the query 300 comprises the key , which is created by first reversing the bytes of the ip prefix and representing the reversed ip - prefix as a string . next , a string that specifies the type of configuration information is prepended to the reversed - ip - prefix string . finally , the string โ. in - addr . arpa .โ is appended to the resulting string form the entire key . note that the string โ. in - addr . arpa .โ represents a special domain in dns that is used for address - to - name mappings . for example , if the computer 102 , whose ip address is 17 . 255 . 12 . 34 with subnet mask 255 . 255 . 0 . 0 , wants to lookup the ntp server name 110 , it would create a query 300 with domain name 302 that contains the key โ 4 . dhcpopt . 255 . 17 . in - addr . arpa โ, wherein โ 4 . dhcpopt .โ is a string that specifies the type of configuration information , โ 255 . 17 โ is a string representation of the reversed ip - prefix , and โ. in - addr . arpa .โ is the appended string . note that , the string โ 4 . dhcpopt .โ refers to dhcp option 4 , which corresponds to the ntp server name , as defined in ietf ( internet engineering task force ) rfc ( request for comments ) 2132 . it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that every dhcp option defined in ietf rfc 2132 can be similarly converted into a string that specifies the type of configuration information . next , the computer sends the dns - query packet 200 ( step 504 ) to a dns name server containing configuration information 116 . the dns name server containing configuration information 116 then receives the dns - query packet 200 ( step 506 ). next , the dns name server containing configuration information 116 looks up the configuration information in its database using the key in the query ( step 508 ), which is contained in the dns - query packet 200 . the dns name server containing configuration information 116 then sends a response message containing the configuration information ( step 510 ). finally , computer 102 receives the response message ( step 512 ) containing the configuration information , thereby allowing computer 102 to use the configuration information to perform its task . furthermore , a network node , such as a computer 102 , can send multiple queries to the dns name server containing configuration information 116 to lookup configuration information at different levels of granularity . for example , the network node can send a query containing the key โ 4 . dhcpopt . 34 . 12 . 255 . 17 . in - addr . arpa โ to find host - specific configuration that applies to that host alone . on the other hand , the network node can send a query containing the key โ 4 . dhcpopt . 255 . 17 . in - addr . arpa โ to find subnet - specific configuration information that applies to all network nodes on that subnet . moreover , the network node can send a query containing the key โ 4 . dhcpopt . 17 . in - addr . arpa โ to find company - wide configuration information that applies uniformly to all the network nodes in a company . note that dns was designed so that network nodes could query it during normal system operation . hence , by using dns instead of dhcp to store configuration information , the present invention overcomes one of the limitations of dhcp , in which the network node was restricted to lookup configuration information during system boot only . furthermore , a network node can keep its configuration information up to date by periodically querying a dns name server containing configuration information . moreover , in the present invention , the type of configuration information is specified by an arbitrary string , such as โ 4 . dhcpopt .โ. hence , the present invention can potentially support infinite types of configuration information , whereas dhcp can support only up to 255 types of configuration information . the foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description only . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the forms disclosed . accordingly , many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art . additionally , the above disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention . the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
generally disclosed is an exercise device featuring two leg cuffs ; a large spiral constructed from a stretchable material connected to the leg cuffs ; a smaller spiral constructed from a stretchable material inside the inner loops of the larger spiral ; and two arm bands that are each coupled a leg cuff . the more specific aspects of the device are disclosed with reference to the attached figures . fig1 shows a front view of the device 1000 . as shown , the device 1000 consists of two leg cuffs 110 . attached to the leg cuffs 110 may be a large spiral 120 . within the inner diameter of the loops of the large spiral 120 , is preferably disposed a smaller spiral 130 . in some embodiments , the device 1000 will also feature stretchable tubing 131 within the loops of the small spiral 130 . in the figure , the large spiral 120 is attached to the leg cuffs using ball stops . ( see fig7 , 125 ) the small spiral 130 along with the tubing 131 is attached to the leg cuffs 110 by connecting a clip 132 to a ring 111 attached to the leg cuff 110 . in the preferred embodiment , the small spiral 130 is attached to the leg cuffs 110 by a snap clip 132 , but other mechanisms may be used to connect the small spiral 130 to the leg cuffs 110 . also attached to the leg cuffs 110 , in this embodiment , are arm bands 200 . the arm bands 200 may consist of tubing 210 and a handle 220 . in the preferred embodiment , the tubing 210 is attached to the handle 220 using a grommet 222 and ball stop 221 although other modes of connection are possible . the arm bands 210 connect to the leg cuffs 110 via a clip 211 around the ring 111 . in the preferred embodiment , a snap clip 211 connects the arm bands 210 to the leg cuffs 110 , but other connecting mechanisms may be used . fig2 is a detailed view of the spirals 120 , 130 . the large spiral 120 contains a core 121 inside of a casing 122 . the core 121 is preferably a braided strand of non - stretchable material , but could also be a bungee cord . a bungee cord typically consists of elastic strands surrounded by a woven seal , typically of cotton or polypropylene materials . the casing 122 is constructed from a sturdy , yet stretchable material such as foam . the smaller spiral is preferably constructed from a stretchable material . the preferred embodiment features tubing 131 between the loops of the small spiral 130 . the tubing 131 is preferably made from latex , but may be constructed from any stretchable material such as rubber or elastic . still referring to fig2 , in the preferred embodiment the large spiral 120 and the small spiral 130 are wound in opposite directions . in the preferred embodiment , the large spiral 120 is wound in a clock - wise direction and the small spiral 130 is wound in a counter - clockwise direction . when a user performs a leg exercise using the device 1000 , the two spirals 120 , 130 rotate in opposite directions . as acceleration is increased through repetitive body extremity movement , both spirals 120 , 130 produce energy directed toward the center . the rotation differential of the two spirals 120 , 130 produces a controlled and constantly applied energy release when the device 1000 is extended and contracted . speed acceleration and force are uniformly regulated through the full body exercise routine , which permits biomechanically correct muscle sequencing to occur , while also maintaining the body &# 39 ; s normal posture , stabilization , and flexibility through the performance of exercise . fig3 depicts a detailed view of the large spiral 120 , specifically the core 121 and the outer casing . fig4 and 5 depict the leg cuff 110 . the leg cuff 110 consists of a strap that is capable of forming a loop . one end of the strap of the leg cuff 110 features a hook and loop fastener . in order to form a loop , one end 113 is inserted into a belt loop 112 where the end 113 can be attached to the other half of the hook and loop fastener 115 . the leg cuff 110 is designed to be worn in the lower leg patellar area , but the size can be adjusted so that it fits around other parts of the leg . the leg cuff 110 features a ring 111 and a grommet 114 . the ring 111 is used to attach the small spiral 130 and the arm bands 200 to the leg cuff 110 and the grommet 114 is used to attach the large spiral 120 to the leg cuff 110 . the leg cuff 130 is preferably made from nylon . it may also be constructed from another fabric such as lycra or polyester , or it may be constructed from a flexible plastic material . the ring 111 is preferably a stainless steel โ d โ ring with a minimum tensile strength of 400 lbs , but it may be constructed from another metal or a strong plastic . in the preferred embodiment , the ring 111 is attached to the leg cuff 110 by encasing the ring 111 in a jacketed sewing method by sewing the jacket to the leg cuff 110 using ultra poly thread . fig6 is detailed view of the mechanism for attaching the large spiral 120 to the leg cuff 110 in the preferred embodiment . in this drawing the braided strand 121 is inserted through the grommet 114 ( see fig5 ). on one side of the grommet 114 is a ball stop 125 . on the other side of the grommet 114 is a stop button 124 . in addition to the ball stop 125 and stop button 124 , there is also a washer 123 , which serves as a tension holding plate . the washer 123 serves as a tension holding plate and there is one at each end of the spiral . the ball stop 125 is preferably a one - eight inch oblique nylon rope ball stop , but other ball stops can be used . the stop button 124 is preferably constructed from aluminum , but may be constructed from another metal or a strong plastic material . the washer 123 is preferably seven sixteenth inch stainless steel washer . fig7 is a detailed view of the mechanism that connects the small spiral 130 to the leg cuff 110 . the small spiral 130 is connected to the leg cuff 110 via a clip 132 . in this embodiment , the clip 132 is constructed from the same material as the small spiral 130 , which is a durable material such as metal or nylon . the end of the small spiral 130 forms a loop that is held in place with a stop button 133 . the clip 132 is inserted around the ring 111 during the manufacturing process . in this embodiment , the small spiral 130 cannot be removed from the leg cuff 110 . in an alternate embodiment , the small spiral 130 is attached to the leg cuff 110 using a hook , clasp , carabineer , or another removable mechanism . this way , the small spiral 130 can be detached in order for the user to perform an exercise that calls for less resistance . the small spiral 130 can also be replaced with another small spiral 130 with more resistance when an exercise calls for greater resistance . fig8 is a detailed view of the large spiral 120 , the small spiral 130 , and the tubing 131 . fig9 is a detailed view of the right side of the device 1000 . fig8 shows how all of the parts connect to the leg cuff 110 . the arm bands 200 are connected to the leg cuff 110 by the same ring 111 that connects the small spiral 130 to the leg cuff 110 . the arm band 200 is connected to the ring 111 via a clip 211 . in this embodiment , the clip 211 is constructed from a durable material such as metal or nylon . the end of the tubing 210 forms a loop and held in place with a stop button , tied knot , self - binding knot , or another mechanism . as shown , the clip 211 is inserted around the ring 111 during the manufacturing process . in the embodiment shown , the arm band 210 cannot be removed from the leg cuff 110 . in the preferred embodiment , the arm band 210 is attached to the leg cuff 110 using a hook , clasp , carabineer , or another mechanism that allows for a removable arm band 200 . this way , the arm band 200 can be detached in order for the user to focus solely on the lower body . the arm bands 200 can also be replaced with different arm bands with more resistance when an exercise calls for greater resistance or less resistance when an exercise calls for less resistance . fig9 and 10 are environmental views that depict different exercises a user might perform with the device 1000 . while various embodiments of the method and apparatus have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not of limitation . likewise , the various diagrams might depict an example of an architectural or other configuration for the disclosed method and apparatus , which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that might be included in the method and apparatus . the disclosed method and apparatus is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations , but the desired features might be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations . indeed , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional , logical or physical partitioning and configurations might be implemented to implement the desired features of the disclosed method and apparatus . also , a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein might be applied to the various partitions . additionally , with regard to flow diagrams , operational descriptions and method claims , the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise . although the method and apparatus is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations , it should be understood that the various features , aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described , but instead might be applied , alone or in various combinations , to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus , whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment . thus the breadth and scope of the claimed invention should not be limited by any of the above - described embodiments . terms and phrases used in this document , and variations thereof , unless otherwise expressly stated , should be construed as open - ended as opposed to limiting . as examples of the foregoing : the term โ including โ should be read as meaning โ including , without limitation โ or the like , the term โ example โ is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion , not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof , the terms โ a โ or โ an โ should be read as meaning โ at least one ,โ โ one or more ,โ or the like , and adjectives such as โ conventional ,โ โ traditional ,โ โ normal ,โ โ standard ,โ โ known โ and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time , but instead should be read to encompass conventional , traditional , normal , or standard technologies that might be available or known now or at any time in the future . likewise , where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art , such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future . the presence of broadening words and phrases such as โ one or more ,โ โ at least ,โ โ but not limited to โ or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases might be absent . the use of the term โ module โ does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package . indeed , any or all of the various components of a module , whether control logic or other components , might be combined in a single package or separately maintained and might further be distributed across multiple locations . additionally , the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams , flow charts and other illustrations . as will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document , the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives might be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples . for example , block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration . all of the claims as originally filed are hereby incorporated into this specification by reference . | 0 |
the dsa principle will now be explained with reference to fig3 to 5 . firstly , a mask image 15 of a head is acquired in which the entire anatomy 16 , such as also cranial bone for example , is contained . following an injection of contrast agent , a fill image 17 ( fig4 ) is generated in which , in addition to an anatomical background 18 , ( e . g ., the anatomy 16 according to fig3 ), the parenchyma 19 and the vessels 20 are now also apparent . if these two images are now subtracted from each other , a dsa image 21 , depicted in fig5 , is obtained , which depicts only the regions filled with contrast agent , ( e . g ., the parenchyma 19 and the vessels 20 ). a reconstructed 3d volume 22 containing a vascular tree or vascular system 23 , acquired for example by a computed tomography angiography ( cta ) or a rotational angiography scan , is converted by forward - projection 24 into a virtual vessel projection 25 ( e . g ., 2d dsa ( digital subtraction angiography )) in which the vascular tree containing the vessels 20 may already be segmented . a virtual binary vessel mask 26 is determined therefrom . the binary vessel mask 26 , which represents the entire vascular tree , is combined with projection images acquired from the current measured 2d dsa series , ( e . g ., the maximum opacification image 27 if an iflow combination is desired subsequently ). the maximum opacification image 27 is described in the publication cited hereinabove . for each pixel , the image reproduces the maximum opacity due to a contrast agent during the entire fill phase . from this combination , a mask 28 is formed , which is converted by thresholding 29 into a binary mask 30 . by back - projection 31 of the binary mask 30 into the reconstructed 3d volume 22 , a mask volume 32 is obtained , which is subsequently post - processed by a threshold value segmentation 33 in order to generate a final virtual vessel volume 34 . this corresponds to a volume adjusted to and reflecting the status of the current 2d dsa series . this may be followed by an adjustment of intensities and an optimization whereby , starting from the acquisition of the reconstructed 3d volume 22 ( f 1 ) for a viewing angle ฮฑ and acquisition of the dsa series 27 p ( ฮฑ ) for the iflow evaluation , the final virtual vessel volume 34 ( f 2 ) is generated in accordance with the description with reference to fig6 and 7 . a forward - projection is performed from : the factor x is a parametric basis function , ( e . g ., polynomial ), for adjusting the forward - projected intensities , albeit in its simplest form , however , a scaling factor ( scalar ). in this case x ( p2 ( ฮฑ )) is used in order to subtract only the vessels 20 : since x ( p2 ( ฮฑ )) is a volume , this may be done for arbitrary angulations or subseries . a partial subtraction of the vessels 20 is also possible by adjusting the volume accordingly . thus , starting from the dsa fill image 17 according to fig4 , a progression is made to an overlay - free brain parenchyma visualization 34 of the parenchyma 19 , depicted in fig8 , which may very well be used for post - processing for example with syngo iflow . starting from the dsa fill image 17 according to fig4 , however , it is also possible , in addition to separating the parenchyma 19 , to extract the vessels 20 only and visualize the same in a vessel image 33 , as is depicted in fig9 . if it is now aimed to provide a further improved visualization in which it is possible to choose whether to see only parenchyma 19 or only vessels 20 , or a combination thereof , transmittance bars 38 to 40 may be provided . in such an embodiment , the bar 38 for brain parenchyma , the bar 39 for anatomical background , and the bar 40 for vessels indicate the respective transmittance factor . on the other hand , the transmittance bars 38 to 40 , in the form of sliders 41 for example , may be used to enable the transmittance factors to be adjusted separately . this enables many combinations of different parameters to be realized in a simple manner for example by moving the sliders 41 with the mouse . in addition , a digital percentage indicator 42 may also be assigned to the transmittance bars 38 to 40 . an important building block described with reference to fig3 to 7 is the generation of a vessel volume f 2 with the aid of the original 3d volume f 1 , ( e . g ., a 3d rotational angiography or a computed tomography angiography ( cta ) scan ), and the current dsa series . the volume f 2 includes only the vessels that are also to be found in the dsa . the differences between 2d and 3d may be manifold , e . g ., different injection , injection site , contrast agent concentration , etc . a 3d acquisition is to be recommended that is as close as possible to the 2d series , alternatively an iv 3d rotational angiography acquisition , in which many vessels ( e . g ., arteries and veins ) are imaged thereby which will be selectively removed according to the method as described with reference to fig6 and 7 . the vessel segmentation in the 3d volume is given by the nature of the 3d datasets , specifically in the 3d dsa technique . by a forward - projection 24 , a virtual vessel projection 25 is generated that exhibits a different vessel configuration from the current series . from the virtual vessel projection 25 , a vessel mask 26 is generated and combined ( e . g ., if an iflow combination is desired subsequently ) with the current dsa series , ( e . g ., a maximum opacification image 27 ). this results in the mask 28 , which is subsequently binarized to form the mask 30 . the binary mask 30 is back - projected into the volume 22 and subsequently post - processed by a threshold value segmentation 33 in order to generate the final virtual volume 34 . this is equivalent to a volume that corresponds to and reflects the status of the current 2d dsa series . because the intensities have not been adjusted and the intensities or , as the case may be , the attenuation due to the vessels are to be selectively subtracted subsequently , the described adjustment of intensities and optimization is applied . in this case , the intensity differences that may arise for example as a result of a different concentration of the contrast agent or other blood flow conditions are minimized . the basis function x is used as a correction function in order subsequently to implement the subtraction of the vessels as accurately as possible at the intensity level . thereafter , the subtraction may be performed in order to visualize only the parenchyma 19 according to fig8 , in which case partial subtractions , ( e . g ., only arteries or only veins ), are also possible in that an additional segmentation or selection takes place in x ( p2 ( ฮฑ )). the starting point for an overlaying of a multi - parametric visualization of the vessel geometry , of the anatomical background , and of the brain parenchyma within a dsa series is a successful segmentation of the parenchyma and the vessel configuration , as has been described for example with reference to fig6 and 7 . in addition , a 3d segmentation of the vessels may be used here for the vessel configuration , which 3d segmentation is forward - projected in 2d for the corresponding geometry analogously to the method according to syngo ipilot , which is described in brief in the flyer titled โ syngo ipilot โ effective guidance during interventional procedures ,โ published by siemens ag , medical solutions , 2005 / 11 , order no . a91ax - 20004 - 11c - 1 - 76 , or โ casestudies / redefining 3d imaging during intervention / syngo dynact / syngo inspace 3d / syngo identify / syngo ipilot ,โ published by siemens ag , medical solutions , order no . a91ax - 20009 - 11c1 - 7600 , cc ax 20009 ws 10063 , 10 . 2006 . the superposition of the vessels is performed as an overlay onto the parametric map from the dynamic 2d angiography ( 2d dsa ). this may be a color - coded visualization of the average throughflow time ( mtt ( mean transit time )) or maximum time ( ttp ( time to peak )), which may be calculated from the dynamic data . the vessel geometry may be superimposed and if necessary varied using a different form of visualization , e . g . rendering . this may either be the vessels from the segmentation or the 3d data results from a 3d angiography dataset analogously to the use of syngo ipilot . in addition , the thus decoupled images may represent different parameters . accordingly , for example , the vessel overlay may represent the ttp values , and the underlying parenchyma visualization the mtt . at the same time the anatomical background , ( e . g ., the osseous structures ), is maintained as a third independent image and also used as an overlay , such that a triple overlay image with different mixing ratios may result , as is depicted for example in fig1 . the following are achieved by the method : ( 1 ) a โ vessel โ overlay - free dsa visualization , for example for a parametric and color - coded representation , ( 2 ) a use as an iflow image for the blood flow parameter calculation in the ( brain ) parenchyma , for example in ttp ( time to peak ) visualizations , ( 3 ) a use also for other body regions if movements and / or other major changes are compensated , ( 4 ) a possible use of partial subtractions in order to visualize only certain portions of the brain without vessels , and ( 5 ) an arbitrary angulation selection by 3d and / or an iterative adjustment of the intensities in order to avoid subtraction artifacts . furthermore , the method provides : ( 1 ) a combination visualization composed of angiography and parenchyma imaging , ( 2 ) an overlay of the vessels on parametric maps as a โ roadmap โ function , ( 3 ) a decoupling of the macroscopic and microscopic perfusion so that different parameters may be calculated and visualized , ( 4 ) an inclusion and exclusion of the vascular tree , ( 5 ) a 3d integration by a combination with for example syngo ipilot , and / or ( 6 ) a triple overlay functionality . it is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim , it is to be understood that these dependent claims may , alternatively , be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim , whether independent or dependent , and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification . while the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments , it may be understood that many changes and modifications may be made to the described embodiments . it is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting , and that it be understood that all equivalents and / or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description . | 6 |
reference is now made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts ( elements ). described generally below is a process for fabricating an electrical connection between a metal contact and a thin layer of silicon carbide while reducing the likelihood of spiking of the silicon carbide layer . the contact process is described in the context of fabricating a planar , multi - layered silicon carbide device , but as one skilled in the art may surmise , it may be used for forming connections between any applicable metal and silicon carbide layer . fig1 includes an illustration of a portion of a substrate 10 . the substrate 10 may include silicon carbide , gallium nitride , aluminum nitride , or other wide bandgap semiconductors . a wide bandgap material will have a bandgap of about 3 ev or greater . active layers 12 , 14 , and 16 are sequentially formed over the substrate 10 . each of the active layers 12 , 14 , and 16 may be formed using conventional epitaxial growing techniques and comprise one or more compound semiconductor materials . a compound semiconductor includes at least two dissimilar elements that form a semiconductor material . in one specific example , at least two dissimilar group iva elements such as carbon , silicon , or germanium can be part of the semiconductor material . silicon carbide ( sic ) is art example of a compound semiconductor material having group iva elements in this particular embodiment , layers 12 , 14 , and 16 can comprise sic . sic polytype 4h may be used as well as 6h , 3c , or other similarly reactive polytypes . layer 12 can have a thickness in a range of approximately 2 - 20 microns , can be n - type doped with nitrogen , phosphorus , or the like , and can have a dopant concentration in a range of approximately 1e15 to 1e18 atoms per cubic centimeter . layer 14 can have a thickness in a range of approximately 0 . 1 - 2 . 0 microns , can be p - type doped with aluminum , boron , or the like , and have a dopant concentration in a range of approximately 1 e15 to 1 e17 atoms per cubic centimeters . layer 15 can have a thickness in a range of approximately 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 microns , can be n - type doped with nitrogen , phosphorus , or the like , and have a dopant concentration in a range of approximately 1 e17 to 1 e19 per cubic centimeters . layer 12 may be a collector , layer 14 maybe a base , and layer 16 may be an emitter of a transistor . next , openings 20 can be formed by masking layer 16 with aluminum , nickel , or the like ( not shown ) and etching layer 16 . the openings 20 extend through layer 1 . 6 and expose a portion of layer 14 . a reactive ion etch ( rie ) in an ionized cf 4 / 0 2 / h 2 atmosphere may be used . an insulating layer 30 , capable of being anisotropically etched , is then deposited on the exposed surfaces of layer 16 and at least partially within the openings 20 as shown in fig3 . an insulator such as silicon dioxide , silicon nitride , silicon oxynitride , or the like may be used for insulating layer 30 . the insulating layer 30 can serve to passivate the walls of the opening 20 and insulate layer 16 from a subsequently formed material that may be electrically connected to layer 14 , portions of insulating layer 30 may be mechanically or chemically removed to expose layer 16 . then insulating layer 30 is masked and the insulating material in the openings 20 is anisotropically etched to expose a portion of layer 14 as illustrated in fig4 . a typical anisotropic etch may be a cf 4 / 0 2 - based reactive ion etch . as shown in fig5 , a heavily doped sic layer 50 is then sputtered on to layer 14 . the layer 50 may be rf sputtered at a power in the range of approximately 100 - 200 watts using a sic target . sputtering may be done at low pressure in the range of approximately 50 - 200 mtorr , in the presence of a non - reactive gas such as argon . during sputtering , the substrate may be held at a temperature in a range of approximately 800 ยฐ c . 1100 ยฐ c ., which is below the melting temperature of the insulating layer 30 , which is roughly 1100 ยฐ c . the desired dopant concentration for the sic layer 50 is in the range of approximately 1e19 - 1e20 atoms per cubic centimeter . dopants can be incorporated by simultaneously co - sputtering , dc sputtering , or by sputtering in the presence of a gas . for example , aluminum may be incorporated by simultaneously co - sputtering , dc sputtering from an aluminum target , or by sputtering in the presence of gaseous trimethyl aluminum ( al ( ch 3 ) 3 ). aluminum may be sputtered with a power in the range of approximately 10 - 50 watts of dc power . an alternative p - dopant may be boron , which can be added as gaseous diborane ( b 2 h 6 ). alternatively , the dopants can be alloyed with the silicon carbide target . portions of sic layer 50 overlying the third active layer 16 may be mechanically or chemically removed to expose portions of layer 16 , leaving sic material 50 at least partially within openings 20 , as illustrated in fig6 . illustrated in fig7 , a metal layer 70 may be deposited on the heavily doped silicon carbide 60 . the metal layer 70 may be aluminum or any other metal that can form an ohmic contact to p - doped silicon carbide . a metal layer 72 may be deposited on n - doped silicon carbide layer 16 . the metal layer 72 on layer 16 can be nickel or any other metal that can form an ohmic contact to n - doped silicon carbide . the metal layers 70 and 72 can be deposited by any of a number of methods , including dc sputtering , rf sputtering , thermal evaporation , e - beam evaporation and chemical vapor deposition . the metal layers 70 and 72 may be patterned by photolithography and wet or dry chemical etching . the metal layers 70 and 72 can be annealed to form an ohmic electrical connection or contact with the underlying silicon carbide . depending upon the metal , the annealing temperature may be in a range of approximately 600 ยฐ c . 1100 ยฐ c ., which is below the melting temperature of the insulating layer 30 . due to the thickness of the heavily doped silicon carbide layer 50 , the reaction region 74 between the metal contact 70 and the heavily doped silicon carbide 50 that occurs when the metal is annealed should not extend through the thin layer 14 . in this particular embodiment , region 74 does not physically contact layer 14 . insulating layer 80 can be deposited on layer 16 and metal layers 70 and 72 as shown in fig8 . layer 80 may be an insulator such as silicon dioxide , silicon nitride , silicon oxynitride , or the like . the insulating layer 80 may then be mechanically or chemically removed to expose surfaces of metal layers 70 and 72 as illustrated in fig9 , wire leads ( not shown ) may be soldered , bonded , or otherwise electrically connected to the metal layer 70 and 72 contacts . for basic transistor operation , an additional wire lead can be attached to layer 12 to form a substantially completed semiconductor device . additional compound semiconductor layers having appropriate contacts and conductivity types may be incorporated to create devices such as thyristors . accordingly , devices produced can exhibit faster performance because the active layer 14 can be thin and not exhibit high contact resistance or junction spiking . further , high temperature anneals are not required at stages where insulating material may be damaged , thus processing is simplified and reduced . also , as shown in fig9 , the device has an exposed surface that is substantially planar , making the semiconductor device easier to integrate and make external connections to than conventional multi - leveled devices . because of the higher band - gap and chemical stability of silicon carbide , devices described herein may be used in higher power applications and at higher temperature or radiation levels than traditional silicon devices . the increased power handling capability and temperature resistance of silicon carbide devices also allows for the manufacture of smaller devices than with conventional silicon devices . because of these benefits , transistors produced according to the process described herein may operate in any standard transistor application and are particularly suited for wireless communication base amplifiers or high power switching devices where these devices may be smaller and faster than existing devices . in rf applications such as amplification , the devices may handle approximately 120 volts and up to approximately 5 watts per millimeter perimeter at roughly 3 gigahertz . power switching devices may handle approximately 2000 volts and may have a switching frequency around 1 megahertz . devices can be scalable so that greater power levels may be utilized . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments . however , one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below . accordingly , the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense , and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention . benefits , other advantages , and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments . however , the benefits , advantages , solutions to problems , and any element ( s ) that may cause any benefit , advantage , or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical , required , or essential feature or element of any or all the claims . as used herein , the terms โ comprises ,โ โ comprising ,โ or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion , such that a process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process , method , article , or apparatus . | 7 |
[ 0015 ] fig1 shows an interactive service center ( contact center ) 10 having a central installation 1 , a fixed monitoring unit 2 , terminals 3 - 6 and a mobile monitoring unit 7 . the central installation 1 is connected to the network 8 and to the transmission unit 9 . the contact center 10 receives an inquiry from the network 8 , and this inquiry is switched in the central installation 1 to the terminal 3 - 6 of a free agent . the inquiry is then processed by the agent . the agents and their terminals 3 - 6 may be split into groups and additionally into service levels according to the type or quality of the service . the central installation 1 records all the data in the contact center 10 which relate to the processing of the inquiries or to management of the processing , and evaluates these data to produce supervisory information . the supervisory information is displayed for a supervisor on the fixed monitoring unit 2 . the supervisory information is also transmitted wirelessly , using the transmission unit 9 , to a mobile communication unit 7 for the supervisor , which mobile communication unit likewise displays this information . in this context , the transmission unit 9 may be a local mobile telephone system or an interface to the public mobile radio network , for example . on the basis of the supervisory information displayed , the supervisor can use the mobile communication unit 7 to take control action in the contact center . by way of example , he / she can react to an increased number of inquiries for a group by sending a message to an agent or to the appropriate head of the group to transfer one agent from one group to another for a short time , or by telling the agents in a group to process the inquiries as quickly as possible . the mobile communication unit 7 also provides the supervisor with the opportunity to follow individual inquiries as they are handled ; for example , to monitor calls , to follow processing , to exchange messages with the agents or groups , to remove individual agents from a group or to request additional agents . recorded data or the supervisory information can be transmitted to the mobile communication unit 7 at the supervisor &# 39 ; s request at regular intervals of time or when critical values for the supervisory information or recorded data ( criteria ) are reached , or else may be just signaled for the last two methods . these embodiments also can be used in combination with one another . the supervisory information is created universally in the central installation 1 or in the fixed monitoring unit 2 . however , when needed , the supervisor also creates the supervisory information on his / her mobile communication unit 7 and can thus react flexibly to unforeseeable situations . the supervisory information may be the following , for example : number of inquiries in a queue , inquiry disconnection rate , average disconnection rate , average waiting time , number of inquiries exceeding time , oldest inquiry , overview of agent status ( free , processing , finishing off , break , etc . ), agent overview , short - term statistics , discrepancies from normal values . a conceivable mobile communication unit 7 is any mobile computer - controlled unit with a display facility ; for example , a pager , a mobile telephone , a personal digital assistant or a portable computer . on the basis of one refinement of the mobile communication unit 7 , the recorded data and the supervisory information are transmitted as pure data , voice information , text information or image information . for a mobile telephone , transmission by short message ( sms ) or retrieval using wap is possible , for example . the inquiries to be processed may be received , by way of example , over the internet , a public telephone network or a mobile radio network . considering ip - based telephony , the central installation 1 can be split , by way of example , into a switching unit , an evaluation unit , a cti server , a local area network , computers for the agents , a local mobile telephone network and a customer database . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereafter appended claims . | 7 |
with continuing reference to the accompanying drawing , wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views , reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate a position control system in accordance with the present invention . there is shown in fig6 a first embodiment of the position control system 10 which is disposed for linear direction and position control . the position control system 10 comprises a universal electric motor 12 which is connected with a drive belt 14 and a pulley 16 to a gear box 18 . the pulley 16 forms the input to the gear box 18 with the output of the gear box 18 being the pinion gear 20 which is in mesh with the rack 22 . rotation of the pinion gear 20 causes translation of the rack 22 as indicated by the arrow 24 . the upper portion 26 of the rack 22 is flat and an object 28 which is to be subjected to controlled linear motion in accordance with the present invention is attached to the upper portion 26 of the rack 22 using conventional attachment means . projecting from the pulley 16 there is shown a stop key 30 which comes into contact with a stopper 32 operation of which will be described presently in connection with the stopping control portion of the position control system 10 . the gear box and the stopping control portion of the position control system 10 control the over all precision or accuracy of the position control system 10 . the gear box 18 may have a reduction factor which is equal , by way of example , to 100 : 1 . if the rotation of the pulley 16 , for example , is considered equivalent to one step which is equal to 1 m . m . than the rotation of the pinion gear 20 would be equivalent to 1 / 100 m . m . if the stop key 30 on the pulley 16 and the stopper 32 stop the pulley 16 within one revolution of the pulley 16 there , except for the effects of backlash in the gear box 18 , the accuracy of the positioning control system 10 in positioning the rack 22 would be 1 / 100 mm . the details of the mechanical arrangement of the pulley 16 are best shown in fig8 - 13 . the pulley 16 includes a stop key 30 which is disposed to rotate slightly with respect to the pulley 16 to compensate for backlash in the gear box 18 thereby improving the accuracy of the position control system 10 . the pulley 16 includes a pulley wheel 34 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 36 and which has a circumferential groove 38 , which accepts there drive belt 14 . the pulley wheel 34 includes a slip - friction plate 40 which is attached to the surface 42 as is shown in fig1 . the pulley wheel is urged into contact with the base plate 44 by the leaf spring 46 which bears against the surface 50 . if the torque between the base plate 44 , which is connected to the shaft and the pulley wheel 34 exceeds a preselected limit , the slip - friction plate 40 permits the pulley wheel 34 to rotate relative to the base plate 44 thereby preventing damage to the position control system 10 . a lock plate 52 is attached to the base 44 plate , facing the surface 54 of the base plate 44 . the lock plate 52 has a opening 56 which has a generally circular portion 58 and a slot portion 60 . a stop key 30 is provided which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 36 and which has a circular portiion 64 which fits in the circular portion 58 of the opening 56 and can rotate with respect to the lock plate 52 and a projecting portion 66 which fits within and is generally narrower than the slot portion 60 . the stop key 30 may rotate with respect to the lock plate 52 within the limits of the slot portion 60 for the purpose of compensating for backlash in the gear box 18 . the tip of the stop key 62 projects beyond the outer surface 70 of the lock plate 52 for the purpose of contacting the stopper 32 in a manner which will be presently described . the pulley 16 for there includes a electrically insulated plate 72 which is attached to the shaft 36 and on the insulated plate 72 there is mounted a ground copper block 74 located at a selected position so that when the stop key 30 is stopped by the stopper 32 the ground copper block 74 will contact a stop signal brush 76 in order to send a stop signal to the motor 12 , as is shown in fig4 and 5 . the stop signal brush 76 may be mounted on the gear box 18 or any equivalent fixed support . the insulated plate 72 may be made of any one of a number of well known electrically non - conductive materials . referring now to fig1 the control circuit 100 comprises a moveable brush 102 , which may be made of carbon , which is attached by known means , which are not shown , to the movable rack 22 and which moves with the rack 22 a linear manner . the upper portion 104 of the brush 102 is in sliding contact with a plurality of conductors which are disposed in a linear manner and which , for purpose of explanation , are designated a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , e 1 , e 2 , and e 3 in fig1 and 2 . it is to be understood that the selection of 15 conductors in the description which follows is by way of example only . the width of the upper portion 104 of the brush is , in general , equal to the width of a single one of the above plurality of conductors . the conductors a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , e 1 , e 2 , and e 3 are connected to leads 106 , 108 and 110 in the following manner . conductor a 1 is connected to lead 106 via lead 112 , conductor a 2 is connected to lead 108 via lead 114 , conductor a 3 is connected to lead 110 via lead 116 , conductor b 1 is connected to lead 106 via lead 118 , conductor b 2 is connected to lead 108 via lead 120 , conductor b 3 is connected to lead 110 via lead 122 , conductor c 1 is connected to lead 106 via lead 124 , conductor c 2 is connected to lead 108 via lead 126 , conductor c 3 is connected to lead 110 via lead 128 , conductor d 1 is connected to lead 106 via lead 130 , conductor d 2 is connected to lead 108 via lead 132 , conductor d 3 is connected to lead 110 via lead 134 , conductor e 1 is connected to lead 106 via lead 136 , conductor e 2 is connected to lead 108 via lead 138 and conductor e 3 is connected to lead 110 via lead 140 . each of the conductors a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , e 1 , e 2 and e 3 is connected to a switch or key with the keys being designated for purpose of explaination key a 1 , key a 2 , key a 3 , key b 1 , key b 2 , key b 3 , key c 1 , key c 2 , key c 3 , key d 1 , key d 2 , key d 3 , key e 1 , key e 2 and key e 3 with key a 1 , corresponding to conductor a 1 , key a 2 corresponding to conductor a 2 and so on in order . the keys a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , e 1 , e 2 , and e 3 are each connected to lead 142 which in turn , is connected to voltage sensitive motor speed controls 144 , 146 , 148 and 150 , in order stated , and to a resistor 152 which is connected to ground 154 . the resistor 152 may have a volue , by way of example , of 10 k ohms . the voltage sensitive motor speed controls 144 , 146 , 148 and 150 are each connected to the motor 12 via lead 156 . the voltage sensitive motor speed controls 144 , 146 , 148 and 150 are of a known type and are disposed , respectively , to cause the motor 12 to operate at high speed , intermediate speed or to stop , responsive to the voltage present in the lead 142 . connected between each adjacent pair of the conductors a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , e 1 , e 2 and e 3 there is connected a resistor 158 , 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 , 168 , 170 , 172 , 174 , 176 , 178 , 180 , 182 and 184 each of which may have a value , by way of example , of 2 k ohms . the lower portion 186 of the brush 102 is in sliding contact with a plurality of conductors which are disposed in a linear manner and which , for the purposes of explaination , are designatre in fig1 and 2 as conductors a , b , c , d and e . it is to be understood that the selection of five conductors is by way of example only , however , the size and spacing of the conductors is such that the ends 188 and 190 of conductor a are in general alignment with opposing ends 192 and 194 conductor a 1 and a 3 . in a similar manner , ends 196 198 of conductor b are in general alignment with opposing ends 200 , 202 of conductors b 1 and b 3 , ends 204 , 206 of conductor c are in general alignment with opposing ends 208 , 210 of conductors c 1 and c 3 , ends 212 , 214 of conductor d are in general alignment with opposing ends 216 , 218 of conduttors d 1 and d 3 and ends 220 , 222 of conductor e are in general alignment with opposing end 224 , 226 of conductors e 1 and e 3 . the arrangement of the conductors is such that , for example , when the lower portion of the brush 186 is in alignment with the edge 188 of the conductor a , the upper portion of the brush is in contact with conductor a 1 and when the lower portion 186 of the brush 102 is in contact with the edge 190 of the conductor a , the upper portion 104 of the brush 102 is in contact with the conductor a 3 . in the embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 and 3 three conductors designated by lower case letters have been provided for each conductor designated by an upper case letter . it is understood that the selection of three conductors is not a limitation and that a different number of conductors may be selected with a suitable change in the number of leads and corresponding components without departing from the scope of the present invention . connected between each adjacent pair of connectors a , b ; b , c ; c , d and d , e there is a resistor 228 , 230 , 232 and 234 each of which may have a value , by way of example , of 10 k ohms . each of the conductors a , b , c , d and e is connected to one of a plurality of keys via a lead 236 , 238 , 240 , 242 , 246 , respectively , with the keys being designated key a , key b , key c , key d and key e in fig1 and 2 with key a corresponding to connector a , key b corresponding to connector b and so on in order stated . keys a , b , c , d and e are each connected to be lead 248 via leads 250 , 252 , 254 , 256 , 258 , respectively . the lead 248 is connected to a 10 volt source of d c power . the operation of the circuit of the position control system 10 will be described with reference to fig1 , 3 , 4 and 5 . the operation of the system 10 for linear motion position control , linear motion direction control and stopping will be described in turn . fig1 shows the portion of the control circuit 100 which is active during the operation of the position control system 10 for linear motion position control . in fig1 the brush 102 is shown in contact with conductor c 2 and conductor c . this position of the brush 102 will be designated cc 2 for purpose of explanation . it is assumed , for the purpose of explaination , that it is desired to move the rack 22 to which the brush 102 is connected , to a position in which the brush 102 will be in contact with conductor a 3 and conductor a . in accordance with the previous method of designation , this position is designated as a a 3 . to move the rack 22 to position aa 3 , first key a is closed , then key a 3 is closed . this will send current from the lead 248 , which is connected to a 10 volt d c power source , through key a , resistor 228 , contact b , resistor 230 , contact c , brush 102 , contact c 2 lead 108 , lead 114 , resistor 160 , contact a 3 and lead 142 in order stated . the voltage sensed by the voltage sensitive motor speed controls 144 , 146 , 148 and 150 may be , for example , in the order of 3 . 33 volk , which would control the motor 12 to make the rack 22 and the brush 102 move at medium speed toward contact b . when the brush 102 comes into contact with contact b resistor 230 is no longer active in the circuit and the overall circuit resistance is lowered . when the voltage changes to approximately 5 volts the rack 22 and the brush 102 comes into contact with contacts a and a 3 the voltage sensed by the motor speed controls sizes to 10 volts and this activates the stop control to stop the motion of the rack 22 . the operation of the stop control will be presently described in detail . referring now to fig2 the circuit 300 shown is identical to that shown in fig1 and described above with the addition of circuit components which relate to the operation of the circuit 300 for position control . the additional components include a lead 302 which connects the brush 102 with contact 304 of c / d relay 306 . the c / d relay 306 is connected to a pair of voltage sensitive motor direction controls 308 and 310 , via lead 312 . the voltage sensitive motor direction controls 108 and 310 which are of a known type , are connected to the motor 12 in fig1 in a conventional manner , which is not shown . the voltage sensitive motor direction control 310 . labeled &# 34 ; reverse &# 34 ; in fig2 is adapted for driving the motor 12 a reverse direction upon sensing a relatively high or positive voltage and the voltage sensitive motor direction control 308 labeled &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ; in fig2 is adapted for driving the motor 12 in a forward direction upon sensing a relatively low or negative voltage . the c / d relay 306 includes : contacts 304 , 312 , 314 and 316 and ornature 318 , contacts 320 and 322 and arnature 324 , contacts 326 . for convenience the following contact pairs are labeled a in fig2 : 304 and 314 , 332 and 334 and the following contact pairs are labeled b : 320 and 322 , 326 and 328 . contact 304 is connected to contact , 312 via lead 338 . when the armature 318 is in contact with the contact , 304 the lead 302 is connected to the lead 312 . a 12 volt source of d c power is connected to a lead 340 which is connected in turn via the arnature 330 and contact 328 to a lead 342 and a resistor 344 , which may have a value , by way of example , of 50 k ohms . a lead 346 connects the resistor 344 to arnature 336 and then alternatively depending on the position of the arnature 336 , to contact 332 and to the lead 348 which is connected to conductor a or to lead 350 which is connected to the lead 106 . lead 352 is connected to the resistor 354 , which may have , by way of example , a value of 50 k ohms . the resistor 354 is connected to the lead 356 . a negative 12 volt d c power source is connected to the lead 356 via a lead 358 . the operation of the circuit 300 shown in fig2 for direction control of an object will now be described . as shown in fig2 the brush 102 is initially in position c c 2 . the potential on the brush 102 is sensed by lead 302 to the voltage sensitive motor direction controls 308 and 310 . rotation of the motor 12 causes the rack 22 to move as is shown in fig6 and as has been previously described . if , for esample . key a is closed the potential fed to the conductor a via lead 248 will be 10 volts and the potential on the brush 102 will be relatively low or negative . this potential will be sensed by the voltage sensitive motor direction controls 308 and 310 and the motor 12 will be driven in a forward direction . if , for example key e is closed , instead of key a , the potential fed to the conductor e via lead 248 will be 10 volts and the potential on the brush 102 will be relatively high or positive . this relatively high or positive potential will be sensed by the voltage sensitive motor direction controls 308 and 310 and the motor 12 will be driven in a reverse direction or in a direction oppsite to the direction described for the case of closing key a . if , for example , key c is closed , the potential on the brush 102 will be the same as that of key c and the direction control circuit will not operate . when the circuit 300 is operated in a direction control mode , the c / d relay 306 comes on automatically hereby stopping the operation of the position control system previously described . after a delay of 0 . 05 seconds the armature 318 will move from the contact 304 to the contact 314 and the arnature 336 will move from the contact 332 to the contact 334 . this enables the position control system 10 to be operated as previously described and restores the circuit configuration 300 shown in fig2 to the circuit configuration 100 shown in fig1 . fig4 and 5 show the operation of the circuit 100 of the position control system 10 in the process of stopping an object not shown which is in motion . in fig4 the position control system 10 is shwon moving an object from right to left with the brush 102 therefore also moving from right to left as shown by the arrow 400 . for the purpose of explaination it is assumed that it is desired to stop the object at the a a 2 position . accordingly , key a and key a 2 have been closed as is shown in fig4 and 5 . in fig4 the upper portion 104 of the brush 102 is shown just making contact with contact a 2 thus permiting current to flow from the 10 volt d c source , which is connected to lead 248 , through the key a , the contact a the brush 102 the contact a 2 , the key a 2 and the lead 142 which is connected to the voltage sensitive motor speed control 150 . during motion of the brush 102 from right to left the pulley 16 and the insulated plate 72 rotate in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 402 in fig4 and 5 . the lock key 30 slides over the stopper 32 as shown in fig4 and the pulley 16 continues to rotate . when the voltage sensitive motor speed control 150 receives a stop signal via lead 142 it activates the stopper 32 via lead 404 for the purpose of engaging the lock key 30 . when the lock key 30 comes into contact with the stopper 32 , as is shown in fig5 the pulley 16 continues to revolve just a little distance further until the lock key 30 comes into contact with the wall of the slot 60 in the lock plate 52 . this additional rotation compensates for the backlash between the gears in the gear box 18 so that the position error due to backlash is minimized . at this time the ground copper black 74 which is mounted on the insulated plate 72 comes into contact with the stop signal brush 76 which may be mounted an the gear box 18 or on another convenient fixed support and completes a circuit via lead 406 to the voltage sensitive motor speed control 150 which , in turn , stops the motor 12 . the surplus torque of the motor 12 is absorbed by the slide friction plate 40 . fig3 shows the control circuit 450 for the rotary position control system 452 embodiment of fig7 . in order to facilitate the explaination of the control circuit 450 it is assumed , by way of example , that the control circuit 450 comprises a first set of 8 conductiors which are designated h , i , j , k , l , m , n and o has three oppsitely disposed conductors designated : h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , i 1 , i 2 , i 3 , j 1 , j 2 , j 3 , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 , l 1 , l 2 , l 3 , m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , n 1 , n 2 , n 3 , o 1 , o 2 , and o 3 . fig3 shows the conductors disposed in a linear array similar to that of fig1 and 2 . it is to be understood that this has been done only to simiplify the drawing and to facilitate the explaination of the circuit 450 . the conductors in practice are disposed in a circular array encircling a central shaft on which a positioning brush 454 is mounted , this central shaft may be connected to , or may be the same as the shaft 456 on which the object 458 which is subjected to rotary motion is mounted . also , in order to simplify the drawing ; the connectors : h , i , j , k , l , h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , i 1 , i 2 , i 3 , j . sub . 1 , j 2 , j 3 , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 , l 1 , l 2 , and l 3 have been shown in solid lines and , the remaining conductors m and n have been indicated by broken lines 460 and 462 , the remaining conductors : m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , n 1 , n 2 , n 3 , o 1 , o 2 , and o 3 have been indicated figuratively by the broken line 464 . a fragment of the conductor o has been shown . the explaination of the circuit connections will be directed to the connectors which are shown in solid lines , with understanding that the circuit connections for the connectors which are not shown is similar . a direction sensing brush 466 is mounted on the same shaft 456 as the positioning brush 454 and is spaced apart from the positioning brush 454 a distance which permits the direction sensing brush 466 to be centered on the j conductor when the positioning brush 454 is centered on the k conductor . the conductors h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , i 1 , i 2 , i 3 , j 1 , j 2 , j 3 , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 , l 1 , l 2 , and l 3 are connected to the leads 480 , 482 , 484 the following manner : conductor h 1 is connected to lead 480 via lead 486 , conductor h 2 is connected to lead 482 via lead 488 , conductor h 3 is connected to lead 484 via lead 490 , conductor i 1 is connected to lead 480 via lead 492 , conductor i 2 is connected to lead 482 via lead 494 , conductor i 3 is connected to lead 484 via lead 496 , conductor j 1 is connected to lead 480 via lead 498 , conductor j 2 is connected to lead 482 via lead 500 , conductor j 3 is connected to lead 484 via lead 502 , conductor k 1 is connected to lead 480 via lead 504 , conductor k 2 is connected to lead 482 via lead 506 , conductor k 3 is connected to lead 484 via lead 508 , conductor l 1 is connected to lead 480 via lead 510 , conductor l 2 is connected to lead 482 via lead 512 and conductor l 3 is connected to lead 484 via lead 514 . each of the conductors h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , i 1 , i 2 , i 3 , j 1 , j 2 , j 3 , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 , l 1 , l 2 and l 3 is connected to a switch or key with the keys being designated to correspond with the designation of the conductors , with for example , key h 1 corresponding to conductor h 1 , key h 2 corresponding to conductor h 2 and so on in order . each of the keys h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , i 1 , i 2 , i 3 , j 1 , j 2 , j 3 , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 , l 1 , l 2 and l 3 is connected to a lead which is connected to a resistor via lead 524 . the resistor 522 may have a volue , by way of example , in the order of 4 k ohms . the resistor 522 is connected via lead 526 to relay contact 528 of the relay 530 . relay cotact 532 of the relay 530 is connected to the direction sensing brush 466 via lead 534 . the lead 520 is also connected to relay contact 536 of relay 538 , and the relay contact 540 is connected to lead 542 via lead 544 . between adjacent connectros j 1 and j 2 there is disposed a diode 546 and a resistor 548 . the resistor 548 may have a volue by way of example of 2 k ohms . similarly between connectors j 2 and j 3 there is disposed a diode 550 and a resistor 552 . for purposes of drawing clarify only the diodes 546 , 550 and the resistors 548 552 are shown , it being understood that between each pair of adjacent conductors such as h 1 and h 2 there is a similar diode and a similar resistor connected in a similar manner . between connectors j 1 and j 3 there is disposed a relay contact 554 , a resistor 556 and a diode 558 . for purposes of drawing clarify only the relay contact 554 the resistor 556 and the diode 558 are shown , it being understood that between the first and third of each group of conductors , such as between conductors h 1 and h 3 , there is a similar relay contact , a similar resistor and a similar diode connected in a similar manner . the size and spacing of the conductors h , i , j , k , l is such that , in a manner similar to that whaich has been described for the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the ends 560 , 562 of conductor h are in general alignment with opposing ends 564 and 566 of conductors h 1 and h 3 . in general , the ends of each of the conductors designated by a capital letter are in general alignment with the extreme opposing ends of the first and third conductors designated by a corresponding lower case letter . the arrangement is such that when for example the position brush 454 is in contact with the edge 568 of conductor k it is also in cotact with the conductor k 1 . connected between each of the adjacent conductors : h , i ; i , j ; j , k ; k , l ; l , m ; m , n ; n , o and o , a there is a resistors may have a value , by way of example , of 10 kฯ . as indicated previously only the conductors h , i , j , k , l and a fragment of conductor o are shown in fig3 . the resistors and diodes connecting the adjacent connectors are 570 , 572 , 574 , 576 and 578 , 580 , 582 , 584 , 586 and 588 , respectively . each of the conductors h , i , j , k and l are connected to a switch or key via leads 592 , 594 , 596 , 598 and 600 , respectively , with the keys being designated by capital letters corresponding to the conductors , so that for example , key i . the keys h , i , j , k and l are each connected to the lead 542 via leads 602 , 604 , 606 , 608 , 610 , respectively . the lead 542 is connected to a 10 volt d c power source via relay contact 612 and arnature 614 which are connected to lead 616 . lead 534 from the direction sensing brush 466 is connected to the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 via a normally closed relay 620 and lead 622 . the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 is connected to the universal motor 624 via leads 626 and 628 . the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 is connected to an external 20 volt source of d c power via the lead 630 . leads 520 and 544 are alternatively connected to lead 632 via lead 634 which is connected to resistor 636 which is connected ground 638 in accordance with the position of the arnature 640 of relay 538 . the resistor 636 may have a value , by way of example , in the order of 15 k ohms . the lead 632 is also connected to a voltage sensitive motor speed control 642 , which is disposed for high speed motor operation , a voltage sensitive motor speed control 644 , which is disposed for intermediate speed motor operation , a voltage sensitive motor speed control 646 which is disposed for low speed motor operation and a voltage sensitive motor stop control 648 which is disposed to stop the motor 624 . for the purpose of explanation it is assumed that the positioning brush 454 is initially at contact k , as is shown in fig3 and it is desired to move the positioning brush 454 to contact h . the key h is closed and the 10 volt d c power source supplies power which flows , in order stated , through the closed key h , conductor h , diode 578 , resistor 570 , conductor i , diode 580 , resistor 572 conductor j , direction sensing brush 466 , lead 534 relay 530 . lead 622 finally to the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 . the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 upon sensing the voltage from the 10 volt d c power source couses the motor 624 to reverse the direction of rotation . the motor rotates normally in a clockwise direction which is considered the forward direction . if the direction sensing brush 466 is on conductor j as shown in fig3 and it desired to move the positioning brush 534 from conductor k to conductor l , the current from the 10 volt d c power source can not pass through conductors l , k and j because of the polarily of diodes 582 and 584 but it can pass through conductors l , m , n and o and than through contructors h , i , j through the direction sensing brush 466 , lead 534 , relay 530 , lead 622 and finally to the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 . because the overall resistance of the above circuit path exceeds 30 k ohms . the current will be weaker than a preselected value and the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 will not operate to reverse the direction of the motor 624 and the motor 624 will operate in the forward direction . if the operator closes key k , the voltage sensitive motor direction control will not operate 618 . after a delay in the order of 0 . 05 seconds relay arnature 644 will move from contact 532 to 528 . if it is desired to move the positioning brush to position k k 3 then key k 3 is colsed , the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 will not operate and the motor 624 will rotate in a forward direction . if is desired instead to move the positioning brush 454 from position k k 2 to position k k 1 then key k 1 is closed , the voltage sensitive motor direction control 618 will be operated and the motor 624 will run in the reverse direction . if the positioning brush 454 is on position k k 2 and it is desired to move the positioning brush 454 to position ll 3 than as indicated above the motor 624 will run in the forward direction , and the current will pass through key l a diode 586 , a resistor 516 , the positioning brush 454 and finally through key l 3 before it reaches the voltage sensitive motor speed controls 642 , 644 and 646 the motor sensitive motor stop control 648 which control the positioning brush in a manner similar to that described for the first embodiment of the invention which provided linear motion . if the positioning brush is on position k k 2 and it is desired to move the positioning brush to position h h 2 then the motor will rotate in the reverse direction and relays 645 and 530 will be energized . the 10 volt d c electric current will pass through relay 645 to contact h 1 , a diode and a resistor which are not shown but which correspond to the diode 546 , and the resistor 548 , then through the positioning bruch , 545 connector k through diode 582 , resistor 572 and the corresponding components of contacts j , i and h , through key h and through contact 540 of relay 538 and than back to the voltage sensitive motor speed controls 642 , 644 , 646 and 648 and the voltage sensitive motor stop stop control 618 which controls the speed and the stopping of the systems 10 in a manner similar to that previously described . a latitude of modification , substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure , and in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features . | 6 |
referring first to fig1 the novel record cleaning device is clearly shown . the device 10 includes an elongated arm member 12 having a first end 14 and a second end 16 . the arm member 12 further includes a first upper surface 13 and a second lower surface 15 . a notch or groove 18 is disposed in the arm member 12 adjacent second end 16 and is adapted to selectively engage a spindle 24 such as is typically used to mount a record on well known record players . a cylindrically shaped , rotatable member 20 is rotatably coupled to the arm member 12 and thus permits the arm member 12 to be rotated about record 26 such that a cleaning brush 28 can clean , condition , and statically protect the record 26 as hereinafter more fully discussed . referring now to fig2 one can see that the device 10 has a fluid container or a reservoir 22 coupled thereto which supplies the cleaning brush 28 with a cleaning fluid . the cleaning fluid can utilize a number of different ingredients including isopropyl alcohol and freon . it has been found that freon acts as the conditioning agent and that isopropyl alcohol acts as a good cleaning solution for removing dirt and other undesirable material from the surface of the record . of course , it is understood that other cleaning and conditioning agents are also within the scope of the invention . disposed on the lower surface 15 of the arm 12 is a carrier 30 which has been slid outward in fig2 to better illustrate the invention . the carrier 30 retains the cleaning brush 28 therein , and is slideably disposed on the arm 12 . more specifically , carrier 30 is retained in arm 12 by means of grip members 32 disposed at the first end 14 as well as by u - shaped member 34 which also acts as a grip means adjacent the second end 16 . members 32 and 34 form two slots on the arm member 12 and grasp the carrier 30 at opposite ends such that the carrier 30 is sildably removable should one desire to change the carrier 30 for cleaning purposes and the like . also shown in fig2 are a plurality of openings 36 which are disposed on the arm member 12 through the lower surface 15 thereof . openings 36 permit the cleaning fluid from the reservoir 22 to flow from the reservoir 22 to the cleaning brush 28 . in the preferred embodiment , cleaning brush 28 is coupled to the arm 12 such that one end of the brush 28 is disposed beneath and adjacent to openings 36 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , one can see the internal members of the device 10 of the present invention . referring to the cut - away view of the cleaning brush 28 , one can see that brush 28 has a flexible urethane foam core 38 , in the preferred embodiment , which is adapted to retain cleaning fluid therein . foam core 38 , which can be made of a variety of spongey materials , permits the cleaning fluid to exude outwardly therefrom , especially when pressure is applied thereto , such that the cleaning fluid flows to the bristles or brush heads 40 . brush heads 40 are adapted to enter into the grooves of a typical phonograph record and thereby remove undesired material therefrom . brush heads 40 also apply the cleaning fluid to the grooves of the record which fluid and brush action also conditions record and renders it substantially static - free . one can see in fig3 that the carrier 30 includes a plurality of openings 42 along the length thereof such that when the cleaning fluid is caused to flow through the arm 12 , and more specifically , through a groove or space 44 formed in the arm 12 , such cleaning fluid is permitted to enter through openings 42 along the length of the carrier 30 . in this manner , the length of the entire cleaning brush 28 receives the cleaning fluid . referring again to fig3 and 4 , valve housing 46 is shown as an upwardly extending cylindrically shaped member which houses the valve 47 . the valve housing 46 forms two fluid ports 48 which are in axial alignment with openings 36 . fluid ports 48 , when the valve 47 actuated , permit the cleaning fluid to pass through the valve housing 46 and into the arm member 12 . the valve 47 includes an upwardly extending valve head 50 which extends into a port or valve seat 52 formed in the rotatable member 20 . because the valve head 50 engages valve seat 52 prior to being actuated , the cleaning fluid 58 in the reservoir 22 is not permitted to flow through the valve housing 46 and to the arm member 12 . referring now to fig4 one can see that the reservoir 22 has been depressed toward arm member 12 thus causing the valve head 50 to be disengaged from the valve seat 52 , thereby permitting the cleaning fluid 48 to flow in the directions indicated by arrows 68 . more specifically , the fluid 58 flows along the pathway formed by now - opened port 52 through fluid ports 48 , through the openings 36 and along space 44 where it ultimately flows through openings 42 in the carrier 30 . once in carrier 30 , the cleaning fluid 58 will exude to the brush heads 40 . to use the device 10 of the present invention , the fluid reservoir 22 containing the formulated cleaning and conditioning fluid 58 is placed on a surface and the device 10 is screwed onto the top thereof . while a wide variety of liquid reservoirs can be used , the liquid reservoir preferably used is one which includes a top having a membrane which maintains a liquid seal such that the ingredients , often volatile , are not permitted to escape . referring to fig4 one can see that the rotatable member 20 , which has a generally circular and tubular configuration has thread members 62 which engage indentations 60 formed in the neck of the fluid reservoir 22 . of course , it is understood that other means for joining the reservoir 22 to the device 10 are within the scope of the present invention . in the preferred embodiment , however , the rotatable member 20 has an upwardly extending and pointed orifice 56 adapted to pierce the membrane ( not shown ) which previously capped the reservoir 22 . in this manner , the reservoir 22 is easily and neatly opened by merely twisting the rotatable member 20 and the reservoir 22 together . in its rest position , the device 10 , and more specificially , the valve 47 , is configured such that valve seat 52 engages valve head 50 so as to prevent any cleaning fluid 58 from reaching the cleaning brush 28 . however , actuating the valve is achieved by merely depressing the reservoir 22 toward the arm member 12 . when this is done , one can see that an inwardly extending ledge 64 integrally formed on the rotatable member 20 engages spring 54 . when sufficient force is applied so as to overcome the action of spring 54 , the valve seat 52 will disengage from the valve head 50 and fluid 58 will now be permitted to flow therethrough . it should be noted that when the rotatable member 20 is fully depressed , upper surface 66 of the valve housing 46 engages the inwardly extending ledge 64 so as to restrict the downward movement of the rotatable member 20 . when one releases the reservoir 22 , the force exerted by spring 54 on ledge 64 causes ledge 64 to proceed upward so as to reengage the valve head 50 with the valve seat 52 thus closing off the supply of fluid . after the reservoir 22 is coupled to the device 10 , and more specifically , to the valve housing 20 , the notch 18 is brought into alignment with spindle 24 as shown in fig1 . notch 18 acts as a locating keying means , although other alignment means are within the scope of the present invention . the reservoir 22 is then depressed , causing spring 54 to depress thus permitting the cleaning fluid 58 to gravity flow through the two fluid ports 48 formed in the valve housing 46 , through openings 36 and along space 44 . as the cleaning fluid 58 flows along space 44 , it flows through openings 42 located in the carrier 30 . the fluid is then retained in the foam core 38 with some oozing through the foam core into the brush heads 40 . when sufficient cleaning fluid 58 has been applied to the cleaning brush 28 , the reservoir 22 is released and the spring action against ledge 64 will cause the rotatable member 20 and the reservoir 22 to return to their original positions . as described above , valve head 50 will again be seated in the valve seat 52 closing off the supply of cleaning fluid 58 . with the device 10 in place as shown in fig1 it is rotated about the record 26 . because valve head 50 also acts as a bearing in seat 52 , the rotatable member 20 and the reservoir 22 attached thereto are permitted to rotate about the arm member 12 as the arm member 12 , in turn , is rotated about record 26 . the slight force caused by the fluid container on the foam core 38 causes additional small amounts of the cleaning fluid 58 to ooze out into the brush heads 40 . the heads 50 extend into the grooves of the record 26 and thus particles of dirt , dust , and other undesirable material are caused to adhere to the brush heads 50 partly due to the cleaning fluid 58 . the cleaning fluid 58 also acts as a conditioner / lubricant for the grooves and thus it has been found by using the device 10 of the present invention , less wear of the stylus on the record grooves is achieved . it is believed that the method of application achieved by device 10 produces complete and uniform application of the cleaning fluid 58 which helps achieve the improved wearability of record 26 as discussed hereinabove . further , the device 10 and associated method of application cause a pronounced decrease in any static charge built up on the record 26 so as to render such record substantially static free . this helps prevent further buildup of dust attracted because of static electricity on the record 26 . once the device 10 has been rotated a few times about the record 26 , or the record is rotated automatically on the turntable while the cleaning device is stationary . a stand or base ( not shown ) can also be used in connection with the present invention . such stand or base permits the device 10 to be stored when not in use , and further absorbs any excess fluid to prevent dripping . in the preferred embodiment , the device is stored of the cleaning brush 28 facing down . this helps the brush 28 free from dirt and dust . and the grooves are substantially cleaned , the arm 12 is removed from its abutment with the spindle 24 and inverted so as to prevent any continued application of the cleaning fluid 58 . by the use of the device 10 described hereinabove , the cleaning fluid 58 is selectively applied in a manner which prevented undesired evaporation or leakage due to the uniquely designed valve system . however , the seal formed by valve head 50 and seat 52 can be further modified by including various sealing means such as o - rings , multiple lip seals and the like . further , since the device is positioned on the record 26 by using the turntable spindle 24 , the brush heads 40 are kept in constant parallel and abutting relationship with the record 26 . this enables the brush heads 40 to be brought into engagement with the record grooves in a circular and parallel manner as the device 10 is rotated . this has been found to be extremely desireable in cleaning and evenly applying the fluid . the device 10 also enables the cleaning fluid to be dispensed evenly by merely inserting the device 10 and pushing the reservoir 22 down towards the cleaning arm 12 . it has been found , however , that arm 12 can be angled slightly so as to increase the gravity flow of the cleaning fluid 58 from an area generally located near the center of the arm 12 towards the first end 14 thereof . although this invention has been disclosed and described with reference to a particular embodiment , the principles involved are susceptible of other applications which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art . for example , in the preferred embodiment , the arm 12 , the rotatable member 20 , and the valve housing 46 , are all made of plastic . of course , other materials are also within the scope of the present invention . further , while the present invention contemplates the use of a spring loaded valve 47 , other similar valving systems are also within the scope of the invention . finally , the preferred embodiment contemplates the actuation of valve 47 by means of depressing the reservoir 22 . such a system could be modified whereby the valve is actuated by a twisting action , lifting action , and the like . this invention , therefore , is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiment herein disclosed . | 6 |
accordingly , fig1 shows a diagram of a double clutch transmission with unsynchronized shifting elements which , for example , can be provided for a commercial vehicle . a comparable double clutch transmission with synchronized shifting elements is disclosed in the unpublished de 10 2010 030 264 a1 by the applicant . the double clutch transmission comprises a double clutch device 7 with two input side friction clutches k 1 , k 2 and two coaxial transmission input shafts 10 , 11 that are arranged one over the other . a common clutch drum 8 of the double clutch 7 is connected to a driveshaft 9 of a drive motor ( not shown ). the first transmission input shaft 10 is designed as an inner , solid shaft that is concentrically guided in the second transmission input shaft 11 designed as a shorter , hollow shaft 11 out of which it extends at the transmission side . the inner transmission input shaft 10 is drive - connectable to the drive motor by means of the first friction clutch k 1 close to the motor , and the outer transmission input shaft 11 is drive - connectable to the drive motor by means of the second friction clutch k 2 close to the transmission . the two transmission input shafts 10 , 11 and a transmission output shaft 12 coaxially arranged therebehind form a main shaft arrangement 13 . a countershaft arrangement 14 is axially parallel thereto . arranged on the main shaft arrangement 13 and the countershaft arrangement 14 are six gear set planes z 1 , z 2 , z 3 , z 4 , z 5 , z 6 for forward gears that are each formed by a pair of gears 15 / 16 , 18 / 19 , 21 / 22 , 24 / 25 , 27 / 28 , 30 / 31 , and one gear set plane zr is available for a reverse gear that is formed by a trio of gears 32 / 33 / 34 . the proportions of the two gears of each gear set plane are not depicted to scale . the first gear set plane z 1 is designed as an input stage . it has a first gear 15 that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the second transmission input shaft 11 , and a second gear 16 that meshes with this gear 15 and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a central counter shaft segment 17 . the second gear set plane z 2 is formed by a first gear 18 and a second gear 19 . the first gear 18 is rotatably supported on the first transmission input shaft 10 . the second gear 19 is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on an outer countershaft segment 20 that is rotatably mounted as a hollow shaft on the central countershaft segment 17 . the third gear set plane z 3 possesses a gear 21 that is connected to a central main shaft segment 23 of the main shaft arrangement 13 , and a gear 22 that is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the outer countershaft segment 20 . the fourth gear set plane z 4 possesses a gear 24 that is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a main shaft segment 26 designed as a hollow shaft , which in turn is rotatably supported on the central main shaft segment 23 . the gear 24 engages with a gear 25 which is rotatably supported on the central countershaft segment 17 . the fifth gear set plane z 5 is formed by a gear 27 that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the outer main shaft segment 26 , and a gear 28 that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an output side countershaft segment 29 . the sixth gear set plane z 6 comprises a gear 30 that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the transmission output shaft 12 , and a gear 31 that is rotatably mounted on the countershaft segment 29 . a reverse gear set plane zr is arranged between the first gear set plane z 1 and the second gear set plane z 2 . it comprises a gear 32 that is rotatably supported on the first input shaft 10 , a gear 33 that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the outer countershaft segment 20 , as well as an intermediate gear 34 for reversing the direction of rotation . the described system of gears and shafts can be actuated by a total of six gear shifting devices 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 with nine gear clutches a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h , i designed as unsynchronized claw shifting elements . there is an arrangement of three claw clutches 2 , 3 , 4 actuatable from two sides and three individual claw clutches 1 , 5 , 6 . the first gear shifting device 1 is arranged on the countershaft arrangement 14 between the first gear set plane z 1 and the reverse gear set plane zr . it is actuatable on one side by means of the gear clutch f for coupling the central countershaft segment 17 to the outer countershaft segment 20 . the second gear shifting device 2 is arranged on the main shaft arrangement 13 between the second gear set plane z 2 and the third gear set plane z 3 . it is equipped on two sides with gear clutches b and c , and serves to couple the gear 18 of the second gear set plane z 2 to the first input shaft 10 , and to couple the gear 21 of the third gear set plane z 3 and the associated central main shaft segment 23 to be first input shaft 10 . between the third plane z 3 and the fourth plane z 4 , there is an axial free space that can be used for an optional support wall 35 for mounting a shaft for the central shaft segment 23 on the main shaft plane 13 and the central shaft segment 17 on the countershaft plane 14 . such an additional gap for a bearing ( not shown ) of the inner transmission input shaft 10 on the main shaft plane 13 , and for the outer shaft segment 20 on the countershaft plane 14 is between the reverse gear plane zr and the second gear set plane z 2 . the third gear shifting device 3 is arranged on the countershaft arrangement 14 between the fourth gear set plane z 4 and the fifth gear set plane z 5 . it can be actuated on two sides with the gear clutches g and h . it serves to couple the gear 25 of the fourth gear set plane z 4 to the central countershaft segment 17 , and to couple the gear 28 of the fifth gear set plane z 5 and the associated output side countershaft segment 29 to the central countershaft segment 17 . the fourth gear shifting device 4 is arranged on the main shaft arrangement 13 between the fifth gear set plane z 5 and the sixth gear set plane z 6 . this gear shifting device can be actuated on both sides by means of the gear clutches a and d . in addition , the gear 27 of the fifth gear set plane z 5 can be coupled to the inner main shaft segment 23 , and the gear 30 of the sixth gear set plane z 6 and associated transmission output shaft 12 to the central main shaft segment 23 . the fifth gear shifting device 5 is downstream from the sixth gear set plane z 6 on the countershaft arrangement 14 . it can be connected on one side by means of the gear clutch e to couple the gear 31 of the sixth gear set plane z 6 to the output side countershaft segment 29 . the sixth gear shifting device 6 is arranged on the main shaft arrangement 13 between the first gear set plane z 1 and the reverse gear set plane zr . the reverse gear zr can be actuated by means of this one - sided gear shifting device 6 with the gear clutch i that couples the gear 32 of the reverse gear set plane zr to the first transmission input shaft 10 . fig2 shows a shift pattern of the transmission of a design with nine forward gears g 1 to g 9 and one reverse gear r . ten forward gears can also be realized with this transmission structure . from the table , it can be seen that the gears g 1 to g 9 can be shifted in an alternating sequence by means of the two input clutches k 1 , k 2 , wherein at least two , and a maximum of four , of the gear clutches a to i can be or are engaged . the flow of force of the gears g 1 , g 3 , g 4 one , three and four , as well as the reverse gear r , proceeds several times alternatingly via the main shaft arrangement 13 and the countershaft arrangement 14 . they are configured as winding path gears and are correspondingly marked in the table ( g 1 ( w ), g 3 ( w ), g 4 ( w )). the three last columns of the table show a numerical example for a transmission ratio of the transmission . the individual transmission ratios i_z of the gear set planes or gear sets z 1 to z 6 yield the transmission ratios i_g of gears g 1 to g 9 according to the shift pattern from the product of the shifted individual transmission ratios i_z . the individual transmission ratios i_z are each indicated as the ratio of the rotational speed of the gear arranged on the top shaft in fig1 to the rotational speed of the gear arranged on the bottom shaft in fig1 . the associated step changes ฯ between the gears each result from the ratio of the transmission ratios i_g of the neighboring gears . the steps series has step changes ฯ that vary between ฯ = 1 . 28 and ฯ = 1 . 55 . the transmission is accordingly stepped progressively , that is with decreasing step changes ฯ between the gears , although not continuously . from the ratio of the transmission ratios of the first gear i_g 1 = 15 . 96 designed as a starting gear and the highest ninth gear i_g 9 = 1 designed as a direct gear yields an overall gear ratio of i_ges = i_g 1 / i_g 9 = 15 . 96 . the rotational speed synchronization of this transmission is illustrated as an overview in the table in fig3 . as an example of a predetermined transmission input speed or drive motor speed , the following is assumed for all shift procedures : n_mot = 2100 rpm . the respective target rotational speeds n_sync of the gear clutches to be engaged or synchronized results , according to fig1 and fig2 , from the branching of the flow of power through the individual transmission ratios of the gear set planes . for the gear shift from the starting gear g 1 to second gear g 2 , only a load transition of input clutches k 1 , k 2 is required . a gear clutch f is disengaged when the load transition of the input clutches k 1 , k 2 is over and the relevant gear clutch f has thereby become load - free . a prior adaptation of the rotational speed is unnecessary since no new gear clutches need to be engaged in the target gear g 2 . another gear clutch b that also becomes load - free in the target gear g 2 can usefully remain engaged since it is required again in the following third gear g 3 . all of the additional sequential upshifting can be synchronized by adapting the rotational speed of each load - free input clutch k 1 , k 2 . as an example , the shifting process will be further explained for upshifting from fourth to fifth gear g 4 โ g 5 : in the currently engaged gear g 4 , the second input clutch k 2 transmits the load . three gear clutches d , e , f are engaged . two of the gear clutches d , e remain engaged for the target gear g 5 to be engaged . the third gear clutch f engaged in the original gear can be disengaged load - free after the gear change . a new gear clutch c is engaged for the target gear g 5 . the corresponding synchronous rotational speed can be derived according to the transmission structure and shift pattern . the gear pairs 15 / 16 and 21 / 22 of the first and third gear set planes z 1 , z 3 . accordingly : the rotational speed of the gear clutch c is adapted to this end value by the slipping engagement of the current load free first input clutch k 1 . once the rotational speed of the shifting element driven by the input clutch k 1 equals that of the corresponding shifting element on the driven gear 21 of gear clutch c , gear clutch c can be engaged . then , the clutch k 2 transmitting load in the original gear can be disengaged , and the clutch k 1 transmitting load in the subsequent gear can be engaged in order to complete the shifting of the gear from fourth to fifth gear g 4 โ g 5 with no interruption in tractive force . in the case of some downshifts , the load - transmitting input clutch is temporarily put into slip mode when engaging the load - free input clutch k 1 , k 2 , and the motor speed is adjusted to n_sync in order to bring the gear clutch to be engaged to the synchronous rotational speed . the target rotational speed in these downshifts is guided by means of the load - transmitting input clutch k 1 , k 2 . as an example , the shifting process will be further explained for downshifting from fifth to fourth gear g 5 โ g 4 : in the currently engaged gear g 5 , the first input clutch k 1 transmits the load . three gear clutches c , d , e are engaged . two of the gear clutches d , e remain engaged in the target gear g 4 to be engaged . the third gear clutch c engaged in the original gear can be disengaged load - free after the gear change . there is a new gear clutch f to shift the target gear g 5 . the corresponding synchronization speed of the gear clutch f is : due to the gear clutch c drive - connected and engaged with it , the gear clutch f has an actual speed of : the speed of the relevant gear clutch f is therefore adapted by engaging the current load - free input clutch k 2 and slip - controlling the current load free input clutch k 1 at the regulated motor speed n_mot . once the relevant gear 33 reaches the same speed , the gear clutch f can be engaged . then the clutch k 1 transmitting the load in the original gear can be disengaged , and the clutch k 2 transmitting the load in the subsequent gear can be engaged . for three downshifts g 7 โ g 6 , g 6 โ g 5 , g 2 โ g 1 and one upshift g 6 โ g 7 , two gear clutches are engaged each time in the target gear , and one of the two gear clutches is always load - free . in these cases , the load - free gear clutch is engaged first before the speed of the other gear clutch is adapted . | 8 |
now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like matter throughout , and more specifically referring to fig1 , there is shown a system of the prior art generally designated 100 , including a first prior art general purpose commercially available microprocessor 102 , such as an intel pentium microprocessor , a dissimilar second prior art general purpose commercially available microprocessor 104 , such as a motorola power pc microprocessor and a comparator 106 , for comparing outputs of first prior art general purpose commercially available microprocessor 102 and second prior art general purpose commercially available microprocessor 104 , to determine they are the same and thereby determine that no faults have occurred . each of the microprocessors 102 and 104 requires a distinct compiled version of each application to be run on the system 100 . each of these compiled versions of the application run on the dissimilar microprocessors is capable of using every instruction set on such microprocessor , including bugs or defects , found in the โ comer cases .โ now referring to fig2 , there is shown a simplified block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention which can be an airborne avionics computing system , generally designated 200 , including a general purpose commercially available microprocessor 202 , such as , but not limited to , intel pentium processors , motorola power pc , ti dsps , etc . the terms โ general purpose โ are used herein to refer to microprocessors which have a wide range of applicability and are not primarily designed for use in very limited and specific applications . the terms โ commercially available โ are used herein to refer to microprocessors which are available for purchase in commercial , wholesale , and retail markets in the u . s . while these processors have widespread acceptance in the industry , these processors also are susceptible to faults which can produce computational errors during normal operation . microprocessor 202 is shown disposed on a chip 203 , which includes rom 206 and ram 208 . the term โ chip โ as used throughout this specification may be a single chip or distributed across two or more devices . the rom 206 may be used to store the code for the first virtual machine run on microprocessor 202 . ram 208 may be used for various well - known purposes , including scratchpad memory , etc . of course , this is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention , and various other approaches could be used as well . the most significant aspect of the present invention is that a first virtual machine is run on microprocessor 202 . this first virtual machine then runs the avionics application thereon , on a well - defined , well - tested subset of the entire instruction set available on the microprocessor 202 . to address the diminution in integrity resulting from both known and latent faults , there is included a second high performance general purpose microprocessor 204 , which is similar , but not the same make and model as microprocessor 202 . microprocessor 204 is shown disposed on a chip 205 , containing rom 207 and ram 209 , which may or may not be identical to rom 206 and ram 208 on chip 203 . microprocessor 204 contains a second virtual machine in rom 207 . the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine could be identical except that they are compiled to run on the dissimilar microprocessors 202 and 204 . in a preferred embodiment , the first and second virtual machines will be , in many ways , very similar to each other . however , due to the dissimilar processors upon which they run , they will operate on a dissimilar subset of instructions . each virtual machine will operate on a subset of instructions which is well defined and well tested for their respective microprocessor . second virtual machine executes , in a parallel fashion , preferably an identical avionics application , which is also run on first virtual machine of microprocessor 202 . said identical avionics application can be stored in rom 206 for microprocessor 202 and in rom 207 for microprocessor 204 . alternatively , as shown in an alternate configuration of fig3 , there is shown a first chip 303 having a microprocessor 202 , ram 208 , and a rom 306 , for storing a first virtual machine . also shown is a second chip 305 having a microprocessor 204 , ram 209 , and a rom 307 for storing a second virtual machine . the avionics application could be a single copy which is stored in rom 213 , depending on trade - offs made by the designer regarding performance and fault tolerance . identical avionics application could be any type of avionics application , including but not limited to , flight management system applications , flight control computer applications , navigation equipment applications , etc . the common instruction set of first and second virtual machines thus becomes a โ lingua franca โ or common language across the dissimilar microprocessors 202 and 204 . the outputs of chips 203 and 205 are provided to sync / vote function 210 , which . may be another microprocessor , a programmable logic device or any other device or combination of devices which can first sync up these outputs and then vote their results . syncing / voting devices are well known in the prior art and are shown in fig1 as comparator 106 . when individually compiled applications are run directly on dissimilar processors , as is shown in fig1 , the comparator 106 is relatively complex . with the use of first and second virtual machines of the present invention , the outputs of microprocessors 202 and 204 are identical . however , these outputs may be skewed slightly over time , because of the dissimilar nature of microprocessors 202 and 204 . one of the distinct advantages of the present invention is that some of the complexity ( and , therefore , cost ) of comparator 106 ( fig1 ) can be omitted from the sync / vote function 210 , of the present invention . finally , to attain improved assurance levels , these outputs are voted before they can modify the shared memory 212 . to assure that the outputs of microprocessor 202 and 204 do not diverge over time , a common source of input values for use by microprocessors 202 and 204 is provided through hardware interface 214 . this input information is supplied through the sync / vote function 210 so as to provide each microprocessor 202 and 204 with the identical information at the same time . a preferred method of designing and operating the system of the present invention is described below : a first virtual machine is executed on said microprocessor 202 and the first virtual machine executes said first faa certified avionics application . a first instruction subset of the first complete set of instructions available to the first microprocessor 202 is defined . this subset omits certain predetermined instructions which are known or likely to produce bugs and defects . the subset also omits certain predetermined instructions which are not essential to running the first virtual machine . the first virtual machine with its first instruction subset is thoroughly tested and a first verifiable written claim of an improved level of assurance ( with respect to use of the first microprocessor without a virtual machine ) is made to the faa for the first virtual machine . a first certification of the first virtual machine is obtained from the faa . in a preferred embodiment , the process is repeated with a second microprocessor 204 , second virtual machine , a second instruction subset , a second complete set of instructions , a second verifiable claim and a second certification . the first and second microprocessors 202 and 204 , respectively , are coupled through a synchronizing and voting function 210 before a change is made to shared memory 212 . throughout this discussion , the terms โ certified โ, โ verified โ or โ determined โ or variations of these terms , with respect to the faa or agency of the u . s . government which regulates air safety shall mean any certification , verification or determination made by such agency irrespective of whether its official designation is the same . any determination by such agency which follows any inquiry or inspection by said agency , shall be construed as being โ certified โ, โ verified โ or โ determined โ by such agency . while the present invention is believed to be most beneficial for use in aviation and areas regulated by the faa , it is intended that the present invention could also be used in other areas which are under government regulation , such as , but not limited to nuclear energy and nuclear regulator commission , automotive , rail , and their respective regulatory agencies , as well as osha regulations . similarly , the present invention is intended to include areas under the control of regulatory agencies of foreign countries and any non - governmental regulatory agency . it is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention will be understood from the foregoing description and that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form , construct steps , and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of their material advantages . the form herein described is merely a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof . | 6 |
an outline of a laser driving circuit according to the present invention will be described as referring to figures from fig1 to fig4 . fig1 is a circuit diagram showing a first basic configuration , figures from fig2 to fig4 show modifications of fig1 . in fig1 , a signal is inputted into a ld - driver 1 , an output of which drives a differential circuit configured by a driver transistor tr 4 and a feedback transistor tr 5 . the ld 2 is connected to the collector of the tr 4 as a load thereof , while the base of the feedback transistor tr 5 is biased by a photodiode pd 3 and a resistor connected in serial to the photodiode pd 3 . the common emitter of the tr 4 and tr 5 is connected to a constant current source 6 . although not shown in fig1 , the pd 3 is arranged such that the pd 3 may receive light emitted from a back facet of the ld 2 . the signal is led to the tr 4 after processing in the ld driver 1 such that the magnitude and the level thereof are adjusted to drive the transistor tr 4 . when the logical โ h โ level of the signal is inputted into the tr 4 , which turns on the transistor , a current decided by the current source 6 flows from the power supply through the ld 2 and the tr 4 , which emits light from the ld 2 . a portion of the light emitted from the ld 2 may be received by the pd 3 , which generates a photo current in the pd 2 . the photo current from the pd 3 flows in the resistor 8 , which increases the voltage drop at the resistor 8 and enhances the voltage level of the base of the tr 5 . since the tr 4 and the tr 5 configures a differential circuit , and the sum of the current flowing respective transistors , tr 4 and tr 5 , is decided by the constant current source 6 , the current flowing the tr 4 relatively decreases , accordingly the optical output power from the ld 2 reduces . that is , a current feedback operates for the tr 4 via the ld 2 , pd 3 , and tr 5 , which automatically defines an operating point of the bias condition for respective devices . even when the operating condition becomes off from the stable point , the current feedback automatically operates and the circuit for driving the ld 2 automatically falls into the stable condition . for example , when the temperature of the ld 2 increases due to the current flowing therein , as shown in fig1 , the threshold current of the ld 2 increases and the optical output power thereof decreases . due to the reduction of the optical output of the ld 2 , the optical power received by the pd 3 decreases , the bias level of the tr 5 lowers , and the current flowing the tr 5 drops , which increases the current flowing the paired transistor tr 4 and thus the optical output power of the ld 2 . the time constant of the feedback operation described above depends on devices including in the feedback loop . however , no substantial capacitor exists in the feedback loop , a prompt response may be expected . using high speed devices that show small parasitic capacitance , the response within a few nanoseconds may be realized . in fig1 , the speed of the response is primary determined by the cr circuit configured by the resistor 8 and the junction capacitance of the pd 3 . setting the resistance of the resistor 8 is small enough , it may be possible to escape from the junction capacitance of the pd 3 . however , the resistor 8 , on the other hand , determines the bias level of the tr 5 . therefore , using the resistor 8 , whose resistance is quite small , the bias level of the tr 5 may be set by using the external bias supply 7 . fig2 replaces the differential circuit including a paired transistor , tr 4 and t 5 , into a differential amplifier , and the mechanism of the current feedback is the same as those described in fig1 . that is , the ld 2 is driven by the signal input to the differential amplifier , and a photo current is generated in the pd 3 by the optical output from the ld 2 . the photo current thus generated influences the voltage drop at the resistor 8 , and consequently the output of the differential amplifier . this feedback loop automatically decides the operating condition of respective devices and sets the devices in stable state . fig3 replaces the transistor tr 5 in fig1 into a photo - transistor 9 . that is , the pd 3 and the tr 5 in fig1 are replaced to one photo - transistor 9 in fig3 . in this circuit , the operating condition of the ld 2 , i . e . the average output and the extinction ration thereof , is set by the ld driver 1 , and the output of the ld driver 1 is led into the base of the tr 4 . when the tr 4 is set to be โ h โ level , the current flows therein and the ld 2 emits light . a portion of the light emitted from the ld 2 is received by the photo - transistor 9 , which increase the current flowing therethrough , and the other current flowing the tr 4 decreases , thus the optical output power from the ld 2 also decreases . fig4 adds an apc ( automatic power control ) circuit to the basic configuration shown in fig1 . the output of the pd 3 is led to , not only to the resistor 8 , but the apc 10 . the bias current and the modulation current of the ld 2 are controlled by the apc 10 . a time constant of the apc 10 is typically from a few millisecond to a few second , while the current feedback according to the present invention , which is carried out by the resistor 8 and the tr 5 , is merely from a few nanosecond to a few micro - second . these double feedback enables to stable the operation of the ld 2 both in a short period and in a long period . various modifications of the basic circuit shown in figures from fig1 to fig4 may be considered . next , figures from fig5 to fig1 show such modifications . these circuits may be roughly classified into two categories , i . e . a series drive and a shunt drive . in the series drive , as shown in fig5 to fig1 , a ld and a driver transistor are connected in series . the signal for driving the ld is input to the control terminal of the transistor , and turning on / off the transistor drives the ld . on the other hand , as shown in fig1 to fig1 , the ld and the transistor for driving the ld are connected in parallel in the shunt drive . by inputting the signal into the control terminal of the transistor connected in parallel , the current flowing the ld is shunted from the ld to the transistor or from the transistor to the ld . further , depending on the device to which the current feedback is performed from the pd , the driver circuit may be categorized as shown in the following table . table categorizing the driver circuit shown in figures feedback series drive shunt drive ( 1 ) ld 8a , 8b , 10a 14a , 14b , 16a , 16b ( 2 ) driver tr 9a , 9b ( 3 ) ld + driver tr 7a , 7b , 10b , 10c ( 4 ) bias supply 9c , 9d , 9e 13a , 13b , 13c , 15a , 15b ( 5 ) signal 5a , 5b , 6a , 6b 11a , 11b , 12 circuits categorized in this group has a current feedback only to the ld , i . e . between the collector and the emitted of the transistor connected in parallel to the ld functions as a bypass circuit for the current flowing the ld . by the current feedback only to this transistor , the optical output from the ld can be adjusted . when the optical output reduces , the photo current generated by the photodiode decreases and the current flowing the transistor also reduces . thus the current provided to the ld is relatively increased , which increases the optical output from the ld . on the other hand , when the optical output of the ld increases , an opposite feedback operation may be carried out by the photo diode and the feedback transistor . fig8 a and fig8 b are distinguished only by a type of the feedback transistor , namely , fig8 a corresponds to the pnp - type while fig8 b uses the npn - type transistor . further , in fig8 a and fig8 b , the ld is connected to the collector of the driver transistor , which is called as a collector output , while in fig1 a , the ld is connected to the emitter of the transistor , which is called as an emitter output . fig1 a and fig1 b , both show shunt drive modes , distinguishes only by the type of the transistor , the former uses the npn - type while the other uses the pnp - type . the difference between fig1 a and fig1 b is also derived only from the type of the transistor . fig1 a and fig1 b show the collector output configuration , while fig1 a and fig1 b show the emitter output configuration . configurations categorized in this group have a feedback transistor connected in parallel to the driver transistor . fig9 a and fig9 b , they have series drive mode , meet the requirements of this group . in the shunt drive mode , since the drive transistor is connected in parallel to the ld , the circuit will be categorized in the former group ( 1 ). the feedback transistor connected in parallel to the driver transistor may be regarded as a variable resistor . by changing the current flowing from the collector to the emitter of the feedback transistor , the current flowing in the driver transistor may be adjusted . that is , when the optical output from the ld reduces , the photo current generated in the pd reduces and the current flowing the feedback transistor increases , which increases the current flowing the ld even if the current flowing the driver transistor is kept constant and the optical output from the ld enhances . on the other hand , when the optical output from the ld increases the current generated in the pd increases and the current flowing in the feedback transistor decreases , which reduces the current flowing the ld and the optical output thereof the difference between fig9 a and fig9 b is due to the type of the feedback transistor , the former for the pnp - type and the latter for the npn - type . circuits categorized in this group have the configuration of the feedback to the series circuit of the ld and the driver transistor , and fig7 a , fig7 b , fig1 b and fig1 c , they have the series drive mode , are involved in this group . in the shunt drive mode , the ld and the driver transistor are connected in parallel , so no circuits are categorized in this group . the fundamental configuration shown in fig1 is included in this group , in which the ld and the driver transistor are connected in series , while the feedback transistor is connected in parallel to the driver transistor . thus , by adjusting the current flowing in the feedback transistor , the current flowing in the driver transistor can be controlled , so do the current flowing in the ld . when the optical output from the ld reduces , the photo current generated in the pd and the current flowing the feedback transistor also reduce . decreasing the current flowing in the feedback transistor , the current flowing in the driver transistor and the ld oppositely increases , thereby enhancing the optical output from the ld . on the other hand , the optical output from the ld increases , the photo current in the pd , whereby the current flowing in the feedback transistor increase . increasing the current flowing in the feedback transistor , the other current flowing in the driver transistor and the ld decreases , thereby reducing the optical output from the ld . the difference between fig7 a and fig7 b is due to only the type of the transistor used therein , and fig1 b and fig1 c are substantially the same configuration . configurations in fig7 have the collector output , while those in fig1 have the emitter output . circuits categorized in this group have the configuration of the feedback to the power supply , although they seem to have a similar configuration to the previous group ( 3 ). from fig9 c to fig9 e have the series drive mode , while from fig1 a to fig1 c , fig1 a and fig1 b have the shunt drive mode . in these circuits , the feedback transistor controls the current provided from the power supply to the ld . although the time constant of the feedback loop in this category has comparably longer than that of the other categories , the feedback amount , which is equivalent to the loop gain , may be enhanced . fig9 e has a feedback transistor connected in parallel to the load resistor of the power supply . the feedback transistor behaves as a type of a variable resistor , that is , the current flowing the resistor may be adjusted by the current flowing the feedback transistor , accordingly , the voltage drop at the resistor may be adjusted so as to maintain the optical output from the ld . in the shunt drive mode , fig1 has the collector output , in which the current source is connected to the collector of the driver transistor , while fig1 has the emitter output , where the current source is connected to the emitter of the driver transistor . fig1 b , fig1 c , fig1 a and fig1 b have the feedback transistor connected in parallel to the power supply , in which the current from the power supply and from the feedback transistor are superposed and supplied to the ld . circuits categorized in this group have the feedback to the amplifier that transmits the input signal to the ld . fig5 a , fig5 b , fig6 a and fig6 b fall within this group for the series drive mode , while fig1 a , fig1 b and fig1 are for the shunt drive mode . in these circuits , one of the input of the amplifier is for the input signal , and the other input of the amplifier is provided for the feedback control . in the series drive mode , when the optical output from the ld reduces , the photo current generated in the pd decreases and the level of the feedback lowers , whereby the output of the differential amplifier rises and the current flowing the drive transistor increases . on the other hand , when the optical output from the ld increases , the photo current generated in the pd increases and the level of the feedback rises , whereby the output of the amplifier lowers and the current flowing the drive transistor decreases . the difference between fig5 a and fig5 b , and that between fig6 a and fig6 b are due to only the type of the driver transistor . fig5 a and fig5 b have the collector output configuration where the ld is connected to the collector of the driver transistor , while fig6 a and fig6 b have the emitter output configuration where the ld is connected to the emitter of the driver transistor . on the other hand , fig1 a has the collector output configuration where the current source is connected to the collector of the driver transistor , while fig1 has the emitter output configuration that includes the current source connected to the emitter of the transistor . fig1 b has both types of the output . thus , the present invention has been described as referring to accompanying drawings . although , the description refers only bipolar transistors , it is explicitly obvious that field effect transistors will show the same function and the same result . further , it should be understood that the present invention could be embodied in many other specific ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . therefore , the present examples and methods are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention ( s ), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below . while the invention ( s ) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments , it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention ( s ) to those exemplary embodiments . on the contrary , the invention ( s ) is / are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments , but also various alternatives , modifications , equivalents and other embodiments , which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . fig1 is a side view illustrating an exemplary washer device of a headlamp for a vehicle according to the present invention . fig2 is a sectional view taken along line a - a โฒ of fig1 . fig3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a slide drive unit according to the present invention . fig4 is a perspective view illustrating the slide drive unit according to the present invention . the present invention relates to an economical washer device of a headlamp for a vehicle in which a nozzle unit 10 is integrally mounted into a nozzle cover 110 and which drives a nozzle unit 10 and a slide drive unit 20 by removing a conventional telescope or rotary drive motor and using a washer liquid circulating structure inside the nozzle unit 10 and the hydraulic pressure of a washer motor . as illustrated in fig1 , the washer device includes a nozzle unit 10 integrally mounted into a nozzle cover 110 and to which a nozzle pipe 10 a through which a washer liquid is fed is connected and a slide drive unit 20 integrated with the nozzle unit 10 and exposing an ejection nozzle to the outside when it is rotated by the ejection pressure of a washer liquid during the operation of a washer switch . as illustrated in fig2 , a conic compression spring 12 is fixed to the rear wall of the nozzle unit 10 and a plate - like valve 11 is installed in front of the compression spring 12 . a washer liquid circulating channel 13 is provided on the other side of the compression spring 12 with respect to the valve 11 . a washer liquid introducing opening 14 is provided in a central passage 131 of the washer liquid circulating channel 13 , and a washer liquid discharging opening 15 is provided in side passages 132 formed on opposite sides of the central passage 131 . in a normal state , the central passage 131 and the side passages 132 are blocked from each other by the valve 11 . on the other hand , during the operation of a washer switch , the valve 11 is opened to the position of a valve stopper 16 by the pressure of the introduced washer liquid so that the central passage 131 can be communicated with the side passages 132 . in the structure of the nozzle unit 10 , after the washer liquid is introduced into the nozzle unit 10 , the slide drive unit 20 is rotated by itself in a round configuration by the hydraulic pressure of the washer liquid while presses the valve 11 inside the nozzle unit 10 against the elastic force of the compression spring 12 and is discharged to the outside to be ejected through an ejection nozzle 132 . as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the slide drive unit 20 includes an operation bracket 21 having a rounded plate - like shape to which the nozzle unit 10 is integrally mounted and having first guide grooves 211 on opposite sides thereof , an upper guide bracket 22 having second guide grooves 221 into which the operation bracket 21 are inserted so that the operation bracket 21 can be slidably guided and being located on the upper guide bracket 22 , and a lower guide bracket 23 having fixing brackets 231 inserted into the first guide grooves 211 of the operation bracket 21 so that the operation bracket 21 can be slidably guided along the lower guide bracket 23 . the upper guide bracket 22 is fixed to the lower guide bracket 23 which is attached to a stationary member such as a vehicle body by a bolt 24 so that the operation bracket 21 disposed between the upper guide bracket 22 and the lower guide bracket 23 can move relatively therebetween . in various embodiments of the present invention , the upper guide bracket 22 may be removed so that the operation bracket 21 is slidably guided only along the lower guide bracket 23 . a nozzle mounting hole 212 is formed in the operation bracket 21 so that the nozzle unit 10 can be inserted therethrough to be fixed , and ribs 213 restricting slide of the operation bracket 21 are formed on front and rear sides of the nozzle mounting hole 212 in the operation bracket 21 . a guide slot 222 along which the nozzle unit 10 is guided is formed in the upper guide bracket 22 along the lengthwise direction of the upper guide bracket 22 so that the nozzle unit 10 and the operation bracket 21 can be slid upward and downward without interference . slotted stopper mounting holes 232 through which stoppers 233 are inserted to be fixed are disposed in the lower guide bracket 23 at an interval along the lengthwise direction of the lower guide bracket 23 , so that when the ribs 213 of the operation bracket 21 are caught and interfered with by the stoppers 233 , the radius of rotation of the operation bracket 21 is restricted . hereinafter , the principle of the washer device of a headlamp for a vehicle including the nozzle unit 10 and the slide drive unit 20 will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig5 is a view illustrating the operation of the nozzle unit 10 according to the present invention , and fig6 is a view illustrating the operation of the washer device of a headlamp for a vehicle according to the present invention . the present invention has a structure by which operation time is delayed so that a washer liquid cannot be ejected until the operation bracket 21 is rotated along the upper and lower guide brackets 22 and 23 by the operation of the mechanical valve 11 until the ribs 213 of the operation bracket 21 are stopped by the stoppers 233 fixed to the lower guide bracket 23 . as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , when the washer liquid is introduced into the nozzle unit by a strong pressure during the operation of the washer motor after the washer switch is operated , the washer liquid is ejected to the outside of the nozzle unit 10 via the washer liquid circulating channel 13 by the washer liquid structure . then , after the washer liquid is introduced into the nozzle unit 10 and presses the valve 11 of the nozzle unit 10 , the nozzle unit 10 and the operation bracket 21 of the slide drive unit 20 are rotated along the upper and lower guide brackets 22 and 23 while the valve 11 is opened and the washer liquid is discharged to the outside through the passage . here , since the resilient force of the compression spring 12 supporting the valve 11 inside the nozzle unit 10 sets the applied force by which the operation bracket 21 of the slide drive unit 20 is rotated to be higher , the valve 11 is not opened during the rotation of the operation bracket 21 . in this state , if the nozzle unit 10 is not rotated further by the catching structure of the ribs 213 of the operation bracket 21 and the stoppers 233 of the lower guide bracket 23 while the operation bracket 21 is being rotated by the pressure of the washer liquid , the pressure of the washer liquid overcomes the resilient force of the compression spring 12 and the valve 11 is moved rearward at the same time . accordingly , when the central passage 131 and the side passages 132 are communicated with each other , the washer liquid is ejected . the ejection angle and time of the washer liquid are adjusted by the positions of the stoppers 233 of the lower guide bracket 23 and the shape of the nozzle unit 10 and the slide drive unit 20 . the nozzle unit 10 may be return to its original position by an elastic member that may be coupled to an end portion of the operation bracket 21 after the pressure of the washer liquid is reduced . for convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims , the terms โ upper โ, โ lower โ, โ front โ, and โ rear โ are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures . the foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention , as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . | 1 |
as shown in fig1 , a razor blade platform embodying the present invention and generally denoted by the reference number i 0 , includes a base portion 12 having a plurality of projections 14 extending outwardly therefrom . each projection 14 defines at least a pair of spaced apart , and in the illustrated embodiment , stepped , support surfaces 16 . each projection 14 has four approximately parallel support surfaces 16 . each support surface 16 on one of the projections 14 being approximately laterally aligned with a corresponding support surface on the next successive projection . each of the support surfaces 16 is adapted to support a portion of a razor blade 18 , so that the razor blade extends across , and is carried by the approximately laterally aligned support surfaces . as shown in fig . l , the razor blade platform 10 is adapted to carry four razor blades 18 . however , the present invention is not limited in this regard as the razor blade platform 10 can be configure to carry more than , or less than four razor blades 18 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the razor blade platform 10 is formed from , or into a single piece of , preferably polymeric , material . the razor blade platform 10 can also be made by injection molding . however , the present invention is not limited in this regard as the razor blade platform can be made from different materials , such as metals or elastomers . the base portion 12 has passages 20 therein to allow for the removal of debris , such as skin , hair , and shaving aid , that can become lodged between the razor blades 18 and / or between the razor blades 18 and the base portion 12 during a shaving operation . there may be any number of support surfaces 16 on a projection 14 . these support surfaces 16 can be equally spaced or not . in some cases , some of the support surfaces 16 could be equally spaced and others not . in addition , the area defined by each of the support surfaces 16 may vary . the support surfaces 16 are not necessarily planar and may be undulating or have troughs , such an embodiment is illustrated in fig3 . referring to fig2 , a portion of the plurality of projections 14 include slots 22 , open at one end and defined in - part by one of the support surfaces 16 . as shown , an overhanging portion 24 , a surface of which defines a support surface 16 can also be established with a surface 26 generally opposite the support surface 16 acting to define in - part one of the slots 22 . depending upon the design of a shaving implement employing the razor blade platform 10 , the overhang portion 24 can include a distal end 28 positioned such that skin does not extrude too far into an interstitial space 30 between the razor blades 18 during a shaving operation . the distal end 28 could also have , if desired , a chamfer 32 creating a larger opening 34 into the slot 22 . in addition to the above - described support surfaces 16 , the projections 14 also define abutment surfaces 36 that provide for alignment of the razor blades 18 when positioned on the razor blade platform 10 . accordingly , when a razor blade 18 is mounted onto the razor blade platform 10 , a surface 38 of the razor blade generally opposite the cutting edge 40 , defined by the razor blade 18 , engages the abutment surface 36 , thereby aligning the razor blade relative to the razor blade platform 10 . still referring to fig2 , the slot 22 can be of any shape . depending upon the shape , the slot 22 could frictionally retain the razor blade 18 against the support surface 16 . an alternative slot design is shown in fig3 . in this design , the overhang portion 24 has an undersurface 42 that is angled relative to the support surface 16 over which the overhang portion 24 projects such that the razor blade 18 is not held against the support surface 16 by the overhang portion 24 . referring back to fig1 , a razor blade 18 is preferably attached to each laterally aligned support surface 16 of the razor blade platform 10 . the support surfaces 16 provide the contour , if any , to the razor blade 18 . in the preferred embodiment , the support surfaces 16 define a contour that is generally planar , but this should not be a limitation of the invention as any contour could be defined such as a fair curve but the contour could be unfair if desired . attachment of the razor blade 18 to a support surface 16 can be by any multiple configurations of the projection 14 are possible . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , two configurations of the projections 14 are shown wherein some of the projections 14 define slots 22 while others do not . while a particular number of slotted and unslotted projections has been shown , the present invention is not limited in this regard as any number of projections and combinations of slotted and unslotted projections can be employed without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention . a protective covering 44 , shown in the illustrated embodiment as a thin length of wire is wrapped around the razor blade platform 10 and extends over the cutting edges 40 of the razor blades 18 mounted thereon . the wire 44 is provided to prevent a user &# 39 ; s skin from excessively extruding between the razor blades 18 . in order to properly orient the wire 44 , relative to the razor blade platform 10 , the wire 44 , is positioned in slots 46 located in the base portion 12 . however , the present invention is not limited in this regard as the wire 44 can be simply wrapped around the razor blade platform 10 . preferably , the wire 44 is metal , however other materials , such as , but not limited to , polymeric strands can be substituted without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention . as shown in fig4 through 9 , the razor blade platform 10 is integrated into a razor cartridge , generally designated by the reference number 48 . the razor cartridge 48 has a first cover 50 that securely mates with a second cover 52 . the first and second covers , 50 and 52 respectively , cooperate to define an interior area 54 into which the razor blade platform 10 is located . the first cover 50 has an opening 56 positioned relative to the razor blade platform 10 so that at least a portion of the cutting edges 46 of the razor blades 18 mounted on the razor blade platform 10 are exposed . in addition , the second cover 52 includes at least one opening 58 that cooperates with the passages 20 to allow debris accumulated during a shaving operation to be washed through the passages 20 and the opening 58 in the second cover 52 . the first cover 50 has protrusions 60 that extend outwardly from an interior surface 62 . the protrusions 60 rest on one of the razor blades 18 . the first cover 50 includes a leading edge 64 that defines recesses 66 that are aligned with the slots 46 on the razor blade platform 10 . as stated above , the wire 44 engages the slots 46 as it is wrapped around the razor blade platform 10 and the razor blades 18 mounted thereon . the recesses 66 are sized based upon the size of the protective covering 44 such that there is a smooth transition for the skin from the leading edge 64 onto the protective covering 44 . the first cover 50 also includes a lubricious strip of material 68 , preferably impregnated with a shaving aid . the lubricious strip 68 is positioned within a pocket 70 defined by the first cover 50 such that during a shaving operation , the user &# 39 ; s skin engages the lubricious strip 68 prior to the skin engaging the cutting edge 40 of the razor blades 18 . a second lubricious strip 72 , also preferably impregnated with a shaving aid is located on an outer surface 74 of the first cover 50 . extending outwardly from an inner surface 76 of the second cover 52 is a tab 78 positioned to engage a slot 80 in the razor cartridge 48 defined by lobes 82 on the base portion 12 of the razor blade platform 10 . the tabs 78 and slot 80 prevent longitudinal movement of the razor blade platform 10 relative to the first and second covers 50 and 52 , respectively . the razor blade platform 10 is mounted on the second cover 52 by placing opposed extensions 84 onto opposed bearing surfaces 86 . in this embodiment , the extensions 84 are curved to match the contour of the bearing surfaces 86 . this permits the razor blade platform 10 to roll in the second cover 52 . a flange 88 on each distal end 90 of the extensions 84 further limit longitudinal movement of the razor blade platform 10 . the first cover 50 mates with the second cover 52 positioning the razor blade platform 10 within the razor cartridge 48 . the first cover 50 has apertures 92 that are sized to permit the first cover to be positionable over the extensions 84 . when assembled , the flanges 88 are located adjacent opposed outer surfaces 94 of the razor cartridge . a spring 96 is positioned in the interior area of the razor cartridge 48 between the second cover 52 and razor blade platform 10 to normally bias the razor blade platform 10 toward the first cover 50 and assist in positioning at least a portion of the cutting edges 40 within the opening 56 . the present invention also resides in a method for mounting the above - described razor blades 18 to the razor blade platform 10 . as shown in fig1 , in an embodiment of the method , the razor blades 18 are mounted onto a blade support 98 defining support surfaces 100 oriented so as to be approximately coincident with the support surfaces 16 of the razor blade platform 10 , when the blade support 98 and the razor blade platform 10 are brought into proximity with one another . the blade support 98 defines slots 102 adapted to releasable receive and retain at least a portion of the cutting edges 40 defined by the razor blades 18 . adhesive 104 is then applied to an outwardly facing surface 106 of each razor blade 18 releasably retained by the blade support 98 . the adhesive 104 is applied on areal portions of each razor blade 18 that will engage the support surfaces 16 defined by the projection 14 . the blade support 98 and the razor blade platform 10 are then brought into proximity with one another so that the outwardly facing surfaces 106 of the razor blades 18 engage the support surfaces 16 of the blade support 98 . the adhesive 104 is then allowed to cure so that when the blade support 98 is moved away from the razor blade platform 10 , the razor blades 18 release from the blade support 98 and remain bonded to the razor blade platform 10 . while slots 102 on the blade support 98 have been shown and described as the mechanism by which the cutting edges 40 if the razor blade 18 are retained , the present invention is not limited in this regard as other manners of releasably retaining the razor blades 18 on the blade support 98 can be employed . for example , suction or clamps can be employed without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention . in another method as shown schematically in fig1 , the razor blades 18 are each mounted to a retainer 108 and rotatably brought into engagement with the razor blade platform 10 . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof , other versions are possible . therefore , the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein . | 1 |
a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings through exemplary embodiments . a semiconductor integrated circuit according to one embodiment , for example , 512 mb dram may support various product configurations such as , for example , x8 โ 512m , x16 โ 512m , and x16 โ 256m . at this time , x8 โ 512m represents a 512 mb dram using eight input / output terminals dq 0 to dq 7 , x16 โ 512m represents a 512 mb dram using 16 input / output terminals dq 0 to dq 15 , and x16 โ 256m represents a 256 mb dram using 16 input / output terminals dq 0 to dq 15 . the semiconductor integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the invention does not use a fuse circuit , but may support the above - described products through a pad bonding method . as known from fig1 showing the address specification of the semiconductor integrated circuit , x16 โ 256m does not use the column address a 9 while the x8 โ 512m and x16 โ 512m configurations do . therefore , in order to use a semiconductor integrated circuit as x16 โ 256m , the semiconductor integrated circuit may be set so as not to use the column address a 9 . the x8 type ( x8 โ 512m ) and the x16 type ( x16 โ 512m and x16 โ 256m ) may be discriminated through a pad iox 8 for discriminating an input / output type ( x8 or x16 ). furthermore , a row address a 13 which is not used in x16 โ 512m and x16 โ 256m may be used to discriminate x16 โ 512m and x16 โ 256m from the x8 โ 512m . in the semiconductor integrated circuit according to an embodiment , logic levels of the pad iox 8 and a pad a 13 receiving a row address are used as a signal for discriminating a particular i / o configuration x8 โ 512m , x16 โ 512m , or x16 โ 256m for one semiconductor integrated circuit chip . furthermore , when a semiconductor integrated circuit is configured for the x16 โ 256m configuration , the semiconductor integrated circuit is set so as not to use the column address a 9 . first , referring to fig3 , x8 โ 512m fixes the pad iox 8 to a logic high level , and x16 โ 512m and x16 โ 256m fix the pad iox 8 to a logic low level , during packaging of the semiconductor integrated circuit . furthermore , since x8 โ 521m uses the row address a 13 , x8 โ 512m controls the corresponding pad to receive the row address a 13 from outside , and x16 โ 512m and x16 โ 256m fix the pads allocated to receive the row address a 13 to a logic high level and a logic low level , respectively . the fixing of the pad iox 8 to a logic high level may be performed by bonding the corresponding pad to a power supply voltage terminal vdd . the fixing of the pad iox 8 to a logic low level may be performed by bonding the corresponding pad to a ground terminal vss . a circuit may use signals from the pad iox 8 and the row address a 13 to control use of the column address a 9 in the case of x16 โ 512 and x16 โ 256m . that circuit may be configured in a predetermined area ( for example , a peripheral circuit area ) inside the semiconductor integrated circuit . according to the table of fig3 , the pad iox 8 and the row address a 13 have a logic low level l for a x16 โ 256m configuration . therefore , when both of the pad iox 8 and the row address a 13 have a logic low level , an input of the column address a 9 may be blocked . fig4 illustrates an x8 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 100 . the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 includes pads 101 to 103 , a detector 110 , and a column address controller 120 . the column address controller 120 includes an address blocking unit 121 . since the x8 โ 512m type uses the row address a 13 as shown in fig3 , a pad a 13 is configured to normally receive the row address a 13 from outside , and a pad iox 8 is fixed to a logic high level . the detector 110 includes a plurality of inverters iv 1 to iv 3 and a nand gate nd 1 . the detector 110 is configured to output a detection signal halfc_a 9 at a logic low level in response to the high - level pad iox 8 . the column address controller 120 is configured to control a column operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit in response to a column address inputted from outside . the address blocking unit 121 includes a plurality of inverters iv 4 and iv 5 and a nand gate nd 2 . the address blocking unit 121 is configured to block an is input of the column address a 9 in response to the detection signal halfc_a 9 . that is , the address blocking unit 121 fixes an internal column address ia 9 to a logic low level in response to an asserted detection signal halfc_a 9 at a high level , and receives the column address a 9 as the internal column address ia 9 in response to a deasserted detection signal halfc_a 9 at a low level . in the x8 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 100 , since the pad iox 8 is fixed to a logic high level , the detection signal halfc_a 9 becomes a logic low level such that the column address a 9 is received as the internal column address ia 9 . fig5 illustrates an x16 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 101 . the semiconductor integrated circuit 101 includes a plurality of pads 101 to 103 , a detector 101 , and a column address controller 120 . the column address controller 120 includes an address blocking unit 121 . the detector 110 , the column address controller 120 , and the address blocking unit 121 may be similar to the circuit illustrated in fig4 . for the x16 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 101 does not use the row address a 13 . therefore , as shown in fig3 , the pad a 13 is fixed to a logic high level and the pad iox 8 is fixed to a logic low level . in the x16 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 101 , since the pad a 13 is fixed to a logic high level , the detection signal halfc_a 9 becomes a logic low level . accordingly , the x16 โ 512m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 101 receives the column address a 9 as an internal column address ia 9 . fig6 illustrates an x16 โ 256m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 102 . the x16 โ 256m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 102 includes a plurality of pads 101 to 103 , a detector 110 , and a column address controller 120 . the column address controller 120 includes an address blocking unit 121 . the detector 110 , the column address controller 120 , and the address blocking unit 121 may be similar to the circuit illustrated in fig4 . as illustrated in fig3 , since the x16 โ 256m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 102 does not use the row address a 13 , the pad a 13 is fixed to a logic low level , and the pad iox 8 is fixed to a logic low level . in the x16 โ 256m - type semiconductor integrated circuit 102 , since both of the pad a 13 and the pad iox 8 are fixed to a logic low level , the detection signal halfc_a 9 becomes a logic high level , which drives the internal column address ia 9 to a logic low level . according to the embodiment , since a fuse is not used , it is possible to improve the reliability and productivity of the semiconductor integrated circuit . while certain embodiments have been described above , it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described are by way of example only . accordingly , the semiconductor integrated circuit described herein should not be limited based on the described embodiments . rather , the semiconductor integrated circuit described herein should only be limited in light of the claims that follow when taken in conjunction with the above description and accompanying drawings . | 6 |
referring to fig1 a camera capable of controlling the supply of power using a release switch according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a microcontroller 10 for outputting a control signal and a power signal . the camera includes an information display 20 connected to an output terminal of the microcontroller 10 , a motor driving circuit 30 , a strobe unit 40 , and a switch block 50 . the switch block 50 is connected to an input terminal of the microcontroller 10 . the camera also includes a shutter driving circuit 60 connected to an operating terminal and an output terminal of the microcontroller 10 , an automatic distance measuring circuit 70 , and a brightness measuring circuit 80 . the switch block 50 includes a power switch s0 for supplying power to each part of the camera , a first step release switch s1 for measuring the distance from the camera to an object to be photographed , automatically and the ambient brightness of the object , and a second step release switch s2 for taking the photograph by releasing a shutter button . the switch block 50 also includes a zoom switch s4 for zooming and a mode selecting switch s3 for selecting one of a plurality of photographing functions , including for example , a successive photographing mode , a strobe mode , and a snap photographing mode . a power transmitting circuit supplies power to the shutter driving circuit and the automatic distance measuring circuit to take a photograph . the power transmitting circuit includes resistors r1 , r2 , r3 and r4 and transistors t1 and t2 . the resistor r1 has a first terminal connected to a power signal ( ps ) terminal of the microcontroller 10 and the transistor t1 has a base terminal connected to a second terminal of the resistor r1 . an emitter terminal of the transistor t1 is connected to ground . the resistor r2 has a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the resistor r1 and a second terminal connected to a collector terminal of the transistor t1 . the resistor r3 has a first terminal connected to the collector terminal of the transistor t1 . the transistor t2 has a base terminal connected to the second terminal of the resistor r2 , an emitter terminal connected to a power supply , and a collector terminal connected to both the shutter driving circuit 60 and the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 . the resistor r4 has a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the resistor r3 and a second terminal connected to the emitter terminal of the transistor t1 . the operation of the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 . when power is applied to the camera ( step 100 ), the microcontroller 10 initializes an internal circuit of the camera ( step 110 ) and then determines whether the switch block 50 is activated ( step 120 ). the microcontroller 10 determines whether the power switch s0 of the switch block 50 is activated and determines the lens cap state when the power switch s0 is turned on ( step 130 ). if the microcontroller 10 determines that the lens cap is closed , the lens cap is opened by operating the motor driving circuit 30 and forwardly rotating a lens barrel motor m1 ( step 140 ). the microcontroller 10 determines when the lens cap is fully opened ( step 150 ). if the lens cap is fully opened , the microcontroller 10 outputs a high - level power signal to supply power to the shutter driving circuit 60 and the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 to take a photograph . the microcontroller 10 outputs the high - level power signal , which is applied to the base terminal of the transistor t1 through the resistance r1 , to turn on the transistor t1 ( fig1 ). subsequently , a low - level power signal is applied to the base terminal of the transistor t2 to turn on the transistor t2 . when power is applied to the transistor t2 , the shutter driving circuit 60 and the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 are supplied with the power . then , the camera is placed in a stand - by mode ready to take a photograph . the microcontroller 10 determines whether the power switch s0 of the switch block 50 is turned on . when the power switch s0 is turned off , the microcontroller 10 determines whether the first step release switch s1 is turned on ( step 170 ). if the first step release s1 is turned on , the microcontroller 10 determines whether the second step release switch s2 is turned on ( step 180 ). subsequently , if the second step release switch s2 is turned on , the microcontroller 10 determines the state of the lens cap ( step 190 ). the microcontroller 10 opens the lens cap by operating the motor driving circuit 30 when the lens cap is initially closed and the power switch s0 is turned off ( step 200 ). at this point in the zoom camera , a close ( or telephoto ) mode is changed to a wide mode which is the optical initial mode of the camera . for example , for a 3 ร zoom camera in which the focal distance is 38 m - 115 m , the lens barrel moves from a close mode to a wide mode ( 38 m ) when the power switch s0 is turned off and the first step release switch s1 and the second step release switch s2 are turned on . after the above - mentioned operation , the microcontroller 10 determines again whether the lens cap is opened ( step 210 ). if the lens cap is opened , microcontroller 10 outputs the high - level power signal to be in a stand - by mode for taking the photograph ( step 220 ) and supplies power to the shutter driving circuit 60 and the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 . when the power switch s0 is turned on ( step 120 ) and the lens cap is opened ( step 130 ), the microcontroller 10 closes the lens cap by operating the motor driving circuit 30 and rotating , in reverse , the lens barrel motor m1 ( step 230 ). subsequently , the microcontroller 10 determines whether the lens cap is closed ( step 240 ), and if closed , outputs the low - level power signal ( step 250 ). when the low - level power signal is applied to the base terminal of the transistor t1 , the transistor t1 and subsequently , the transistor t2 are turned off . when the transistor t2 is turned off , the power supplied to the shutter driving circuit 60 and the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 is cut off and the user can no longer take a photograph . when the camera is in a stand - by mode , the microcontroller 10 starts charging the strobe unit 40 by emitting a predetermined illumination , in cases for underexposure , to obtain a photograph having a suitable exposure ( step 260 ). after starting a charge of electricity to the strobe unit 40 , the microcontroller 10 sets the present photographing mode in accordance with the selected mode of the photographing mode selecting switch s3 , transmits the photographing mode information to the information display 20 and displays the photographing mode . accordingly , the user can confirm the present photographing mode ( step 270 ). the microcontroller 10 carries out a zoom operation ( step 290 ) by operating the motor driving circuit 30 according to the user selection when the zoom switch s4 of the switch block 50 is turned on ( step 280 ). the microcontroller 10 stands by ready for operation of the first step release switch when the zoom switch is turned off . after the above - mentioned operation , the microcontroller 10 determines whether the first step release switch s1 is turned on ( step 300 ). when the first step release switch s1 is turned on , the microcontroller 10 measures the distance from the object and the brightness by the automatic distance measuring circuit 70 and by the brightness measuring circuit 80 , respectively , to calculate the exposure value ( step 310 ). subsequently , the microcontroller 10 determines whether the second step release switch s2 is turned on ( step 320 ). the microcontroller 10 takes the photograph ( step 330 ) and ends the operation ( step 340 ) by operating the shutter driving circuit 60 in accordance with the calculated exposure value . as described above , when the first step release switch and the second step release switch are turned on even when the power switch is turned off , the first and second step release switches open the lens cap and supply power to the camera to take a photograph . the user can capture an instant image by only pressing the release switch , even when the lens cap is closed . accordingly , the present invention provides a camera and a control method capable of controlling power by using a release switch having the effect of taking a photograph by pressing both the power switch and the release switch or the release switch only . the user can take the photograph easily by pressing only the release switch , successively . other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . fig3 a through 3j are schematic cross - sectional views showing the steps for fabricating a thin film transistor according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention . first , a gate 310 is formed on a substrate 300 as shown in fig3 a . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of forming the gate 310 is described in fig4 a through 4e . first , as shown in fig4 a , a first conductive layer 210 and a second conductive layer 220 are sequentially formed on the substrate 300 . the method of forming the conductive layer 210 and 220 includes , for example , performing a sputtering or an evaporation process . the conductive layer 210 is fabricated using a low contact resistant , high adhesion metal . in one embodiment , the material constituting the conductive layer 210 is selected from a group consisting of molybdenum , tungsten molybdenum and tantalum or a combination of them . on the other hand , the conductive layer 220 is fabricated using a low resistant , highly conductive metal . in one embodiment , the conductive layer 220 is fabricated using copper , for example . however , the conductive layer 220 can also be fabricated using silver or gold . as shown in fig4 b , the conductive layer 220 is patterned . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of patterning the conductive layer 220 includes performing a photolithographic process and a wet etching operation . first , a photoresist layer 230 is formed over the conductive layer 220 by performing a photolithographic process . then , using the photoresist layer 230 as a mask , a wet etching operation of the conductive layer 220 is carried out to form the patterned conductive layer 220 as shown in fig4 c . next , as shown in fig4 c , a plasma treatment 240 is carried out to form a protection layer 250 on the surface of the conductive layer 220 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the reactive gas used in the plasma treatment 240 is selected from a group consisting of oxygen , nitrogen , nitrogen dioxide and ammonia or a combination of them . the plasma generated from the reactive gas can react with the surface of the conductive layer 220 . as a result , the material of the protection layer 250 can be copper oxide or copper nitride , for example . as shown in fig4 d , the conductive layer 210 not covered by the protection layer 250 and the conductive layer 220 is removed to form a gate 310 as shown in fig4 e . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of removing the conductive layer 210 not covered by the protection layer 250 and the conductive layer 220 includes performing a dry etching operation 260 , for example . furthermore , the gas used in the dry etching operation 260 is selected from a group consisting of hexafluorosulfide ( sf 6 ), oxygen ( o 2 ), chlorine ( cl 2 ), hydrogen chloride ( hcl ) and trifluoromethane ( chf 3 ) or a combination of them . after forming the gate 310 , a gate - insulating layer 320 is formed on the substrate 300 to cover the gate 310 as shown in fig3 b . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of forming the gate - insulating layer 320 includes performing a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) process . furthermore , the gate - insulating layer 320 is fabricated using silicon nitride or silicon oxide , for example . as shown in fig3 c , a patterned semiconductor layer 330 is formed on the gate - insulating layer 320 above the gate 310 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of forming the patterned semiconductor layer 330 includes sequentially depositing channel material and ohmic contact material and patterning the ohmic contact material layer ( not shown ) and the channel material layer ( not shown ) thereafter . the patterned semiconductor layer 330 in fig3 c comprises a patterned channel layer 332 and a patterned ohmic contact layer 334 , for example . moreover , the patterned ohmic contact layer 334 is disposed on the patterned channel layer 332 . as shown in fig3 d , a first conductive layer 340 and a second conductive layer 350 are sequentially formed over the patterned semiconductor layer 330 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method of forming the conductive layers 340 and 350 includes performing a sputtering or an evaporation process , for example . the first conductive layer 340 is fabricated using a low contact resistant , high adhesion metal . in one embodiment , the material constituting the first conductive layer 340 is selected from a group consisting of molybdenum , tungsten molybdenum and tantalum or a combination of them . on the other hand , the second conductive layer 350 is fabricated using a low resistant , high conductivity metal . in one embodiment , the material constituting the second conductive layer 350 includes copper , for example , but can be silver or gold . then , the conductive layer 350 is patterned so that the two sides of the conductive layer 350 above the gate 310 have a taper profile 352 and expose the conductive layer 340 as shown in fig3 g . in one embodiment of the present invention , the process of patterning the conductive layer 350 is shown in fig3 e to 3g . first , as shown in fig3 e , a patterned photoresist layer 360 is formed on the substrate 300 . the patterned photoresist layer exposes the conductive layer 350 above the gate 310 . then , as shown in fig3 f , a wet etching operation is carried out using the patterned photoresist layer 360 as a mask until the conductive layer 340 is exposed and the taper profile 352 is formed in the etched conductive layer 350 . finally , the patterned photoresist layer 360 is removed as shown in fig3 g . as shown in fig3 h , a plasma treatment 370 is carried out to form a protection layer 380 on the surface of the conductive layer 350 and the taper profile 352 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the reactive gas for performing the plasma treatment 370 is selected from a group consisting of oxygen , nitrogen , nitrogen dioxide and ammonia or a combination of them . as a result , the material of the protection layer 380 is copper oxide or copper nitride , for example . furthermore , the plasma treatment 370 is carried out at a temperature between room temperature ( 25 ยฐ c . )ห 380 ยฐ c ., and the power rating for performing the plasma treatment 370 is set between 50 w ห 5 kw . they changes with process pressure , mixture gas rate , and gas flow rate , respectively . it should be noted that the step of transforming the surface of the conductive layer 350 into the protection layer 380 in the plasma treatment 370 permits the direct use of the protection layer 380 as a mask in dry etching the conductive layer 340 underneath the conductive layer 350 . hence , the pattern dimension between the first conductive layer 340 and the second conductive layer 350 will be very close and resolve the problem of having large dimensional difference between the layers in the conventional multi - layered metallic layer . as shown in fig3 i , the first conductive layer 340 not covered by the protection layer 380 and the second conductive layer 350 is removed to form source / drain 390 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the process of removing the conductive layer 340 not covered by the protection layer 380 and the conductive layer 350 includes performing a dry etching operation 400 . the gas used in the dry etching operation 400 is selected from a group consisting of hexafluorosulfide ( sf 6 ), oxygen ( o 2 ), chlorine ( cl 2 ), hydrogen chloride ( hcl ) and trifluoromethane ( chf 3 ) or a combination of them , for example . it should be noted that the material ( such as copper ) in the conductive layer 350 would not be released in the dry etching operation 400 because the protection layer 380 covers the conductive layer 350 . therefore , the electrical performance of the patterned semiconductor layer 330 will not be affected . as shown in fig3 j , in one embodiment of the present invention , the aforementioned method of fabricating the thin film transistor further includes performing a channel back etching operation 410 . the channel back etching operation removes the patterned ohmic contact layer 334 above the gate 310 and a portion of the patterned channel layer 332 . up to this point , the process of fabricating a thin film transistor 500 is completed . in summary , the method of fabricating thin film transistors in the present invention has the following advantages . 1 . the effect of side undercuts on the copper conductive layer is prevented so that the source / drain can have a finer dimension . 2 . by forming a protection layer over the copper conductive layer in a plasma treatment , copper is prevented from releasing and contaminating the channel layer ; ultimately , electrical performance of the semiconductor layer will not be affected because of copper . 3 . the present invention uses the copper wire interconnection technique to fabricate the source / drain of a thin film transistor . the better electrical conductivity of copper can solve the prior art resistor - capacitor time delay problem so that the thin film transistor can operate at a higher speed . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents . | 8 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram of the digital transmitter of the invention and includes a battery 11 which has one terminal connected to ground and its other terminal connected to a switch sw1 . when switch sw1 is closed power is applied through resistor r1 to a zener diode d1 which has its other side connected to ground and to a capacitor c1 which has its other side connected to ground . the resistor r1 and diode d1 are connected to input terminal 16 of a cmos encoder 12 . a resistor r2 is connected to terminal 5 of the encoder 12 and has its other side connected to a resistor r3 which is connected to terminal 3 of the encoder 12 . a capacitor c2 is connected from the junction point between resistors r2 and r3 and terminal 4 of the encoder 12 . terminals 2 and 8 of the encoder 12 are connected together and to ground . a plurality of encoding switches sw2 ( 13a - 13i ) have their movable contacts connected to input terminals 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 and 1 of the encoder 12 and their fixed contacts connected to ground as shown . output terminal 6 of encoder 12 is connected to the base of transistor q2 which has its collector connected to the junction point between switch sw1 and resistor r1 and its emitter connected to an rf oscillator comprising the transistor q1 which has its emitter connected to ground through resistor r5 and its base connected to the emitter of transistor q2 through the resistor r4 . an inductor l1 is connected from the emitter of q2 through a capacitor c3 to the base of transistor q1 . a capacitor c4 is connected from the collector of transistor q1 to the junction point of inductor l1 and capacitor c3 . an antenna l2 is connected across the capacitor c4 and a tuning capacitor c5 is connected in parallel with the capacitor c4 . the cmos encoder 12 has an output train of pulses for a duration of approximately 40ms followed by a 40ms depth period as shown in fig1 . the pulse train has 10 output pulses and the last 9 of which are selectable in pulse width by the 9 position switches sw2 . the pulse width is approximately 1ms when a particular switch 13 is closed and 3ms when the particular switch 13 is opened . the resistors r2 , r3 and capacitor c2 , control the internal clock frequency of 1khz for timing the encoder . the transistor q2 is connected as an emitter follower and provides isolation and also provides regulated output voltage for the rf oscillator circuit of transistor q1 . in a particular embodiment the tuning range of the carrier frequency of the transmitter was 290 - 400mhz . fig9 illustrates the receiver of the invention and includes an antenna 21 which supplies an input to a super regenerative oscillator detector q11 which has its base connected to a capacitor c14 which has its other side connected to the secondary of coupling transformer l11 . a variable capacitor c33 is connected parallel with the secondary of inductor l11 . a resistor r52 is connected in parallel with the primary of the inductor l11 . the output of the oscillator detector q11 is coupled through an inductor 22 and a capacitor c6 to the base of an amplifier transistor q12 which has its emitter connected to ground . a second amplifing transistor q3 has its base coupled to the collector of transistor q12 through the capacitor c8 and supplies an output from its collector through a resistor r14 to a cmos decoder 22 . a switch sw3 has a plurality of switches 23a through 23i which are connected to the input terminals 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 of the decoder 22 . a timing circuit comprising the resistor r15 and the capacitor c13 is connected through input terminal 10 of the decoder 22 and provides a timing pulse of 2 miliseconds . a capacitor c14 and resistor r16 are connected to input terminal 9 of the decoder 22 and provide a timing pulse of 15 miliseconds . a resistor r17 and capacitor c15 are connected to input terminal 1 of decoder 22 and provide a timing pulse of 1 second . the output of the decoder 22 is supplied through lead 24 to the gate of an scr q4 through the resistors r20 and capacitor c20 and the scr q4 is gated on when the voltage on lead 24 is high and remains off when the voltage on lead 24 is zero . the cathode of scr q4 is connected through diode d4 to ground and has its anode connected through a diode bridge d11 to a relay 26 which actuates the load of the receiver as , for example , a garage door actuating motor . fig2 through 8 illustrate the detailed circuitry of the encoder 12 . as illustrated in fig2 the central part of the encoder 12 comprises a five stage ring counter comprising the five flip - flop circuits 31 through 35 all of which have their reset terminal connected to reset conductor 36 . each of the flip - flop circuits 31 through 35 are as illustrated in fig3 wherein the reset terminal r is connected to the gate of a field effect transistor 51 which has one terminal grounded and the other terminal connected to a pair of inverters 37 and 38 . the inverters are connected to a pair of transmission gates circuits 43 and 48 which have the structure illustrated in fig8 . each of the c terminals of the flip - flops 31 through 35 are connected through inverter 39 to the transmission gate circuits 43 and 44 . the d terminal is connected to the transmission gate 43 and the q terminal is connected through oppositely connected inverters 41 and 42 to the transmission gate circuit 48 . fig8 illustrates the transmission gate circuits 43 and 48 which comprise a pair of field effect transistors 52 and 53 having input and output terminals 54 through 57 . the switches 13a through 13i are connected through circuits 58a through i which supply inputs to transmission gate circuits 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 and 67 which are the same as the circuit illustrated in fig8 . the c terminals of flip - flop circuits 31 through 35 are connected to the q and d terminals of flip - flops 70 and 71 . the c terminals of flip - flops 70 and 71 are connected to an inverter 72 which receives an input from inverter 73 which is connected to resistor r3 . an inverter 74 is connected to inverter 72 and to an inverter 75 . a capacitor c2 is connected from inverter 75 to resistor r3 . resistor r2 is connected from the junction between capacitor c2 and resistor r3 and a resistor r60 which has its other side connected to an inverter 61 which is connected to the reset terminal of an integrated circuit 62 which is shown in detail in fig4 . the r terminal of circuit 62 is connected to an inverter 83 which has its other side connected to a pair of transmission gates 84 and 85 such as shown in fig8 . the q terminal of circuit 62 is connected to an inverter 86 which has its other side connected to transmission gate 84 . an inverter 87 is connected between q terminals and an inverter 88 which has its other side connected through a field effect transistor 89 to the r terminal . a pair of inverters 81 and 82 are connected between the transmission gate circuits 64 and 65 . the lead 35 is connected to inputs of gates 91 and 92 . the gate 91 also is connected to the d terminal of circuit 70 . the gate 91 is of the form illustrated in fig5 comprising four field effect transistors with the two inputs applied to terminals a and b and the output appearing on terminal c . the gate 92 is of the form illustrated in fig6 comprising four field effect transistors with the inputs connected to terminals a and b and the output appearing at output terminal c . the output terminal of gate 91 is connected to the transmission gate 93 and the output of gate 92 is connected to transmission gate 94 . the output of the transmission gates 93 and 94 is connected to an inverter 96 which has the form illustrated in fig7 . a gate 97 receives the output of inverter 96 and also the q output from integrated circuit 62 and supplies an output through gate 98 to output lead 13 . a gate 101 supplies an input to the r terminal of circuit 62 and receives inputs from the c terminals of circuits 70 and 71 , an input from gate 102 , an input from the lead 45 and an input from the conductor 103 connected between gate 92 and inverter 104 which has its other terminal connected to the d input of circuit 70 . by setting the switches 13a through 13i a selected code can be chosen for a particular transmitter and a particular receiver so as to actuate the particular receiver when that particular code is transmitted by the transmitter . when the transmitter switch sw1 is closed , the selected code illustrated in fig1 will be transmitted for 40 miliseconds then a 40 milisecond dead time will occur and when the transmitting pulses will occur and so on for four more times at least . in fig2 terminal 16 corresponds to input 16 of the encoder 12 illustrated in fig1 . this terminal is connected to a positive voltage source through a diode 201 . a resistor 203 is connected between terminal 16 and an inverter 204 . a diode 202 and 205 are connected between ground and the positive voltage supply plus v and their junction point is connected to the input of the inverter 204 . the diodes 201 , 202 , and 203 eliminates static present on the input terminal 16 . the inverter 204 is connected to an inverter 206 which has its output connected to an inverter 207 which supplies an input to inverter 74 . a diode 210 is connected between ground and one end of resistor r60 . the same end of the resistor r60 is connected to a diode 209 which has its other side connected to a voltage plus v . a diode 208 is connected from the first side of resistor r60 to plus v . an inverter 211 is connected from the q terminal of circuit 31 to circuit 63 and 64 . an inverter 212 is connected from the q terminal of circuit 32 to circuits 221 , 60 , 222 and 65 . an inverter 213 is connected from the q terminal of circuit 33 to circuits 223 , 61 and 224 and 66 . an inverter 214 is connected from the q terminal of circuit 34 to circuits 62 , 67 , 226 and 227 . an inverter 216 is connected from the q terminal of circuit 35 to circuits 228 , 229 and 230 . a gate 231 receives inputs from the q terminals of circuits 34 and 35 and supplies an output to a circuit 234 and to an inverter 232 which has its other side connected to circuit 234 as shown . the q terminal of circuit 35 is also connected to circuit 233 , as shown . this transmitted signal is detected by the receiver illustrated in fig9 and supplied from the detector q11 through the amplifiers q12 and q3 to the decoder 22 wherein it is compared with the settings of switches 23a through 23i . in the event the correct code is received four times , the receiver will be energized . fig1 illustrates the decoder 22 of the receiver which has its input terminal 110 connected to receive the output of the amplifier q3 shown in fig9 . the data is supplied through an inverter 11 to a field effect transistor 112 . a 10 milisecond input is supplied to lead 113 and connects to the field effect transistor 112 and through resistor r and inverter gates 114 , 115 and 116 to the gate 117 . a shift enable lead 118 is connected to the output of the inverter 115 and is connected to the reset terminals of the shift register 119 comprising the circuits 120 through 129 . a 1 second one shot circuit 131 is connected to the output of the gate 117 and supplies an input to the gate 117 . a 2 milisecond one shot circuit 133 is connected to terminal 132 . a nand - gate 134 is connected to the output of 111 and supplies input to the d terminal of the first circuit 120 of the shift register 119 through the inverter 136 . the switches 23a through 23i are connected through resistors with inputs to gates 141 through 149 . second inputs of the gates 141 through 149 are connected to the q terminals of circuits 120 through 128 . the output of gates 141 through 144 are connected to a gate 151 which has its output connected through an inverter 152 to the input of a gate 153 . gates 145 , 146 and 147 also supply inputs to gate 153 . gate 153 is connected through gate 154 to a gate 155 which also receives inputs from gates 148 and 149 and is connected to the reset terminal of the circuits 120 through 129 . the output of gate 155 is connected to gate 156 and to the input c of circuits 161 , 162 and 163 . the q output of circuit 163 is connected to input to gate 156 and to input of a gate 166 which also receives an input from the output of gate 155 . the reset terminals of circuits 161 , 162 and 163 are connected to the output of the 1 second one shot circuit 131 and are also connected to the input of a gate 171 which is connected to the output lead 24 through the gates 172 and 173 . the output of the gate 166 is supplied through a gate 174 to the input of gate 171 . the output of circuit 129 of the shift register 119 is connected to a gate 172 which supplies an input to gate 151 . fig1 illustrates in greater detail the one shot circuit of the invention , as for example , circuit 131 which comprises the inverter 116 which supplies an input to gate 117 which also receives an output from inverter 181 . gate 117 supplies inputs to gate 182 as well as gate 183 . the output of gate 183 is connected to gate 184 which is connected to the gate of a field effect transistor 185 . a field effect transistor 186 receives an input from gate 156 shown in fig1 and supplies an input through resistor 188 to gate 182 . in operation , the receiver must receive four correct code frames as illustrated in fig1 before the output lead 24 will supply an enabling signal to the scr q4 illustrated in fig9 and thus actuate the load , as for example , a garage door . thus , the invention provides an improved transmitter and receiver for actuating a load and so as to prevent interference between other transmitters and receivers and although it has been described with respect to preferred embodiments it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
the unit illustrated comprises a main body 1 having associated therewith detachable members permitting the machining of said body and the assembling of the internal component elements thereof , which comprise a cylinder 2 , having its axis aligned with that of a spool valve 9 , said cylinder 2 being adapted for this purpose to enclose a coil compression spring 10 associated with the regulating spool valve 9 , a body 3 constituting the shells of the cocks controlling the supply of pyrotechnical gas to the ejection pistons , a cap 4 fitted to the end of body 1 opposite said cylinder 2 and through which the pressure is directed against said spool valve 9 , and a screw 5 fitted to the bottom of the main body 1 opposite the cock body 3 facilitating the access to the gas inlet passage leading to the spool valve 9 . conduits 28 lead to respective ejection cylinders 29 containing an injection piston 30 , as shown in chain dotted lines the drawing . a pair of cavities 6 and 7 are formed in said body 1 for mounting the main impellers ( not shown ), a third cavity 8 being provided for receiving an emergency impeller , also not shown . the regulating spool valve 9 has one end responsive to the pressure of the return spring 10 housed in cylinder 2 and reacting at its end opposite said spool valve 9 against a piston 11 of which the axial position is adjustable through any suitable means , shown diagrammatically in the drawing in the form of a thrust screw 12 engaging a tapped hole formed in a fixed member . the gases released or generated when firing the impellers penetrate into an annular groove 13 surrounding the shaped section of reduced diameter of the regulating spool valve 9 providing through an annular seat 14 and along its axis a passage of variable cross - sectional area leading to an annular chamber 15 the outlet port 16 of which is connected to the inlet side of a pair of cocks 17 , 18 so that by opening these cocks more or less it is possible to adjust at will the efficiency of the ejection piston ( not shown ) actuated by said gases under the control of each cock 17 , 18 . the portion of spool 9 which extends within the annular groove 13 , seat 14 and chamber 15 is substantially frusto - conical with its minor base located on the side of spring 10 so that any movement of spool 9 against the force of spring 10 ( i . e ., to the right as seen in the figure ) will throttle the passage between the gas inlet groove 13 and the downstream annular chamber 15 . the spool valve 9 carries in suitable grooves , at the ends of its frusto - conical regulating section , a pair of o - rings 19 , 20 beyond which the spool valve 9 can slide in bearing - forming anti - friction bushings 21 , 22 . the spool valve 9 is urged against the force of its return spring 10 by a piston 23 engaging the spool and opposite said spring 10 without requiring any accurate alignment with the spool valve , and an auxiliary spring 24 is provided for constantly urging the piston 23 against the spool 9 , as shown . the rod of piston 23 is guided within the cap 4 and responsive to the gas pressure downstream of said spool via a passage 25 formed in said cap 4 and in the main body 1 , said passage 25 communicationg with the outlet port of the spool valve . the detachable block 1 may be secured through any suitable quick - fastening means to aircraft structure , for example by using studs or bolts as illustrated diagrammatically at 26 and 27 . the relative opening valves or cocks 17 , 18 is adjusted beforehand , as a function of the load behaviour during the ejection , as observed during previous tests . the initial stress of spring 10 is also adjusted by means of screw 12 or any suitable system , for example an eccentric system , with due consideration for the maximum permissible efforts for both the load and the aircraft structure . to any initial stress or tension of spring 10 there corresponds , all other factors being equal , a maximum downstream pressure , as will be explained presently . the impellers are introduced into the corresponding cavities 6 , 7 and 8 , and fired according to the known and conventional methods , not illustrated , the relative communication between these impellers being designed with a view to produce their mutual firing by propagation according to the known methods . when firing the impellers the gas thus generated flows through the inlet port 13 , chamber 15 , outlet port 16 and passage 25 , thus exerting a strong pressure against the piston 23 which forces the spool valve 9 to the right ( as seen in the figure ) against the force of spring 10 . if the force resulting from the pressure thus exerted firstly against piston 23 exceeds the initial force of spring 10 , the spool 9 will move to the right , thus throttling the gas passage as the major base of the frusto - conical section of spool 9 approaches the seal 14 . the loss of pressure thus produced counteracts and maintains the downstream pressure . when the pressure drops as a consequence of the exhaustion of the initial energy , the pressure exerted on piston 23 decreases likewise and spring 10 forces again to the left the spool 9 , whereby the cross - sectional passage area between upstream and downstream increases , and the downstream pressure is maintained , at least as long as there is an upstream power available under a sufficient pressure . it is clear that there is a constant state of equilibrium between the downstream pressure exerted on piston 23 and the force of spring 10 , thus providing the necessary regulation , and on the other hand it is possible to select or control the maximum downstream pressure by adjusting the initial tension or prestress of spring 10 . the spool valve 9 on which considerable efforts are exerted has its end slidably mounted in suitable bushings 21 , 22 made of anti - friction or self - lubricating materials , said bushings being protected against soiling by the combustion products by the presence of the o - rings 19 and 20 . to avoid the presence of aligned bearings or bushings , the pressure is exerted on spool member 9 through the medium of an independent piston 23 constantly kept in contact with said spool 9 by the compression spring 24 , in order to prevent any hammering or shock between these two members . reference has already been made in the foregoing to a block or casting comprising several component elements in order to facilitate the machining thereof and permit the assembling of the mechanism . finally , it is on purpose that the mounting of this device is relatively simple , in order to facilitate the quick replacement of worn or faulty parts with new ones , and also with due regard for the relatively frequent cleaning operations made necessary by the detrimental presence of power combustion residues . although a single form of embodiment has been described hereinabove and illustrated in the appended drawing , it will readily occur to those conversant with the art that various modifications and changes may be brought thereto without departing from the basic principle of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . | 8 |
referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views , one sees that fig2 is a cross - sectional view of a first aspect of the invention . the long blade 10 has undulations 12 which generally decline in the machine direction . the forming fabric 100 traverses a path immediately above and supported by the long blade 10 and then immediately above and supported by trail blade 14 . a counterflow zone 102 is formed above long blade 10 and an inertial zone 104 is formed above trail blade 14 . water is both above and below forming fabric 100 and is drained through the passageway 16 immediately between long blade 10 and trail blade 14 . in the area of the undulations 12 of long blade 10 , generally downwardly extending vents 18 are formed . vents 18 allow liquid flow therethrough and equalize the pressure between the counterflow zone 102 and atmosphere . this venting of the counterflow zone 102 to atmosphere equalizes the pressure above and below the forming fabric 100 and therefore controls the downward force on the forming fabric 100 thereby controlling deflection with respect to the trail blade 14 , controlling inertial activity and eliminating the vacuum or deflection of the fabric over the counterflow zone 102 . only gravitation force deflects the fabric , and it has been demonstrated that gravitational deflection is negligible except for very long spans . furthermore , if the venting is limited or throttled , such as is illustrated by valve or throttle 20 , then deflection can be controlled in an analog manner and activity can be &# 34 ; tuned &# 34 ; for optimum sheet formation . the control of the venting can be uniform or non - uniform across the surface of the long blade 10 for cross - machine profile control or variable drainage in the machine direction . the vents 18 can be throttled independently or in gangs of any combination . the surface of the long blade can be indented locally or across the cross - machine direction to provide for the vents 18 . alternatively , the vents 18 can be connected to a cavity in which the vacuum level is controlled . thus the pressure level between the wire and blade can be independently controlled . referring now to fig3 one sees a cross - sectional view of a second aspect of the invention . as in fig2 the long blade 10 has undulations 12 which generally decline in the machine direction . the forming fabric 100 traverses a path immediately above and supported by the long blade 10 and then immediately above and supported by trail blade 14 . a counterflow zone 102 is formed above long blade 10 and an inertial zone 104 is formed above trail blade 14 . water is both above and below forming fabric 100 and is drained through the passageway 16 immediately between long blade 10 and trail blade 14 . the trail blade 14 further includes blade elevator 22 which raises and lowers trail blade 14 . the vertical raising and lowering of trail blade 14 varies the angle ฮธ ( see fig4 a ). that is , lowering trail blade 14 by way of blade elevator 22 reduces ฮธ as shown in fig4 b while raising trail blade 14 by way of blade elevator increases ฮธ as shown in fig4 a . this controls stock activity by controlling the sharpness of the path change as the forming fabric 100 travels over the trail blade 14 thereby controlling the inertial activity . when a trail blade 14 is elevated the angle ฮธ formed by the oncoming fabric and the trail blade surface is maximized . this maximizes the rapid directional change of the forming fabric 100 and therefore maximizes the inertial activity . conversely , when the trail blade 14 is lowered by blade elevator 22 , the angle ฮธ is minimized , and the inertial activity is decreased or eliminated . if the tail of the long lead blade is high enough such that the forming fabric 100 lands on it as the trail blade 14 is lowered the effect is enhanced . additionally , in the second aspect of the invention , successive blades can be cascaded so that the trail blade of the first pair becomes the lead blade of the second pair , etc . as elevations of successive blades are changed , the activity generated over the entire apparatus is affected . activity can therefore be finely tuned to desired levels . as the path of the fabric determines the effectiveness of the device , it can be used with any length blade , and can be used in conjunction with other control devices , such as the vented blades of the first aspect of this invention . referring now to fig5 - 9c , one sees the third aspect of the invention . in particular , fig5 illustrates blade or foil 30 with a fixed leading edge 32 . trailing undulated portion 34 is attached to fixed leading edge 32 by hinge 36 . the angle of trailing undulated portion 34 is adjusted by vertical elevator 38 . the design of fig5 has the advantage that the position of the leading edge 32 is fixed , and variation of the angle of trailing undulated portion 34 does not raise or lower fixed leading edge 32 . fig6 illustrates a similar design to fig5 . blade or foil 30 is a one - piece design . the portion of blade 30 proximate to leading edge 32 &# 39 ; is coupled to support 36 ( which could be fixed or a vertical elevator ) while trailing edge 40 of foil 30 is supported by vertical elevator 38 . alternately , support 36 could be a vertical elevator and support 38 could be fixed . typically , blade 30 rests on fixed support 36 so as to allow a change of angle of blade 30 with respect to fixed support 36 as trailing edge is raised and lowered by vertical elevator 38 . however , a variation of this aspect could include flexible blade 30 integral with fixed support 36 . the variation of the angle of the blade 30 in response to the movement of vertical elevator could be accommodated by the inherent flexibility of the blade . fig7 a illustrates the two ( or multiple ) piece blade design . blade 30 is composed of a forward section 42 and a rearward section 44 . seam 46 between forward section 42 and rearward section 44 is formed from an angled portion 46 extending from a downward extending portion of an undulation ( with respect to the machine direction , so that the felt or liquid ` not shown ` does not urge the forward section 42 and the rearward section 44 apart ) and a notched portion 48 . the notched portion 48 is shown with a male portion in rearward section 44 and a female portion in forward section 42 . the forward section 42 and the rearward section 44 are held together by bolts 51 ( in phantom ) or similar fastening devices . the lower portion of both forward section 42 and rearward section 44 include mounting slots 50 of a t - shaped cross section . mounting slots 50 are used to engage mounting buttons 52 as shown in fig8 . additionally , the lower portion of both forward section 42 and rearward section 44 include vent slots 53 of a t - shaped cross section . vent slots 53 are in communication with vents 55 which are in communication with the troughs of the undulations of the upper surface of forward section 42 and rearward section 44 . vent slots 53 engage variable plug strips 57 which can be vertically adjusted either to align apertures 65 of variable plug strips 57 with vents 55 or to block vents 55 with solid portions of variable plug strips 57 . fig7 b shows ceramic inserts 62 at the apices of the undulations of blade 30 in a design otherwise similar to that shown in fig7 a . fig8 illustrates mounting button 52 . mounting button 52 includes a cylindrical stem 54 with a lower threaded portion 56 . upper circular cap 58 is integral with intermediate circular portion 59 and cylindrical stem 54 . washer 60 of a hollow cylindrical shape loosely engages intermediate circular portion 59 immediately below upper circular cap 58 . as can be seen from the phantom lines in fig8 the inner wall 62 of washer 60 is outward from intermediate circular portion 59 thereby allowing &# 34 ; play &# 34 ; between washer 60 and intermediate circular portion 59 . likewise , cylindrical stem 54 passes through central aperture 61 of cylindrical spacer bushing 63 which is downwardly adjacent from washer 60 . mounting buttons 52 are secured to a frame ( not shown ) by lower threaded portions 56 . upper cylindrical cap 58 and washer 60 then engage the t - shaped mounting slots 50 ( see fig7 a ). fig9 a - 9c illustrate a modular design with ceramic inserts 62 at the apices of the undulations of blade 30 . ceramic inserts 62 are supported by laterally grooved beams 64 . beams 64 include lateral grooves 66 which guide the trough portions 68 into place to form the modular composite blade 30 . thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained . although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein , it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims . | 3 |
in the block diagram , as shown in fig1 , of a circuit arrangement for transmitting charging signals , three major blocks are shown , that is to say a driver device 201 , a filter device 109 and a regulation device 115 . an output current 100 which is emitted from the driver device 201 is supplied to a data transmission path , in this case represented by a series resistance element 124 a , with a driver output voltage level 108 with respect to a ground connection 133 being produced at the output of the driver device 201 . the output current 100 causes an overall voltage drop 136 a across the series resistance element 124 a , so that a line voltage level 101 across a line impedance 102 which is connected in series with the series resistance element 124 a is reduced in accordance with a voltage divider , that is to say the driver output voltage level 108 corresponds to the sum of the overall voltage drop 136 a and of the line voltage level 101 . the line series current 135 flowing through the line impedance 102 corresponds , in the block diagram shown in fig1 , to the output current 100 from the driver device 201 . the driver device 201 will be explained in more detail in the following text . the major component of the driver device 201 is an amplifier unit 104 , which may , for example , be in the form of an operational amplifier . a current detection unit 103 is connected to the output of the amplifier unit 104 and supplies a current signal 204 which corresponds to the output current 100 , so that the output current 100 is detected precisely . the current detection unit 103 may , for example , be in the form of a hall sensor . furthermore , the current detection unit 103 may be produced by means of a shunt resistance element , with a tap at the connections of the shunt resistance element producing a voltage drop which is proportional to the output current and can be used as a current signal 204 . the current signal 204 is supplied to a current signal matching unit 203 , in which a level of the current signal can be adapted in order to obtain a matched current signal 205 , which is supplied to the filter device 109 . as is illustrated in the block diagram of the circuit arrangement for transmitting charging signals , the amplifier unit 104 may have a feedback branch comprising a feedback resistance element 105 and a feedback reactive element 106 , thus resulting in a modified driver device 202 . the units of the filter device 109 and of the regulation device 115 , which are shown in fig2 , correspond to the units which are shown in fig1 . it should be mentioned that the feedback resistance element 105 and the feedback reactive element 106 in the feedback branch of the amplifier unit 104 in the modified driver device 202 may be formed not only by passive elements ( such as resistance elements r , inductive reactive elements l and capacitive reactive elements c ), but also by active elements . according to the invention , the two elements which are arranged in the feedback branch , that is to say the feedback resistance element 105 and the feedback reactive element 106 , are used to eliminate any influence of a complex , frequency - dependent gain factor of the amplifier unit 104 , in order to eliminate any influence of parallel currents which can occur in a matching filter unit 123 . the data transmission path unit 122 and the matching filter unit 123 will be explained in more detail in the following text with reference to fig2 . in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the matching filter unit 123 comprises a series resistance , which is formed by a series resistance element 124 and a series reactive element 125 , in the illustrated case a series reactive inductance , while , in contrast , a parallel resistance is formed from a parallel resistance element 126 and a parallel reactive element 127 , in this case a parallel capacitance . the series resistance is arranged between an input connection and an output connection of the matching filter unit , while the parallel resistance is arranged between the input connection and a ground connection 133 . the currents which occur in the matching filter unit , that is to say a filter series current 131 and a filter parallel current 132 , in total form the output current 100 of the modified driver device 201 , while the magnitudes of the filter series current 131 and of the filter parallel current 132 depend on the circuit elements 124 , 125 , 126 and 127 which are used in the matching filter unit 123 . the output connection of the matching filter unit 123 is connected to an input connection of the data transmission path unit 122 . a parallel current , referred to as a line parallel current 134 , once again occurs in the data transmission path unit , so that the filter series current 131 flowing through the matching filter unit 123 is modified to a line series current 135 such that the filter series current 131 forms the total of the line parallel current 134 and the line series current 135 . the line parallel current 134 flows from the input connection of the data transmission path unit 122 , via a data transmission path capacitance 128 and via a parallel circuit comprising a data transmission path inductance 129 and a data transmission path resistance 130 , to the ground connection 133 . the line series current 135 flows through the line impedance 102 , which has already been described with reference to fig1 , as a result of which a voltage drop occurs across the line impedance , that is to say a line voltage level 101 is produced , which can be tapped off between an output connection of the data transmission path unit 122 and the ground connection 133 . as illustrated in fig2 , the driver output voltage level 108 which is produced by the modified driver device 202 is reduced by an overall voltage drop 136 , which is dropped across the series circuit comprising the data transmission path unit 122 and the matching filter unit 123 . a driver output voltage level 108 , which is reduced by the overall voltage drop 136 , is produced as the line voltage level 101 , as a function of the circuit components of the data transmission path unit 122 and of the matching filter unit 123 . the blocks 109 and 115 , which are arranged identically in fig1 and 2 , will be described in more detail in the following text , that is to say the filter device 109 and the regulation device 115 . it should be mentioned that the devices 109 and 115 , respectively , which are shown in fig1 and 2 have identical structures , but use different determination methods for defining the output current of the respectively corresponding driver devices 201 and 202 . the regulation device 115 operates as a digital regulation device , while all the other circuit components , including the filter units 110 , 112 , operate in the analog domain . it can clearly be seen that analog / digital conversion is thus required , in an analog / digital converter 112 , for signals which are passed from the filter device 109 to the regulation device 115 . conversely , it is necessary for signals which are passed from the regulation device 115 to the filter device 109 to be converted from the digital domain to the analog domain in a digital / analog converter 113 . the matched current signal 205 is supplied via an input connection of the filter device 109 to an input filter unit 110 , which is used as an anti - aliasing filter , with the output signal from the input filter unit 110 being supplied to the analog / digital converter 111 . the digitized output signal from the analog / digital converter 111 is supplied to a digital filter unit 114 and to a determination unit 116 . since charging signals are at a fixed frequency which can be predetermined , for example 16 khz or 12 khz , and , furthermore , are sinusoidal , the transfer function of the digital filter unit 114 consists of a single complex number , which is multiplied in a multiplication unit 121 by an output signal from a control unit 120 . the transfer function of the at least one data transmission path is determined in the determination unit 116 for the at least one frequency at which the charging signals are to be transmitted from a switching center to a subscriber point . the output signal from the determination unit 116 is supplied to a nominal value comparison unit 118 , in which a nominal value 117 may be entered , so that a control signal 119 can be produced as the output signal from the nominal value comparison unit 118 , corresponding to a difference that is to be regulated out between the nominal value 117 , which can be predetermined , and the actual signal determined by the determination unit 116 . the control signal 119 is supplied to the control unit 120 , so that , after multiplication by the output signal from the digital filter unit 114 , an output signal is produced from the regulation device 115 . the digital output signal from the regulation device 115 is supplied to the digital / analog converter 113 of the filter device 109 , in order to obtain an analog signal which is proportional to the digital output signal from the regulation device 115 , and which is supplied to an output filter unit 112 of the filter device 109 . filtering in the output filter unit 112 of the filter device 109 is used to filter out oversampled components which are outside a transmission band of a transmission frequency range . the filtered signal is emitted from the filter device 109 as a driver input voltage level 107 , which can be tapped off between an output connection of the filter device 109 and the ground connection 133 , and is supplied to the driver device 201 ( fig1 ) or to the modified driver device ( fig2 ). since this driver input voltage level 107 is no longer based on an estimate , as in the case of methods for transmitting charging signals , but on an analysis of a network which comprises the data transmission path unit 122 , the matching filter unit 123 and the modified driver device 202 , it is possible to eliminate any influence of parallel currents in the matching filter unit 123 and in the at least one data transmission path unit 122 , so that it is possible to obtain a constant line voltage level 101 , which can be predetermined , across the line impedance 102 . although the present invention has been described above on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments , it is not restricted to these exemplary embodiments , but can be modified in a wide range of ways . | 7 |
in this patent document , โ comprising โ means โ including โ. in addition , a reference to an element by the indefinite article โ a โ does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present . [ 0021 ] fig1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention 10 used for servicing an oil or gas well downhole . a continuous rod 12 is attached to a well tool or instrument 14 . a guide 16 positions the rod 12 at the well hole entrance . a rod injector 18 at the entrance to the well hole 20 feeds the rod 12 into or out of the well hole 20 . the rod injector 18 is preferably a modified caterpillar flexible tubing injector , which uses flexible belts to effect the traction and thrust necessary to hold and move the rod 12 . various caterpillar rod injectors are known in the art and need not be further described here . the guide and rod injector are supported and positioned by the mast 22 on the service truck 24 . the guide is suspended from the mast by a cable 26 and the rod injector 18 is mounted to the mast 22 by a strut 28 . various forms of rod actuator may be used to move the rod within a well , such as a rod injector , or , as described below , a rod rotator . the cross section of the rod 12 is shown in fig2 . the conduit 30 is housed in a groove 32 extending radially inward from the outer surface of the rod 12 . the groove width is narrower at the rod 12 outer surface , and is wider deeper in the groove 32 . the groove 32 can be made by machining or milling a cut or cuts into the rod 12 . the rod shown has a circular cross section , however other cross section shapes can be used to suit the application . fig3 shows an elliptical cross section rod 34 , with a groove 32 at the tightest curvature region of the surface . the rod 12 can also be hollow centered , if strength requirements so allow . the conduit 30 is installed in the groove 32 by inserting it at the rod 12 outer surface . the rod 12 is then cold rolled to reduce the groove width at the outer surface and thereby trap the conduit 30 in the groove 32 . the width of the groove 32 at the rod outer surface is therefore preferably the minimum that will allow the conduit 30 to be so inserted . for a flexible conduit 30 , the width of the groove 32 at the outer surface should be the same as or slightly smaller than the conduit 30 outer dimension . a hardenable sealant is then injected into the groove 32 , so it fills and forms a seal in the remaining volume in the groove 32 . such sealing prevents fluid from leaking lengthwise via the groove , and is required in oil and gas wells for blow - out protection . the hardenable material is a viscous liquid when injected , and it then hardens to a semi - rigid or plastic state . a preferred sealant is permatex โข form - a - gasket โข, manufactured by loctite canada inc ., specification # 81310 , a silicon , room temperature vulcanizing compound . it will maintain sealing to about 300 ยฐ c . oil and gas well downhole equipment typically encounters high temperatures . other room temperature vulcanizing compounds can be used , also . the hardenable sealant can also help hold the conduit 30 in the groove 32 . the conduit 30 can be any type that will transmit energy or information . conduit types therefore include electrical power cable , electrical signal cable , fibre optic cable , and hydraulic line . this device improves upon the problems discussed above for coiled tubing . the rod is much more resistant to crushing or pinching off . the rod has much higher axial strength , so it can be used in more applications and has a longer life . manufacturing costs are lower for the rod . the conduit is accessible for inspection and maintenance , and faulty conduit sections can be more easily repaired . the rod is stored on spools similar to those for coiled tubing . rod material used includes 41 - 30 steel . other materials would be suitable , providing they have the required flexibility and axial strength , and the required groove can be made in them . the grooved rod and conduit embodiment may be used for transmitting force or torque to operate a downhole tool , as discussed above . it may be used as the sucker rod for a downhole oil well pump , in which the conduit would transmit downhole pressure transducer signals to the surface while the pump is operating . fig4 shows an embodiment for rotating a downhole tool 14 . the rotation gear 36 is used to rotate the rod 12 , which in turn rotates the downhole tool 14 about its longitudinal axis 38 . a drive head can be used as the rotating gear . a drive head comprises a motor that rotates a rotating table using belt or worm gear coupling . the rotating table is mounted on the rod 12 , co - axially with the rod longitudinal axis 38 . drive heads and other rotation gear are known in the art and need not be further described here . a slip ring assembly 38 can be used for an electrical connection to the conduit 30 . a rotating seal can be used for a connection to a hydraulic line in the conduit 30 . slip ring assemblies , rotating seals and other such electrical and fluid line connections are known in the art and need not be further described here . the grooved rod and conduit embodiment has other applications besides use in passageways . it is useful in any application where the problems such as tangling would be caused by the conduit contacting other equipment . it is also useful for protecting conduit from sharp objects and other such hazards . a person skilled in the art could make immaterial changes to the exemplary embodiments described here without departing from the essence of the invention that is intended to be covered by the scope of the claims that follow . | 4 |
now , embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . firstly , an examination will be made of the rate of change in the square of the frequency transfer function | ฯ g ( e j ฯ t )| represented by equation ( 13 ) noted earlier , using the control gain g as the parameter . | ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 = f 2 f 1 ๎ข ( g ) ๎ข ๎ข โ | ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 โ g = f 2 f 1 ๎ข ( g ) ๎ข โ f 1 ๎ข ( g ) โ g = - | ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 ๎ข โ f 1 ๎ข ( g ) โ g ( 18 ) f 2 = ๎ข | a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 ๎ข - 2 ๎ข { re ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข re ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) + ๎ข im ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข im ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) } + | b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 f 1 ๎ข ( g ) = ๎ข | a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 ๎ข + 2 ๎ข ( g - 1 ) ๎ข { re ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข re ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) + ๎ข im ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข im ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) } + ( g - 1 ) 2 | b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 โ f 1 ๎ข ( g ) โ c = ๎ข 2 ๎ข { re ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข re ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) + ๎ข im ๎ข ( a ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) ๎ข im ๎ข ( b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ) } + 2 ๎ข ( g - 1 ) | b ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 โ | ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ j ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข t ) ๎ข | 2 โ g [ 0069 ] fig9 is a graph where the control gain ratio g is used as the parameter , and the period of disturbance and the rate of change are plotted on the horizontal and vertical axes , respectively . like in the case of fig4 we assume here that the dead time = 300 sec , time constant = 480 sec , sampling time = 30 sec , control gain k *= 1 / g , k = 10 , and m = 10 . as is known from this figure , the sign of reverses at and beyond the period of disturbance of 40 minutes for a control gain ratio of , for example , g = 0 . 6 . this indicates that if g = 0 . 6 , i . e ., the control gain k *= 1 / 0 . 6 = 1 . 67 , the amplitude of frequency response decreases for disturbances with a period longer than 40 minutes when the control gain ratio g is increased ( or the control gain k * is decreased ). in contrast , the amplitude of frequency response decreases for disturbances with a period shorter than 40 minutes when the control gain ratio g is decreased ( or the control gain k * is increased ). the boundary at which the sign reverses changes depending on the control gain ratio g . for example , in a case where g = 0 . 4 ( control gain k *= 2 . 50 ), the boundary exists at a point where the disturbance period is 50 minutes . โ ๏ ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ jฯt ) ๏ 2 โ g makes it possible to predict how to set the control gain k *. hereinafter , an explanation will be made of a method for setting the control gain k * and a system for the method . [ 0075 ] fig5 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the adaptive control method applied to a paper machine according to the present invention . this flow of control is carried out for each scan ( each one - way travel of a caliper sensor at an interval of , e . g ., 30 seconds ). in a first step , the time - series data of an actuator - specific profile is acquired . an actuator - specific profile refers to time - series data on the representative data points of respective zones discussed in fig2 . the width of paper is divided into five zones , for example , in the cross - machine direction , and time - series data is acquired for the representative data points of those respective zones . the control gain k * can be set individually for each of these zones . this feature is included in order to cope with the case that the amplitude of disturbance caused , for example , by an eccentricity in a roll varies in the cross - machine direction . the time - series data may be thought of as representing a chronological change in the profile of a given zone . now let us assume that the acquired time - series data of an actuator - specific profile is where m is the number of data items . if m = 240 , for example , two hours &# 39 ; worth of data can be stored , assuming one scan takes 30 seconds . as a matter of fact , time - series data exists for each individual zone . to simplify the explanation , note that hereinafter no distinction is made between zones . also note that the method is designed to always store the most - recent of these data items ; if the given data storage area becomes full , earlier data items that cannot be accommodated in the area are discarded automatically . in a second step , the method judges whether or not the predetermined length of time ( e . g ., 30 minutes ) has elapsed . if not , the method returns to the task of acquiring time - series data . this means that subsequent actions are taken at a given interval . in a third step , the method performs a frequency analysis on the time - series data tr ( i ) of an actuator - specific profile when the predetermined length of time expires . more specifically , the method executes a discrete fourier transform ( dft ) on the time - series data tr ( i ) ( i = 0 , 1 , . . . , m โ 1 ). as a result , a frequency component contained in the time - series data tr ( i ) ( i = 0 , 1 , . . . , m โ 1 ) is identified . the discrete fourier transform is performed in the following manner : firstly , coefficients a ( j ) and b ( j ) are calculated from equations ( 19 ) and ( 20 ) shown below . a ๎ข ( j ) = โ i = 0 m - 1 ๎ข ๎ข tr ๎ข ( i ) ๎ข cos ๎ข ( 2 ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข i j ) ( 19 ) b ๎ข ( j ) = โ i = 0 m - 1 ๎ข ๎ข tr ๎ข ( i ) ๎ข sin ๎ข ( 2 ๎ข ฯ ๎ข ๎ข i j ) ( 20 ) then , the amplitude of cyclic disturbance is determined from equation ( 21 ) below . fr ๎ข ( j ) = 1 m ๎ข a ๎ข ( j ) 2 + b ๎ข ( j ) 2 ๎ข ๎ข ( j = 2 , โฆ ๎ข , m ) ( 21 ) fr ( j ) denotes the amplitude of cyclic disturbance with a period of j ร t , where t is a scan time taken for the sensor to make a one - way travel in the cross - machine direction and a value of , for example , 30 seconds is used . in a fourth step , the method calculates the rate of change in the frequency transfer function against the control gain based on the current control parameters , and then performs a frequency analysis . now let us define df ( j ) as df ( j )=โ{ ra ยท rb + ia ยท ib +( g โ 1 )( rb 2 + ib 2 )} ( 22 ) ra = 1 - ฮฑcos ๎ข ( w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) ia = ฮฑsin ๎ข ( w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) rb = ( 1 - ฮฑ ) ( 1 - ฮฑ k ) ๎ข { cos ๎ข ( ( m + 1 ) ๎ข w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) - ฮฑ k ๎ข cos ๎ข ( ( k + m + 1 ) ๎ข w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) } ib = ( 1 - ฮฑ ) ( 1 - ฮฑ k ) ๎ข { - sin ๎ข ( ( m + 1 ) ๎ข w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) + ฮฑ k ๎ข sin ๎ข ( ( k + m + 1 ) ๎ข w ๎ข ( j ) ยท t ) } in the above - noted equations , t is a scan time , g is a control gain ratio , and w ( j ) is an angular frequency , and the following relationships hold true . g = k k * ๎ข ( k = process ๎ข ๎ข gain ; k * = control ๎ข ๎ข gain ) w ๎ข ( j ) = 2 ๎ข ฯ t ยท j : angular ๎ข ๎ข frequency ๎ข ๎ข ( j = 2 , โฆ ๎ข , m ) also in these equations , ฮฑ is a value used in equation ( 5 ) noted earlier , m is a natural number defined by the equation โ dead time l = mt ,โ and k is a settling time related parameter applied to the controller g ( s ) of finite settling - time response control type expressed by equation ( 6 ) discussed earlier . if we define the frequency transfer function as ฯ g ( e jw ( j ) t ), we obtain ( from equation ( 18 )) โ ๏ ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ jw ๎ข ( j ) ๎ข t ) ๏ 2 โ g = 2 ยท ๏ ฯ g ๎ข ( ๏ jw ๎ข ( j ) ๎ข t ) ๏ 2 ๎ข df ๎ข ( j ) thus , the sign of the rate of change in the amplitude of the frequency transfer function in relation to the control gain ratio g agrees with the sign of df ( j ). in a fifth step , the sign of df ( j ) is examined . the following explains how to examine the sign , in order to search for the range of the variable j within which df ( j ) is positive . fig6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of searching for the range . initially , we assume that j = m , where m is the number of time - series data items . next , we subtract 1 from j and calculate df ( j ) to examine the sign thereof . this process is repeated until df ( j ) equals zero ( 0 ) or becomes positive , and the value of j at that point is stored in the parameter rangeh . we once again begin the process of subtracting 1 from j and calculate df ( j ) to examine the sign thereof , as long as df ( j ) remains positive . then , the value of j immediately before df ( j ) equals zero ( 0 ) or becomes negative is stored in the parameter rangel and the process is terminated . as a result , df ( j ) is positive for any value of j that satisfies rangel โฆ j โฆ rangeh . taking the example of fig9 rangeh = 40 and rangel = 10 for the case of g = 0 . 6 , i . e ., control gain k *= 1 . 67 . in a sixth step , the control gain is optimized . fig7 is a flowchart showing the algorithm of this optimization . from fig4 it is understood that a cyclic disturbance that satisfies rangel โฆ j โฆ rangeh is the major cause of deterioration in controllability . to cope with this problem , the algorithm is designed so that : if the maximum amplitude ( frmax ) of cyclic disturbance satisfying the above - noted range is above its upper limit , then the control gain k * is increased by as much as a specific value deltak to loosen control ; or if the frmax is below its lower limit , then the control gain k * is decreased by as much as the specific value deltak to tighten control . for reasons of safety , however , upper and lower limits ( khighlimit and klowlimit ) are placed on the control gain k *. in the algorithm , fr ( j ) defined by equation 21 is calculated for the range of j which is determined from the flowchart of fig6 and within which df ( j ) is positive . the maximum of the values of fr ( j ) thus calculated is defined as frmax . then , frmax is compared with the predetermined upper limit whighlimit and lower limit wlowlimit . first , comparison is made between frmax and whighlimit . if frmax is greater , either a value obtained by adding the predetermined increment deltak to the control gain k * or the upper limit khighlimit , whichever is smaller , is specified as the latest control gain k *. in other words , the control gain k * is increased within the upper limit khighlimit , in order to loosen control . if frmax is smaller than whighlimit , comparison is made between frmax and wlowlimit . then , if frmax is smaller , either a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined increment deltak from the control gain k * or the lower limit klowlimit , whichever is greater , is specified as the latest control gain k *. in other words , the control gain k * is decreased within the lower limit klowlimit , in order to tighten control . by executing this algorithm , it is possible to always set the optimum control gain k *. note here that the parameters khighlimit and klowlimit are not always required . [ 0099 ] fig8 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the adaptive control system according to the present invention . in the figure , a numeral 1 indicates a time - series data acquisition unit for acquiring time - series data on the representative data points of respective zones . the time - series data acquisition unit 1 retains a predetermined number of data items and always keeps them up to date . a numeral 2 indicates a frequency analysis / rate - of - change calculation unit . the frequency analysis / rate - of - change calculation unit 2 performs a discrete fourier transform on time - series data acquired by the time - series data acquisition unit 1 to calculate the rate of change df ( j ) according to equation 22 noted earlier . a numeral 3 denotes a search unit for finding the range of j for which df ( j )& gt ; 0 holds true , according to the flowchart of fig6 . a numeral 4 denotes an optimization unit for evaluating the control gain k * according to the flowchart of fig7 . since the behavior of each of these units has already been explained in detail , no further explanation will be made . [ 0102 ] fig1 is a graphical view showing the results of control according to the embodiment discussed above . pictures indicated by { circle over ( 1 )} to { circle over ( 4 )} in this figure show the results of measuring the profile of nozzle 5 over a period of 128 minutes . these profiles are arranged in chronological order . the upper graph of each picture indicated by 51 shows the way the paper thickness varies , i . e ., a graphical representation of the time - series data of an actuator - specific profile . the vertical axis denotes paper thickness and is given a scale range of ยฑ 0 . 5 ฮผm . the lower graph indicated by 52 in the same picture is the result of frequency - analyzing the time - series data . the horizontal axis of the graph denotes the period of disturbance . in the graph , each period component within the disturbance period range from 2 to 43 minutes is represented by a bar . as the result of exploring the period of disturbance , it is already known that the amplitude of disturbance increases as the control gain is decreased ( control is tightened ) for disturbances with a period from 8 to 33 minutes . this range of periods is indicated by a horizontal line segment 53 . โ gain โ refers to the control gain k *, โ upper amplitude limit โ refers to whighlimit , โ lower amplitude limit โ refers to wlowlimit , and โ maximum amplitude โ refers to frmax . in addition , deltak = 0 . 01 in this case . the relationship frmax & gt ; whighlimit holds true in the profiles of pictures { circle over ( 1 )} to { circle over ( 3 )} in fig1 , indicating that the system is interfered with to a considerable extent . for this reason , the control gain is increased from 0 . 21 to 0 . 29 as the result of optimization control . at a later time , however , the process under control has become stable for some reason . when the profile of picture { circle over ( 4 )} is measured , the relationship between the maximum amplitude and the lower amplitude limit is frmax & lt ; wlowlimit . as a result , the control gain has been decreased to 0 . 22 . as discussed in the above - described embodiment , the control gain is optimized automatically according to the condition of disturbance to the process . consequently , process control remains stable no matter what sort of disturbance enters the system . in addition , it is understood that the algorithm used in this embodiment is designed so that the control gain k * is varied automatically within the limit of approximately 1 . 5 times the value thereof according to the condition of disturbance . although finite settling - time response control has been described in the explanation of the above - described embodiment , the present invention is not limited to this type of control . also in the case of sampling pi control , required computational expressions can be derived in the same way as discussed above . furthermore , although profile control in the cross - machine direction of a paper machine has been described in the above - described embodiment , the embodiment can also be applied to standard sampling control systems . | 6 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a small section of a conventional product conveyor with which the present invention may be used . the typical conveyor system 10 includes a support base 12 supporting a track 14 . track 14 may be movable or , in the case of the gravity feed conveyor , a polished surface which allows the products 16 to slide on the surface . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 the track 14 is a movable track made of a plurality of segments 15 which are coupled together to enable the track to move forward and bend around the end of the track system and return to a starting point in a conventional endless loop . the products 16 are maintained in position on the track 14 by means of side guide rails 18 and 20 and an upper guide rail 22 . in some instances , the upper guide rails are unnecessary and only the side guide rails 18 and 20 are used . each of the side guide rails 18 and 20 and the top guide rail 22 are held in place by a support apparatus 24 attached to side members of support base 12 by means of brackets 26 . the brackets 26 are typically bolted to the support rod 12 . at the top end of each bracket 26 there is a receptacle 28 for holding a stainless steel rod 30 . each of the receptacles 28 may be adapted with a set screw or other fastening means to fixedly maintain the rods 30 in a generally perpendicular direction with respect to the track 14 . the generally vertically oriented rods 30 provide the primary support for the apparatus 24 . plastic or metal clamps 32 are used throughout the apparatus 24 for attaching support rods to the vertical rods 30 . the side rails 18 and 20 are each supported by horizontally oriented side support rods 34 . each of the side support rods 34 comprises an elongated shaft member 36 which terminates in an end clamp 38 . each of the clamping members 32 comprises a short member having ends split by slotting with the slot terminating in a through aperture adapted for passage of one of the vertical support rods 30 or one of the shafts 36 of the side clamp rods 34 . the apertures passing through the ends of the clamps 32 are rotated 90 ยฐ so that the side support rod 34 , for example , can extend perpendicularly with respect to the vertical support rod 30 . each of the ends of the clamps 32 is adapted to receive a bolt or other type of threaded fastener which allows the ends to be clamped tightly together about the rods passing through the apertures in the clamps so that the rods are fixed in position with respect to each other . the end clamp 38 is typically a two - part clamp which has an opening for receiving an end of the rod 36 and a through aperture for passing one of the guide rails . the two halves of the end clamp 38 are similarly held together by means of a threaded fastener such as a nut and bolt assembly . the top guide rail 22 is typically supported from above as shown in fig1 and such support is achieved by providing a longer support rod 40 extending across the conveyor from rod 30 on one side to a rod 30 on another side . the clamps 32 are used to clamp the rod 40 to each of the rods 30 . a separate clamp 32 is then used to attach another guide rail support rod 34a so that the guide rail support rod 34a connected to guide rail 22 hangs from the upper rod 40 . a clamp 38 from the end of the guide rail support rod 34a is attached to the top of guide rail 22 . a major problem with using the type of system illustrated in fig1 is that there are so many separate pieces which must be coupled together in order to attach the guide rails to the support apparatus 24 . for example , a typical installation process requires that the bottom half of one of the rod end clamps 38 be positioned on the guide rail with a nut held in place in the bottom portion of the clamp . the top half of the rod end clamp is then placed on top of the bottom half and then the stainless steel rod 36 is then inserted between the top and bottom halves of the end clamp 38 . the bolt or screw is then inserted through the top half of the end clamp and threaded into the nut to hold the pieces together while the assembler must at the same time hold the two end pieces in the clamp position while supporting the rod 36 . accordingly , the assembly and positioning of the side guide rails to the associated support rods tends to be very tedious work . furthermore , a typical stainless steel adjusting rod of only five inches in length weighs approximately 152 grams and is therefore difficult to support while at the same time trying to position and thread the fastening bolt or screw through the two parts of the end clamp . the present invention overcomes the assembly problem of prior art support rods by integrally molding a support rod with a plastic shaft having an integral bottom half of the end clamp molded with the support rod . in the molding process , a stainless steel tube or sleeve is placed in the mold and the plastic material of the clamp is molded through the sleeve so that the sleeve is supported internally by the plastic . this arrangement provides a very strong support rod having an excellent outer bearing surface formed from a stainless steel tube but at the same time providing a support rod which is relatively lightweight . for example , the support rod which is integrally molded from plastic material using the stainless steel sleeve has a total weight for a five inch rod of only 58 . 5 grams . this is approximately one - third the weight of the five inch solid stainless steel rod . furthermore , by integrally molding one half of the end clamp with the support rod , the problem associated with attempting to hold the rod and both halves of the end clamp is alleviated . in use , the rod with the bottom half end clamp can be placed in position on a guide rail so that the only loose part is the upper half of the end clamp . the upper half of the end clamp can then be laid on the bottom half and the screw passed through the upper half and into a nut which is integrally molded into the bottom half of the end clamp . turning now to fig2 there is shown an exploded view of a guide rail support rod in accordance with the present invention . the new type of support rod includes a solid plastic shaft 42 with an outer steel sleeve or tube 44 integrally molded with the plastic rod . the clamp end of the rod includes an integrally molded bottom - half clamp section 46 which includes a pair of spaced guide members 48 ( best seen in fig3 ) and a through - hole 50 for passage of a bolt or screw 52 . the hole 50 is counter - sunk as indicated at 54 so that head 56 of bolt 52 can be flush with the outer surface of the clamp section 46 . the upper half clamp section 58 is separately molded and includes an embedded nut 49 molded into the plastic material of the clamp . the use of the embedded nut alleviates the problem previously associated with the tendency to drop the nut , handle or the bolt when there were too many parts to be held in place in order to assemble the support rod . clamp section 58 also includes apertures 60 configured and positioned to receive the guide members 48 . fig2 also shows in phantom a cross - section of one form of guide rail 20 with which the inventive support rod may be used . fig3 is a front perspective view of the illustrated form of clamp end section 46 . fig4 and 5 are front and plan views of the clamp end section 46 . it will be appreciated that the design of the end clamp can be modified for different types of rails 20 . in manufacture of the inventive support rod , applicant creates a mold having a mold cavity with the desired final configuration of the support rod . preferably , the mold is formed in two parts which are brought together to form a closed cavity . the sleeve or tube 44 is positioned in one of the mold sections before the sections are closed . the bottom half clamp section 46 and the rod shaft 42 are then formed by injection of molten plastic into them old . the plastic is injected so as to flow though and fill the sleeve 44 with some of the plastic extending on each end of the sleeve as shown in fig2 . the resulting rod is then cured and removed from the mold in a conventional manner . the upper half clamp section 58 is separately molded using an injection mold having a cavity of the clamp section configuration . the mold is adapted to receive a threaded insert with a nut that seats in the mold cavity so that the final molded clamp section includes the embedded nut . further , the threaded insert forms threads in the molded clamp section of the same size and type as the nut so that when the upper and lower clamp sections are assembled , the thread fastener will seat tightly in the upper clamp section . the holes in the upper clamp section and the guide posts in the lower clamp section are molded in place using conventional techniques of mold forming . while the invention has been described in what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment , many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the specific illustrative embodiment but be interpreted within the full spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
signal processing circuits of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the invention . a composite signal input to an input terminal 1 is passed through a band pass filter ( bpf ) 14 and sent to a converter 9 consisting of a 1 h delay circuit 2 and a subtractor 3 , where a change of phase in the vertical direction of the chrominance signal is converted into a change of amplitude . the chrominance signal is then sent to a comparing circuit 10 , that is , the same is , on one hand , sent to a detector 5 via a 1 h delay circuit 4 , and , on the other hand , sent to a detector 6 . outputs of the detectors 5 and 6 are compared by a comparator 7 and when the level difference is large enough , a signal of high level , for example , is output from an output terminal 8 . an example of the comparator 7 is shown in fig2 . the output of the detector 5 is connected to a negative input of a comparator 11 and a positive input of a comparator 12 , and the output of the detector 6 is connected to a positive input of the comparator 11 and a negative input of the comparator 12 . outputs of the comparators 11 , 12 are subjected to an or operation for the high level by diodes 13 and 14 and sent to the output terminal 8 . operations of various parts of the present invention as constructed above will be described below referring to the waveform diagrams of fig3 and 4 . first the case where amplitude of the chrominance signal changes in the vertical direction is indicated in fig3 in which the diagrams a to g indicate the waveforms corresponding to the portions a - g in fig1 and 2 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of a comb filter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 5 , 6 , and the same are then turned into signals e , f in the comparator 7 and output as a signal g through an or operation thereby . here , it is found that the signal g includes the period z during which there is no vertical correlation of the chrominance signal . then , the case where hue changes in the vertical direction is indicated in fig4 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of the comb filter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 5 , 6 , and the same are then turned into signals e , f in the comparator 7 and output as a signal g . here , it is found that the signal g includes the period z during which there is no vertical correlation of hue , which has never been detected by a prior art device . that is , two sets of 1 h delay circuits 2 and 4 been used in this case as shown in fig1 and the change of hue in the vertical direction has been converted into the change of color in the direction of amplitude by the converter constituted of the first 1 h delay circuit , whereby the detection of the change of hue in the vertical direction which was unachievable by a prior art device has been made possible . the band pass filter 14 in the present case may be disposed in the succeeding stage to the subtractor 3 , may be disposed in the preceding stage to the detectors 5 , 6 , or may be eliminated . a signal processing circuit of a second preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig5 is a block diagram of the second preferred embodiments of the invention . a chrominance signal input to an input terminal 21 is passed through a band pass filter 22 and sent to a converter 23 consisting of a 1 h delay circuit 24 and a combining circuit , or , a subtractor 25 , where a change of phase in the vertical direction of the chrominance signal is converted into a change of amplitude . the chrominance signal is sent to a delay circuit 26 and to a comparing circuit 28 , the output of the delay circuit 26 is sent to a delay circuit 27 and to the comparing circuits 28 and 32 , and the output of the delay circuit 27 is sent to the comparing circuit 32 . in the comparing circuit 28 , the input signals are detected by detectors 29 , 30 and the detected signals are compared by a comparator 31 , and if the level difference is large enough , a signal of high level is output to an operational circuit 36 . similar operations are made in the comparing circuit 32 , also . the operational circuit 36 is constituted of an inverter circuit 37 and an and circuit 38 , for example , and operates such that , if the output of the comparing circuit 28 is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and the output of the comparing circuit 32 is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the same delivers an output of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. as a matter of course , this polarity may be opposite if the circuits in the succeeding stages are arranged accordingly . while an example of the comparators 31 , 35 is shown in fig6 it is the same as the example that was shown in fig2 . operations in various portions of the invention as structured above will be described in the following with reference to waveform diagrams of fig7 and 8 . first the case where amplitude of the chrominance signal changes in the vertical direction is indicated in fig7 in which the diagrams a - j indicate the waveforms corresponding to the portions a - j in fig5 and 6 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of a comb filter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 29 , 30 , and the same are then turned into signals f , g in the comparator 31 and output as a signal h through an or operation thereby . in the same way , signals d , e are provided through detection by detectors 33 , 34 and the same are output from the comparator 35 as a signal i . and , through an operaiton with the signals h and i by the operational circuit 36 , a signal j is output . here , it is found that the signal j indicates the period z during which there is no vertical correlation of the chrominance signal . then , the case where hue changes in the vertical direction is indicated in fig8 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of the comb filter 23 as a converter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 29 , 30 , and the same are then turned into signals f , g in the comparator 31 and output as a signal h . in the same way , after detection by the detectors 33 , 34 and comparison by the comparator 35 , a signal i is output . and , through an operation in the operational circuit 36 with the signals h and i , a signal j is output . here , it is found that the signal j indicates the period z during which there is no vertical correlation of hue , which has never been detected by a prior art device . that is , the change of hue in the vertical direction has been converted into the change of color in the direction of amplitude by the converter constituted of the 1 h delay circuit as shown in fig5 whereby the detection of the change of hue in the vertical direction which was unachievable by a prior art device has been made possible . the band pass filter 22 in the present case may be disposed in the succeeding stage to the subtractor 25 , may be disposed in the preceding stage to the detectors 29 , 30 , 33 , 34 , or may be eliminated . also , since the output signals of the detector 30 and the detector 33 are the same signal , it is possible to eliminate , for example , the detector 33 and adapt the output of the detector 30 to be input to the comparator 35 . when it is desired to apply the present invention to the recording and reproducing systems of a vtr or the like , it is possible to implement the invention by inserting its portion up to the band pass filter 22 and the converter 23 of the embodiment of fig5 into the recording system and inserting the succeeding blocks into the reproducing system . by so doing , an advantage is obtained that the delay circuits can be reduced to two . a signal processing circuit of a third preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig9 is a block diagram of the third preferred embodiment of the invention . a signal input to an input terminal 51 is passed through a band pass filter 52 and sent to a converter 53 consisting of a 1 h delay circuit 54 and a subtractor 55 , where a change of phase in the vertical direction of the chrominance signal is converted into a change of amplitude . the chrominance signal is sent to a delay circuit 56 and to a comparing circuit 57 , and the output of the delay circuit 56 is sent to a comparing circuit 57 . in the comparing circuit 57 , the input signal is detected by detectors 58 , 59 and the detected outputs are compared by a comparator 60 , and if the level difference is large enough , a signal of high level is output to an operational circuit 62 and also to a delay circuit 61 . the output from the delay circuit 61 is sent to the operational circuit 62 . the operational circuit 62 is constituted of an inverter circuit 63 and an and circuit 64 , for example , and operates such that , if the output of the comparing circuit 57 is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and the output of the delay circuit 61 is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, only then , the same delivers an output of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. as a matter of course , this polarity may be opposite if the circuits in the succeeding stages are arranged accordingly . while an example of the comparator 60 is shown in fig1 , it is the same as the example that was shown in fig2 . operations in various portions of the invention as structured above will be described in the following with reference to waveform diagrams of fig1 and 12 . first the case where amplitude of the chrominance signal includes a change in the vertical direction is indicated in fig1 , in which the diagrams a - j indicate the waveforms corresponding to the portions a - j in fig9 and 10 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of a comb filter 53 as a converter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 58 , 59 , and the same are then turned into signals e , f in the comparator 60 and output as a signal g through an or operation thereby to an operational circuit 62 . the signal g is also sent to a delay circuit 61 to be delayed by 1 h and sent to the operational circuit 62 . and , through an operation with the signals g , h by the operational circuit 62 , a signal i is output . here , it is found that the signal i indicates the period z during which there is no vertical correlation ofthe chrominance signal . then , the case where hue is changed in the vertical direction is indicated in fig1 . the input signal a is converted into a chrominance signal b by means of the comb filter 53 as a converter , then detected and made into signals c and d by the detectors 58 , 59 , and the same are then turned into signals e , f in the comparator 60 and output therefrom as a signal g to the operational circuit 62 . also , the signal g is delayed by 1 h in the delay circuit 61 and delivered to the operational circuit 62 as a signal h . and , through an operation with the signals h and i in the operational circuit 62 , a signal i is output . here , it is found that the signal i indicates the period z during which there is no vertical correlation of hue , which has never been detected by a prior art device . that is , the change of hue in the vertical direction has been converted into the change of color in the direction of amplitude by the converter constituted of the 1 h delay circuit as shown in fig9 whereby the detection of the change of hue in the vertical direction which was unachievable by a prior art device has been made possible . the band pass filter 52 in the present case may be disposed in the succeeding stage to the subtractor 55 , may be disposed in the preceding stage to the detectors 58 , 59 , or may be eliminated . when it is desired to apply the present invention to the recording and reproducing systems of a vtr or the like , it is possible to implement the invention by inserting its portion up to the band pass filter 52 and the converter 53 of the embodiment of fig9 into the recording system and inserting the succeeding blocks into the reproducing system . by so doing , an advantage is obtained that the delay circuits can be reduced to two . when the present invention is applied to the pal system , some alterations to make the delay to be 2h or so will become necessary . also , it is possible within the scope of the present invention to implement this invention in a digital circuitry by replacing the delay circuit with a memory or the like . | 7 |
in general , the ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a of this invention can be prepared by reacting antioxidants ( ao &# 39 ; s ) possessing reactive acid halide and chloroformate groups with a t - alkyl hydroperoxide , or by reacting ao &# 39 ; s possessing reactive groups ( acid halide , chloroformate , hydroxy , etc .) with peroxy compounds possessing co - reactive groups ( hydroxy , amino , hydrazino , acid chloride , chloroformate , etc . ), usually in the presence of a basic compound . in general , the basic compounds are inorganic bases , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , lithium hydroxide , sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate , and organic amines , such as pyridine , n , n - dimethylaniline , triethylamine , tributylamine and 1 , 4 - diazabicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 2 ) octane . ao &# 39 ; s possessing acid halide or chloroformate or other reactive halide groups include for example , without limitation , compounds such as : a number of reactive ao &# 39 ; s are prepared by reacting the corresponding antioxidant acid with an acid halogenating agent , such as thionyl chloride , thionyl bromide , phosphorous trichloride , phosphorous pentachloride , phosgene ( in the presence of catalysts such as n , n - dimethylformamide ) and benzotrichloride , or by reacting the corresponding antioxidant alcohol ( e . g ., 2 -[ 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyloxy ] ethanol ) with phosgene , followed by isolation of the antioxidant acid halide or chloroformate from the reaction mixture . these ao &# 39 ; s with acid halide or chloroformate groups are co - reactive with t - alkyl hydroperoxide or peroxy compounds possessing hydroxy , amino or hydrazino groups . the hydroxy group on the phenyl ring of reactive hindered phenol antioxidants is relatively non - reactive with acid halide or chloroformate groups . co - reactive t - alkyl hydroperoxides include t - butyl hydroperoxide , t - amyl hydroperoxide , t - octyl hydroperoxides , t - decyl hydroperoxides , ฮฑ - cumyl hydroperoxide , methyl - ฮฑ - cumyl hydroperoxides , 2 - naphthyl - 2 - hydroperoxypropane , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroperoxyhexane , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroperoxy - 3 - hexyne and 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 -( t - butylperoxy )- 5 - hydroperoxyhexane . co - reactive peroxy compounds possessing hydroxy groups include the hydroxy dialkyl peroxides , such as those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 236 , 872 , which are hereby incorporated herein by reference , such as 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - amyl - peroxy ) butanol and di -( 3 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylbutyl ) peroxide . other co - reactive hydroxy dialkyl peroxides include 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( ฮฑ - cumylperoxy ) butanol , 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butyl - peroxy ) butanol and di -( 3 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylpropyl ) peroxide . other co - reactive peroxy compounds possessing hydroxy groups include hydroxy peroxyesters , for example , those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 525 , 308 , which are hereby incorporated herein by reference , such as 3 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylbutyl peroxy - 2 - ethylhexanoate . yet other co - reactive peroxy compounds possessing hydroxy groups include hydroxy diperoxyketals , such as 4 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) butane and 5 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - di -( t - amyl - peroxy ) pentane . hydroxy hydroperoxides such as 3 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylbutyl hydroperoxide and 3 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylpropyl hydroperoxide are also co - reactive peroxy compound possessing hydroxy groups which react with ao &# 39 ; s possessing acid halide or chloroformate groups to form peroxyesters having two ao groups per peroxyester group . hydrogen peroxide is also a co - reactive peroxy compound which reacts with ao &# 39 ; s possessing acid halide or chloroformate groups to form diacyl peroxides possessing two ao groups per diacyl peroxide group . co - reactive peroxy compounds possessing amino groups include amino dialkyl peroxides and amino diperoxyketals that are prepared by reacting a peroxy acid chloride or chloroformate with excess alkylenediamine , for example ethylenediamine . co - reactive peroxy compounds possessing hydrazino groups include hydrazino dialkyl peroxides and hydrazino diperoxyketals that are prepared by reacting peroxy acid chlorides or chloroformates with excess hydrazine or by reacting a peroxy compound possessing an ester group with excess hydrazine . non - limiting examples of amino and hydrazino peroxides that are co - reactive with ao &# 39 ; s possessing acid halide or chloroformate groups include compounds such as o -[ 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl ] n -( 2 - aminoethyl ) carbamate , 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine , 3 , 3 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) butanoylhydrazine and 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl carbazate . non - limiting examples of ao &# 39 ; s possessing hydroxy groups which are reactive with peroxy compounds possessing co - reactive acid halide or chloroformate groups include 2 -( 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyloxy ) ethanol , 2 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyloxy ) propanol and 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzyl alcohol ( also known as 4 - hydroxymethyl - 2 , 6 - di - t - butylphenol ). peroxy compounds possessing co - reactive acid halide or chloroformate groups which are reactive with ao &# 39 ; s possessing hydroxy groups include peroxyesters , such as t - butyl peroxy -( 2 - chlorocarbonyl ) benzoate and t - butyl peroxy -( 3 - chlorocarbonyl ) propionate , dialkyl peroxides such as 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl chloroformate , di -( 3 - chlorocarbonyloxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylbutyl ) peroxide and 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl chloroformate , and diperoxyketals , such as 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoyl chloride . non - limiting examples of novel ao - p &# 39 ; s ( structure a ) of this invention are as follows : the novel ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a of this invention were found to be effective initiators with respect to efficiency ( reduced initiator requirements , etc .) in the free radical polymerizations of ethylenically unsaturated monomers at suitable temperatures and pressures . in addition , the resulting polymeric resins had enhanced oxidative stabilities owing to covalent attachment of the ao moieties from the ao - p &# 39 ; s to the polymer backbone . suitable ethylenically unsaturated monomers which can be polymerized and copolymerized effectively using the ao - p &# 39 ; s of the present invention include the following , non - limiting types : olefins , such as ethylene , propylene , styrene , ฮฑ - methylstyrene , p - methylstyrene , chlorostyrenes , bromostyrenes , vinylbenzyl chloride , vinylpyridine and divinylbenzene ; diolefins , such as 1 , 3 - butadiene , isoprene and chloroprene ; vinyl esters , such as vinyl acetate , vinyl propionate , vinyl laurate , vinyl benzoate and divinyl carbonate ; unsaturated nitriles , such as acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile ; acrylic acid and methacrylic acid and their anhydrides , esters and amides , such as acrylic acid anhydride , methyl , ethyl , n - butyl , 2 - hydroxyethyl , lauryl and 2 - ethylhexyl acrylates and methacrylates , and acrylamide and methacrylamide ; maleic anhydride and itaconic anhydride ; maleic , itaconic and fumaric acids and their esters ; vinyl halo and vinylidene dihalo compounds , such as vinyl chloride , vinyl bromide , vinyl fluoride , vinylidene chloride and vinylidene fluoride ; perhalo olefins , such as tetrafluoroethylene , hexafluoropropylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene ; vinyl ethers , such as methyl vinyl ether , ethyl vinyl ether and n - butyl vinyl ether ; allyl esters , such as allyl acetate , allyl benzoate , allyl ethyl carbonate , triallyl phosphate , diallyl phthalate , diallyl fumarate , diallyl glutarate , diallyl adipate , diallyl carbonate , diethylene glycol bis ( allyl carbonate ) ( i . e ., adc ); acrolein ; methyl vinyl ketone ; and mixtures thereof . temperatures of about 0 ยฐ c . to about 250 ยฐ c ., preferably about 30 ยฐ c . to about 200 ยฐ c ., and ao - p levels ( on a pure basis ) of about 0 . 002 to about 3 %, preferably about 0 . 002 to about 1 % by weight based on monomer , are normally employed in conventional polymerizations and copolymerizations of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and may be used with the polymerization and copolymerization processes of the present invention . the ao - p &# 39 ; s of this invention can be used in combination with other free radical initiators such as those disclosed in the paragraph between columns 4 and 5 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 525 , 308 . using the ao - p &# 39 ; s in combination with these initiators adds flexibility to the processes of polymer producers and allows them to &# 34 ; fine tune &# 34 ; their polymerization processes . mixtures of two or more ao - p &# 39 ; s can also be used where appropriate . in the curing of unsaturated polyester resin compositions by heating at suitable curing temperatures in the presence of free radical curing agents , the ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a of this invention exhibit curing activity and enhance the oxidative stabilities of the cured unsaturated polyester resin compositions . unsaturated polyester resins that can be cured by the ao - p &# 39 ; s of this invention usually include an unsaturated polyester and one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers . the unsaturated polyesters are , for instance , polyesters as they are obtained by esterifying at least one ethylenically unsaturated di - or polycarboxylic acid , anhydride or acid halide , such as maleic acid , fumaric acid , glutaconic acid , itaconic acid , mesaconic acid , citraconic acid , allylmalonic acid , tetrahydrophthalic acid , for example , with saturated and unsaturated di - or polyols , such as ethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , triethylene glycol , 1 , 2 - and 1 , 3 - propanediols , 1 , 2 -, 1 , 3 - and 1 , 4 - butanediols , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol , 2 - hydroxymethyl - 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol , 2 - buten - 1 , 4 - diol , 2 - butyn - 1 , 4 - diol , 2 , 4 , 4 - trimethyl - 1 , 3 - pentanediol , glycerol , pentaerythritol , mannitol and others . mixtures of such di - or polyacids and / or mixtures of such di - or polyols may also be used . the di - or polycarboxylic acids may be partially replaced by saturated di - or polycarboxylic acids , such as adipic acid , succinic acid , sebacic acid and other , and / or by aromatic di - or polycarboxylic acids , such as phthalic acid , trimellitic acid , pyromellitic acid , isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid . the acids used may be substituted by groups such as halogen . examples of such suitable halogenated acids are , for instance , tetrachlorophthalic acid , tetrabromophthalic acid , 5 , 6 - dicarboxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 7 - hexachlorobicyclo -( 2 . 2 . 1 )- 2 - heptene and others . the other component of the unsaturated polyester resin composition , the polymerizable monomer or monomers , preferably includes ethylenically unsaturated monomers , such as styrene , ฮฑ - methylstyrene , p - methylstyrene , chlorostyrenes , bromostyrenes , vinylbenzyl chloride , divinylbenzene , diallyl maleate , dibutyl fumarate , triallyl phosphate , triallyl cyanurate , diallyl phthalate , diallyl fumarate , methyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , n - butyl acrylate , n - butyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , and others , or mixtures thereof , which are copolymerizable with the unsaturated polyesters . a preferred unsaturated polyester resin composition contains as the unsaturated polyester component the esterification product of 1 , 2 - propanediol ( a polyol ), maleic anhydride ( an anhydride of an unsaturated polycarboxylic acid ) and phthalic anhydride ( an anhydride of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid ), as well as the monomer component , styrene . other types of unsaturated polyester resin compositions can be cured using the ao - p &# 39 ; s of this invention as curing catalysts . these resins , called unsaturated vinyl ester resins , comprise a vinyl ester resin portion and one or more polymerizable monomer components . the vinyl ester resin component can be made by reacting a chloroepoxide , such as epichlorohydrin , with appropriate amounts of a bisphenol such as bisphenol a ( 2 , 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane ), in the presence of a base , such as sodium hydroxide , to yield a condensation product having terminal epoxy groups derived from the chloroepoxide . subsequent reaction of the condensation product with polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acids , such as acrylic acid and methacrylic acid , in the presence or absence of acidic or basic catalysts , results in formation of the vinyl ester resin component . normally , styrene is added as the polymerizable monomer component to complete the preparation of the unsaturated vinyl ester resin composition . temperatures of about 20 ยฐ c . to about 200 ยฐ c . and ao - p levels of about 0 . 05 % to about 5 % or more by weight of curable unsaturated polyester resin composition are normally employed . the unsaturated polyester resin compositions described above can be filled with various materials , such as sulfur , glass , carbon and boron fibers , carbon blacks , silicas , metal silicates , clays , metal carbonates , other antioxidants ( ao &# 39 ; s ), heat , ultraviolet ( uv ) and light stabilizers , sensitizers , dyes , pigments , accelerators , metal oxides , such as zinc oxide , blowing agents , nucleating agents and others . in the curing of elastomeric compositions , and the crosslinking of polymer compositions , by heating at suitable curing and crosslinking temperatures in the presence of free radical curing and crosslinking agents , the ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a of this invention exhibit curing and crosslinking activities , and enhance the oxidative stabilities of the cured elastomeric resin compositions and of the crosslinked polymer compositions . elastomeric resin compositions that can be cured by the ao - p &# 39 ; s of this invention include elastomers such as ethylene - propylene copolymers ( epr ), ethylene - propylene - diene terpolymers ( epdm ), polybutadiene ( pbd ), silicone rubber ( sr ), nitrile rubber ( nr ), neoprene , fluoroelastomers and ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer ( eva ). polymer compositions that can be crosslinked by the ao - p &# 39 ; s of this invention include olefin thermoplastics such as chlorinated polyethylene ( cpe ), low density polyethylene ( ldpe ), linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ), and high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). other crosslinkable thermoplastic polymers include pvc , polystyrene , poly ( vinyl acetate ), polyacrylics , polyesters , polycarbonate , etc . temperatures of about 80 ยฐ c . to about 310 ยฐ c . and ao - p levels of about 0 . 1 % to about 10 %, preferably about 0 . 5 % to about 5 %, based on weight of curable elastomeric resin composition or crosslinkable olefin polymer composition , are normally employed . the curable elastomeric resin composition or crosslinkable polymer composition can be optionally filled with the materials listed above for use with the conventional unsaturated polyester resin compositions . in the processes for modifying polypropylene ( pp ) ( i . e ., beneficial degradation of pp by reducing the polymer molecular weight and modifying the polymer molecular weight distribution as judged by melt flow index increase and melt viscosity decrease ) and copolymers containing more than 50 % by weight of polypropylene , the ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a of this invention exhibit pp modification activity and concomitant enhancement of the oxidative stability of modified pp resin compositions . other polymers that can be modified with ao - p &# 39 ; s of . structure a include low density polyethylene ( ldpe ), linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ), high density polyethylene ( hdpe ), etc . unlike modification of pp and propylene copolymers , modification of these other polymers with the ao - p &# 39 ; s of structure a usually results in chain extension , melt flow index reduction , melt viscosity increase and molecular weight increase . temperatures of about 140 ยฐ c . to about 340 ยฐ c . and ao - p levels of about 0 . 01 % to about 1 . 0 % based on weight of modifiable pp , propylene copolymer or other polymers are normally employed . optionally , up to 1 % by weight of molecular oxygen can be employed as a modification co - catalyst . the following illustrative , non - limiting examples are included for the purpose of further describing and explaining the invention . preparation of t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ) a 300 ml 3 - neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar , a thermometer , a condenser and an addition funnel , was charged with 4 . 6 g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of 97 % t - butyl hydroperoxide , 5 . 5 g ( 0 . 07 mole ) of pyridine and 50 ml of methylene chloride . to this vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 10 . 2 g ( 0 . 033 mole ) of 98 % 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionylchloride ( prepared by reacting 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid with thionyl chloride in the presence of a small amount of dimethylformamide ) in 50 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 30 minutes . the resulting mixture was then stirred for 180 minutes at 25 ยฐ- 30 ยฐ c ., then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with 75 ml ( 0 . 105 mole ) of 5 % aqueous hcl , 50 g of a solution consisting of 40 g of water , 5 g ( 0 . 040 mole ) of sodium sulfite , 3 g ( 0 . 037 mole ) of sodium acetate and 2 g ( 0 . 033 mole ) of acetic acid , and 50 g of 8 % aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution . after each wash the aqueous phase was separated from the methylene chloride solution and discarded . in the case of the last wash an emulsion resulted which was broken by adding 10 % aqueous sodium acetate solution ( ca . 50 ml ). the methylene chloride solution was given a final 50 g 10 % aqueous sodium sulfate wash . the resulting methylene chloride solution was dried over about 5 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . 9 . 4 g ( 81 % uncorrected yield ) of a yellow liquid product having a peroxyester active oxygen content of 3 . 83 % was obtained . the assay of the product based on the active oxygen content was 83 . 9 % and the corrected yield was 68 %. an infrared ( ir ) spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3650 cm - 1 , a strong peroxyester carbonyl band at about 1790 cm - 1 and a strong peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 840 cm - 1 . a dsc scan showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm centered at a temperature of 166 ยฐ c ., thus confirming the presence of the peroxyester function in the product . these data confirmed the structure of the title compound . preparation of 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxy ) benzoate otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoate ( e - 2 ) a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was charged with 5 . 1 g ( 0 . 025 mole ) of 94 % 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 5 g ( 0 . 063 mole ) of pyridine , 0 . 2 g ( 0 . 0016 mole ) of 4 -( n , n - dimethylamino ) pyridine ( dmap ) and 75 ml of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 6 . 8 g ( 0 . 025 mole ) of 99 . 2 % 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl chloride ( prepared by reacting 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenylbenzoic acid with thionyl chloride in the presence of a small amount of dimethylformamide ) in 75 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 15 minutes . the resulting solution was stirred at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . for 90 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 ml portions of 1 . 5m aqueous hcl solution , then with two 50 g portions of 14 % aqueous ammonia solution . the resulting methylene chloride solution was dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . a liquid that contained solids was obtained . pentane was added and additional solids formed . these were removed by filtration and the pentane was removed in vacuo leaving 8 . 6 g ( 81 % uncorrected yield ) of a yellow oil . an ir spectrum of the product showed that it consisted of the desired product as well as 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , one of the starting reactants . the product was dissolved in 25 ml of pentane and a stoppered container with this solution was placed in a dry ice chest to encourage crystallization . the pentane mother liquor was decanted from the solid and taken up in an additional 25 ml of pentane . this solution was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the pentane was removed in vacuo . 2 . 6 g ( 25 % uncorrected yield ) of a yellow solid was obtained , m . p . 61 ยฐ- 64 ยฐ c . an ir spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3610 cm - 1 , a strong ester carbonyl band at about 1700 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 870 cm - 1 . a dsc scan showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm centered at a temperature of 201 ยฐ c ., thus confirming the presence of the dialkyl peroxide function in the product . these data confirmed the structure of the title compound . preparation of 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxy ) benzoate otherwise known by its iupac name , 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyenzoate ( e - 3 ) a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was charged with 5 . 1 g ( 0 . 025 mole ) of 87 % 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 5 g ( 0 . 063 mole ) of pyridine , 0 . 2 g ( 0 . 0016 mole ) of 4 -( n , n - dimethylamino ) pyridine ( dmap ) and 75 ml of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 6 . 8 g ( 0 . 025 mole ) of 99 . 2 % 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl chloride in 75 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 15 minutes . the resulting solution was stirred at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . for 180 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 ml portions of 1 . 5m aqueous hcl solution , then with 50 ml portions of water to neutral . the resulting methylene chloride solution was dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo . the resulting product was 10 . 1 g ( 98 % uncorrected yield ) of a heavy yellow oil . an ir spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3610 cm - 1 , a minor oh band at 3550 cm - 1 , a strong ester carbonyl band at about 1700 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 880 cm - 1 . a dsc scan showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm centered at a temperature of 202 ยฐ c ., thus confirming the presence of the dialkyl peroxide function in the product . these data confirmed the structure of the title compound . preparation of 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate ( e - 4 ) a 3 - neck , round bottom flask equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was placed in a cooling bath and was charged with 2 . 6 g ( 0 . 0127 mole ) of 93 % 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 2 . 6 g ( 0 . 033 mole ) of pyridine and 100 g of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at - 5 ยฐ to 0 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 3 . 8 g ( 0 . 0127 mole ) of 100 % 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyl chloride in 40 g of methylene chloride over a period of 10 minutes . the resulting solution was allowed to stir at 0 ยฐ- 2 ยฐ c . for 60 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 g portions of 5 % aqueous hcl solution , then with a 50 g portion of 3 % aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution . the resulting methylene chloride solution was dried over about 10 g by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo leaving 5 . 6 g ( 98 % uncorrected yield ) of a viscous yellow liquid . an ir spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3610 cm - 1 , an ester carbonyl band at about 1730 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 870 cm - 1 . these data indicate that the desired product was obtained . preparation of 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate ( e - 5 ) a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was charged with 2 . 6 g ( 0 . 0127 mole ) of 87 % 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 2 . 5 g ( 0 , 032 mole ) of pyridine and 75 ml of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at 0 ยฐ- 5 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 3 . 8 g ( 0 . 0127 mole ) of 100 % 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyl chloride in 25 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 5 minutes . the resulting solution was allowed to stir at 0 ยฐ- 5 ยฐ c . or 60 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 ml portions of 1 . 5m aqueous hcl solution , then with a 50 ml portion of saturated aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution . the resulting methylene chloride solution was dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo leaving 5 . 6 g ( 100 % uncorrected yield ) of a bright yellow oil . an ir spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3610 cm - 1 , an ester carbonyl band at about 1730 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 870 cm - 1 . these data indicate that the desired product was obtained . preparation of 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl 3 - n - hexylmercaptopropionate otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 -( n - hexylthio ) propionate ( e - 6 ) a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was charged with 4 . 1 g ( 0 . 020 mole ) of 93 % 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , 4 . 6 g ( 0 . 058 mole ) of pyridine and 75 ml of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 5 . 2 g ( 0 . 025 mole ) of 3 - hexylmercaptopropionyl chloride ( prepared in a two step reaction ; witco &# 39 ; s mark 2140 , tetra -( 3 - hexylmercaptopropionyloxymethyl ) methane , was hydrolyzed in methanolic koh to the k - salt of 3 - hexylmercaptopropionic acid , acidified to 3 - hexylmercaptopropionic acid and the acid converted to the acid chloride by reacting with thionyl chloride in the presence of a small amount of dimethylformamide ) in 25 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 4 minutes . the resulting solution was stirred at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . for 120 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 ml portions of 1 . 0m aqueous hcl solution , then with three 100 g portions of 5 % aqueous naoh solution , then with a 50 g portion of water , and finally with a 50 g portion of 33 % aqueous sodium dihydrogen phosphate solution . the resulting brown methylene chloride solution was dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . 5 . 0 g ( 68 . 5 % uncorrected yield ) of a liquid product that had a low sulfur odor was produced . an ftir spectrum of the product showed a minor oh band at about 3290 cm - 1 , a strong ester carbonyl band at about 1735 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 875 cm - 1 . a gas chromatogram ( gc ) of the product showed that it was contaminated with a small amount ( about 12 - 13 %) of 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butanol , one of the starting reactants . preparation of 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 -( 3 - hexylmercaptopropionyloxy ) butyl peroxy - 2 - ethylhexanoate otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 3 -( n - hexylthio ) propionyloxy ] butyl perioxy - 2 - ethylhexanoate ( e - 7 ) a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a thermometer and a dropping funnel was charged with 9 . 8 g ( 0 . 020 mole ) of 53 . 1 % 3 - hydroxy - l , l - dimethylbutyl peroxy - 2 - ethylhexanoate in toluene , 3 . 6 g ( 0 . 045 mole ) of pyridine and 75 ml of methylene chloride . to the resulting , vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 4 . 6 g ( 0 . 022 mole ) of 3 - hexylmercaptopropionyl chloride in 25 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 4 minutes . the resulting solution was stirred at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . for 150 minutes , then washed in turn at 15 ยฐ- 20 ยฐ c . with two 50 ml portions of 1 . 0m aqueous hcl solution , then with two 100 g portions of 10 % aqueous naoh solution , then with water to neutral . the resulting methylene chloride - toluene solution was dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride and toluene were removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . 6 . 5 g ( 75 . 6 % uncorrected yield ) of an amber liquid product that had a low sulfur odor was produced . an ftir spectrum of the product showed a minor oh band at about 3270 cm - 1 , a strong peroxyester carbonyl band at about 1775 cm - 1 , a strong ester carbonyl band at about 1730 cm - 1 and a peroxide (-- oo --) band at about 830 cm - 1 . the active oxygen found for the product was 3 . 19 % ( theory , 3 . 70 %), therefore , the assay of the product was 86 . 2 % and the corrected yield was 65 . 2 %. preparation of 1 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl )- 2 -[ 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoyl ] hydrazine otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 -[ 4 , 4 - di -( t - butyldioxy ) pentano ]- 2 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzo ) hydrazide ( e - 8 ) 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine was initially prepared by reacting ethyl 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoate with 9 molar excess of 54 % aqueous hydrazine . a 3 - neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer , a thermometer and an addition funnel was charged with 125 ml of isopropanol ( ipa ), 15 . 3 g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of 99 % ethyl 4 , 4 - di -( t - butyl - peroxy ) pentanoate and 30 g ( ca . 0 . 50 mole ) of 54 % aqueous hydrazine at 25 ยฐ c . the solution was stirred for about 20 hours at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c ., then the reaction mass was poured into 1000 ml of water and extracted once with 300 ml of methylene chloride . after drying over 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate and separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo leaving 14 . 4 g of liquid product . 30 ml of pentane was added and a solid precipitated . the solid was separated by filtration and air dried , leaving 12 . 2 g ( 83 . 6 % of theory , uncorrected ) of a white solid , m . p ., 76 ยฐ- 78 ยฐ c . an ir spectrum of the product showed strong carbonyl absorption bands at 1640 cm - 1 and at 1680 cm - 1 and a strong nh band at 3300 cm - 1 . a dsc scan run on the product showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm at 170 ยฐ c . these product data confirm that the product was 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine . the title product e - 8 was prepared by the following procedure : a jacketed reactor equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer , a dropping funnel and a thermometer was charged with 5 . 8 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine ( 100 % purity assumed ), 4 . 0 g ( 0 . 051 mole ) of pyridine and 60 ml of methylene chloride , and the resulting solution was cooled to 0 ยฐ c . to this vigorously stirred solution at 0 ยฐ c . was added a solution of 99 . 2 % 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl chloride in 60 ml of methylene chloride over a period of 15 minutes . the reaction mixture was stirred an additional 90 minutes at 0 ยฐ c ., then allowed to warm to 20 ยฐ c . over a period of an hour . the resulting solution was washed twice with 50 ml portions of 1n hcl solution , then with three ( 3 ) 100 ml portions of water . ( the ph of the last wash was 7 .) the methylene chloride solution was then dried over about 10 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate . after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration the methylene chloride was removed in vacuo , leaving a solid / liquid slurry . the slurry was washed with pentane and the resulting white solid was separated by filtration and dried in a fume hood for a short period . 9 . 6 g ( 91 . 4 % of theory , uncorrected ) of white solid , m . p . 152 ยฐ- 154 ยฐ c . was obtained . an ir spectrum of the product showed a very sharp and characteristic hindered phenolic oh absorption band at 3620 cm - 1 , an nh band centered at about 3220 cm - 1 , a carbonyl band at 1685 cm - 1 , another carbonyl band at 1645 cm - 1 and an -- oo -- band at about 880 cm - 1 . a dsc scan run on the product showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm at 180 ยฐ c . these product data ( ir spectral and dsc ) as well as method of preparation confirm that the product was the desired title compound . preparation of 1 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl )- 2 -[ 4 , 4 - di -( t - amylperoxy ) pentanoyl ] hydrazine otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 -[ 4 , 4 - di -( t - amyldioxy ) pentano ]- 2 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzo ) hydrazide ( e - 9 ) 4 , 4 - di -( t - amylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine was initially prepared by reacting ethyl 4 , 4 - di -( t - amylperoxy ) pentanoate with 9 molar excess of 54 % aqueous hydrazine in a manner similar to that employed in example 8 for the initial preparation of 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine . 4 , 4 - di -( t - amylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine had a dsc peroxide decomposition temperature of 171 ยฐ c . using a procedure similar to that employed for preparation of the title compound of example 8 , the title compound of this example was prepared by reacting 3 . 2 g ( 0 . 01 mole ) of 4 , 4 - di -( t - amylperoxy ) pentanoylhydrazine with 2 . 7 g ( 0 . 01 mole ) of 99 . 2 % 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoyl chloride in the presence of 2 . 0 g ( 0 , 026 mole ) of pyridine and 120 ml of methylene chloride . 2 . 6 g ( 47 % of theory , uncorrected ) of white solid , mp 129 ยฐ- 131 ยฐ c . was obtained . an ir spectrum of the product showed a very sharp and characteristic hindered phenolic oh absorption band at 3640 cm - 1 , an nh band centered at about 3235 cm - 1 , hydrazide carbonyl bands at 1695 cm - 1 , 1675 cm - 1 , 1660 cm - 1 , and 1635 cm - 1 and a -- oo -- band at about 880 cm - 1 . a dsc scan run on the product showed a peroxide decomposition exotherm at 176 ยฐ c . these product data ( ir spectral and dsc ) as well as method of preparation confirm that the product was the desired title compound . preparation of 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butyl - peroxylbutyl 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzyl carbonate otherwise known by its iupac name , 3 - methyl - 3 -( t - butyldioxy ) butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate ( e - 9a ) a 250 ml 3 - neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar , a thermometer , a consenser with a cacl 2 tube and an addition funnel , was charged with 75 ml of methyl t - butyl ether , 11 . 8 g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzyl alcohol and 4 . 7 g ( 0 . 06 mole ) of pyridine at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . to this vigorously stirred solution at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . was added 13 . 3 g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of 95 % 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 3 -( t - butylperoxy ) butyl chloroformate over a period of 15 minutes at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . the resulting mixture was then stirred for 180 minutes at 25 ยฐ- 30 ยฐ c . a solid formed during the stirring period . the solid was removed by filtration and the filtrate was washed at 20 ยฐ c . twice with 50 ml portions of 5 % aqueous nahco 3 solution , once with 50 ml of 33 % aqueous na 2 hpo 4 solution and finally with 50 ml of 5 % aqueous nahco 3 solution . the resulting solution was dried over about 5 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methyl t - butyl ether was removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . 22 . 8 g ( 101 % uncorrected yield ) of a yellow liquid product were obtained . an ir spectrum of the product showed a strong hindered phenolic oh band at about 3630 cm - 1 and a strong carbonate carbonyl band at about 1740 cm - 1 . these data and the method of preparation confirmed that the product was the desired title compound ( e - 9a ). preparation of 1 -[ 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyl ]- 2 -( 3 - t - butylperoxycarbonyl ) propionylhydrazine otherwise known by its iupac name , 1 -[ 3 -( t - butyldioxycarbonyl ) propiono ]- 2 -[ 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propiono ] hydrazide ( e - 9b ) a 500 ml 3 - neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar , a thermometer , a condenser with a cacl 2 tube and an addition funnel , was charged with 200 ml of methyl t - butyl ether , 8 . 9 g ( 0 . 03 mole ) of 99 % 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid hydrazide and 5 . 1 g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of triethylamine at 20 ยฐ- 25 ยฐ c . to this vigorously stirred solution at 21 ยฐ- 26 ยฐ c . was added 6 . 6 g ( 0 . 03 mole ) of 95 % 3 -( t - butylperoxycarbonyl ) propionyl chloride in about 10 ml of methyl t - butyl ether over a period of 15 minutes . the resulting mixture was then stirred for 240 minutes at 25 ยฐ- 30 ยฐ c . a solid formed during the stir period and about 150 ml of additional methyl t - butyl ether was added to aid stirring . the reaction mass was then washed three times with 100 ml portions of water , twice with 100 ml portions of 33 % aqueous na2hpo 4 solution and finally twice with 100 ml portions of water . the resulting solution was dried over about 5 % by weight of anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and , after separation of the spent desiccant by filtration , the methyl t - butyl ether was removed in vacuo at 15 - 20 torr . using a rotatory evaporator at aspirator pressure . a wet solid was obtained which was slurried with 100 ml of cold pentane and filtered to give 7 . 8 g ( 56 % uncorrected yield ) of a light tan solid , m . p . 147 ยฐ- 152 ยฐ c . an ir spectrum of the product showed a hindered penolic oh band at about 3640 cm - 1 , an nh band at about 3270 cm - 1 and a double carbonyl band at about 1705 cm - 1 and 1720 cm - 1 . these data and the method of preparation confirmed that the product was the desired title compound ( e - 9b ). 121 ยฐ c . spi exotherms of t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ) the unsaturated polyester resin composition employed in this example was a mixture of an unsaturated polyester and styrene monomer . the unsaturated polyester was an alkyd resin made by esterifying the following components : to the resulting resin was added 0 . 013 % by weight of hydroquinone inhibitor . the alkyd resin had an acid no . of 45 - 50 . seven ( 7 ) parts by weight of the above unsaturated polyester alkyd was diluted with three ( 3 ) parts by weight of monomeric styrene . the resulting unsaturated polyester resin composition had the following properties : gelation and cure characteristics of t - butylperbenzoate ( a - 1 ), a well known curing catalyst for unsaturated polyester resin compositions , and t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ), an ao - p of the present invention , were determined using the standard spi exotherm procedure (&# 34 ; spi procedure for running exotherm curves - polyester resins ,&# 34 ; published in the preprint of the 16th annual conference -- reinforced plastics division , society of the plastics industry , inc ., february , 1961 ). using the procedure at 121 ยฐ c . ( 250 ยฐ f .) t - butyl perbenzoate ( a - 1 ) and e - 1 were evaluated . the results are summarized in table 10 - 1 and show that e - i , an ao - p of the instant invention , surprisingly cures the unsaturated polyester resin in spite of the presence of a free radical trapping hindered phenolic moiety in e - 1 . table 10 - 1______________________________________spi exotherm data at 121 ยฐ c . curing level , gel , cure , peak exo - barcolcatalyst % mins mins therm , ยฐ c . hardness______________________________________a - 1 1 . 0 3 . 0 3 . 9 420 45 - 50e - 1 1 . 0 8 . 4 10 . 3 400 40 - 45______________________________________ polypropylene modification with t - butyl peroxy - 3 - ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ) a polypropylene ( pp ) base resin ( himont 6501 ) was used as the pp resin and t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxy - phenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ), an ao - p of the present invention , was used as the modifying peroxide . pp with e - 1 ( 0 . 357 % by weight ) and without e - 1 were mixed in a c . w . brabender plasticorder at 180 ยฐ c . for 5 minutes at 50 rpm . the pp compounds were then removed and the melt flow indices ( mfi &# 39 ; s ) were determined according to astm procedure d1238 under condition ` l ` ( 230 ยฐ c ., 2 . 16 kg load ). the mfi results are summarized in table 11 - 1 and show that e - 1 does indeed modify pp as judged by the increased mfi of the e - 1 modified pp compared to that of the control ( i . e ., 17 . 3 g / 10 minutes vs . 7 . 4 g / 10 minutes ). the increased mfi meant that the melt viscosity of the e - 1 modified pp decreased . in addition , the increased mfi indicated that the molecular weight of the pp was significantly decreased by modifying with e - 1 . table 11 - 1______________________________________pp compound modifier level , % mfi , g / 10 mins______________________________________himont 6501 none 0 . 0 7 . 4himont 6501 + e - 1 0 . 357 17 . 3e - 1______________________________________ the above modified pp resins , as well as pp modified with 0 . 17 % by wt of t - butyl perbenzoate ( a - 1 ), a prior art peroxide , were tested for oxidative stability using a perkin elmer differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ). samples were placed in specimen pans open to an air purge . the temperature at the start was 40 ยฐ c . with a heating rate of 20 ยฐ c . per minute up to 170 ยฐ c ., then held at 170 ยฐ c . for the rest of the test . during the test the heat flow to and from the sample was monitored . the relative oxidative stabilities of the resin samples was determined by the time required to obtain maximum heat flow from the test specimen . a long time means greater oxidative stability . table 11 - 2 gives the times to maximum heat flow for the modified pp resin specimens . table 11 - 2______________________________________dsc oxidative stabilitymodified pp resin compoundsperoxide time to max heat fromused for modifying resin , mins______________________________________none 16a - 1 15e - 1 31______________________________________ the results show that e - 1 , an ao - p of this invention , modifies pp and simultaneously gives a modified pp resin having oxidative stability significantly greater than pp modified without peroxide or modified with a - 1 , a prior art peroxide . the results indicate that antioxidant moieties derived from e - 1 are covalently bonded to the modified pp resin compound . polybutadiene curing with t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5t - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxphenyl ) peroxypropionate ( e - 1 ) the resin employed was a mixture of 100 parts of polysar &# 39 ; s taktene 1202 polybutadiene ( pbd ) elastomer and 50 parts of zinc diacrylate co - agent . compositions such as pbd / zn acrylate plus fillers are often cured to produce the main component of golf balls . with respect to the peroxide curing agent , either 1 . 0 part of t - butyl peroxy - 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionate otherwise known by its iupac name , t - butyl 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) peroxyproionate ( e - 1 ), or 0 . 48 part of t - butyl 4 , 4 - di -( t - butylperoxy ) valerate ( a - 2 , lucidol &# 39 ; s lupersol 230 ), a prior art curing agent for pbd , was used . the pbd / zinc diacrylate compounds were compounded in a brabender plastometer at room temperature for about three minutes . the compounds were then pressed out , cut into 10 gram disks and placed in a monsanto oscillating disk rheometer ( odr ). the monsanto odr was operated at 160 ยฐ c . with an arc of 1 ยฐ . the torque and cure data obtained are summarized in table 12 - 1 . table 12 - 1______________________________________160 ยฐ c . rheometer datacuring of pbd / zn diacrylate ( 2 / 1 ) compoundcuring mh , mh - ml , tc90 , ts2 , agent in - lbs in - lbs mins mins______________________________________e - 1 86 82 4 . 3 0 . 8a - 2 134 130 2 . 6 0 . 6______________________________________ the results show that e - 1 does cure the resin giving a rubbery and soft crosslinked composition . in comparison , use of a - 2 produced a composition that was hard and brittle . the results obtained employing e - 1 as the curing agent are desirable for a golf ball application , whereas the result obtained using a - 2 as the curing agent are undesirable for a golf ball application . the above cured resins were tested for oxidative stability using a perkin elmer differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ). samples were placed in specimen pans open to an air purge . the temperature at the start was 40 ยฐ c . with a heating rate of 20 ยฐ c . per minute up to 170 ยฐ c ., then held at 170 ยฐ c . for the rest of the test . during the test the heat flow to and from the sample was monitored . the relative oxidative stabilities of the resin samples were determined by the time required to obtain maximum heat flow from the test specimen . a long time means greater oxidative stability . table 12 - 2 gives the times to maximum heat flow for the resin specimens . table 12 - 2______________________________________dsc oxidative stabilitycured pbd / zn diacrylate ( 2 / 1 ) compoundsperoxide time to max heat fromused for curing resin , mins______________________________________e - 1 38a - 2 13______________________________________ the results show that e - 1 cures the pbd / zn diacrylate compound to give a cured compound having oxidative stability significantly greater than pbd / zn diacrylate cured with the prior art curing agent , a - 2 . the results indicate that antioxidant moieties derived from e - 1 are covalently bonded to the cured resin compound . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention . | 2 |
with the aid of the drawings a display card according to the invention and its production method are described . fig1 shows a supporting body or core of the display card , indicated as a whole with the reference number 1 . the core 1 is a plate of an essentially rectangular shape , so as to define two opposed display surfaces which with reference to the figures are the bottom and top surface . the core 1 is preferably made from a material suitable to support printing so that images , wording , distinctive marks and the like can be represented . card , paper , plastic , etc ., can be used as the material for core 1 . the core 1 is preferably produced by die - cutting . using a die - cutting press , the peripheral outline of the core 1 is cut and inside this an aperture or window 2 is produced . the aperture 2 may have a substantially elliptical shape . after die - cutting , the core 1 is fed to a laminating machine which , by introducing the core into a โ pouch โ, covers the core 1 with two transparent plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ by a heat - sealing heat process . the transparent plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ have a substantially rectangular shape with slightly larger dimensions than core 1 . in this way a card 4 is obtained in which the peripheral parts of the two layers 3 , 3 โฒ are heat - sealed together and the core 1 is sandwiched between the plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ. therefore , the card has a transparent perimetric frame composed of the edges of the layers 3 , 3 โฒ heat - sealed together . the aperture 2 of the core 1 is covered , respectively , on the top and on the bottom by the layers 3 , 3 โฒ which are also heat - sealed together . in this way the wording and / or images represented on the core 1 are protected from wear and tear by the two transparent plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ and a card like the one shown in fig1 a is obtained . with reference to fig2 , after the heal - scaling process of the transparent plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ, the card 4 is sent to a punching phase , shown in fig2 and 2a . the card 4 is placed between a male metal punch 5 and a matrix 6 . the punch 5 has substantially the same configuration of the aperture 2 of the core 1 and the matrix 6 has a recessed seat 7 that has substantially the same configuration of the aperture 2 . therefore the card 4 is arranged with the aperture 2 of the core 1 in register with the punch 5 and with the recessed seal 7 of the matrix 6 . a cold punching process is then performed , during which the punch 5 is pressed onto the card 4 in the position of the aperture 2 of the core 1 . hence , the transparent plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ are compressed and pressed downward to adopt the configuration of the seat 7 of the matrix . consequently , as shown in fig2 a , at the end of the punching phase , the card 4 has a recessed cup - shaped seat 8 , arranged in the position of the aperture 2 . the bottom surface of the bottom transparent plastic layer 3 โฒ has a slight projection towards the outside in the position of the cup - shaped seat 8 . upon conclusion of the cold punching phase , as shown in fig3 , 3 a and 3 b , a final phase is performed to insert the object 9 to be displayed . in this specific case , purely as an example , the object to be displayed is a metal object , such as a medal , the top surface of which may be treated with a transparent enamel or laminated layer to protect it from wear and tear . the medal 9 , for example , may represent a sacred image , such as a madonna , a saint or another sacred symbol , and has a configuration that generally corresponds to the configuration of the cup - shaped seat 8 . as shown in fig3 a , transparent adhesive 10 , such as a two - component polyurethane based adhesive , is applied to the cup 8 . subsequently , as shown in fig3 b , the medal 9 is housed in the cup - shaped seat 8 on the transparent adhesive 10 . consequently , the transparent adhesive 10 expands in the cup 8 to attach to the bottom surface and the side edges of the medal 9 which remains attached to the card 4 . as both the adhesive 10 and the plastic layers 3 , 3 โฒ are transparent , the bottom surface of the medal 9 is also visible from the bottom part of the card 4 . after application of the transparent adhesive 10 and the display object 9 , the display card 4 is completed and ready to be placed on the market . numerous variations and modifications to details apparent to those skilled in the art , may be made to the present embodiment of the invention , without however departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the attached claims . | 6 |
fig2 is a perspective view of a bulkhead for dividing a cargo container into a first compartment and a second compartment in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a partially exploded perspective view of a bulkhead assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 and 3 , the bulkhead 100 comprises a first side 110 facing a first compartment 111 and a second side 120 facing the second compartment 112 . the bulkhead is configured to extend substantially from the first wall 131 to the second wall 132 ( shown in fig4 ) and to the container top 133 and the container bottom 134 . the bulkhead can comprise one or more sections and , as shown , comprises a first section 101 and a second section 102 . in one embodiment , the bulkhead comprises โ
- inch plywood . also shown are two bars 140 extending from the first wall 131 to the second wall 132 ( shown in fig4 ). although two bars 140 are shown , the invention can comprise one or more bars mounted in such a manner . notably , the bars 140 are mounted only to the first side 110 of the bulkhead . in one embodiment , the second side comprises no brackets , locks or bars . in one embodiment , the bulkhead comprises a first section 101 and a second section 102 which are substantially equal in size . it should , however , be pointed out that one or more sections having varying sizes can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention . referring to fig3 , in one embodiment , the bar 140 further comprises a first bar 141 and a second bar 142 , the first bar 141 and second bar 142 being attached by a collar 145 . the collar 145 can be integral with either the first bar 141 or the second bar 142 . if the collar 145 is integral with the first bar 141 , then the second bar 142 is slidably disposed into the collar 145 . similarly , if the second bar 142 comprises an integral collar 145 , the first bar 141 can be slidably disposed into the collar 145 . in one embodiment , the first bar 141 second bar 142 and adjustable bar 144 comprise a cast aluminum housing . of course , other suitable materials can be used . in one embodiment , as best depicted by the exploded bar 140 shown in fig3 , an adjustable rack gear 152 has a left end and a right end . the right end can be attached to the adjustable bar 144 the left end can be disposed against the second bar 142 . the adjustable bar 144 can be slidably disposed in the second bar 142 and the paddle handle 154 can be closed to lock the adjustable bar 144 into position , as shown in fig2 . the first bar 141 , second bar 142 and / or the adjustable bar 144 can be attached to the bulkhead 100 by angle brackets 160 as needed . in one embodiment , the angle brackets comprise 3 / 16 - inch thick mild steel and are attached to the bulkhead by โ
- inch carriage bolts and secured with โ
- inch nyloc nuts . of course , such specific embodiment is provided only for purposes of illustration and not limitation . in one embodiment , the angle brackets 160 comprise an elliptical opening 162 having a major axis which is substantially vertical . such embodiment permits the bar 140 to have some play . such embodiment advantageously facilitates placement of the bulkhead into position as shown in fig2 . further , such embodiment advantageously minimizes stress on the bulkhead which inevitably occurs during bumpy driving conditions . for example , if the bar 140 is attached rigidly to the bulkhead 110 and the cargo container experiences bumps due to rough road conditions , the angle brackets 160 can become separated from the bulkhead 100 resulting in commingling of goods , potential damage to the shipment , and requiring time consuming repair . in one embodiment , the bar 140 comprises jack mounts 149 disposed at each end to attach the bar 140 to slots in either a horizontal track 170 , or a vertical track 180 . consequently , in one embodiment , the bulkhead comprises a bar 140 which further comprises a jack mount 149 which can be removeably attached to a track 170 180 on the first wall 131 or second wall 132 ( as shown in fig4 ). in one embodiment , the jack bar 149 is welded to the first bar 141 and / or to the second bar 144 . in one embodiment , the first bar 141 and adjustable bar 144 comprise a slot to permit the jack bar to be inserted and welded . of course , any suitable attachment means can be used . first , in a cargo container having a first wall 131 , a second wall 132 ( as shown in fig4 ), a top 133 , and a bottom 134 the first bulkhead section 101 and second bulkhead section 102 can be placed adjacent one another after the front portion of the cargo container or second compartment 112 has been loaded with cargo . the bulkhead sections 101 102 , in one embodiment , have angle brackets 160 pre - installed or the first side 110 . in one embodiment , prior to placement of first bulkhead section 101 , the second bar 142 and adjustable bar 144 are disposed through the elliptical openings 162 of the angle brackets 160 . similarly , the first bar 141 can be disposed in the elliptical openings 162 of the angle bracket 160 of the second bulkhead section 102 . after the bulkhead 100 has been placed into position the first bar 141 and second bar 142 can be attached via a collar 145 and locked into place with a spring clip pin 146 or other suitable device . the jack mount 149 attached to the adjustable bar 144 can then be secured into a slot in the removeable track 170 or a vertical track 180 . other bars 140 can be latched into place by similar method . in one embodiment , if two or more bars 140 are utilized , the adjustable ends 144 can be alternated . for example , as shown in fig3 , the upper adjustable bar 144 is adjacent the first wall 131 and the lower adjustable bar 144 is adjacent the second wall ( not shown ). such embodiment may be advantageous for installation and security purposes and to minimize the required number of components for a complete bulkhead assembly . fig4 is a perspective view of the bulkhead assembly in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention . in one embodiment , the bulkhead 100 comprises mounting brackets 172 for placing sections of removeable track 170 . vertical tracks 180 are typically installed at two foot increments inside a cargo trailer . because space in cargo containers is sold by the foot , the removeable tracks can be placed on the vertical tracks 180 to advantageously place the bulkhead such that only the space required is purchased . the present invention provides several advantages . one advantage is that the bulkhead can be flipped 180 degrees , thus installers will not have to worry about which side is up or which side is down . the present invention provides a bulkhead which can be used without the need of a bulky cumbersome base unit . further , because the bars 140 are mounted only to the first side 110 of the bulkhead , it is easier to install and uninstall . the security between compartments is still maintained , as the paddle 154 can be locked with a padlock to secure the bulkhead once the bulkhead has been placed into position . additionally , the elongated , elliptical opening 162 and the angle brackets 160 provide for play which preserves the integrity and operational lifespan of the bulkhead assembly . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
the polymers of the invention are prepared by the heat induced condensation reaction of amidoxime groups to form 1 , 2 , 4 - oxadiazole linkages and of nitrile or amidine groups to form triazine linkages . the following reactions illustrate the various processes involved in the invention : ## str2 ## the first reaction ( a ) has already been described in copending application ser . no . 843 , 090 , filed on oct . 17 , 1977 and now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 145 , 524 . it takes place to some extent between molecules of compound i when that compound is used as one of the monomers as is the case with reactions d and e . the four new reactions ( b to e ) show the various monomers and combination of monomers that will yield the crosslinked elastomers herein disclosed . in these formulas , r represents identical bivalent organic radicals or any combination of bivalent organic radicals selected from the group consisting of : --( cx 2 ) p --, wherein p ranges from 2 to about 18 and x is hydrogen or fluorine ; and oligomeric or polymeric radicals prepared by reaction of a dicarboxylic acid halide with a perfluoroepoxide and having the formula wherein y is fluorine or trifluoromethyl , x is fluorine or hydrogen , p ranges from 1 to about 18 and m + n ranges from 2 to about 7 . the polymers formed from these monomers will vary in structure according to the type and proportion of monomer end groups present . thus , when an amidoxime - amidine ( iii ) monomer is used , the resulting polymer has a theoretically equal number of oxadiazole rings and crosslinking triazine rings . using any or a combination of the two monomers ( ii and iii ) with a diamidoxime ( i ) will , of course , increase the proportion of oxadiazole linkages formed and decrease the proportion of crosslinking triazine rings . whatever proportions of monomer reactive end groups are actually selected for the preparation of a given crosslinked polymer will depend ultimately on the properties that said polymer must have . in this respect , the preferred ratio of oxadiazole ring - forming groups to triazine ring - forming groups for obtaining the most adequate level of elasticity in the polymer , when elasticity is desired , should be about 9 or 10 : 1 . higher contents of triazine linkages will increase the rigidity of the polymer and render them useful for other applications . the condensation reactions undergone by the monomers to form the linear oxadiazole linkages and the tridimensional triazine linkages are carried out by heating the monomer charge at temperatures of up to about 200 ยฐ c . for a period sufficient to obtain the degree of cure desired . the following table provides an idea of what may be expected from various heating regimes for a particular monomer charge : ______________________________________ temperature time ## str3 ## ______________________________________80 - 130 ยฐ c . 3 days ห 3 , 000 ( 3000 - 10 , 000 ) 150 ยฐ c . 1 to 1 . 75 days 10 , 000 to 35 , 000150 ยฐ c . 3 . 5 days ห 35 , 000 + ______________________________________ although heating at 150 ยฐ c . has produced polymers of weight average molecular weights of 35 , 000 , as measured by viscosimetry , an elastomeric network ordinarily begins to form during the 150 ยฐ heating cycle and is completed during the 200 ยฐ c . post - cure heating period . the heat and chemical resistant polymeric materials of this invention can be compounded with a great variety of fillers , extenders , and modifiers for use in numerous applications in which high stability , impermeability to liquids and gases , good plasticity and elasticity , or rigidity are advantageous . keeping in mind that some of these desirable properties can be altered in any direction by selection of the monomer mix and polymerization conditions , the resulting polymers may be employed , for example , as adhesives , caulking compounds , channel sealants , fuel tank liners , and the like . the invention having thus been generally described , a few specific embodiments will now be provided to illustrate the processes and products involved . these examples are not intended to be limiting of the invention scope . the diamidoximes ( i ) that can be used in the preparation of the polymers of the present invention can be synthesized by methods described in detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 455 , 244 , methods which involve , for example , the successive conversion of the corresponding diacylfluoride to the diamide , the dinitrile , and finally the diamidoxime . the preparation of the other monomers used , i . e ., the amidoxime - nitrile ( ii ) and the amidoxime - amidine , will now be described . an amidoxime - nitrile compound ( see formula ii ) in which the value of m + n in the r group ( see formula iv ) is equal to 6 , was prepared by placing hydroxylamine , 0 . 355 g ( 10 . 78 mmoles ) in a 100 ml round - bottomed flask and adding the corresponding dinitrile , 9 . 0154 g ( 5 . 89 mmoles , 11 . 78 molar equivalents ), and trichlorotrifluoroethane ( freon 113 ), 20 ml . the flask was purged with nitrogen gas and the contents stirred overnight . the solution was removed from the flask and the solvent evaporated with nitrogen gas to give 8 . 07 g of the amidoxime - nitrile , an 85 % yield . infrared analysis of the product showed absorption at 2 . 86 ฮผm ; 2 . 96 ฮผm ( nh 2 ); 2 . 98 to 3 . 32 ฮผm ( oh ); 4 . 43 ฮผm ( c . tbd . n ); 5 . 96 ฮผm ( c โ n ); 6 . 33 ฮผm ( c โ n ); and 7 to 9 ฮผm ( c -- f ). the ratio of nitrile to amidoxime was 1 : 10 . 8 . in a preparation similar to example 1 , the quantities of materials used were 14 . 51 g ( 9 . 48 mmoles , 18 . 96 molar equivalents ) of the dinitrile , 0 . 60 g ( 18 . 17 mmoles ) of hydroxylamine , and 30 ml freon 113 . after stirring for 16 hours , filtering , evaporating , and degassing for 2 hours , 13 . 52 g ( 93 . 1 % yield ) of the amidoxime - nitrile compound were obtained showing ir absorption bands for nh 2 , oh , c . tbd . n , c โ n , and cf . the nitrile to amidoxime group ratio was 1 : 23 . another method of preparing the amidoxime - nitrile cross - linking reagent involves the use of absolute methanol as a solvent for the hydroxylamine . according to this method , hydroxylamine , 0 . 7731 g ( 23 . 41 mmoles ), was dissolved in absolute methanol , 0 . 08 ml . this was added to a round - bottomed flask containing the dinitrile of example 1 , 20 . 7759 g ( 13 . 58 mmoles , 27 . 16 molar equivalents ), dissolved in freon 113 , 30 ml . the homogeneous solution was stirred for 17 hours under a blanket of argon gas . after filtration and evaporation , 19 . 4878 g ( 93 . 8 % yield ) of the amidoxime - nitrile compound were obtained , having a 1 : 6 . 24 ratio of nitrile to amidoxime . an amidoxime - amidine compound ( iii ) was prepared by stirring together in a nitrogen atmosphere for 16 hours 11 . 02 g ( 7 . 2 mmoles , 14 . 4 molar equivalents ) of the dinitrile used in example 1 , with 0 . 28 g ( 8 . 48 mmoles ) hydroxylamine diluted with 30 ml freon 113 . ammonia was then bubbled into the solution for 1 hour at room temperature . this gave 10 . 55 g ( 93 . 5 % yield ) of crosslinking agent having a 1 : 1 . 43 ratio of amidine to amidoxime groups . ir absorption was measured at 2 . 84 to 3 . 02 ฮผm ( nh 2 ); 2 . 97 to 3 . 32 ฮผm ( oh ); 5 . 77 , 5 . 95 , and 6 . 33 ฮผm ( c โ n amidoxime ); 6 . 06 , 6 . 25 ฮผm ( c โ n amidine ); and 7 to 9 ฮผm ( cf ). in a preparation similar to that of example 4 , an amidoxime - amidine crosslinking agent was obtained by stirring together in a nitrogen atmosphere for 16 hours , 15 . 4413 g ( 10 . 09 mmoles , 20 . 18 molar equivalents ) of the dinitrile of example 1 , with 0 . 5713 g ( 17 . 30 mmoles ) hydroxylamine diluted with 35 ml freon 113 . ammonia was then bubbled through the solution for 1 hour at room temperature . this gave 14 . 5303 g ( 94 . 1 % yield ) of the crosslinking agent , having a 1 : 6 . 0 amidine to amidoxime group ratio . various polymers were prepared from nitrile - amidoxime ( ii ) and amidine - amidoxime ( iii ) monomers prepared as in examples 1 and 2 , containing various ratios of nitrile or amidine groups to amidoxime groups . polymerization and crosslinking were accomplished simply by heating a monomer with a given triazine ring - forming group to amidoxime ratio in the following manner : 80 - 130 ยฐ c . for 2 days at 50 cm hg ; 150 ยฐ c . for 3 to 4 days in full vacuum ; and 200 ยฐ c . for 2 to 3 days in full vacuum . during this heating schedule , elastomers were formed at 150 ยฐ c . after 3 days when the proper ratio of groups was present , and the molecular weight was increased by the further heating at 200 ยฐ c . a selection of monomers identified by their nitrile or amidine to amidoxime content ratio is listed in table 1 along with some of the properties possessed by the polymers obtained by the heat treatment just described . all the polymers showed ir absorption at 6 . 29 ฮผ m ( oxadiazole ) and 6 . 45 ฮผm ( triazine ). table 1______________________________________crosslinked oxadiazoles obtained from single monomerssingle monomers polymer propertiesratio of ring - modulus glass transitionforming groups ( dynes / cm . sup . 2 ) temperature______________________________________nitrile toamidoxime1 : 0 . 54 3 . 5 ร 10 . sup . 6 - 47 ยฐ c . 1 : 2 . 33 2 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 6 - 46 ยฐ c . 1 : 4 . 5 4 . 3 ร 10 . sup . 5 - 47 ยฐ c . 1 : 6 . 3 2 . 5 ร 1 . 0 . sup . 5 - 47 ยฐ c . trace nitrile viscous -- no nitrile viscous -- amidine toamidoxime1 : 1 . 0 2 . 6 ร 10 . sup . 6 - 46 ยฐ c . 1 : 3 . 0 1 . 5 ร 10 . sup . 6 - 48 ยฐ c . 1 : 4 . 1 1 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 6 - 47 ยฐ c . 1 : 6 . 3 3 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 - 47 ยฐ c . 1 : 10 . 7 elastic -- trace amidine viscous -- ______________________________________ most of the polymers in the above table had a jp - 4 jet fuel extractible content of about 1 %, on a weight basis . those with the 1 : 6 . 3 ratios , i . e ., the most useful from the elastomeric point of view , had extractibles of about 1 . 5 %. crosslinked polymers were prepared by heat treating various mixtures of nitrile or amidine ( ii and iii ) hybrid monomers , as used in the earlier examples , with the corresponding diamidoxime compound ( i ) of said hybrid monomers . the concentration of hybrid monomer in each mixture was adjusted to provide the ratio of triazine - forming groups to oxadiazole - forming groups desired and the resulting mixture was subjected to the following heat regime : ______________________________________ barometrictemperature time condition______________________________________80 - 130 ยฐ c . 2 days ห 50 cm hg150 ยฐ c . 6 days ห 50 cm hg200 ยฐ c . 2 to 3 days full vacuum______________________________________ during this curing schedule , elastomers were formed at 150 ยฐ c . after about 5 days and further heating at 200 ยฐ c . served to increase the crosslinking . the nature and proportions of monomers used , as well as some of the properties of the crosslinked polymers produced , are recorded in table 2 . in these preparations using the same monomers as in example 7 , the triazine ring - forming material and the diamidoxime were heated separately under reduced pressure before blending . the heat regime applied is shown below , with steps a to d being conducted in sequence : ______________________________________ barometrictemperature time condition______________________________________individual monomers :( a ) 80 - 130 ยฐ c . 2 days ห 50 cm hgblend of pre - heated monomers :( b ) 80 - 130 ยฐ c . 1 day ห 50 cm hg ( c ) 150 ยฐ c . 4 days ห 50 cm hg ( d ) 200 ยฐ c . 2 days full vacuum______________________________________ it has been found that the blending methods just described which involve direct mixing or pre - treating the monomers with heat separately before they are blended , significantly inproves the reproducibility of the polymer properties when relatively large quantities of monomers are mixed and then heated as in examples 7 and 8 . the results of several amidine - amidoxime blends treated in the manner just described are reported in table 2 , along with the data from example 7 . table 2__________________________________________________________________________crosslinked oxadiazoles obtained from monomers mixtures containing adiamidoximemonomer mixture extractibles ( 24 hrs ) tga analysiscrosslinking agent diamidoxime final monomer modulus ** boiling boiling 275 ยฐ c . in airratio * weight ( g ) weight ( g ) ratio * preheating ( dynes / cm . sup . 2 ) water jp4 fuel for 24 hours__________________________________________________________________________example 4 : 1 : 2 . 1 0 . 5242 0 . 5600 1 : 5 . 53 no 2 . 4 ร 10 . sup . 6 1 . 0 % 1 . 0 % 2 . 0 % 1 : 2 . 1 2 . 0314 1 . 9835 1 : 5 . 13 no 3 . 5 ร 10 . sup . 6 -- -- -- 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 4340 0 . 1637 1 : 6 . 02 no 1 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 % 2 . 1 % 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 5925 0 . 1981 1 : 5 . 8 no 3 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 % -- 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 6670 0 . 2599 1 : 6 . 1 no 2 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 0 . 5 % 0 . 7 % 2 . 2 % example 5 : 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 227 0 . 082 1 : 5 . 93 yes 2 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 1 . 45 % 3 . 3 % 4 . 2 % 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 261 0 . 137 1 : 6 . 8 yes 1 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 2 . 0 % 1 . 34 % 3 . 2 % 1 : 4 . 1 2 . 692 2 . 512 1 : 8 . 86 yes -- 1 . 2 % high -- 1 : 4 . 1 0 . 661 0 . 282 1 : 6 . 7 yes 1 . 0 ร 10 . sup . 5 0 . 5 % 2 . 0 % -- __________________________________________________________________________ * ratio of nitrile to amidoxime ( first run ) and of amidine to amidoxime ( last 9 runs ). ** modulus values were determined by dupont thermomechanical analyzer . it is evident from the results in the above table that heat resistant polymers can be prepared with a broad range of properties , depending on the nature and proportions of monomers used . it has further been found that the use of a diamidoxime ( i ) along with a hybrid monomer ( ii and iii ) is quite desirable in achieving reproducible polymer results , especially when such properties as elasticity are desired in optimum degree , e . g ., at an overall triazine ring - forming group to amidoxime group ratio of about 1 : 6 . in any event , the presently disclosed and newly discovered possibility of crosslinking to any desired degree the conventional heat and chemical resistant 1 , 2 , 4 - oxadiazole perfluorinated polymers of the art , greatly increases their utility in various applications which include those already mentioned as well as others for which they may become suited through the modifications and variations of material and process that the man skilled in the art will surely accomplish without departing from the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
the invention can be variously modified in various forms and specific embodiments will be described and shown in the drawings . however , the embodiments are not intended to limit the invention , but it should be understood that the invention includes all the modifications , equivalents , and replacements belonging to the spirit and the technical scope of the invention . when it is determined that detailed description of known techniques associated with the invention makes the gist of the invention obscure , the detailed description will be omitted . terms such as โ first โ and โ second โ can be used to describe various elements , but the elements are not limited to the terms . the terms are used only to distinguish one element from another element . the terms used in the following description are used to merely describe specific embodiments , but are not intended to limit the invention . an expression of the singular number includes an expression of the plural number , so long as it is clearly read differently . the terms such as โ include โ and โ have โ are intended to indicate that features , numbers , steps , operations , elements , components , or combinations thereof used in the following description exist and it should be thus understood that the possibility of existence or addition of one or more different features , numbers , steps , operations , elements , components , or combinations thereof is not excluded . terms , โ unit โ, โ- er (- or )โ, โ module โ, and the like , described in the specification mean a unit for performing at least one function or operation and can be embodied by hardware , by software , or by a combination of hardware and software . so long as they are not defined differently , all the terms used herein , which include technical or scientific terms , have the same meanings as generally understood by those skilled in the art . the terms defined in dictionaries used in general should be analyzed to have the same meaning as in the contexts of the related art , but the terms should not be analyzed ideal or excessively formal as long as they are not clearly defined . the exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an information display device according to the related art . referring to fig1 , the information display device includes a camera unit 110 , an image processing unit 120 , and a display unit 130 . although not shown , the information display device may further include a memory unit that stores image data processed by the image processing unit 120 . the camera unit 110 is mounted on a vehicle so as to monitor the rear side of the vehicle and generates and outputs an image of the rear side of the vehicle . the camera unit 110 can be embodied by a camera device including a lens and an image processor and is turned on when a gear shift for allowing a vehicle to enter a back - up mode is sensed . the camera unit 110 may further include an a / d converter that converts analog image information into digital image information . the image processing unit 120 includes a camera signal input unit 140 , a processor 145 , and a display data output unit 150 . the camera signal input unit 140 provides the processor 145 with image information input from the camera unit 110 . the processor 145 senses an external interrupt associated with the gear shift . when the external interrupt is associated with the gear shift for allowing the vehicle to enter the back - up mode , the processor 145 processes the image information input from the camera unit 110 , converts the processed image information into display data to be displayed on the display unit 130 , and outputs the display data to the display data output unit 150 . the processor 145 may sense the external interrupt through a gpio ( general purpose input / output ) or may include an external interrupt unit for sensing the external interrupt . the configuration of the processor 145 for sensing the external interrupt is obvious to those skilled in the art and thus description thereof is not made . the processor 145 performs an image process ( for example , one or more of lens shading compensation , noise filtering , global contrast enhancement , auto white balance , encoding , and decoding ) on the image information input from the camera unit 110 . the processor 145 may be embodied as a chip including an image signal processor and / or a multimedia processor . the display data output unit 150 provides the display data output from the processor 145 to the display unit 130 so as to display the display data on a display screen . as described above , the image processing unit 120 can allow a driver to recognize the rear situation of the vehicle by repeatedly performing the procedure of processing the image information input from the camera unit 110 and updating a screen image to be displayed on the display unit 130 . in this way , the information display device according to the related art includes only the single processor 145 . the booting time of the information display device has increased to perform various complex functions and the rear monitoring function desired by the driver is not normally performed in the course of booting . fig2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an information display device according to an embodiment of the invention . referring to fig2 , the information display device includes a camera unit 210 , an image processing unit 220 , and a display unit 230 . although not shown , the information display device may further include a memory unit that stores image data processed by the image processing unit 220 . the camera unit 210 is mounted on a vehicle so as to monitor the rear side of the vehicle and generates and outputs image information on the rear side of the vehicle . the camera unit 210 can be embodied by a camera device including a lens and an image processor . the camera unit 210 may further include an a / d converter that converts analog image information into digital image information . the image processing unit 220 includes a camera signal input unit 240 , a main processing unit 245 , a sub processing unit 250 , and a display data output unit 255 . the camera signal input unit 240 provides the main processing unit 245 or the sub processing unit 250 with the image information input from the camera unit 210 . that is , in a back - up mode , the image information is supplied to the main processing unit 245 when the main processing unit ends a booting operation , and the image information is supplied to the sub processing unit 250 when the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation . the main processing unit 245 is a processing unit that performs a function designated to be performed by the image processing unit 220 in a state where the booting of the information display device is normally ended . the sub processing unit 250 is a processing unit that performs a process ( for example , one or more of lens shading compensation , noise filtering , global contrast enhancement , auto white balance , encoding , and decoding ) on the image information input from the camera unit 210 and displays the processed image information on the display unit 230 . the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 may each include an image signal processor and / or a multimedia processor , and may be embodied as individual chips or as a single chip . when the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 are embodied as individual chips , a camera signal input unit and a display data output unit may be included in each chip . when the information display device is turned on , the main processing unit 245 starts performing the booting operation . in the booting operation of the main processing unit 245 , a boot loader is first activated , firmware or an rots ( real - time operation system ) is activated to allow the sub processing unit 250 to process the image information , os ( operating system ) data is read from a storage medium and is loaded into a memory , and then the actual booting operation is started . by this booting operation , the sub processing unit 250 can be switched to a state where the image information input from the camera unit 210 can be processed even when the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation . the sub processing unit 250 includes an external interrupt unit that senses an external interrupt . since the external interrupt unit is disposed in the sub processing unit 250 , the sub processing unit 250 can sense the external interrupt and perform necessary processes without interruption or help of the main processing unit 245 . the external interrupt may be sensed by the gpio as described above . when the external interrupt associated with a gear shift for allowing the vehicle to enter the back - up mode is sensed , the sub processing unit 250 checks the state of the main processing unit 245 , and starts processing and outputting the image information input from the camera unit 210 when the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation . when the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 are embodied as a single chip , a storage space ( not shown ) used for the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 to share information is disposed in the chip . one or more of information on a current state , information on processes , and setting and control information on other elements ( for example , one or more of the camera signal input unit , the display data output unit , and the first and second switching units ) is stored in the storage space . the sub processing unit 250 recognizes the current state of the main processing unit 245 with reference to the storage space . the main processing unit 245 checks the processing state on the basis of the information stored in the shared storage space so as to perform the process , which is performed by the sub processing unit 250 , and control the other elements so as to input and output the image information , after the booting operation is ended . however , when the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 are embodied as individual chips and the shared storage space is not present , the main processing unit 245 notifies the sub processing unit of the end of the booting operation by the gpio , receives and processes the image information by controlling the other elements ( such as the first and second switching units ), and outputs the processed information to the display unit 230 . as described above , the image processing unit 220 according to this embodiment includes the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 and can normally perform the rear side monitoring function by the use of the sub processing unit 250 switched to a state where it can normally perform processes even before the main processing unit 245 ends the booting operation . fig3 and 4 are diagrams schematically illustrating the flow of operations in an information display device according to an embodiment of the invention . fig3 and 4 , the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 are embodied as individual chips , respectively . referring to fig3 and 4 , the information display device includes a camera unit 210 , a first image processing unit 220 a second image processing unit 220 b , a display unit 230 , a first switching unit 310 , and a second switching unit 320 . although not shown , the information display device may further include a memory unit for storing image data processed by the image processing units 220 a and 220 b . the first switching unit 310 inputs image information input from the camera unit 210 to the first image processing unit 220 a and the second image processing unit 220 b . for example , the first switching unit 310 may set a default path ( see fig3 ) so as to input the image information to the first image processing unit 220 ; may switch an input path of the image information to the second image processing unit 220 b ( see fig4 ) under the control of the sub processing unit 250 having received an external interrupt on the gear shift for allowing the vehicle to enter the back - up mode during the booting operation of the main processing unit 245 , or may switch the input path of the image information to the first image processing unit 220 a again under the control of the main processing unit 245 having ended the booting operation . the path control of the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 may be carried out , for example , using the gpio . the first image processing unit 220 a and the second image processing unit 220 b may include the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 , respectively , as shown in the drawing . the first and second image processing units 220 a and 220 b may further include the camera signal input unit 240 and the display data output unit 250 described above . the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 can be connected to each other through the gpio or an interrupt line . the main processing unit 245 outputs a high signal or a low signal to the sub processing unit 250 through the gpio depending on whether it is performing the booting operation . the sub processing unit 250 senses the current state of the main processing unit 245 on the basis of the signal . accordingly , the sub processing unit 250 processes and outputs the image information input from the camera unit 210 only when the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation in the back - up mode of the vehicle , and controls the first and second switching units 310 and 320 to allow the main processing unit 245 to process and output the image information when the main processing unit 245 ends the booting operation . in this case , the main processing unit 245 and the sub processing unit 250 output display data which is obtained by processing the image information input through the switching of the first switching unit 310 . in addition , the main processing unit 245 having ended the booting operation may access a storage space , which stores processing information , in the sub processing unit 250 and sharing the processing information using a host port interface ( hpi ) method . in this way , when the hpi method is used , the booting state information of the main processing unit 245 may be supplied to the sub processing unit 250 through the hpi . the main processing unit 245 or the sub processing unit 250 controls the second switching unit 320 to output the display data obtained by processing the image information to the display unit 230 for the purpose of the rear monitoring function . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an information display method according to an embodiment of the invention . referring to fig5 , the sub processing unit 250 receives a gear shift event for allowing a vehicle to enter a back - up mode through the gpio or the external interrupt unit in step 510 . in step 520 , the sub processing unit 250 determines whether the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation , on the basis of the information stored in the storage space shared with the main processing unit 245 or on the basis of the signal supplied from the main processing unit 245 through the gpio or using the hpi method . when the main processing unit 245 ends the booting operation , the main processing unit 245 processes the image information input from the camera unit 210 and outputs the processed image information to the display unit 230 in step 530 . on the contrary , when the main processing unit 245 is performing the booting operation , the sub processing unit 250 processes the image information input from the camera unit 210 and outputs the processed image information to the display unit in step 540 . at this time , the switching operation is carried out so that the input path of the image information from the camera unit 210 and the output path to the display unit 230 pass through the sub processing unit 250 . when the vehicle is in the back - up mode ( that is , when the image information is continuously being input from the camera unit 210 ), the sub processing unit 250 determines whether the main processing unit 245 ends the booting operation in step 550 . when it is determined that the main processing unit 245 does not end the booting operation , the sub processing unit 250 processes and outputs the image information input from the camera unit 210 again in step 540 . on the contrary , when it is determined that the main processing unit 245 ends the booting operation , the main processing unit 245 processes and outputs the image information input from the camera unit 210 in step 530 . at this time , the switching operation is carried out so that the input path of the image information from the camera unit 210 and the output path to the display unit 230 pass through the main processing unit 245 . the above - mentioned vehicle information display method may be put into practice in the form of a time - series automated procedure by a software program built in the vehicle information display device . codes and code segments of the program will be easily obtained by programmers skilled in the art . the program can be stored in a computer - readable recording medium and can be read and executed by a computer to embody the above - mentioned method . examples of the recording medium include a magnetic recording medium , an optical recording medium , and a carrier wave medium . while the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified and changed in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the appended claims . | 6 |
the apparatus for snow sports according to the invention presented in fig1 to 3 , of an overall length of around 1 . 50 meters is essentially composed of a supporting runner ( 1 ), linked to a steering runner ( 2 ) by a terminal fork ( 3 ) from a pivoting arm ( 4 ). this arm pivots freely in a sheath ( 5 ), which is inclined at 65 degrees approximately in relation to the ground , being part of a metal tube frame ( 6 ) made up of two diverging curved stringers ( 7 , 8 ) emanating from the sheath &# 39 ; s base ( 5 ), and attached parallelly from their underside to the upper surface of the supporting runner ( 1 ) following two rectilinear parts between around 1 / 5 of the length from the front and 1 / 3 from the rear of the runner ( 1 ), which extends to a raised end at approximately 20 degrees in relation to the ground . the end of the supporting strut ( 9 ) inclined at around 70 degrees in relation to the ground , emanating from the upper part of sheath ( 5 ), is attached to a cross brace ( 10 ) linking two stringers ( 7 , 8 ) at the point of their jointure with the supporting runner ( 1 ). foot rest ( 11 ), with a non - slip surface , is attached from its underside to the upper surface of the final rectilinear parts of stringers ( 7 , 8 ). it can accommodate the feet , one beside the other or one behind the other . cross braces ( 12 , 13 ), linking stringers ( 7 , 8 ) ensure a good rigidity to the whole unit . supporting runner ( 1 ), approximately 95 cm in length , is curved upwards at its nose from around 1 / 5 of its length from the nose , to 10 cm in height from the ground , in the same way its rear part is raised beginning from a 1 / 3 from the rear of the runner to around 1 cm above the ground . the raised nose of the supporting runner ( 1 ) is rounded beginning from around a 1 / 3 of the length from the front of the runner where its width is a maximum of around 23 cm , diminishing gradually to around 18 cm at the end of the runner in the shape of a trapezium , its narrowest part facing backwards . steering runner ( 2 ) of around 50 cm in length is of a trapezium shape , its narrowest part facing forward , diminishing from a point around 1 / 4 of its length from the rear , where the width is a maximum of around 30 cm , its nose is rounded from one side to the other from the central , parallel or ( slightly inclined ) section of the runner , following arcs of around 8 cm in radius . the front part of steering runner ( 2 ), is raised evenly from around the 1 / 2 of its length towards the front to around 5 cm above the ground at the nose . in the same way its rear is raised evenly to around 1 cm above the ground at the rear . steering runner ( 2 ) is articulated at around 1 / 4 of its length from its back end , at the ends of fork ( 3 ) by two mounting brackets ( 14 , 15 ), parallel , separated by a distance of around 15 cm , and crossed by an axle ( 16 ) parallel to the ground , perpendicular to central axis of the runner ( 2 ). a pneumatic shock absorber ( 17 ) links the base of fork ( 3 ) to around 1 / 4 of the length of the runner from the front , by free articulation . this design assures an excellent stability of steering runner ( 2 ) in all types of maneuvers . on the other hand , this pneumatic shock absorber ( 17 ) can be replaced by any other shock absorption system , particularly by friction washers breaking the pivot at the extremities of fork ( 3 ) on mounting brackets ( 14 , 15 ), on axle ( 16 ), or furthermore by a simple rigid reinforcing rod . the underside of steering runner ( 2 ) is advantageously maintained in horizontal position by the mounting brackets ( 14 , 15 ) and the shock absorber ( 17 ) at a slightly higher level of around 0 . 5 cm more than that of the underside of supporting runner ( 1 ). the plumb - line of the nose of supporting runner ( 1 ) is spaced around 5 cm from the rear of steering runner ( 2 ). the upper extremity of pivoting arm ( 4 ) is extended by a shaft adjustable in height by a slipping action in the arm , capped by an adjustable coupling ( 18 ) projecting forward holding the center of the handlebar ( 19 ) of around 70 cm in length with two hand grips ( 20 , 21 ) reinforced by a cross brace ( 22 ). the plumb - line of hand grips is situated vertically between the nose of the supporting runner ( 1 ) and end of the steering runner ( 2 ) when the axis of steering runner ( 2 ) is directly in line with that of supporting runner ( 1 ). the arms ( 24 , 25 ) of the handlebar are situated in a perpendicular position to the ground . the runners , supporting ( 1 ) and steering ( 2 ), are made up of the classical ski construction materials generally laminated in wood , metal , fibber - glass , carbon fiber bound together by synthetic resin . their bottom lateral edges are reinforced by sharp metal rails for traction on more or less icy snow , particularly in winding turns . preferably , the runners are thicker at the tail than at the nose . when steering runner ( 2 ) is turned with the handlebar ( 19 ) while in motion the track of the supporting runner ( 1 ) comes to fall in that of the steering runner ( 2 ) without any skidding of the tail of the steering runner because of its rounded shape . this way excellent conditions of stability and maneuverability are obtained from the apparatus for snow sports object of the invention , notably over soft powder snow as well as for jumps and other acrobatic maneuvers . the raised back end of the foot support ( 11 ) offers the user a support for elevating the nose of the apparatus during certain maneuvers . a binding foot strap for the user &# 39 ; s shoes can be installed on foot rest ( 11 ), as shown in dotted lines ( 23 ) on fig3 notably in order to permit the use of mechanical lift means in the winter sports resorts . this binding can be advantageously dismantled to allow removal for acrobatic maneuvers where it can be a hindrance if not a danger . the diverse dimensions of the elements outlined in the preceding examples are generally for adults , they can however be modified proportionally for a better adaptation notably for children . for acrobatic maneuvers the shock absorber is blocked or replaced with a rigid rod , or even omit the rod welding the stirrups to the extremities of the fork arms . and moving this point to around a 1 / 2 of the length of the runner for reinforcement at the same time preserving sufficient elasticity and flexibility to absorb the sudden inequalities in terrain without snapping . | 1 |
in the present invention , a pixel on a selected scanning line is written by plural times of writing , while effecting a second writing or a writing thereafter of the plural times of writing by applying a writing pulse after applying a preceding pulse of an identical shape as and an opposite polarity to the writing pulse . herein , the second writing or a writing thereafter means a writing operation applied to a pixel wherein a domain wall has been already formed . on the other hand , a first writing means a writing operation to a pixel like one after resetting which is wholly black or white and is free from a domain wall . the formation of a domain wall in a pixel means that the pixel contains a partly inverted region . in other words , the second or subsequent writing is performed by applying a balanced or symmetrical bipolar pulse . the preceding pulse before the writing pulse in the second or subsequent writing may be applied in a polarity identical to that of a writing pulse in the preceding writing ( e . g ., first writing ). in order to write in a pixel already having a domain wall therein , it is effective to use a bipolar symmetrical writing waveform whereby the additivity of domain regions within a pixel is satisfied . this is effective not only for the three - pulse method but also for other methods such as the pixel shift method and the four - pulse method wherein a pixel is written by plural times of writing . the reason why the additivity of domain regions is satisfied by the above operation has not been fully clarified as yet . the operation is based on a concept that the domain wall movement in the second writing is compensated for by a preliminary domain wall movement in the reverse direction . actually , however , the domain wall movement appears to be suppressed by application of a bipolar or alternating pulse as in the present invention . accordingly , the effect of such a bipolar pulse application may result in a complex process also including additional formation of an inversion nucleus and disappearance thereof . fig1 a and 11c illustrate an embodiment of the present invention which may be easily understood when compared with fig1 a - 10c . in this embodiment , a compensation pulse ( 2 &# 39 ;) is applied as shown in fig1 b . it has been observed that a domain wall between white and black regions moves instantaneously or stably in a direction of an arrow shown at fig1 a ( 2 &# 39 ;) so as to enlarge the white domain up to a position c &# 34 ;. according to the movement , an excessive enlargement of a black domain ( excessive reduction of a white domain ) on application of a subsequent pulse ( 3 ) as encountered in the case of fig1 b ( 3 ) is substantially prevented . in order to cause the above - mentioned phenomenon at a good reproducibility . it is desired to design the compensation pulse ( 2 &# 39 ;) to have an identical pulse width and an identical peak value ( absolute value ) but of an opposite polarity compared with the pulse ( 3 ). the pulses ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 2 &# 39 ;) and ( 3 ) can be applied continuously or intermittently with a pause period therebetween . desirably , the reset pulse ( 1 ) and the first writing pulse ( 2 ) may be applied continuously , and a pause period may be placed between the pulse ( 2 ) and the compensation pulse ( 2 &# 39 ;) as shown in fig1 b . it is further preferred that the reset pulse , the first writing pulse and the compensation pulse ( or second writing pulse ) are designed to have gradually decreasing amplitudes . the liquid crystal material used in the present invention may preferably be a known ferroelectric liquid crystal but may also be an anti - ferroelectric liquid crystal or another liquid crystal such as a nematic liquid crystal or a cholesteric liquid crystal if it has an inversion threshold and is applicable to an areal gradation display method . fig1 is a block diagram of a control system for a display apparatus according to the present invention , and fig1 is a time chart for communication of image data therefor . hereinbelow , the operation of the apparatus will be described with reference to these figures . a graphic controller 102 supplies scanning line address data for designating a scanning electrode and image data pd0 - pd3 for pixels on the scanning line designated by the address data to a display drive circuit constituted by a scanning line drive circuit 104 and a data line drive circuit 105 of a liquid crystal display apparatus 101 . in this embodiment , scanning line address data ( a0 - a15 ) and display data ( d0 - d1279 ) must be differentiated . a signal ah / dl is used for the differentiation . the ah / dl signal at a high ( hi ) level represents scanning line address data , and the ah / dl signal at a low ( lo ) level represents display data . the scanning line address data is extracted from the image data pd0 - pd3 in a drive control circuit 111 in the liquid crystal display apparatus 101 outputted to the scanning line drive circuit 104 in synchronism with the timing of driving a designated scanning line . the scanning line address data is inputted to a decoder 106 within the scanning line drive circuit 104 , and a designated scanning electrode within a display panel is driven by a scanning signal generation circuit 107 via the decoder 106 . on the other hand , display data is introduced to a shift register 108 within the data line drive circuit 105 and shifted by four pixels as a unit based on a transfer clock pulse . when the shifting for 1280 pixels on a horizontal one scanning line is completed by the shift register 108 , display data for the 1280 pixels are transferred to a line memory 109 disposed in parallel , memorized therein for a period of one horizontal scanning period and outputted to the respective data electrodes from a data signal generation circuit 110 . further , in this embodiment , the drive of the display panel 103 in the liquid crystal display apparatus 101 and the generation of the scanning line address data and display data in the graphic controller 102 are performed in a non - synchronous manner , so that it is necessary to synchronize the graphic controller 102 and the display apparatus 101 at the time of image data transfer . the synchronization is performed by a signal sync which is generated for each one horizontal scanning period by the drive control circuit 111 within the liquid crystal display apparatus 101 . the graphic controller 102 always watches the sync signal , so that image data is transferred when the sync signal is at a low level and image data transfer is not performed after transfer of image data for one scanning line at a high level . more specifically , referring to fig1 , when a low level of the sync signal is detected by the graphic controller 102 , the ah / dl signal is immediately turned to a high level to start the transfer of image data for one horizontal scanning line . then , the sync signal is turned to a high level by the drive control circuit 111 in the liquid crystal display apparatus 101 . after completion of writing in the display panel 103 with lapse of one horizontal scanning period , the drive control circuit 111 again returns the sync signal to a low level so as to receive image data for a subsequent scanning line . the compensation pulse ( 2 &# 39 ;) described with reference to fig1 a and 11b is generated as a combination of pulses generated in compensation pulse generating circuits 120 and 121 within the scanning signal generation circuit 107 and the data signal generation circuit 105 , respectively . the compensation pulse - generating circuits may include a gate circuit wherein the gate is opened and closed at prescribed time to provide reference voltage which are opposite in polarity to but have the same peak values ( absolute values ) as the reference voltages of the second pulses . in a specific example , a liquid crystal cell having a sectional structure as shown in fig1 was prepared . the lower glass substrate 111 was provided with a saw - teeth shape cross section by transferring an original pattern formed on a mold onto a uv - curable resin layer applied thereon to form a cured acrylic resin layer 112 . the thus - formed uv - cured uneven resin layer 112 was then provided with stripe electrodes 113 of ito film by sputtering and then coated with a sputtered ta 2 o 5 insulating film and an alignment film 114 ( formed with &# 34 ; lq - 1802 &# 34 ;, available from hitachi kasei k . k .). the upper glass substrate 111 was treated in the same manner as the lower substrate except for the omission of the uv - cured resin layer 112 . both substrates ( more accurately , the alignment films thereon ) were rubbed respectively in one direction and superposed with each other so that their rubbing directions were roughly parallel but the rubbing direction of the lower substrate formed a clockwise angle of about 10 degrees with respect to the rubbing direction of the upper substrate . the cell thickness ( spacing ) was controlled to be from about 1 . 10 ฮผm as the smallest thickness to about 1 . 65 ฮผm as the largest thickness . then , the cell was filled with a chiral smectic liquid crystal a showing the following phase transition series and properties to form a liquid crystal cell ( display panel ). table 1______________________________________ ( liquid crystal a ) ## str1 ## ps = - 5 . 8 nc / cm . sup . 2 ( 30 ยฐ c .) tilt angle = 14 . 3 deg . ( 30 ยฐ c .) ฮดฮต โ - 0 ( 30 ยฐ c .) ______________________________________ in this example , display was performed by applying a set of drive signals shown in fig1 to the display panel by using a system shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 , at s1 - s3 is respectively shown a scanning signal including a reset pulse ( 1 ), a first writing pulse ( 2 ), a compensation pulse ( 2 &# 39 ;) and a second writing pulse ( 3 ). the scanning signal further includes minor pulses ( 5 ) which are auxiliary pulses for suppressing application of dc voltage components . at i is shown a succession of data signals which have different peak values ( voltages ) vi depending on gradation levels to be displayed . at si - i are shown combined voltage signals applied to a pixel ( liquid crystal ) at an intersection of a scanning line s1 and a data line i , including a reset voltage ( 11 ), a first writing voltage ( 12 ), a compensation voltage ( 12 &# 39 ;) and a second writing voltage ( 13 ). as shown in fig1 , the voltage pulses ( 12 &# 39 ;) and ( 13 ) are different from each other only in polarity . in this example , the signals used were characterized by the respective parameters in fig1 of | v 1 |= 20 . 0 volts , | v 2 |= 17 . 2 volts , v 4 = 4 volts , vi =- 3 . 4 volts to + 3 . 4 volts , dt1 = 40 ฮผs , dt2 = 27 ฮผs and dt3 = 13 ฮผs . herein , the gradational display was performed by voltage modulation wherein v 2 + vi = 13 . 8 volts provided 0 % and 20 . 6 volts provided 100 % with an intermediate voltage providing a halftone level . fig1 illustrates the states of domain formation in a pixel shown in fig1 when supplied with the drive signal shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 , a part ฮฑ corresponds to a cell thickness ( liquid crystal layer thickness ) of about 1 . 65 ฮผm and a part ฮฒ corresponds to a cell thickness of about 1 . 1 ฮผm . as a result , a pixel wholly reset in a black state is partly written in white from a portion corresponding to the part ฮฒ by application of a voltage corresponding to a selection signal pulse ( 2 ) in fig1 while leaving a remaining black portion at ฮฑ . then , by application of a voltage corresponding to a selection signal pulse ( 3 ), the second writing is started from the part ฮฒ . as described above , in this second writing , it is desired that the domain wall formed in the first writing does not move . in an actual drive by using the drive signals shown in fig1 , it was confirmed that the domain walls did not move in display of pixels at any of gradation levels 1 - 4 . this means that the drive scheme using the signals shown in fig1 realized a good gradational display . on the other hand , in case where the same display panel was driven by applying a comparative set of drive signals shown in fig1 having the parameters set at respectively the same levels as in the case of fig1 , the domain walls formed by application of a voltage corresponding to a selection signal pulse ( 2 ) ( first writing ) were observed to move in response to application of a voltage corresponding to a selection signal pulse ( 3 ). the resultant pixel states in the comparative example are shown in fig1 wherein a part ฮฑ corresponded to the thickness part ( about 1 . 65 ฮผm ) and a part ฮฒ corresponded to the thinnest part ( about 1 . 1 ฮผm ). as a result of the first writing by application of a voltage corresponding to a selection pulse ( 2 ) after resetting to black , a region corresponding to a part ฮฒ is written in white while leaving a region corresponding to a part a in black . then , in the second writing by application of a voltage corresponding to a selection pulse ( 3 ), a region surrounding a portion corresponding to the part ฮฒ is again writing in black . now , if the domain width of the black domain corresponding to the part ฮฑ , the domain width is observed in the order of 1 , 2 and 3 . this means that , in the pixel shift method , the data expected to be shifted from a subsequent scanning line to a scanning line concerned is not caused with adequate control of the shifting quantity . in other words , if a higher voltage is applied to a pixel on a subsequent scanning line , a domain wall already present in a pixel is moved in a larger quantity , whereby the linear additivity of domain inversion is not satisfied , thus making the control extremely difficult or degrading the accuracy of gradational display . in the present invention , however , as explained with reference to fig1 and 16 , such movement of domain wall deteriorating the gradational display quality is suppressed by application of a compensation signal . in the above - mentioned embodiment , an inversion threshold distribution in a pixel is provided by a slope of cell thickness ( liquid crystal layer thickness ). it is however also possible to provide an inversion threshold distribution in a pixel by forming minute unevennesses with a certain distribution . thus , the method of domain wall control according to the present invention is applicable not only to the case wherein the domain is enlarged one - dimensionally but also to the case wherein the domain is enlarged two - dimensionally . as described above , according to the present invention , it has become possible to avoid the degradation in quality of gradational display based on plural times of writing in a pixel for a single display , thus realizing a good quality of gradational display . | 6 |
with reference to fig2 there is shown in simplified perspective a data center 200 . the data center 200 is depicted as having a plurality of racks 202 - 206 aligned in parallel rows . each of the rows of racks 202 - 206 is shown containing a number of racks 202 a - 202 c , 204 a - 204 d , and 206 a - 206 c positioned on the raised floor 208 . a plurality of wires and communication lines may be located in space 210 below floor 208 . the space 201 may also function as a plenum for delivery of cooled air from one or more computer room air conditioners ( crac ) 214 through vent tiles 212 . these vent tiles 212 are located in โ cool aisles โ such as cool aisle 216 . cool aisle 216 is located between server rows 202 and 204 . warm aisle 218 does not have vent tiles . warm aisle 218 is located between rows 204 and 206 . the sides of the racks of 202 and 204 which faced the cool aisle 216 are the front of the racks and the sides of the server rows 204 and 206 facing cool aisle to 18 are the back of the servers . in normal operation cool air flows through the vented tiles 212 to the fronts of the racks 202 and 204 . the cool air passes through the racks . the cool air flows through the back of row 204 into cool aisle 216 . the air is then returned to crac 214 through ventilation ( not shown ). row of racks 202 - 206 each contains a number of racks 202 a - c , 204 a - d , and 206 a - c . each rack contains a plurality of components 220 . components 220 or any of a number of systems and subsystems such as computers , servers , and switches . components 220 gave off a relatively large amount of heat . on the front of racks 202 - 206 are deployed sensors . sensors 221 - 225 are able to sense both dry bulb temperature and relative humidity . sensors 221 - 225 are connected to network 226 . further connected to network 226 is monitoring system 228 and workstation 230 . in operation sensors 221 - 225 send temperature and relative humidity data through network 226 to monitoring system 228 . and it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the data center 200 depicted in fig2 represents a generalized illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the data center 200 may include any number of racks in various other components . these components 200 may be arrayed vertically or horizontally in the racks . further data center 200 may include number of racks and rack rows . further data center 200 may include alternate air flow patterns . in one example , air flow may be through dedicated ducting . the air conditioners used in data centers are typically precision air conditioning systems . this distinguishes them from comfort air conditioning systems are designed for the comfort of people , not the protection of computer - based electrical systems . precision air conditioning systems are typically more reliable , have greater cooling capacity , and are more precise . modern precision air conditioning systems are typically microprocessor controlled and are also accessible and controllable by operators remotely over wire through the use of a number of standard protocols such as modbus . in overview , precision air conditioning systems are classified by size ( cooling capacity ), method of heat rejection ( air cooled , water cooled , glycol cooled , or chilled water ) and mounting location ( floor , wall or ceiling ). in an air - cooled system the refrigerant is directed through a condenser ( normally outdoors ) where it transfers heat to the environment . such a system is called a computer room air conditioner ( crac ), in a water - cooled system the heat is removed from the refrigerant in a condenser ( heat exchanger normally within the indoor unit ) by water . such a system is called a computer room air handler ( crah ). crac 214 may be a computer room air handler (โ crah โ). crac 214 is currently shown as an โ in - row โ cooler . alternatively , crac 214 may be an โ in - rack โ cooler . alternatively crac 214 may be an โ in - room โ cooler . network 226 may utilize any of a number of protocols including ipmi , snmp , ethernet and others . in an alternative embodiment , network 226 is a wireless network using such protocols as 802 . 11n . this illustrative embodiment shows network 226 as an ethernet network used both by monitoring system 228 to receive temperature and humidity data from the sensors 221 - 225 as well as to transmit information from monitoring system 228 to workstation 230 . in another embodiment , the network 226 may be divided into a first network serving to connecting sensors 221 - 225 and a second network connecting monitoring system 228 to workstation 230 . in the present invention at least one of sensors 221 - 225 is a relative humidity sensor . however , typically such sensors are combination temperature and humidity sensors . for example , such sensors may stand independent or may be part of another component 220 . for example , a sensor may be an integral to or attached to a power distribution unit (โ pdu โ) such as pdu 232 . thus the sensors need not be directly connected to network 226 , but must at least be in communication with it . monitoring system 228 may be an application running on a server . monitoring system 228 may be a combination of hardware and software and may consist of a number of hardware components running on one or several software programs . in one embodiment monitoring system 228 may be a software application running on a virtual machine itself running on one or a number of hardware servers . alternatively , monitoring system 228 may be a dedicated server appliance . in another embodiment the monitoring system 228 includes a web server in order to communicate information to workstation 230 . workstation 230 may be any computer , including a tablet or notebook computer . in the illustrative embodiment workstation 230 implements a web browser which is used as a user interface for the monitor system 228 . fig3 shows a user interface 300 which displays processed temperature and humidity data on the workstation 230 of monitoring system 238 . user interface 300 has a simplified psychrometric chart 302 and control interfaces 304 . simplified psychrometric chart 302 as a dry bulb temperature axis 306 , a humidity ratio axis 308 , and relative humidity lines 310 . shown on the psychrometric chart 302 is the ashrae 2004 envelope 312 and the ashrae 2008 envelope 314 . control interface 304 includes checkbox 316 to display envelope 312 and checkbox 318 to activate envelope 314 . it also includes customizable option 322 . option 322 enables the user to construct a custom envelope . such a user defined custom envelope may be advantageous if the performance constraints of the specific components 220 are known for the manufacturer . in one embodiment of the present invention , the user interface 300 is instantiated in a browser such as mozilla firefox . psychrometric chart 302 can be instantiated in adobe flash or in html 5 . in that embodiment , the user interface requires no downloading of separate applications to the workstation 230 . in another embodiment , workstation 230 implements a standalone application ass user interface 300 . fig4 shows a psychrometric chart 400 from user interface 300 having data points . dry bulb temperature axis 402 and humidity ratio axis 404 as well as relative humidity lines 406 are used to plot data points such as data points 408 and 410 . fig5 shows a psychrometric chart 500 having a dry bulb temperature axis 502 , a humidity ratio axis 504 and relative humidity lines 506 . a number of data points are shown , including data points 508 , 510 , and 512 . custom envelope 514 is shown . data point 512 is highlighted by ring 516 . the monitoring system 228 has highlighted data point 512 as data point 512 is outside the custom envelope 514 . fig6 shows a flow chart 600 of the operation of one embodiment of the present invention . in step 602 a sensor s such as sensor 221 - 225 transmits its data to the monitoring system 228 . this data will typically include both dry bulb temperature data and the relative humidity data into a data set which can be summarized as t , rh . the transmitted data set may also include a time stamp . the transmitted data set may also include identification data such as , for example , a sensor id number . the transmitted data set may also include location data such as , for example , a row number , rack number and component height in rack . alternatively , the location information could be in an x , y , z coordinate space . in step 604 monitoring system 228 processes this transmitted data set including ( t , rh ). this includes any processes necessary to convert the data into a usable form . for example , unit conversions from fahrenheit to celsius or back for temperature may be provided as the operator requests . in step 606 the transmitted data set is checked for the presence of relative humidity data by the monitoring system 228 . it is possible for some of the sensors 221 - 225 to be only temperature sensors and thus only send temperature data without relatively humidity data . if there is relative humidity data present , then the algorithm proceeds to step 608 . in steps 608 , assuming relative humidity data is present , the relative humidity data is converted by the monitor system 228 to absolute humidity data given the temperature data and assuming pressure at sea level and the absolute humidity data is added to the data set . this conversion is well known to one skilled in the art of psychrometrics . in one embodiment of the present invention , fig7 shows the pseudo - code for the conversion . the dew point is calculated from the temperature and relative humidity , and then the absolute humidity ( called mixratio in fig7 ) is calculated from this dew point assuming pressure at sea level . in step 609 the monitor system 228 plots the data set of sensor s on a psychrometric chart using data temperature as the x coordinate and absolute humidity as the y coordinates . in step 610 the temperature data , the relative humidity data and the absolute humidity data of the data set are checked against any environmental envelope selected , including ashrae 2004 , ashrae 2008 , and custom envelopes . if the data set is inside the environmental envelope , then the algorithm proceeds to step 612 . if the monitor system 228 in step 606 determines the relative humidity data is not present in the data as the sensor s is responsible for that data set is just a temperature sensor then in step 620 the monitor system identifies the nearest humidity sensor . such a location may be stepped by hierarchy . for example , a check to see if a humidity sensor is on the same rack , then in the same row , then in the same room . in step 624 the absolute humidity ( calculated as step 608 from relative humidity data of that sensor ) of this nearest sensor is then used as the absolute humidity of sensor s in order to plot the data sensor as a data point on the psychrometric chart in step 609 . in step 626 , if in step 610 the monitor system 228 determines that the data point of sensor s is outside the envelope selected by the operator , then the data point is highlighted as for instance highlight 516 . in addition or alternatively to the highlight 516 of being encircled , a different color could be applied and the data point could change character ( to an โ x โ or other mark ) and the data point could flash . in step 628 the data monitor triggers an alert . the alert may be an email , an audible alarm , a text message or any other predetermined communication to an operator . in step 612 the psychrometric chart displayed at workstation 630 is updated by data monitor 628 with data point of sensor s . updating may include sending just the changes made to the psychrometric chart or transmitting an entirely new psychrometric chart . in step 618 monitor system 228 the counter is advanced as s = s + 1 and the next sensor is processed . it is to be understood that that while the illustrative embodiment of fig6 processes the sensor data in a serial , iterative manner , the monitor system 228 could easily be performed as a batch process in which multiple sensor data sets are processed through each step before advancing to the next step . thus the embodiments of the present invention allow an operator to better monitor and control the safe and energy - efficient operation of a data center by explicitly showing the environmental state in a psychrometric context . for example , an operator may easily monitor a large number of sensors over an extended period are sensing data which would place the sensor outside of the environmental envelope of safe operation such as ashrae 2008 envelope . by adjusting the environmental controls the operator can now safe energy by running the data center at the highest possible temperature ( thus minimizing energy using cooling ) for a given both relative and absolute humidity ). further , highlights and alerts may be triggered based on this psychrometric data to further assist in monitoring the environmental state of the data center . although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
with continuing attention to the drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly hereinafter identified , the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a resilient structure , shown as a mattress covering or pad but which may be embodied in a wide range of structures for use on seats , chairs , wheelchairs , etc ., upon external dimensional changes . the structure includes a cover 2 which includes a moisture impervious upper member 3 with side members 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 . it is desirable that upper member 3 and the side members be seamless to constitute a moisture barrier . a bottom member at 8 is preferably of ticking pervious to air passage and joined by a seam 9 at the side members . the filler at 10 is of a discrete nature being foam pieces having somewhat elongate surfaces 11 which are flat or slightly curved along one axis and extend intermediate surfaces 12 of lesser size . the pieces are primarily elongate with surfaces well defined by edges as at 14 which are of an angular nature . one suitable material for the filler is polyurethane cut from sheet stock by a shearing action which occurs as the sheet is fed lengthwise into a machine having a rotating cutter member equipped with blades . accordingly tapered or feather edges are avoided . as shown in fig2 the pieces constituting the filler are in random orientation in the resilient structure . importantly , the pieces interact with one another in an unexpected manner to retain such orientation . the essentially flat surfaces 11 , the angular edges 14 along with the highly frictional nature of the foam results in the pieces returning to their earlier relationship to one another even after a lengthy period of use . the cut or sheared surfaces of the pieces have a fibrous surface , when viewed through a magnifying lens , which resists movement along a surface of an adjacent piece . with attention to fig3 the sample pieces of filler shown in perspective are meant to be typical of other pieces with surfaces 11 being flat or curved along one axis of the surface resulting in the polygonal sections viewed in fig4 and 6 . for securement of the resilient structure to a supporting surface in a removable manner pairs of straps at 16 -- 16 and 17 -- 17 are provided . the straps are attached to the structure at a seam 9 and include fabric closure strips at 18 and 19 for convenient joining of the strap ends . a support structure at 20 is a mattress but may of course be a chair cushion or the like . of importance to those using the present resilient structure is the feature that it may be given shape to some extent by forcefully manually impacting a surface of the structure . for example , in a resilient pad structure a raised area may be formed for elevation of the head or a leg or arm member by repeated impacting of the pad surfaces adjacent the pad surface to be elevated . return of the structure to a more or less flat configuration occurs upon forcefully patting the raised area . the present filler is made by directing sheets of foam material preferably two or three inches thick through a rotary cutter having a multitude of staggered , u - shaped blades . compression of the material during passage of the blades therethrough causes the cut pieces to have the irregular surfaces above described . the foam sheet is fed into the cutter through a pair of feed wheels which act to control the speed of the sheet into the cutter . while i have shown but one embodiment of the invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
the technique of the present invention can be used in different types of multidimensional database systems . it is particularly useful in a molap engine running on any of a number of widely available database engines . a high level diagram of a typical system on which the software implementing the invention can be run is shown in fig1 . the system 10 runs on system hardware 12 . system hardware 12 is intended to be representative of both the physical hardware of the computer system , and various operating system and other low - level utilities . a database engine 14 runs on system hardware 12 , and can be any engine such as is widely available from numerous sources . a molap engine 16 runs on the database engine 14 , and is accessed through a user interface 18 . except for the improvements of the invention described below , each of these pieces can be a generally available component as is well known in the prior art . the following description includes definitions of some basic terms used in the remainder of the description . several examples , and the processes of the inventive method , are then described , followed by a detailed description of the operating properties of a suitable molap system in which the invention is preferably practiced . a dimension is a logical grouping of unique entities that are called members of the dimension . each of these members is uniquely identifiable . each dimension is uniquely identified by a name . a hierarchical dimensional is a dimension whose members are partitioned into named levels . these levels have a partial order imposed on them . the partial order between levels is transitive : if a is related to b , and b is related to c , then a is related to c . members of any two related levels have a one - to - many relationship defined between them . these levels are called higher ( ancestor ) and lower ( descendant ) levels respectively . if level y is the ancestor of x , then the relationship between the levels can be represented as y & gt ; x . a parent of a level x is the ancestor level y where there does not exist a level z such that y & gt ; z & gt ; x . if y is a parent of x , x is a child of y . this relation is a partial ordering , as a level can have both more than one parent , and more than one child . for example , level a can have two children b and c ( a & gt ; b and a & gt ; c ), and b and c can share a child level d . ( b & gt ; d and c & gt ; d ) in such a case , b and c define parallel paths , and need not be related . a dimension intersection for a set of dimensions is a set of members where one member belongs to each dimension . an intersection can have more than one member from a single dimension , but for purposes of simplicity , the description below will give examples in which each intersection includes one member from each dimension involved in the intersection . a data element is preferably treated as a ( property , value ) pair . the property represents the name of a data measure which results in a value given a member in every dimension that the data depends upon . a data measure , generally , is a property that is dependent on a subset of the defined dimensions . a data measure yields a scalar value at an intersection of its dependent dimensions . an aggregatable data measure is defined with a lower bound level in each of its dependent dimensions . the data measure can have data values for a subset of intersections of lower bound level members of every dependent dimension . aggregateable data measures use an aggregation method to generate data for an ancestor level member given data for all its children at one of its descendant levels . an example of an aggregation method is summation , i . e ., summing of values in descendant levels to be stored in an ancestor level . fig2 gives examples of two dimensions which are used in the subsequent description . geography dimension 20 includes four levels of its members in a hierarchical order : national level 22 , region level 24 , district level 26 , and territory level 28 . in a similar manner , product dimension 30 includes four hierarchical levels : all products 32 , category 34 , brand 36 , and sku ( stock - keeping unit ) 38 . as a simple example , members of each dimension can have a straightforward hierarchical relationship with members of its ancestor and descendant levels . fig3 shows an example in which the region level has 4 members , region 1 , region 2 , region 3 , and region 4 . each region has some number of child districts , which varies by region . in the example of fig3 , region 1 has 10 districts , region 2 has 20 , region 3 has 5 , and region 4 has 15 districts . only the five district members of region 3 are individually illustrated in fig3 . in addition , only the six territory level members of region 3 - district 3 are illustrated . the territories of the remaining districts of region 3 , and further remaining districts of the other regions , are not shown in fig3 for simplicity . in fig3 , region 3 is a parent of each of its districts 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 . it is an ancestor , though not a parent , of each of the territories 1 - 6 within region 3 . in a similar manner , product dimension 30 will have a number of categories , brands , and skus . as an example , three product categories could be defined , having 5 , 4 , and 3 brands respectively . each brand has a number of skus . for the purposes of the following description , fig4 is a table illustrating the number of members at each level for both the geography and product dimensions . referring to fig4 , within the geography dimension only region 3 is broken out in detail , corresponding with the graph of fig3 . the product dimension , having less members at intermediate levels , is shown in more detail . there are a total of 466 members in the geography dimension , and 761 members in the product dimension . assuming intersections can have only one member from each dimension , this simple database has 354 , 626 intersections . for purposes of the remaining description , it will be assumed that an aggregateable data measure of interest is unit sales . considering the product dimension , actual unit sales are provided at the sku level . unit sales may be aggregated , by summing , at the brand category and all products level . prior art techniques provide for a knowledgeable user to define which members of the product dimension are aggregated at runtime , and which are precalculated . according to the present invention , members which are precalculated versus those which are calculated at runtime are defined by a threshold value assigned on a level basis . for example , if a member at any given level has more children than the threshold defined for that level , unit sales for all of its descendants will be aggregated and stored within that member . if a member has less children than the threshold , the aggregated data may or may not be stored there as described below . as is normal in systems of this type , the database contains a dimension table for each dimension . each entry in the dimension table corresponds to a member of that dimension , and contains various identification , control information , and data for that member . actual database data is stored in the fact table which , potentially , includes an entry for each intersection in the database . actual data , such as unit sales and aggregated unit sales , is stored in the data table entries for the corresponding intersections . to implement the method of this invention , three pieces of information are maintained for every member of a dimension . this information is maintained in the dimension table . these items of information are : a โ count โ to keep track of the number of descendants required to compute the member , a โ flag โ which indicates if the member is โ stored โ or โ not - stored โ, and the child level containing the children to be accessed . this latter item of information is used for hierarchies having multiple child levels , to identify which level to use . for each member within a dimension , it is necessary to determine whether the aggregateable data , in this case unit sales , is to be stored or not - stored for that member . this is done by comparing the count of each member to the threshold for that level . in general , if the count for a member is greater than or equal to the threshold level , the unit sales data is aggregated and stored for that member . if the count is less than the threshold value , that member is marked as not - stored . several examples will be given with respect to the example numbers shown in fig4 . fig5 gives a list of threshold values for each level of both the geography and product dimensions . these levels have been set in advance by a user , preferably one who has some idea how setting threshold levels will impact the performance of the database . these threshold levels can be changed at any time by an appropriate administrative user . as shown in fig5 , the territory and sku levels within the geography and product dimensions , respectively , do not have a threshold value . this is because these levels do not have any child levels , and therefore , all sales data must be stored at these levels . referring to the product dimension , the threshold for the brand level has been set at 50 . this means that any brand having 50 or more skus will be precalculated and stored within the brand member . those having less will not be precalculated unless certain criteria are met as described below . as shown in fig4 , none of the three brands in category 3 will be precalculated . brands 2 , 3 , and 4 within category 2 will be precalculated , and brands 3 and 4 within category 1 will be precalculated . this saves significant time when reading the database , because these brands , each having a large number of skus , contain the precalculated aggregate total of all of their children . this saves significant computation at runtime . looking at the categories within the product dimension , category 1 will contain a precomputed unit sales value , because it contains five brands . this will also be the case with category 2 . category 3 , at least initially , will not need to be precomputed . in fact , this would remain the case assuming that each of the brands 1 - 3 within category 3 had a pre - computed aggregate value for unit sales . however , in the example shown in fig4 the brand members 1 - 3 within category 3 are themselves not aggregated . thus , in order to calculate unit sales for category 3 , it will be necessary to traverse the tree down to the skus for each of brands 1 - 3 within category 3 . this is a total of 40 skus , plus 3 brands , giving 43 nodes which must be traversed to compute unit sales for category 3 . in this case , sales for category 3 would be precomputed because 43 is greater than the threshold level of 4 . if the threshold level for categories had been set at 50 , no precomputation would take place for either category 3 or brands 1 , 2 , and 3 . further , if the category threshold had been set at 50 , category 2 would not be precalculated . this is because each of brands 2 , 3 , and 4 in category 2 was precalculated , giving each of these brands a count of 1 . brand 1 on category 2 is not precalculated , and has a count of 10 . therefore , the total count for category 2 would be 13 , less than a threshold of 50 . if the category threshold were 50 , category 1 would still be pre - computed , because only brands 3 and 4 within category 1 are precomputed . brands 1 , 2 and 5 are not precomputed , giving category 1 a count of 10 + 20 + 1 + 1 + 35 = 67 . any category threshold less than 67 caused category 1 to be pre - computed . fig6 is a psuedo code definition of the algorithm used to determine whether the flag for any particular member is marked as stored or not - stored . initially , if the level does not have any child levels , all members have the flag marked as stored . if the level does have any child levels , each member of that level must be considered separately . a nested series of loops is used , as shown , to traverse the nodes of the various levels and determine whether the flag for each member is set as stored or not - stored . for each member , for every child level of that member , the member &# 39 ; s count is initially set to 0 and then incremented for every member of the child level . if the child &# 39 ; s flag is stored , one is added to the current member &# 39 ; s count . if the child &# 39 ; s flag is not - stored , the child &# 39 ; s count is added to the current member &# 39 ; s count . the minimum computed count for all of the different child levels ( and there will be only one in a simple hierarchical example such as shown in fig4 ) is stored in the count entry for that member . if that count is greater than a threshold value for that level , the flag is marked as stored , otherwise it is marked as not stored . the level which yields this minimum count is stored as the child value for that level . operation of this algorithm can be seen with respect to fig3 and 4 . assume that the level currently under consideration is the region level of the geography dimension . for member region 3 of this level , there are five children . initially , the count of region 3 is set to zero . then for each of members 1 through 5 , a determination is made as to whether the flag for that child is stored . given the thresholds shown in fig5 for the geography dimension , the stored flags are marked for children 1 , 3 and 4 , because these children have four or more territories in the threshold as four . for each of these children out of region 3 , one is added to account for region 3 . of the remaining two children of region3 , districts 2 and 5 , the flag is marked as not - stored . for these two children , the count of each child is added to the count of region 3 . for district 2 , the count is 2 , and for district 5 the count is 1 . this give a total count for region 3 of 6 . because , through the algorithm of figure of 6 , the minimum count of 6 is stored , and is compared to the region threshold of 10 . because 6 is less than 10 the flag is marked not stored . also , the level which yields this count is district , so a pointer to the district level is stored as the child pointer for region 3 . this looping algorithm is applied to every member of each dimension . as described further below , it is not applied to intersections of dimensions , but only to the members of the dimensions themselves . if the data scheme is one dimensional , for example only the geography division existed within the database , the storage scheme for precomputed data within the database is simple . data is not stored at the members marked not - stored , and it is stored at members whose flag is marked as store . when accessing unit sales at runtime , if a member with a not - stored flag is encountered , the members of the child level are used to compute the sales numbers for the member of interest . if any of the children are also marked not - stored , its children are checked in a recursive arrangement . important space savings of the present invention are primarily achieved , however , when this approach is extended to multiple dimensions . it is not necessary to keep a stored / not - stored flag for every intersection within the database ; it is only necessary to keep this information for once for each member of each dimension . the algorithm for the multi - dimensional case is described in the following paragraphs . consider a data measure m dependent on n dimensions d1 , d2 . dn . . . m is a subset of the cross product of the dimensions d1 , . . . , dn . each member of m is a n - tuple where each component of the tuple belongs to one of the dimensions . as described above each such component is marked stored or not - stored by the method described above . i ) the number of components of an intersection marked not - stored is even a ) the number of components marked not - stored is zero the intersection is stored and is directly accessed b ) all the components marked not - stored have a count of 1 the intersection is not stored in the data measure . when the intersection is accessed , the system navigates down all the dimensions containing the components marked not - stored . the child level of each component described above is used for the navigation . since the count is 1 for all components , only one child marked stored will be found in each dimension . all components are replaced with members of the corresponding dimensions that are found ( marked stored ). the intersection thus formed is accessed ( case a above ). c ) at least one of the components marked not - stored have a count greater than 1 the intersection is stored and is directly accessed ii ) the number of components of an intersection marked not - stored is odd when the intersection is accessed , the dimension containing the component marked not - stored with the minimum count is selected . the system navigates down the dimension making use of the child level information and collects all the members marked stored . the number of such members equals count . the component of the original intersection is replaced by each of the members collected forming count intersections . each intersection thus formed has one less component marked not - stored making the number of not - stored components even . these intersections can be accessed using the methods described in case i above using which the original intersection can be computed . in a system with n dimensions d1 , d2 , . . . dn with number of members m 1 , m 2 , . . . mn respectively , this scheme uses additional space proportional to m 1 + m 2 + . . . + mn but saves space proportional to m 1 * m 2 . . . mn ( the unstored intersections ). this scheme guarantees that the number of intersections accessed to calculate the data at an intersection does not exceed the maximum of the thresholds associated with the levels to which the components of the intersection belongs . in the example used in this description , with two dimensions , there are four possibilities for an intersection , because there are two members for the intersection , with each member having two states for its flag . the possibilities are for both members &# 39 ; flag to indicate stored , both indicating not - stored , and one flag indicating stored with the other indicating not - stored ( two instances ). as described by the multi - dimensional algorithm , if one member is marked stored while the other is marked not - stored , the data measure ( unit sales ) is not stored at that intersection . if both members are marked stored , the number of not - stored flags is 0 , the unit sales data measure is aggregated and stored at that intersection . if both components are marked not - stored , whether the data measure is stored at that intersection will depend upon whether or not either of the component members have a count greater than one . if at least one of them does , the data is aggregated and stored at that intersection . if both have a count of one , the data is not stored at that intersection . as an example , consider the two dimensional example of fig4 and 5 . one intersection is that of category 3 with region 4 . unit sales for this intersection represents unit sales of category 3 products in region 4 . to determine whether sales data is to be aggregated and stored at this intersection , ( i . e ., an entry for this intersection is made in the data table ), the flags for region 4 and category 3 are examined . both members are marked stored , meaning there are zero not - stored flags . therefore , unit sales data is stored at this intersection . it is not necessary to provide a flag for this intersection because , its status is determinable from the flags of its two members . now , assume that the threshold for the category level was changed to 50 , as described previously . in this case , category 3 would be marked not stored . the intersection of category 3 and region 4 now has an odd number of not - stored flags ( 1 flag marked not stored ), so no unit sales data is stored at that intersection . when this number is needed , a runtime calculation is performed . as described above , this determination is made based only on the flags of the members included in the intersection . thus , no flags are needed for the numerous possible intersections , and no data will be stored ( i . e ., entries made in the data table ) for many of such intersections , thereby saving storage space . the alternating effect caused by using odd or even numbers of not - stored flags to control whether data is stored at the intersection helps ensure that no runtime searches take too long . if data is not stored at an intersection , only a relatively small number of steps will need to be followed in order to meet the aggregation ( e . g ., summation ) of the data needed to define that intersection . although the algorithm described above of setting thresholds and traversing nodes of a database tree can be applied to different database designs , the preferred embodiment is more completely defined to have particular characteristics . the characteristics of principal importance are now described as a set of properties for elements of the database , with some examples given to illustrate them . a dimension is a logical grouping of unique entities that are called members of the dimension . every member of a dimension has a code and a description associated with it . dimensions have a unique name and any number of unique aliases associated which can be used to refer to it . geography dimension has members eastern region , western region , new york territory and so on . a dimension intersection for a set of dimensions is a set of members where one member belongs to each dimension . an intersection can have more than one member from a single dimension . each of these dimensions needs to be identified with a unique alias name . [ brand cookies , region eastern , january 95 ] is one intersection of the [ product , geography , time ] dimension set . a data element can be viewed as a ( property , value ) pair . property represents the name of a data measure which results in a value given a member in every dimension that the data depends on . the data may not require identification of members in all defined dimensions . dimensions on which the data measure depends are called dependent dimensions and those on which it does not depend are called independent dimensions . data can depend on the same dimension more than once in which case multiple positions of the dimension need to be identified to obtain the data values . dimensions can be classified as sparse or dense depending upon availability of data elements . a dense dimension has meaningful data for a subset of its members irrespective of the members of the other dimensions . a sparse dimension is one where the availability of a data element depends on members of the other dimensions . sparseness or density of a dimension can vary by data element . unit sales , price are all data measures . ( unit sales , 1000 )โ identifies the value for unit sales at eastern region , cookies brand and q1 - 1997 . unit sales depends on geography , product and time . whereas price is dependent on product and time and is independent of geography . time is a dense dimension for the measure unit sales and sparse dimension for price . members of a hierarchical dimension are partitioned into named levels . these levels have a partial order imposed on them . the partial order between levels is transitive : if a is related to b , and b is related to c , then a is related to c . members of any two related levels have a one - to - many relationship defined between them . these levels are called higher ( ancestor ) and lower ( descendant ) levels respectively . if level y is the ancestor of x , then y & gt ; x ( read as , โ y is ancestor of x โ). a parent of a level x is the ancestor level y where no level z exists such that y & gt ; z & gt ; x . in case of sequenced dimensions , a sequence is imposed within the members of a level . if a sequence is imposed on multiple levels of a dimension , the sequence needs to be consistent across the levels . in other words , if sequenced level x is an ancestor of sequenced level y and member x [ 1 ] of level x is before member x [ 2 ], then any y [ i ] which is a child of x [ 1 ] is before any y [ j ] which is a child of x [ 2 ]. every level in a dimension can have user specified thresholds which are used to determine the storage strategy of aggregatable measures . the system keeps track of the minimum number of child members that need to be accessed to compute data at every member of a dimension . every member is flagged โ to be stored โ if the count is more than the upper threshold and โ not to be stored โ if the count is less than the lower threshold . the flag is changed to โ to be stored โ when the count goes above the upper threshold and to โ not to be stored โ when the count goes below the lower threshold . quarter and month are names of levels of the time dimension . region and district are names of levels of the geography dimension . product dimension can have all products , brand , size and sku as levels with the order all products & gt ; brand , brand & gt ; sku , all products & gt ; size , size & gt ; sku . all products is higher than brand and brand is an ancestor of sku . brand and size are not related to each other . members of size could be big , medium and small . the cookies brand is a member of level brand and is the parent of chocolate chip , oatmeal raisin and macadamia nut skus . the month is a sequenced level of dimension time and may have members january 95 . . . december 96 with a system recognized sequence . quarter is an ancestor of month and is sequenced . if qtr 1 is before qtr 2 then all months in qtr 1 are before all the months in qtr 2 . given a member x of a level x , there exists a member y related to x in every ancestor level y of x . this is called the set of ancestor members of x . the members in the ancestor set of x may or may not be related to each other . aggregation path of member x , is defined as a subset of ancestor members of x that have a total order imposed on them . in other words , every pair of members in the aggregation path are related to each other . in the hierarchical dimension example , one aggregation path for chocolate chip cookies contains cookies brand and all products ( the only member of the all products level ). each member can have more than one aggregation path to facilitate grouping by different attributes which are members of unrelated levels . thus a member can have multiple parents resulting in multiple hierarchies in a dimension . sku can be grouped by brand or size . the two aggregation paths for a member of the sku level are cookies brand - allproducts and big - allproducts . the parents of chocolate chip ( sku ) could be cookies ( brand ) and big ( size ). the two hierarchies of the product dimension are allproducts - brand - sku and allproducts - size - sku . a dimension can be split in such a way that different levels can be independently selected to identify a data element . splitting is done by selecting a level x as one of the dimensions . the uniqueness of this dimension will remain the same . all the levels of the original dimension which have x as one of their ancestors form the new dimension and the relations among these levels remain unchanged . the uniqueness of the newly formed levels is obtained by subtracting the uniqueness of x from their original uniqueness . dimensions can be split at run - time . split dimensions can be split further . january 1995 could be defined as an unique member of the level month of time dimension . another way to define it is as member january of level month and a descendent of member 1995 of level year . if the latter method is used to define the month and year levels , then the time dimension can be split between year and month and viewed in a spreadsheet with month going down ( rows ) and year going across ( columns ). a combined dimension is a combination of two or more dimension . all members of the cartesian product of the dimensions to be combined are members of the combined dimension . two levels of a combined dimension are related if one component of one of the levels is related to the corresponding component of the second level provided all the other components match . a combined dimension can be defined at run time and is uniquely identified by a name . consider two dimensions defined by a partially ordered set of levels . let { a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 } be the levels of dimension a and { b1 , b2 , b3 , b4 } be the levels of dimension b . then the set of levels { a1b1 , a1b2 , a1b3 , a1b4 , a2b1 , a2b2 , a2b3 , a2b4 , a3b1 , a3b2 , a3b3 , a3b4 , a4b1 , a4b2 , a4b3 , a4b4 } is the new formed combined dimension . if a1 & gt ; a2 then a1x & gt ; a2x for all x belonging to dimension b . every member of a level is identified using a code . the member code may not be unique by itself but requires to be unique within the dimension when qualified by all its ancestor member codes . the uniqueness of a level is the set of all its ancestor levels . in the split dimension example , the code assigned to january could be 01 , february โ 02 , year 1995 โ 95 , year 1996 โ 96 , and so on . to uniquely identify month january of year 1995 , the combined code of month and year which is 9501 is needed . the uniqueness of level month contains the month and year dimension members can be loaded at any level by specifying all the components of the uniqueness of the level . the system will add the ancestor members to all ancestor levels if required . in other words , all members of a dimension need to have all their ancestors defined but need not have their descendants defined . adding dimension members is a multi - user operation and is available to every user with the required access . a consolidation of a level x within an ancestor level y is defined as the set of unique members that result by adding level x to the uniqueness of y and applying the resulting set to level x . the members of the new level z thus formed are assigned new descriptions and the level has the following relations : a consolidation of a level x can also be defined as the set of unique members within x . the uniqueness of the new level z will contain itself only . in this case , the new level z has the following relation : consolidated levels are definable at run - time . consolidated levels can be used in all operations where a pre - defined level can be used . in case of aggregatable data measures , the defined aggregation method is used to compute data at the members of the new level . in case of non - aggregatable measures , the default access method defined for the measure is used to generate data . if all the corresponding months of every year are assigned the same code ( code of january is 01 in years 1995 , 1996 and 1997 and so on ) then a consolidated level called โ consolidated month โ could be defined at run - time for level month within the allyears level to compare data by months across all years . the data for january will be an aggregation of january 1995 , 1996 , 1997 and so on . the uniqueness of the month level is { allyears , year , month }. the uniqueness of consolidated month is formed by adding month to the uniqueness of allyears : { allyears , month } a custom level of a level x within an ancestor y is defined by merging sub - groups of members of x that are related to a single member of y . this could be performed for multiple members of y . the members of new level z thus formed are assigned new codes and descriptions and the level has the following relations : custom levels can also be defined on level x without being bound by an ancestor level . in this case the new level defined z has the following relation : custom levels are definable at run - time . custom levels can be used in all operations where a pre - defined level can be used . in case of aggregatable data measures , the defined aggregation method is used to compute data at the members of the new level . in case of non - aggregatable measures , the default access method defined for the measure is used to generate data . a new grouping attribute called packaging could be added to the product dimension at run - time . to do this a custom level called packaging could be defined from sku within the ancestor level size by combining skus of similar packaging into one member . chocolate chip and macadamia nut could be combined into one member of the packaging level and oatmeal raisin could form another packaging member . custom group is a subset of members of dimension . custom groups can be defined by arbitrary selection , tree , or using expressions on data measures dependent on this dimension alone . tree is defined by a position p ( level member ), a level s related ( ancestor or descendent ) to the level of the position x where the tree starts and a descendent level e of the start level where the tree ends . the level s can be above or below the level of the p . the custom group contains all members that are related to p belonging to the levels x such that x is the same as or a descendent of level s and is the same as or a an ancestor of level e . scope is a set of non - overlapping members of a dimension . two members of a dimension are non - overlapping if they do not have any common children ( other members of the same dimension belonging to the descendent levels ). set of members of a level and range of members of a sequenced level are examples of scope . a data measure is a property that is dependent on a subset of the defined dimensions . the subset of dimensions on which a data measure is dependent is called its dimensionality . dimension aliases can be used if a data measure is dependent on the same dimension more than once . in other words , specification of more than one position of such dimensions is needed to access the data stored in the measure . data measure yields a scalar value at an intersection of its dependent dimensions . the scalar value is undefined if the intersection is not stored subject to access methods discussed below . the intersection of a subset of dependent dimensions results in a multi - dimensional array of values where the axes represent the dimensions that are not part of the intersection . another categorization for data measures storing numeric values is signed and unsigned where unsigned data measures can not accept negative numbers . in case of signed data measures negative numbers can be locked and locking an intersection does not prevent negative number storage in the measure . unit sales , price , actual dollars , forecast units are all data measures . ( unit sales , 1000 )โ identifies the value for unit sales at the intersection [ eastern region , cookies brand , q1 - 1997 ]. the intersection [ eastern region , cookies brand ] results in a one - dimensional array of scalar values for all the time dimension members . the type of the scalar value to be stored at an intersection for a given data measure could be one of numeric ( specified as maximum number of digits stored and implied number of decimal places ), integer ( maximum number of digits and implied number of trailing zeros not to be stored ), boolean , string & amp ; blob ( binary large object ). a reference data type will also be supported to store references to application objects . price can be defined as numeric with a maximum of 5 digits ( decimal point not included ) and 2 decimal places . price is stored in cents and divided by 100 while reading . revenue can be integer with 5 digits stored and 3 trailing zeros not stored . in other words , revenue is stored in thousands and a multiplication factor 1000 is applied while reading . unit sales can be defined as integer with a maximum of 10 digits . comments can be defined as blobs where any binary object ( pictures , documents etc .) can be stored at dimension intersections . an aggregatable data measure is defined with an anchor ( lower bound ) level in each of its dependent dimensions . the data measure can have data values for a subset of intersections of lower bound level members of every dependent dimension . it also has values defined for all intersections in all the aggregation paths of the lower bound level members . optional levels called the โ aggregation termination โ levels can be specified for every dependent dimension . these levels should be same as or ancestors of the lower bound level . only those intersections along the aggregation paths that contain members of the aggregation termination ( upper bound ) levels are defined . the intersections containing members of ancestor levels of the aggregation termination levels are not defined . aggregatable data measures use an aggregation method to generate data for an ancestor level member given data for all its children at one of its descendent levels . examples of aggregation methods are sum , weighted average , min , max , or , and etc . in case of weighted average , a summarizable data measure is needed to provide weights . aggregatable data measures can only have data of types numeric , integer or boolean and the aggregation integrity is maintained by the system . an incremental aggregation method is one which can be used to compute the value at the parent knowing the old value of the parent , old value of the child , and the new value of the child when one of the children is changed . this lets us compute the parent value by accessing only the changed children . sum and weighted average are examples of incremental aggregation methods . if an odd number of dimension components of an intersection x , are flagged โ not to be stored โ ( see section hierarchical dimension ), the intersection is not stored . otherwise , the intersection is stored . if an intersection within the defined bounds of a data measure is not stored , access routines will compute the value at run time from the children positions . when a โ to be stored โ intersection becomes โ not to be stored โ, the intersection is immediately flagged deleted and is not accessed . on the other hand , when a โ to be stored โ intersection becomes โ not to be stored โ, it is added when the intersection is needed . unit sales could be defined as a summarizable data measure dependent on . product and geography dimensions with sku and region as the anchor levels . if the unit sales data values for [ chocolate chip , eastern region ], [ oatmeal raisin , eastern region ] and [ macadamia nut , eastern region ] intersections are 100 , 200 and 300 respectively , then system should ensure that the value at [ cookies brand , eastern region ] intersection is 600 . if the aggregation termination level is not specified , then intersections corresponding to the level combinations [ size , region ] and [ allproducts , region ] will be generated . if the aggregation termination level is specified as brand in the product dimension then the combinations of [ size , allproducts ] will not be generated . an allocatable data measure is an incrementally aggregatable data measure which has a dis - aggregation method defined . dis - aggregation is the process of arriving at unique children values given a parent value and a profile ( set of basis values ). allocatable data measures can only have data of types numeric , integer and support aggregation methods : sum and weighted average . when a data element is modified at an intersection , the change needs to be distributed down to the anchor level intersections within its scope based on a pre - defined criterion . the change also needs to be propagated to all ancestor member intersections of all defined aggregation paths for the data measure . update of anchor level intersections by multiple users / threads should be sequential , such that no two intersections common to any two update scopes are hit in different sequence . if intersection a and intersection b are in the update scopes of thread t 1 and thread t 2 and if t 1 changes intersection a first , t 1 should change intersection b also first and vice versa . this will result in one of the updates completely overriding the other and the end result will be consistent with at least one of the updates when the scopes overlap . an online re - synchronization operation is provided since incremental update can only preserve โ aggregation integrity โ if it is a pre - condition . an update operation can have the following parameters for each dependent dimension : a scope , an input level ( below the level of the scope ) at which the external input is obtained . a level combination sequence to follow ( sequence needs to monotonically progress towards the lower bound level combination ) during the allocation can be defined if an application provided basis needs to be used for allocation along the path . a default data base specified basis is used beyond the specified path to reach the lower bound combination . in the aggregatable data measure example , if the unit sales data element corresponding to the [ cookies brand , eastern region ] intersection is changed from 600 to 900 the new values for [[ chocolate chip , eastern region ], [ oatmeal raisin , eastern region ] and [ macadamia nut , eastern region ] intersections should be 150 , 300 and 450 . the pre - defined criterion in this example is โ preserve the existing proportions โ. the update to the [ sku , region ] intersections also causes the data elements corresponding to the [ size , region ] intersections to be updated because the members of the size level fall in the relevant aggregation path for sku . if multiple users attempt to change the values for any of the intersections at [ sku , region ], the values at the [ brand , region ] intersections should be the sum of the [ sku , region ] intersections after the operations are complete and no other updates are being performed on the data measure . a non - allocatable data measure is an aggregatable data measure with no dis - aggregation allowed . in other words , all updates are performed at the lower bound level combination and aggregated to higher levels . aggregation is performed without assuming any pre - existing aggregation integrity and requires accessing all children of each node affected by an update . non - allocatable data measures can only have data of types numeric , integer and boolean and support the aggregation methods : max , min , and , or etc . user defined aggregation can defined for pre - defined types . user defined data types with user specified operations are supported . the operation should include a pre - defined aggregation method which is used to perform the aggregations along the dimensions . a user defined operation can be performed on a custom group of intersections . a non - allocatable data measure can only be modified at the lower bound level combination directly . the change is then propagated upwards using the aggregation method to all the parent nodes . update of all intersections by multiple users / threads should be sequential , such that no two intersections common to any two update scopes are hit in different sequence . if intersection a and intersection b are in the update scopes of thread t 1 and thread t 2 and if t 1 changes intersection a first , t 1 should change intersection b also first and vice versa . this will result in one of the updates completely overriding the other and the end result will be consistent with at least one of the updates when the scopes overlap . an update operation needs to have just a scope specified for each dependent dimension . the external input is obtained at the lowest level and the data measure is updated . a non - aggregatable data measure can have data at a subset of intersections of its dependent dimensions . data at each intersection is independent of the data at other intersections . in other words , there is no โ aggregation integrity โ that needs to be maintained for non - aggregatable data measures . updating a value for the non - aggregatable item updates the data element at the current intersection . users can add or delete any intersection subject to access restrictions . if an intersection does not exist , a higher level intersection is accessed . this is repeated in a user specified order until an intersection is found . on the other hand , update operation is performed only if the intersection exists . non - aggregatable data measures can have any of the data types listed in the data type section . user defined data types with user specified operations are supported . a user defined operation can be performed on a custom group of intersections . seasonality can be defined as a non - aggregatable data measure at [ brand , region ], [ sku region ] and [ sku territory ] level intersections . price can be defined as a non - aggregatable data measure at [ sku region ] level intersections . the access order could be defined as just region . this will retrieve valid data from the region level for all intersections at all descendent levels of region . data is not available at ancestor levels of region and sku . all positions in a non - aggregatable data measure are independently update - able . a custom group can be specified for every dependent dimension . all existing intersections of the members of custom group are independently updated using application supplied data . a data cube is a set of similar data measures ( all allocatable , all non - allocatable or all non - aggregatable ) with the same dimensionability . a subset of the dimensions of the cube can be designated as dense . a subset of all possible combinations of the rest of the dimensions is identified for the cube . the storage or non - storage of an intersection is defined by the types of data measures stored in the cube . if the cube contains a non - aggregatable data measures , a custom group of members of each dense dimension is identified and all the intersections of these custom groups are stored in the cube . in case of a non - allocatable data measures , a scope of members at the lower bound level of each data measure is identified for each dense dimension and all intersections of these scopes are stored in the cube . in other words , only the lowest level data is stored and higher levels are generated at run time . in case of allocatable data measures , a scope of members at one of the levels at which the data measure is defined is identified for each dense dimension and all intersections of these scopes are stored in the cube . all the levels at which the data measure is defined , and are reachable from the stored level either through aggregation or dis - aggregation , are generated at run time . any update operation can be saved as a what - if update without commit . the what - if update when active acts as a filter applied to the actual data that is retrieved . the data resulting will appear as if the update was committed to the database . this will only be implemented if the performance of a what - if update is better than a regular update ( commit ). in the updating aggregatable data measure example if a what - if update of 900 is saved to the [ cookies brand , eastern region ] intersection , the actual data in the database corresponding to this intersection will still be 600 whereas when the what - if is applied it will appear as if the data is 900 . the data at the [ chocolate chip , eastern region ] intersection will appear to be 150 even though it really is 100 . locking a dimension intersection of an allocatable data measure should keep the value stored at the intersection unchanged while distributing the data from a higher level or propagating the change from a lower level . locking a dimension intersection of a non - allocatable data measure is equivalent to locking all the lower bound intersections within the scope of the locked intersection . locking / unlocking an intersection of a non - aggregatable data measure is treated as locking a single intersection . in other words , updates will skip the locked intersection . in the aggregatable data measure example , it the unit sales data element corresponding to the [ chocolate chip , eastern region ] intersection is locked at 100 and if data element at [ cookies brand , eastern region ] intersection is changed from 600 to 900 the new values for [ oatmeal raisin , eastern region ] and [ macadamia nut , eastern region ] intersections should be 320 and 480 . the existing proportions of the unlocked intersections are preserved while keeping the value at the locked intersection unchanged . members of two dimensions , target and source , can be mapped to each other . target and source can be defined using aliases and can refer to the same defined dimension . mapping defines the source members used to compute a target member and is used in relations and virtual data measures . mapping can be defined using a relative definition : ancestor , children , siblings etc . mapping can also be defined by enumerating the source target pairs . a relation can be defined on a โ target โ data measure by associating an expression with it . the expression can contain one or more โ source โ data measures . each data measure involved in the relation ( including the target ) has a dimensionality defined using aliases . the dimensionality of the target and source measures need not be the same . in other words , different aliases can be used for different measures to specify dimensionality . for each source dimension that do not match a target dimension ( matching is by name and not by the defined dimension it refers to ), the members of one of the target dimensions will need to be mapped to the members of the source dimension . the relation expression can contain constants , source data measures , unary , binary and aggregation operators which are pre - defined . aggregation operators are needed when a single target dimension member is mapped to multiple source dimension members . the relation definition also specifies whether the relation triggering is manual or automatic . in case of automatic triggering , the relation triggering is transitive . in other words , if a is a source of a relation on b and b is a source of a relation on c and both are triggered automatically , both b and c are updated when a is modified . cycles are detected by the system when the relations to be executed are being collected : if the target of a relation to be triggered is involve ( either as source or target ) in the relations already in the list of relations to be executed , then this relation is not added to the list . relation updates are non - incremental and all source positions required to compute a target position are accessed . since any arbitrary expression can be used and reverse relations cannot be verified by the system , relation integrity is not guaranteed by the system . if the target is an allocatable data measure , a level is identified for each dimension of the target at which the relation is computed . in case of non - allocatable data measures , the anchor level is used for computation . in case of non - aggregatable measures , all intersections are independently computed . the units data measure could have a relation defined on it with the expressions ( grossdollars / price ; grosstons / weight ). every update to the grossdollars , price , grosstons or weight data measures will re - calculate the units data measure . virtual data measure is a data measure which has no storage of its own , and its value at an intersection is computed at run time . it is non - modifiable . each virtual measure is defined by an expression which is used to compute its value . the expression can contain constants , stored data measures , unary , binary and aggregation operators which are pre - defined . expressions cannot contain other virtual measures . the dimensionality of the virtual and stored measures need not be the same . aliases can be used to refer to the same internal dimensions and each alias is treated as a different dimension for access . for each dimension of the stored data measure ( source dimension ) that do not match a dimension of the virtual measure ( target dimension ), the members of one of the target dimensions will need to be mapped to the members of the source dimension . aggregation operators are used when a single target dimension member is mapped to multiple source dimension members . members of hierarchical dimensions can be realigned in one of the following two ways : 1 . moving : a subset of parents of a member of a dimension can be changed . the whole subtree under the member is moved from one set of parents to another set . the member specification can include a subset of its uniqueness thus moving multiple members possibly merging them into one target member . the target member specification can include a different subset of its uniqueness . the data corresponding to all the intersections that contain the moved member is moved . 2 . deleting : an existing member can be deleted . the whole subtree under the member is deleted . the member specification can include a subset of its uniqueness thus deleting multiple members . the data corresponding to all the intersections that contain the deleted member is voided . an option to reject the operation is provided if the dimension member specification identifies multiple members of the dimension . all data measures depending on the realigned dimension are impacted . the realignment operation should preserve the aggregation integrity of all aggregatable data measures . when deleting existing members , the system should ensure that there are no existing intersections for aggregatable data measures that do not have corresponding anchor - level intersections . realignment may require exclusive access to the data base and may be allowed only by the administrative client . consider the geography dimension with levels : national , district , dc , account . the relations defined are : national & gt ; district , national & gt ; dc , dc & gt ; account and district & gt ; account . the uniqueness of account is { dc , district , national }. if the account realignment specification is move account = kmart from dc = new york and district = greatlakes to district = tristate . all kmart accounts belonging to newyork ( dc ) and greatlakes ( district ) are moved to new york ( dc ) and tristate ( district ). if the account realignment specification is move account = kmart from dc = new york to dc = michigan and district = tristate . all kmart accounts belonging to newyork ( dc ) and any district are moved to michigan ( dc ) and tristate ( district ). if the account realignment specification is move account = kmart from dc = new york to account = walmart and district = tristate . all kmart accounts belonging to newyork ( dc ) and any district are moved to walmart ( account ) within new york ( dc ) and tristate ( district ). the dimension intersections within data measures can be realigned . the source and target specifications can contain different subsets of dimensions . a subset of data measures dependent on the superset of the union of the source and target dimension sets can be realigned . the dimension specifications are the same as in case of dimension member realignment . if a dependent dimension of an aggregatable data measure is not specified , all its members at the anchor level are considered as part of the source specification . if a dependent dimension of a non - aggregatable data measure is not specified , all its members are considered as part of the source specification . in case of aggregatable data measures , the subtrees under all the intersections are moved along with the intersections . otherwise , only intersections specified are moved . dimension members may be added , but are never deleted . unitsales is an aggregatable data measure dependent on geography , product and time and price is a non - aggregatable data measure dependent on product , customer and time . if an intersection of product and time is to be moved and the target specified contains the member of product dimension alone , both unitsales and price or either one of them can be realigned . in case of unitsales , the subtree under the product part of the intersection is realigned for the given time for all geography positions . in case of price , product part of the intersection ( not the subtree ) is realigned for the given time for all customer positions . if an intersection of geography and product is to be moved and the target contains intersections of geography and time dimensions , only unitsales can be realigned . the subtree under the product part of the intersection is realigned for the given geography , and all time members of the level specified in the target are realigned into one specified time member and the subtrees under the all members are merged under one . the intersection specification can contain a subset of dimensions . the intersections can be deleted from a subset of data measures who dimensionality includes all dimensions in the specification . the dimension specifications are the same as in case of dimension member realignment . all intersections within the selected data measures matching the specification are deleted . if a dependent dimension of an aggregatable data measure is not specified , all its members at the anchor level are considered as part of the specification . if a dependent dimension of a non - aggregatable data measure is not specified , all its members are considered as part of the specification . in case of aggregatable data measures , the subtrees under all the intersections are removed along with the intersections . otherwise , only intersections specified are removed . an object storage model is to be defined for olap . access permissions can be set for each object ( dimensions , levels , members , data measures , data at cell level ) by user , group etc . the access privileges can be read , modify , add , delete , etc . the distribution of data is done subject to the following guidelines : separate the dimension view exposed to the applications from the data storage store data such that all updates , locking can be performed without having to access data from other sub - cubes provide mechanisms to minimize cross sub - cube data access while computing relations and virtual data measures multi - dimensional data can be distributed into sub - cubes along a dimension . each sub - cube can be further distributed along the same or a different dimension . the following are the two ways of distributing sub - cubes along a dimension : the levels are partitioned into two sets with one of the levels belonging to both sets . all paths from a level belonging to one set to a level belonging to the second set need to pass through the common level . in a set , if a level is a parent ( child ) of the common level , there does not exist a level in the set which is a child ( parent ) of the common level . the partitioning of the instances is done at a level which is a parent of all levels in the sub - cube being partitioned . in other words , it is the highest level of the sub - cube . all levels belong to both sub - cubes . a sub - cube can also be partitioned by data measures also . relations and virtual data measure definitions cannot span multiple sub - cubes when the partitioning is done by data measures . all data access is synchronous . if the process servicing a sub - cube is down , the data cannot be accessed . propagation of updates may need to be asynchronous . even if the process servicing the sub - cube is down , the data needs to be guaranteed to be updated eventually . the allocation paths are restricted such that the lowest level of each sub - cube is in the allocation path , if the allocation path spans multiple sub - cubes . this is required to limit the allocate and following aggregation operation to a sub - cube . all programmed limits : number of dimensions , number of data measures , number of levels , number of concurrent users etc . should be configurable . in other words , these limits should be modifiable without recompiling the system . in summary , the method of the present invention involves setting threshold values for different levels within a multi - dimensional database having data organized into hierarchical levels . by determining whether to aggregate selected data measures for each intersection of the database , following rules related to these threshold values , database access is rendered reasonably efficient while not requiring a worst case maximum storage size . because it is relatively easy to adjust these threshold levels , it is relatively easy for an application to be tuned to trade off between access time for the database and data storage space requirements . in general , lowering threshold levels will cause more data to be stored in the database , raising storage requirements but decreasing access time . in a complementary manner , raising threshold levels will tend to increase access times because a larger number of data calculations will be made at runtime . however , in return less storage is required for the database . by providing adjustable threshold levels , the performance of any given database can be easily optimized to suit any desired application . adjustment of threshold levels will require that new determinations be made as to which intersections store precalculated data , but no major restructuring or recompilation is needed . in addition to the above trade off , storing less data by raising threshold levels will cause updates to execute faster . this results from the decreased number of calculations to be made at update time . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
referring to fig1 the selector device 1 shown is disposed in a processing enclosure 2 . the selector device 1 is disposed in the upper part of the enclosure 2 , processing apparatus ( not shown ) being disposed in the lower part of the enclosure . the selector device 1 includes a support 3 which comprises a horizontal turntable 4 and at some distance above this turntable 4 a horizontal plate 5 with three equal - length branches 5a , 5b and 5c disposed at 120 ยฐ. the extremities of these branches , which are near the edge of the turntable 4 , are fixed to the latter by three screws 6 , three spacers 7 being disposed around the screws 6 , between the plate 5 and the turntable 4 . the screws 6 are disposed at 120 ยฐ relative to the center of the turntable 4 and at a small distance from its edge . the branches of the plate 5 have notches 8 into which can be inserted upon rotation of the turntable 4 about the vertical axis the lower parts of three suspension columns 9 which have annular shoulders 9a at the bottom which engage in the notches 8 and on which the horizontal plate 5 bears . as shown diagrammatically in fig5 the upper parts of the columns 9 are mounted on a drive mechanism 10 inside the enclosure 2 and fixed to its upper wall . the drive mechanism 10 is coupled to an electric motor 11 outside the enclosure 2 and also fixed to its upper wall . referring to fig1 the drive mechanism 10 can comprise , mounted in a casing , a first hollow toothed wheel 12 concentric with the turntable 4 and having at its periphery and on its lower side three lugs 13 to which the upper ends of the columns 9 are fixed and a second toothed wheel 14 fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft 15 of the electric motor 11 . the selector device 1 further comprises a wafer - holder constituted by a horizontal turntable 16 disposed between the horizontal turntable 4 and the horizontal plate 5 at a distance from the upper side of the turntable 4 . the turntable 16 is fixed to a vertical shaft 17 whose lower end is carried by the turntable 4 and whose upper end is carried by a part 18 of the plate 5 projecting horizontally between the branches 5b and 5c of the latter . the projecting part 18 constitutes a short fourth branch opposite the branch 5a . the shaft 17 is connected to the plate 5 by a force accumulator member 19 constituted by a spiral spring and a non - return winding mechanism which has an operating knob 20 , for example . in this example the diameter of the turntable 16 is substantially equal to 0 . 6 times the diameter of the turntable 4 , the peripheral edge of the turntable 16 being substantially tangential to the edge of the turntable 4 . the turntable 16 therefore extends under the branches 5b and 5c of the plate 5 , between the spacers which carry these branches , and under the central part of this plate . the turntable 16 has wafer receiving areas which in this example are two concentric rows of through - passages 21 and 22 . in the example as shown in fig2 and 3 the inner row has six through - passages 21 and the outer row has twelve through - passages 22 which are equiangularly spaced , the through - passages 21 being on the same radius as a respective six through - passages 22 of the outer row . the through - passages 21 and 22 include , for example , shoulders or studs so that circular wafers 21a and 22a may be placed in them from above and held in place . the central part of the turntable 4 has a through - passage 23 with which the through - passages 22 of the aforementioned outside row may be aligned in succession by rotation of the turntable 16 . it also has a through - passage 24 between the through - passage 23 and the shaft 17 of the turntable 16 and with which the passages 21 of the aforementioned inner row may be successively aligned . the central part of the horizontal plate 5 has a through - passage 25 in corresponding relationship to the central passage 23 of the turntable 4 . this mechanism 26 comprises an escapement with pallets comprising a star - shape horizontal balance - wheel 27 with three branches 27a , 27b and 27c disposed at 120 ยฐ. the central part of the balance - wheel 27 is carried by a vertical shaft 28 disposed to one side of the branch 5a of the plate 5 whose lower end is supported by the turntable 4 . the balance - wheel 27 is so arranged that its branches 27b and 27c extend along and at a distance from the peripheral edge of the turntable 16 and its branch 27a extends outwards , but not as far as the peripheral edge of the turntable 4 , its branch 27c extending under the branch 5a of the plate 5 . the balance - wheel 27 pivots between two extreme positions delimited by two projecting abutments 29 and 30 carried by the turntable 4 and on respective opposite sides of its branch 27a . the branches 27b and 27c of the balance - wheel 27 carry fingers forming abutments 31 and 32 which extend horizontally towards the turntable 16 . under its periphery , the turntable 16 has twelve fingers forming abutments 33 in radial corresponding relationship to the through - passages 22 in the turntable 16 . when the balance - wheel 27 is at its extreme positions , the fingers 31 and 32 respectively extend over the path of the finger 33 of the turntable 16 . the balance - wheel 27 is spring - loaded by a leaf spring 34 carried by its branch 27c and which is tensioned by a stud 35 projecting from the turntable 4 , the spring 34 urging the branch 27a of the balance - wheel 27 against the abutment 29 , in which position the finger 31 carried by its branch 27a is on the path of the fingers 33 of the turntable 16 . the balance - wheel 27 carries an actuator arm 36 extending beyond the peripheral edge of the turntable 4 . the mechanism 26 further comprises a vertical shaft 37 which extends through the lower wall of the enclosure 2 near one of its lateral walls . the other end of this shaft 37 carries a radial finger 38 . the lower end of the shaft 37 is coupled to an electrical actuator member 39 outside the enclosure 2 and adapted to rotate the shaft 37 between two extreme positions . in one of its extreme positions the finger 38 is off the path of the exterior end of the arm 36 carried by the balance - wheel 27 . in its other extreme position the finger 38 is on the path of the outer end of the arm 36 . referring to fig1 the shaft 15 of the motor 11 is equipped outside the enclosure 2 with an angular position sensor 40 and the shaft 37 is equipped outside the enclosure 2 with a sensor 41 responsive to its aforementioned two extreme positions . the motor 11 , the actuator member 39 and the sensors 40 and 41 are connected to an electronic control system 42 connected to a programming unit 43 . the upper and lower walls of the enclosure 2 are respectively equipped with a control beam emitter 44 and a receiver 45 responsive to this beam , both also connected to the electronic system 42 . the emitter 44 and the receiver 45 are disposed so that the beam is coaxial with the turntable 4 and passes through a vertical passage 46 shown schematically in fig5 and through the through - passages 25 and 23 of the horizontal plate 5 and the turntable 4 . in the example as shown in fig1 the toothed wheel . 12 of the drive mechanism 10 has a central passage 47 through which the aforementioned beam passes . as shown diagrammatically in fig1 and 5 , the selector device 1 comprises a protective cover 48 in the shape of an inverted cup which has a horizontal flat bottom 49 which bears on the upper side of the plate 5 and a cylindrical wall 50 which extends downwards and which surrounds the peripheral edge of the turntable 4 with a small clearance . the bottom 49 has a central passage 51 for the aforementioned beam to pass through and passages for the three columns 9 and for the knob 20 of the force accumulator unit 19 . the selector device 1 as just described operates and can be used as follows : in the static position as shown in fig2 the balance - wheel 27 is held by the spring 34 in a position such that its branch 27 bears against the abutment 29 carried by the turntable 4 and the finger 31 carried by its branch 27b is in the front of one of the fingers 33 carried by the turntable 16 , this finger being pressed against the finger 31 by the force accumulator member 19 . in this position one of the through - passages 22a of the turntable 16 is aligned with the central through - passage 23 of the turntable 4 and one of the through - passages 21 of the turntable 16 may be aligned with the passage 24 of the turntable 4 . the selector device 1 is then in a position for processing of the wafers 21a and 22a disposed in the through - passages 21 and 22 aligned with the through - passages 24 and 23 of the turntable 4 , these passages 23 and 24 constituting a processing station . during the processing operation , for example deposition on the lower surfaces of the wafers 21a and 22a the support 3 constituted by the turntable 4 and the plate 5 suspended on the columns 9 can be rotated by the electric motor 11 . the purpose of such rotation is to homogenize the deposit . as deposition proceeds , the process can be monitored by means of the beam emitted by the emitter 44 and picked up by the receiver 45 . for this the wafers 22a must be made from a material which is transparent to the aforementioned beam , these wafers constituting control wafers . the trigger finger 38 being off the path of the exterior part of the arm 36 connected to the balance - wheel 27 , the selector device 1 can rotate several times . to rotate the turntable 16 to align other through - passages 21 and 22 with the through - passages 23 and 24 in the turntable 4 to process other wafers the following procedure can be adopted : the actuator member 39 is activated in order to move the finger 38 carrying the vertical shaft 37 onto the path of the outer end of the arm 36 carried by the balance - wheel 27 . the support 3 is rotated by actuating the motor 11 in the direction of the arrow 52 . when the outer end of the arm 36 meets the trigger finger 38 it is retained and the arm 36 causes the balance - wheel 27 to rotate in the opposite direction to the turntable 4 , as shown by the arrow 53 , until the branch 27a of the balance - wheel bears on the abutment 30 . in this position ( see fig3 ) the finger 31 of the balance - wheel 27 releases the finger 33 of the turntable 16 which was bearing on it and the finger 32 of the balance - wheel 27 moves in front of the path of the fingers 33 . the force accumulator member 19 causes the turntable 16 to rotate until one of the fingers 33 on it comes to rest against the finger 32 . the turntable 16 has then rotated through 1 / 24 turn , i . e . a half - increment . the outside part of the arm 36 having passed over the trigger abutment 38 , the balance - wheel 27 is released and the spring 34 causes it to rotate in the direction opposite the arrow 53 until it bears against the abutment 29 . the finger 32 releases the finger 33 of the turntable 16 which was bearing on it and the next finger 33 of the turntable 16 bears against the finger 31 of the balance - wheel 27 . during this reciprocating movement of the balance - wheel 27 the force accumulator member 19 has caused the turntable 16 to rotate through 1 / 12 turn , i . e . one increment , so that the next through - passage 22 of the turntable 16 is aligned with the through - passage 23 of the turntable 4 . the processing as described above can then be applied to the wafers in the through - passages now aligned with the through - orifices 23 and 24 of the turntable 4 . the selector device 1 enables the various wafers 21a , 22a to be subjected to different processes associated with the various positions of the turntable 16 . in one possible embodiment the motor 11 can move the selector device 1 into a position that can be sensed by the sensor 40 such that the outer part of the trigger arm 36 is facing the trigger finger 38 carried by the vertical shaft 37 . in this position the electric actuator member 39 is activated to cause the trigger finger 38 to operate on the arm 36 to turn the balance - wheel 27 in the direction of the arrow 53 , as previously mentioned , and the actuator member 39 is activated in order to retract the trigger finger 38 so that the balance - wheel 27 turns in the direction opposite the arrow 53 , as previously described . during this reciprocating movement of the balance - wheel 27 the turntable 16 rotates through 1 / 12 turn , i . e . one increment , as previously described . in the embodiment previously described the selector device 1 has to rotate by one turn to rotate the turntable 16 by 1 / 12 turn . in this second embodiment the selector device remains stationary . by having the trigger finger 38 operate on the trigger arm 36 connected to the balance - wheel 27 , the turntable 16 can be caused to advance by 1 / 12 turn as many times in succession as required . to off - load the wafers 21a and 22a after processing and to load other wafers the following procedure can be adopted : the front door of the enclosure 2 ( not shown in fig1 ) is opened and the selector device 1 is turned by hand to free the lower part of the columns 9 from the notches 8 in the horizontal plate 5 . the selector device 1 is then removed manually from the enclosure 2 and put down on a worksurface , for example . the cover 48 is lifted off . the wafers 21a and 22a are removed from the through - passages 21 and 22 of the turntable 16 , possibly by rotating the turntable by operating the trigger arm 36 manually . new wafers 21a and 22a are placed in the through - passages 21 and 22 of the turntable 16 . the knob 16 is turned to retension the spiral spring of the force accumulator device 19 . the positions of the new wafers relative to through - passages 23 and 24 are marked . the cover 48 is replaced . the connector device 1 is picked up and replaced in the enclosure 2 , rotating it to engage with the lower ends of the columns 9 . the selector device 1 is ready for processing the new wafers carried by its turntable 16 , in the manner previously described . the present invention is evidently not limited to the example described above . in particular the number , arrangement and shape of the through - passages of the turntable 16 can be different . the diameters of the turntables 4 and 16 can be in a different ratio . the processing station constituted by the through - passages 23 and 24 of the turntable 4 can be a different shape . | 2 |
throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is shown a permanent - excited synchronous motor 2 , with a rotor position sensor 4 , a brake 6 , a converter 8 , in particular an intermediate voltage converter , and a conventional field control 10 . the stator of the permanent - excited synchronous motor is powered by the converter 8 . the conventional field control 10 includes a rotation speed control circuit 12 , two current control circuits 14 , 16 as well as two conversion circuits 18 and 20 . the field control 10 also includes a differentiating circuit 22 and a conversion device 24 . the rotation speed control circuit 12 includes a rotation speed controller 26 , a comparator 28 and a limiter 30 . a predetermined rotation speed setpoint n * is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 28 , whereas a measured actual rotation speed value n is applied to the inverting input . the actual rotation speed value n is generated by the differentiating circuit 22 from the position signal r generated by the rotor position sensor 4 . the output of the comparator 28 is connected to an input of the rotation speed controller 26 , with the output of the rotation speed controller 26 being connected to the limiter 30 . the output of the limiter 30 produces the setpoint signal i * q of the secondary current control circuit 14 . the current control circuit 14 includes a comparator 34 and a current controller 32 connected to an output of the comparator 34 . a second current control circuit 16 also includes a comparator 38 and current controller 36 connected to an output of the comparator 38 . the outputs of the two current control circuits 14 and 16 are connected to corresponding inputs of a conversion circuit 20 which converts the two orthogonal setpoints u * q and u * d of the field voltage into three voltage setpoints u * r , u * s and u * t for the stator . the voltages u * r , u * s and u * t represent the voltage setpoints of the permanent - excited synchronous motor . the stator currents i r and i s of the permanent - excited synchronous motor 2 are measured , and an input - side conversion circuit 18 converts the stator currents i r and i s into two orthogonal field current components i q and i d of a stator current space vector of the synchronous motor 2 . the current components i q and i d are supplied to corresponding inverting inputs of the comparators 34 and 36 of the two current control circuits 14 and 16 , as described above . the current component i q , which is also referred to as a torque - forming current , is applied to the inverting input of the comparator 34 . a setpoint of the current component i d , which is also referred to as a flux - forming current component and has a value of zero , is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 38 . each of the two conversion circuits 18 and 20 requires information about the rotor position angle ฯ , which is generated by the conversion device 24 from the rotor position signal r of the rotor position sensor 4 . fig2 shows a linear motor 40 of a feed system of a processing machine ( not shown in detail ). the motor 40 includes a primary section 42 and a secondary section 44 . the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 is adapted to hold a tool 46 , for example a cutting tool . the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 includes a plurality of permanent magnets 48 which are arranged side - by - side along the secondary section 44 . the depicted magnetic field distribution 50 depends on the particular arrangement of the permanent magnets 48 . a primary field with a q - component 52 and a d - component 54 ( see fig3 ) is produced in the primary section 42 of the linear motor 40 . fig2 shows the q - component 52 of the primary field of the linear motor 40 . the q - component 52 of the primary field is shifted by 90 ยฐ elec . with respect to the magnetic field distribution of the permanent magnets 48 of the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 . the d - component 54 of the primary field of the linear motor 40 is shown in more detail in fig3 . the d - component 54 of the primary field is in phase with the magnetic field distribution 50 of the permanent magnets 48 . the q - component 52 of the primary field is produced when the linear motor 40 is energized in the feed direction . conversely , the d - component 54 of the primary field is produced when the linear motor 40 is energized in the direction of the attractive force . the q - and d - components can be linearly combined and applied simultaneously . in conventional servo drives , only the q - component is used to move a secondary section relative to a primary section in a linear motor . fig2 also shows a workpiece 56 to be machined by an exemplary cutting tool 46 . the workpiece is omitted from fig3 for sake of clarity . a workpiece can be machined eccentrically by moving the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 back and forth in the feed direction . this motion is indicated by the double arrow 58 . machining the workpiece 56 in this way can generate chatter oscillations , as indicated by the arrows 60 and 62 . chatter can render the surfaces of the workpiece 56 unusable . chatter is frequently caused when the machine structure mechanically yields to the cutting forces . periodic excursions occur in particular , when the cutting force oscillations have a frequency in the range of a characteristic resonant frequency of the machine . the periodic machine excursions due to chatter can also produce periodic discontinuities in the cutting force which can have a phase relationship to the machine resonances that sustain and / or even amplify chatter . in particular , with materials requiring a large cutting force or a large cutting depth , the onset of chatter oscillations can reduce or limit the machine productivity . the cutting depth may therefore have to be reduced so as to reliably eliminate chatter . fig4 depicts a linear motor 40 of a feed system of a processing machine ( not shown in detail ) according to fig2 coupled to a device for carrying out the method of the invention . the device includes an acquisition system 64 that generates an actual signal s rs which is proportional to the chatter oscillation , and a control circuit 66 . the control circuit 66 is electrically connected to an output of the acquisition system 64 . in its simplest embodiment , the control circuit 66 includes a comparator 68 , a controller 70 , in particular a pi - controller , and a limiter 72 . a setpoint signal s * rs for the chatter oscillation is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 68 . the measured actual signal s rs of an occurring chatter oscillation is applied to the input of the acquisition system 64 , with the output of the acquisition system 64 being connected to the inverting input of the comparator 68 of the control circuit 66 . the output of the comparator 68 is connected to the input of the controller 70 , and the limiter 72 is connected to the output of the controller 70 . the output of the limiter 72 produces a control variable s rsy which is supplied as a setpoint signal i * d to the current control circuit 16 for the d - component of the field control 10 depicted in fig1 . the control variable s rsy is indicative of a correction that has to be applied to the actual signal s rs of an occurring chatter oscillation , such that the setpoint signal s * rs for the chatter oscillation has a predetermined value . the value for the setpoint signal s * rs is set to zero , since any chatter oscillation present can render surfaces of the workpiece 56 unusable . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the acquisition system 64 that generates an actual signal s rs proportional to the occurring chatter oscillation includes a seismic acceleration sensor 74 and an integrating circuit 76 . the exemplary seismic acceleration sensor 74 is a piezo sensor which does not require a reference point . as a result , the seismic acceleration sensor 74 can be placed directly on the tool 46 . the output signal s rsa of the seismic acceleration sensor 74 is the acceleration a of an occurring chatter oscillation in the direction of the attractive force of the linear motor 40 . the integrating circuit 76 generates from the determined output signal s rsa a corresponding velocity signal which is supplied as the actual signal s rs to the inverting input of the comparator 68 of the control circuit 66 . the actual velocity signal s rs and a predetermined velocity signal setpoint s * rs can be used to generate a setpoint s rsy , which is supplied as a current setpoint i * d to the secondary current control circuit 16 for the d - component of the motor current of the field controller 10 . the secondary current control circuit 16 for the d - component regulates the attractive force in the linear motor 40 so as to counteract the velocity of the occurring chatter oscillation . in this way , the velocity of the chatter oscillation is controlled to the predetermined value of the setpoint signal s * rs . fig5 shows a second embodiment of the device for carrying out the method for damping an occurring chatter oscillation in a processing machine with at least one feed system . this embodiment is different from the embodiment of fig4 in that the acquisition system 60 includes an optical sensor 78 and a signal processor 80 . the optical sensor 78 is used to measure the velocity of the occurring chatter oscillation in the direction of the attractive force of the motor . the output signal of the optical sensor 78 is supplied to the signal processor 80 which generates an actual signal s rs which is proportional to the chatter oscillation . the method of the invention can be used when chatter oscillations that have a component in the direction of the attractive force extend into the air gap space of the linear motor 40 . the method of the invention does not depend on the particulars by which a chatter oscillation is detected or measured . the method of the invention advantageously uses the previously unused d - component of the field controller 10 to dampen chatter oscillations . the method of the invention can advantageously be implemented with a single acquisition system 64 and a single control circuit 66 . the control circuit 66 can subsequently be integrated with other field controllers , for example , as a software module . the software module can also be activated on demand , so that the method of the invention operates only in the presence of chatter oscillations . the acquisition system 64 depicted in fig4 operates with a piezo sensor which does not require a reference point and can therefore determine the velocity of an occurring chatter oscillation . moreover , the seismic acceleration sensor 74 is small enough to be placed in close proximity to a location where a chatter oscillation is generated . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 8 |
reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention . an example of the preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention will be described in conjunction with that preferred embodiment , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to one preferred embodiment . 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 following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details . in other instances , traditional process operations have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention . in a tier - priced industry , the use of a financial instrument to guarantee commodity delivery and lower the cost of delivering the commodity can be implemented in two distinct ways . fig1 a illustrates a buyer 2 purchasing a tier - priced commodity 8 bundled with a financial instrument 10 from a commodity seller 4 . in this example the buyer negotiates the purchase of the bundled commodity 8 and financial instrument 10 with the commodity seller 4 . the financial instrument 10 would be triggered and executed to absorb the additional costs of purchasing spot power under the conditions described in the financial instrument . in the preferred embodiment the tier - priced commodity is electrical power being sold by a generating utility or broker and the financial instrument is an insurance policy or hedging contract . the buyer 2 may be any consumer of the purchased commodity 8 ( i . e . an individual , a large manufacturing concern , a rural cooperative , a municipality or another generating utility ) and the seller 4 may be a commodity generating utility or commodity reseller . in one embodiment , the financial instrument 10 is offered by the commodity provider 4 along with the commodity 8 as a bundled product ( the purchase price of the commodity includes the purchase price of the financial instrument used to guarantee the delivery of the commodity ). fig1 b illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the buyer 2 purchases the financial instrument 10 and the commodity 8 separately . in this example the financial instrument 10 is purchased from a financial instrument broker 6 such as an insurance company ( in the case of an insurance policy ) or brokerage house ( in the case of a hedging contract or derivative contract ). fig2 a illustrates the use of an insurance policy 18 to protect against an interruption in service to a customer 16 ( in this example a municipality ). in fig2 a a municipality 16 purchases interruptible power from a generating utility 12 . the municipality 16 has also purchased an insurance policy 18 as part of a bundled product from the generating utility 12 or an insurance company such as the financial instrument broker 10 ( see fig1 b ). if there is no interruption in service then the municipality 16 receives its power as contracted from the generating utility 12 and there is no need to purchase spot power from another utility 14 ( or the power pool ). purchasing a commodity supported by an insurance policy 18 allows the municipality 12 to purchase power at a reduced interruptible rate . the insurance policy 18 takes effect if there is an interruption in service governed by the terms of the policy . typically , the terms of the insurance policy will cover foreseeable interruptions and not force majeure events . the insurance policy 18 is designed to take into account the risks associated with purchasing interruptible power . a risk coefficient may be calculated based on the risks associated with purchasing the commodity at the lower tier , for example . these risks include historical data regarding the weather in and around the municipality 16 ( the consuming area ), the current / predicted future capacity of the generating utility 12 and the current / predicted future demands of the municipality 16 ( the load profile ). if there is an interruption in service , the insurance policy 18 will provide the finances necessary to allow the generating utility 12 to purchase or generate needed power to supplement the interruption . in the case where the municipality 16 holds the insurance policy 18 ( purchased it separately from the commodity ) the financial proceeds of the policy are paid to the generating utility 12 or an alternative source 14 or a transmitting utility to augment supply by purchasing or generating additional power . referring to fig2 b , with the insurance policy 18 covering the cost of purchasing expensive spot power , the alternative source 14 ( the providing utility or power pool ) would transfer the supplemental power to the municipality through the generating utility 12 or through another system ( transmitting / distributing utility ) depending upon the circumstances . when a municipality 16 ( or any customer for that matter ) is the insurance policy holder , an agreement among the electricity provider , the insurance provider , and the end - user would be structured to provide interruptible power under a mutually acceptable set of circumstances . this agreement allows the generating utility 12 , through their trading floor , to purchase power for interruptions on behalf of the municipality 16 ( including the end users ), using funds provided by the insurance policy held by the municipality 16 . in an alternative embodiment the end - users would contract directly with the generating utility and the insurance provider . fig3 a and 3 b illustrate the application of the present invention to the natural gas industry . a natural gas producer 20 provides gas to a national pipeline company 22 which is conceptually similar to the national electrical grid . the national pipeline company 22 provides gas to a local distributor 26 who in turn provides gas to the end - user 30 . in the event of an interruption in gas service ( which may be occasioned for equally predictable reasons as they are in the electrical industry ) an insurance policy 28 ( or other financial instrument ) will provide the funds to supplement the interruption from an alternative source 24 . the implementation of the present invention from the generating utility and end - user may be accomplished via traditional business means ( typically written agreements ) or via a computerized transaction . if the transaction is carried out over a computer network ( via the internet in the preferred embodiment ), a wholesale or retail customer would be able to purchase the utility commodity from the provider either with or without an attached financial instrument . the purchaser would also be able to purchase the commodity from one provider and the financial instrument from a separate financial broker . sales by a utility may be conditioned upon the purchase of an insurance policy by the purchaser . in another embodiment , an alternative energy provider may sell hedge contracts supported by its own power generating surplus . in yet another embodiment , purchasers bid on available power and financial instrument from a variety of different providers . fig4 illustrates the method steps of the present invention as they would be carried out through traditional processes or as implemented in software on one or more computers . at step 32 a price is determined for the commodity at a first tier . in the preferred embodiment , this will be the price for firm electrical power in a particular class ( residential , industrial , etc .) which will be the most expensive electrical power available in that class . at step 34 the price for the commodity at a second tier within the same class is determined . in the preferred embodiment , this will be interruptible power in the same class available for a substantially lower price than the power in the first tier . the price determinations made in steps 32 and 34 are accomplished using any of a number of well known techniques . one source of information useful in determining these prices is federal energy regulatory commission ( ferc ) open - access same - time information system ( oasis ) provides information about available transmission capacity . at step 36 a price is determined for a financial instrument to cover the loss which would be suffered in the event of a foreseeable interruption in service associated with the purchase of the second tier commodity . typically the financial instrument is designed to cover the potential foreseeable interruptions and not force majeure events . however , coverage for force majeure events could be included in an alternative embodiment of the present invention . at step 38 the generating utility or broker offers the bundled commodity ( interruptible power ) and financial instrument ( typically an insurance policy ). the second tier commodity and indemnifying financial instrument are then sold to a customer at step 40 . fig5 a and 5 b illustrate a system implementing the present invention over a computer network . a customer using customer computer 42 would connect to a commodity seller computer 46 via a computer network such as the internet 44 . the commodity seller computer 46 has access to commodity price data 48 and financial instrument price data 50 . the price data may be stored on the commodity seller server 46 or another computer . fig5 b illustrates a bifurcated system in which there is a financial instrument seller computer 52 in addition to the commodity seller computer 46 . in the preferred embodiment the interface between the customer computer 42 and the commodity seller computer 46 and the financial instrument seller computer 52 is implemented as a web page accessible to the customer via the world wide web . in an alternate embodiment the customer would contact a brokering computer which would in turn contact the commodity seller computer 46 and the financial instrument seller computer 52 . referring to fig6 , the method steps of the present invention are illustrated for an embodiment in which a customer is presented with the lower of two prices from two or more sources . at step 54 the price for a first tier commodity from a first source is determined . at step 56 the price for a second tier commodity from a first source is determined . at step 58 a price is determined for a financial instrument to cover the loss which would be suffered in the event of a foreseeable interruption in service associated with the purchase of the second tier commodity from a first source . at step 60 the price for a first tier commodity from a second source is determined . at step 62 the price for a second tier commodity from a second source is determined . at step 64 a price is determined for a financial instrument to cover the loss which would be suffered in the event of a foreseeable interruption in service associated with the purchase of the second tier commodity from a second source . at step 66 the lowest combined price for a second tier commodity and bundled financial instrument is displayed to a customer and at step 68 the transaction is processed . fig7 illustrates an implementation of the present invention facilitating an online auction for a commodity and bundled financial instrument . a first bidder computer 70 and a second bidder computer 72 are connected via a computer network such as the internet 74 to a tier - priced commodity transaction server 76 . the tier - priced commodity transaction server 76 presents the first bidder computer 70 and the second bidder computer 72 starting bids ( prices personalized for each participating bidder ) for a given commodity at a specified tier and an associated financial instrument . the prices may be different for each bidder . the potential bids are accepted by the tier - priced commodity transaction server 76 and the commodity and bundled financial instrument is sold to the highest bidder . more particularly , the starting price or bid for the first bundled product for the first bidder and the starting price or bid for the second bundled product for the second bidder are determined by the transaction server 76 and provided to the first bidder computer 70 and the second bidder computer 72 , respectively , via the network 74 . the network may be the internet . the respective prices are displayed to the first and second bidders by the first and second bidder computers 70 , 72 , respectively . the first and second bidders submit their bids to the commodity transaction server 76 , via their respective computers 70 , 72 , and the network 74 . the commodity transaction server 76 sells the first bundled product to the first bidder if the first bidder exceeds the first price by a greater amount than the second bidder exceeds the second price . the commodity transaction server 76 sells the second bundled product to the second bidder if the second bidder exceeds the second price by a greater amount than the first bidder exceeds the first price . fig8 shows customer computer 78 connecting to commodity seller computers 82 , 84 , and 86 via a network , such as the internet 80 . the customer computer 78 presents the commodity seller computers 82 , 84 , and 86 with its commodity requirements and information necessary to determine the cost of the requested commodity and the associated financial instrument . in an alternate embodiment , the customer computer 78 connects to a querying computer which collects information from the customer , retrieves the price combinations from the commodity seller computers 82 , 84 , and 86 and returns the best offer price to the customer . in yet another embodiment the querying computer contacts both commodity seller computers 82 , 84 , and 86 and financial instrument selling computers and presents the customer with the best combined price . although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for the purpose of clarity of understanding , it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims . accordingly , the present embodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig2 is a cross section of a fully assembled guide wheel . stainless steel threaded insert ( 13 ) is press fit into bearing ( 12 ). threaded insert ( 13 ) extends through bearing ( 12 ) โ
th of an inch and lock ring ( 11 ) is press fit onto end of threaded insert ( 13 ). once this is done , entire assembly press fits into center cavity of guide wheel ( 10 ). then , internal snap ring ( 14 ) is installed . note : bearing ( 12 ) must make contact with guide wheel beating seat ( 19 ) to ensure proper clearance for snap ring ( 14 ). fig4 shows an adjustable wing nut ( 27 ) connected to mount bolt ( 30 ). this bolt assembly connects the blade guard ( 26 ) to the tile saw that is being used . fig4 shows blade guard contact area ( 16 ) making contact with the inside of the tile saw blade guard ( 26 ). fig4 shows clearance ( 23 ) between inside of blade guard ( 26 ) and the face of threaded insert ( 13 ). fig4 shows alignment groove ( 15 ) making contact with the top outside corner of tile material ( 25 ). fig3 shows guide wheels tile contact surface area ( 17 ) making full contact with the tile material ( 25 ). fig3 shows zero point ( 30 ). fig3 shows profile wheel clearance ( 24 ) and clearance ( 20 ). fig1 โ threaded insert ( 13 ) has internal threads ( 18 ) that are tapped through . internal threads ( 18 ) are the same size as the tile saw arbor nut . shoulder flange ( 22 ) seats up against bearing ( 12 ) to ensure proper alignment . wrench flats ( 22 ) are machined into face of threaded insert ( 13 ). fig2 โ shows necessary clearance ( 23 ) between threaded insert ( 13 ) and blade guard contact area ( 16 ). reference numerals in drawings guide wheel 10 lock ring 11 bearing 12 stainless steel threaded insert 13 stainless steel internal snap ring 14 alignment groove 15 blade guard contact area 16 guide wheels tile contact surface 17 internal threads thru 18 guide wheel bearing seat 19 clearance area . 035 -. 040 20 wrench flats 21 shoulder flange 22 clearance 23 profile wheel clearance 24 tile material 25 blade guard 26 wing nut 27 waterfeed tubes 28 profile wheel 29 mount bolt 30 saw blade 31 blade shaft 32 extension arm 33 in operation , one could install the system on a standard portable tile saw . first , remove the wing nut ( 27 ) and the mount bolt ( 30 ) in fig4 . then the blade guard ( 26 ) can be removed and set aside . if necessary , remove stock arbor nut , blade flange and saw blade from machine and set aside . install the profile wheel ( 29 ) as seen in fig3 onto the machine shaft and thread on the guide wheel ( 10 ) until it tightens up against the profile wheel ( 29 ) in fig3 . reinstall blade guard assembly ( 26 ) in fig4 and mount bolt ( 30 ) and wing nut ( 27 ) in fig4 . adjust wing nut ( 27 ) until inside of blade guard ( 26 ) applies enough force to keep the guide wheel ( 10 ) from turning easily . do not over tighten as this will lock up the guide wheel ( 10 ) and cause it to slide across tile material ( 25 ). the guide wheel ( 10 ) is designed to roll across tile material ( 25 ) when in use but the guide wheel ( 10 ) should not turn unless there is tile material ( 25 ) under it forcing it to turn . next , adjust the machine down into position until the alignment groove ( 15 ) fits into the top corner of tile material ( 25 ) in fig4 . tighten all adjustments so that the machine cannot move from this position . guide wheel ( 10 ) and the profile wheel are now adjusted โ
th inch below the top surface of the tile material ( 25 ) in fig4 . move the tile material ( 25 ) into position for profiling as in fig3 . turn on the tile saw and check the guide wheel ( 10 ) fig4 and make sure that guide wheel ( 10 ) is not turning . if it is , turn off the machine and tighten wing nut ( 27 ) in fig4 until the inside of the blade guard ( 26 ) is applying enough friction against the face of the guide wheel ( 10 ) to keep it from turning when the machine is operating . by adjusting profile wheel ( 29 ) and guide wheel ( 10 ) slightly below the surface of tile material ( 25 ) in fig4 , we create a situation where the tile saw will go ahead and raise up when it contacts tile material ( 25 ) in fig3 . because the guide wheel ( 10 ) allows us to lock in the grinding height well below the tip surface of tile material ( 25 ), we can take advantage of a downward force created when the tile material ( 25 ) is rolled under the grinding wheel . this downward energy forces the profile wheel ( 29 ) to quickly remove the unwanted material faster with less passes . guide wheel ( 10 ) is also applying a downward force on the edge of tile material ( 25 ). this downward force keeps the edge of tile material ( 25 ) from vibrating during the grinding process . while all of this is happening , the delrin or acetate guide wheel ( 25 ) is absorbing vibration created by the grinding or sawing process . the acetate also protects the tile material ( 25 ) surface from scratches if the blade guard assembly is adjusted too tight ( which causes the guide wheel to lock up and slide across the surface of the stone ). note : when using a profile wheel ( 29 ) to remove material as seen in fig3 , the profile wheel ( 29 ) applies a force that wants to push tile material ( 25 ) out of position . for this reason , i designed an extension arm ( 23 ) in fig5 . a fixed wheel that stabilizes and absorbs vibration and controls depth of cut when coupled to a saw blade or grinding wheel comprising : ( a ) fixed wheel of pre - determined size preferably made from a rigid low density self lubricating material ( b ) a bearing centrally mounted in said fixed wheel which will able said fixed wheel to slowly rotate or be held stationary regardless of said central bearings internal speed of rotation ( c ) said central bearings internal bore with a fastener provides means to couple said fixed wheel to any saw blade or grinding wheel ( d ) said fixed wheel with a said pre - determined diameter coupled to said saw blade or said grinding wheel with a said pre - determined diameter creates an exact contact point between said fixed wheel diameter and the optimal depth of cut of said saw blade or said grinding wheel ( e ) position said fixed wheel coupled to said grinding wheel in a vertical ( f ) providing a flat piece of hard rigid material and placing it onto a carriage that will carry said material directly under and in line with said coupled fixed wheel grinding wheel ( g ) position said fixed wheel &# 39 ; s diameter slightly below said material &# 39 ; s surface height and lock said coupled fixed wheel grinding wheel into place whereby as said material passes under and through said coupled fixed wheel grinding wheel said fixed wheel pushes down on said material holding said material as said fixed wheel rolls across flat surface of said material said fixed wheel &# 39 ; s central bearing centers said grinding wheel &# 39 ; s rotation while said fixed wheel &# 39 ; s low density material absorbs rotation . | 1 |
the single figure illustrates a fuel injection valve and nozzle combination 11 of the type employed within internal combustion engines for atomization of fuel and timed injection of the fuel as a spray into the engine cylinders . the fuel injection valve has an inlet passage 12 which is conventionally coupled with a fuel pump ( not shown ) suitable for delivering fuel under pulsating pressure . the fuel injection valve also includes a nozzle assembly 13 having outlet orifices 14 which may be conventionally associated with the respective cylinders of an engine ( not shown ). the body of the fuel injection valve 11 is formed by a number of elements including an outer shell 16 . an inlet plug member 17 forming the inlet passage 12 is secured within the shell 16 , for example , by swaging . a threaded connector 18 , an adapter element 19 and a dump valve unit 21 are secured in axial alignment with each other by means of a cylindrical case 22 adapted to fit within the shell 16 . an additional cylindrical case 23 is also secured to the dump valve unit 21 , for example , by swaging , and extends downwardly to support a nozzle head 24 of the nozzle assembly 13 . once the various fuel injection valve and nozzle components are suitably arranged within the two case members 22 and 23 , the assembly is secured within the shell 16 by threaded engagement of the member 17 and 18 . an 0 - ring 26 provides a suitable seal between the shell 16 and the case 23 . fuel from the inlet passage 12 is communicated into a radially extending chamber 27 at the base of the dump valve unit 21 by means of an interconnecting passage 28 extending through the various intervening valve components . a cylindrical adapter 29 is arranged directly below the radially extending chamber 27 with a cylindrical spacer 31 extending between the adapter 29 and the nozzle head 24 . a single elongated chamber 32 is formed within the cylindrical extension 31 between the adapter 29 and the nozzle head 24 . the chamber 32 acts as both a valve chamber and an accumulator chamber within the construction of the present invention . the adapter 29 forms an inlet passage 33 for communicating fuel from the chamber 27 to the elongated chamber 32 . a conical valve seat 34 is formed at one end of the elongated chamber 32 about the inlet passage 33 . an inlet valve member 36 has a mating spherical surface 37 adapted to engage the conical seat 34 and close off the inlet passage 33 from the chamber 32 . an outlet passage 38 is formed at the opposite end of the elongated chamber 32 in further communication with the orifices 14 . a conical valve seat 39 is also formed about the outlet passage 38 to receive an inwardly opening needle valve 41 . the needle valve member 41 is of a conventional inwardly opening type , at least to the extent that it is spaced apart from the nozzle head 24 in order to open in response to increasing fluid pressure differential between elongated chamber 32 and inlet passage 33 . an axial extension 42 of the needle valve 41 extends upwardly and penetrates a bore 43 formed by the inlet valve member 36 . a spring 44 is arranged about the needle valve extension 42 for interaction between the needle valve member 41 and the inlet valve member 36 in order to assure alternate and intermittent opening of the two valves . as described in greater detail below , the single chamber 32 is thus placed either in communication with the inlet passage 33 to be charged with fuel under pressure or with the outlet passage 38 for the injection of fuel through the orifices 14 . in order to provide greater accumulator capacity within the valve assembly , the adapter 29 also forms an annular chamber 46 which is spaced apart from the inlet passage 33 . the chamber 46 is in communication with the elongated chamber 32 by means of an intermediate passage 47 which is also formed by the adapter 29 . the components described immediately above and arranged toward the lower end of the injection valve assembly function together to provide an inwardly opening accumulator type valve having a relatively high accumulator capacity . as noted above , the needle valve 41 tends to open in response to increased pressure differential between elongated chamber 32 and inlet passage 33 . following intermittent injection of fuel , the needle valve 41 then tends to close as pressure differential diminishes between elongated chamber 32 and inlet passage 33 . inlet valve 36 may then open at the beginning of the next cycle to permit repressurization of the chamber 32 with fuel from the inlet passage 33 . it is desirable within such injection valves to provide a sharp cutoff after each injection cycle for better control over the engine with which the injection valve is associated . the present injection valve improves response of the needle valve 41 by relieving fluid pressure from the elongated chamber 32 and the extension chamber 46 below a selected pressure level . for that purpose , the elongated chamber 32 is in communication with the dump valve unit 21 by means of a passage 51 extending through the adapter 29 and into communication with a cross drilled passsage 52 . the body 53 of the dump valve unit 21 also forms an axially off center bore 54 which slidably receives a dump valve spool 56 . the spool 56 has an axial bore 57 which is in constant communication with the cross drilled passage 52 and accordingly the elongated chamber 32 by means of an annular groove 58 and an interconnecting passage 59 . the lower end of the axial bore 57 is closed by a reaction piston 61 which has an enlarged head arranged within the radially extending chamber 27 in order to prevent the spool 56 from blocking off the inlet passage 33 . a spring 62 in the upper end of the bore 54 tends to urge the spool 56 downwardly toward a position where an outlet passage 63 in communication with the axial passage 57 registers with a drain outlet passage 64 formed by the dump valve body 53 . the passage 64 communicated with the interior of the shell 16 with fluid pressure being relieved from the shell 16 by means of drain passage indicated at 66 . the mode of operation for the accumulator valve and nozzle combination of the present invention is believed obvious from the preceding description of its various components . however , the preferred mode of operation for the valve and nozzle combination 11 is described in greater detail below in order to further clarify the invention . as pulsating pressure from the pump ( not shown ) increases within the inlet passage 33 , the inlet valve member 36 shifts downwardly against the spring 44 in order to admit fuel under pressure into the elongated chamber 32 and extension chamber 46 . during this period , the needle valve 41 is urged downwardly into closing engagement with the valve seat 39 . as fluid pressure differential between elongated chamber 32 and inlet passage 33 increases toward a preselected level , the needle valve 41 is urged upwardly to permit cummunication between the elongated chamber 32 and the orifices 14 to commence an injection stroke . with the needle valve 41 shifted upwardly against the spring 44 , the inlet valve member 36 is urged upwardly into closing engagement against the valve seat 34 . the valve members 41 and 36 remain in this position until fluid pressure differential between elongated chamber 32 and inlet passage 33 drops below a preselected level at which the needle valve 41 is closed by the spring 44 . through proper timing , pulsating pressure tends to be simultaneously increasing within the inlet passage 33 so that the inlet valve 36 is also urged downwardly to permit repressurization of the elongated chamber 32 with fuel . in order to improve response of the needle valve 41 , the dump valve unit 21 functions to relieve fluid pressure from the elongated chamber 32 and the extension chamber 46 as it falls toward the pressure selected for closing of the needle valve 41 . in accomplishing this purpose , it may be seen that the dump valve spool 56 is initially shifted upwardly by inlet pressure within chamber 27 which increases in cross sectional area immediately upon shifting of spool 56 . spool 56 is moving against a stop 67 is allowed to shift only enough to assure closure of drain passage 64 . its axial passage 57 and accordingly the elongated chamber 32 is thus blocked from the drain provided by the passages 63 and 64 . as the elongated chamber 32 and the extension chamber 46 are pressurized with fuel , the dump valve spool 56 also tends to be urged upwardly toward the illustrated position by fluid pressure within its axial passage 57 . toward the end of each injection stroke , pressure diminishes within the axial passage 57 . the spring 62 , stop 67 and integral flange 68 are selected so that as pressure within the elongated chamber 32 falls toward a preselected level , the dump valve spool 56 is shifted downwardly in order to positively relieve fluid pressure from the chamber 32 by providing direct communication between spool passage 63 and drain passage 64 and accelerate closing response of the needle valve 41 . as the next cycle begins pressure tends to be increasing within the inlet passage 33 so that the inlet valve 36 is opened and repressurization of the chambers 32 and 46 commences a new injection cycle . the dump valve spool 56 is also shifted upwardly into its illustrated position by fluid pressure within the chamber 27 in order to accomplish its function during the new cycle . | 5 |
in one embodiment the contour of the piercing portion is such that when the pointed tip is pushed into a polyethylene film , in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube , the force required to push the piercing nozzle into the polyethylene film remains substantially constant after the tip pierces the film until the pierced edges of the film reach a position adjacent the film securement portion . in another embodiment the angle of the tip is less than about 75 ยฐ. in a further embodiment the angle of the tip is from 60 ยฐ to 45 ยฐ. in another embodiment , the piercing portion has a wall tapering from being thick adjacent the film securement portion to thin furthest away from the film securement portion , such that the piercing portion is frusto - conical . in another embodiment the confluence and immediate surrounds of a ) the portion appearing to have been sliced from one side of said tube to the other side of the tube and b ) the portion appearing to have been sliced symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the tube to form a pointed piercing tip , is shaped such that there is a smooth transition therebetween . in yet another embodiment the edges of the piercing portion , at least adjacent the piercing tip , are keen . in another embodiment the edges of the piercing portion , at least adjacent the piercing tip , are smoothed . in another embodiment the film securement portion comprises a shoulder , a collar adapted to cooperate with the shoulder to trap said plastic film therebetween in a liquid - tight seal , and a locking nut adapted to hold the collar in engagement with the shoulder , and wherein the narrower portion of the shoulder faces the delivery portion . in a further embodiment the delivery portion is adapted to have a cap or delivery nozzle attached thereto . in yet another embodiment the piercing portion has a slot , in the sliced portion , which extends substantially to the shoulder . in another embodiment the slice adjacent the film securement portion is in a plane at an angle of from 20 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ to the longitudinal axis of the tube . in another embodiment the angle of the tip is from 60 ยฐ to 45 ยฐ. in a further embodiment the internal diameter of the tube is from 10 to 30 mm . in fig1 and 2 , the spout comprises tube 11 having an open end 12 and a sharpened end 13 . open end 12 is the delivery portion of the spout and the sharpened end is the piercing portion of the spout . the piercing and delivery portions are joined by film securement portion 22 . the sharpened end 13 comprises a point 14 with a first portion 15 which is adjacent to a second portion 16 . there is a shoulder 17 at the juncture of the first and second portions . as will be apparent the second portion appears to have been formed by slicing a tube from adjacent the film securement portion , at point 23 , to the opposite side of the tube , i . e . towards point 14 . typically , the angle of this slice is about 25 ยฐ to the longitudinal axis of tube 11 . the tube then appears to have been sliced along the edges of portion 15 to form point 14 . the &# 34 ; slices &# 34 ; are symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of tube 11 and are in planes which intercept in a line , the projection of which includes both the longitudinal axis of tube 11 and the extreme tip of point 14 . it is preferable that the resulting angle of the tip , at point 14 , be from 60 ยฐ to 45 ยฐ. the angle of the tip is the included angle between the edges of portion 15 . typically , the angle of the slices which form portion 15 is about 28 ยฐ to the longitudinal axis of tube 11 , thus forming a tip angle of 56 ยฐ. the confluence of portions 15 and 16 is , in this instance , at shoulder 17 . it is preferable that shoulder 17 be smoothed rather than angular so that it is easier to push into the film of a pouch . the wall thickness of tube 11 adjacent shoulder 21 is thick relative to thickness at point 14 , thus making tube 11 frusto - conical in the piercing portion of the spout . preferably , the edge of tube 11 leading to point 14 , of tube 24 , i . e . edge 18 , is tapered at a narrow taper , for example from about 3 ยฐ to 10 ยฐ, especially 5 ยฐ to 8 ยฐ. the spout also has a tubular portion 19 which is adapted to receive a locking nut ( not shown ) which may be threaded onto threads 20 . threads 20 are adjacent shoulder 21 , the functions of which are explained more in detail hereinafter . because of the thickness of tube 11 , the &# 34 ; slice &# 34 ; which forms portion 16 would normally cause the opening at the piercing portion to extend from point 14 to the dotted line 24 . it is preferred , however , that tube 11 be cut away to form a slot 25 which extends substantially to shoulder 21 . slot 25 is to aid in draining material from the pouch and the width of the slot will be determined , in part by the size of particulates , if any , in the material . it is preferable that the point 14 be slightly blunted so that it does not form a skin puncturing hazard for the operator . it will be apparent from the drawings that the piercing portion is shaped somewhat similar to a pen nib , but the function and the manner of attachment to the remainder of the apparatus is , of course , very dissimilar . the spout is preferably made from a stiff material , e . g . metal or hard plastic , and may be made by known methods such as machining or injection moulding . although in fig1 and 2 it appears that the &# 34 ; slices &# 34 ; are linear , it is to be understood that the slices may be arcuate . in fig3 and 4 the spout is somewhat similar to that of fig1 and 2 but the confluence between portions 15 and 16 have been smoothed in order to form a spout which is easier to insert into a pouch . also shown in this embodiment is that the threads 20 are spaced further from shoulder 21 in order to leave a smooth tubular portion adjacent shoulder 21 . in fig1 to 4 , shoulder 21 and portions adjacent thereto may be referred to as the film securement portion . adjacent point 14 and along the edges of portion 15 and into the confluence between portions 15 and 16 it is preferable that the edges be smoothed . fig5 is a combination of two graphs . with respect to line a , the abscissa relates to the distance along the longitudinal axis of tube 11 , starting at point 14 , and the ordinate shows the length of a single turn of taut thread which surrounds the spout at cross - sections of the spout , such cross - sections being at 90 ยฐ to the longitudinal axis of tube 11 . with respect to line b , the abscissa is the same as for line a and the ordinate shows the force required to push the piercing portion of the spout into a polyethylene film . line a shows the &# 34 ; perimeter &# 34 ; of a spout similar to that shown in fig3 and 4 , as a function of distance from the tip . line b indicates the force required to push the piercing portion of the same spout into a polyethylene film , as a function of the distance from the tip . spike c shows the force required to puncture the film initially . it will be seen that after the initial puncturing of the film , the force required for insertion of the piercing portion does not increase as the portion progressively penetrates the film . indeed , in the embodiment shown , the force remains relatively constant . dotted line d shows the force required when the confluence is not smoothed , as in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 . as may be imagined , the embodiment shown with line a is preferred . the spout of the present invention may be used for pouches containing a variety of different flowable materials , particularly foodstuffs , e . g . mayonnaise , relish , and the like . in operation a filled pouch is grasped , for example between thumb and forefinger , in such a manner that there is a slight negative pressure engendered in the pouch . the point 14 is then pushed into the film of the pouch , close to the place where the pouch was grasped . the spout is then pushed firmly into the pouch , so that the film is stretched around the perimeter of first portion 15 and then portion 16 until the hole in the pouch passes shoulder 21 and surrounds the tubular film securing portion . the collar ( not shown ) is placed over threads 20 and a locking nut ( also not shown ) is screwed tightly so that the film edges are trapped between shoulder 21 and the collar . the spout will then allow material from the pouch to flow through the tubular fitment . slot 25 allows the material in the pouch to be almost completely drained from the pouch . the present invention is particularly desirable for spouts which have internal diameters of about 8 mm or more , and especially from 10 to 30 mm . typically , the internal diameter of the spout is about 14 mm . the spout may have attached thereto , at end 12 , a closure device ( cap ) so that the pouch may be stored without material leaking therefrom through the spout . alternatively , the spout may have various fitments attached thereto , for example piping nozzles used for icing sugar . the cap or fitments fit against end 12 and are held in place by a further securing nut ( not shown ) or similar . | 1 |
hereinafter , a drilling apparatus for a webbing tape according to a typical preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the example shown here indicates a typical example of the invention , which can be applied to a drilling apparatus for a thick but flexible sheet , for example , synthetic leather made of thermoplastic synthetic resin , as well as webbing tape . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a main portion of a drilling apparatus as viewed from a front thereof according to a typical embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a sectional view taken along the line ii โ ii of fig1 . in the drilling apparatus 100 for webbing tape of this embodiment , a table 102 is provided to be fixed on a bed 101 and a frame 103 is provided to be stood on a back face of the same table 102 . a lift cylinder 104 of the drilling rod 110 is provided to be fixed at a top end of the said frame 103 and a lift block 105 is fixed to an end of a cylinder rod of this rod lift cylinder 104 . a pair of lift block guide bars 106 , which are right and left when viewed from front , are disposed on a front face of the frame 103 . a top end of each guide bar 106 is fixed and supported by a guide bar supporter 107 attached to a front face of the frame 103 and a bottom end of each guide bar 106 is fixed and supported by said table 102 . a sliding hole through which the said guide bars 106 are inserted is provided through the lift block 105 . thus , the lift block 105 is lifted up and down between a top waiting position and a drilling position by operation of the block lift cylinder 104 while guided by the guide bars 106 . a rod rotation driving motor 111 for rotating the drilling rod 110 is provided to be fixed in the center of the lift block 105 in the right and left direction . then , the drilling rod 110 is attached detachably to a rod chuck 112 fixed to an output shaft of the motor 111 . further , a connecting member 114 is joined to a bottom of the lift block 105 through a connecting pin 113 . a tape pressing plate 115 is fixed horizontally at a position intersecting lift motion of the drilling rod 110 with bolts on a front face of the connecting member 114 . the drilling rod 110 employed in this embodiment is just a round bar having a smooth peripheral face and the same diameter as shown in fig6 . a front end face of a rod main body 110 a is just a simply flat face 110 c . this drilling rod 110 is used for drilling a small hole . if this drilling rod 110 employs a general shape of a drill having a blade portion on its peripheral face , cutting chips or melting chips are adhered to a pocket portion of the blade portion and piled when drilling , so that a blade tip is damaged soon or a hole having beautiful and stabilized configuration cannot be formed . however , the configuration of the drilling rod 110 of the invention is not restricted to the said configuration , but for example , as shown in fig7 the tip of the rod main body 110 a having a circular section may be formed so as to be protruded outward as a curved face 110 b . if this drilling rod 110 is used for drilling operation , the tip portion of the curved face 110 b rotating quickly bites a flexible sheet first of all , and frictional heat generated at this time melts the flexible sheet gradually in the diameter direction of the rod so as to form a hole . it is permissible to form a concave portion 110 d curved inward in the shape of an arc in the center of the rod end face while a slight amount of a flat portion 110 c โฒ remaining on the peripheral edge of a front end of the rod main body 110 a as shown in fig8 . if the front end face of the drilling rod 110 is flat , drilling into the flexible sheet is carried out positively by the peripheral edge of the rod having the highest peripheral speed . thus , the center portion of the front end of the rod does not always have to make contact with the sheet . with this drilling rod 110 , the said flat portion 110 c โฒ makes contact with the sheet while rotating quickly at the time of drilling and the sheet is locally melted by frictional heat generated at that time . consequently , drilling is carried out while melting chips removed by the drilling is introduced into the concave portion 110 d . because there is such a fear that the melting chips of the sheet may be adhered to be piled and hardened in the concave portion 110 d so that it may be damaged despite a short period use , the flat face 110 c โฒ is kept on the peripheral edge so as to keep front end of the rod thick thereby preventing the rod from being broken . at this time , it is preferable that the melting chips adhering to the concave portion 110 d are removed by removing means properly . as removing means for this melting chips may be a scraper which is disposed to oppose the end face of the rod when the drilling is finished and having substantially the same arc - shaped face as the said concave portion 110 d . according to other configuration of the drilling rod 110 , it is permissible to provide with a plate piece ( not shown ), having a width equal to the hole diameter , to protrude from a front end of the rod main body 110 a and cut out a tip portion of the plate in the shape of v letter . at that time , an end face in the width direction of the plate piece may be formed of a somewhat rough face . further , it is also permissible to provide the front end of the rod with a round bar 110 e having a smaller diameter than that of a main portion 110 a โฒ of the rod main body 110 a as shown in fig9 so as to protrude and then provide a tip thereof with a notch portion 110 f cut in the shape of v letter . if a large diameter hole is made in the flexible sheet , an area in which the front end of the rod comes into contact with the sheet is increased , so that large loads are applied to both of the front end of the rod and the sheet thereby providing a possibility that the rod may be damaged or a hole may be formed in a deformed shape . according to this embodiment as well as the embodiment shown in fig8 it is permissible to provide with the sheet piece whose tip is cut in the shape of v letter , having a width smaller than the diameter of the main body 110 a โฒ instead of the round bar 110 e . according to this drilling rod 110 , upon drilling operation , first , the said round bar 110 e comes into contact with the sheet and makes a hole smaller than a predetermined diameter . after that , the rod main body 110 a comes into contact with the sheet and makes a hole having the predetermined diameter . the notch portion 110 f functions as same as the concave portion 110 d shown in fig8 . because a front end portion of the round bar 110 e is open in the diameter direction unlike the concave portion 110 d , melting chips can be discharged out of the notch portion 110 f through this opening , so that such an event that melting chips are piled and hardened inside the notch portion 110 f to damage the rod never occurs . further , it is also permissible to provide opposing peripheral edge portions at the rod front end with flat portions 110 c โณ surrounded by arc and chord such that a u - shaped groove portion 110 g is provided between those flat portions 110 c โณ shown in fig1 . this drilling rod 110 is also used for making a large hole in the flexible sheet . upon drilling operation , the flat portions 110 c โฒ comes into contact with the sheet so as to melt the sheet and can positively discharge melting chips of the sheet generated by the drilling into the groove portion 110 g . because the groove portion 110 g is open in the diameter direction of the rod main body 110 a , the melting chips can be discharged out of the groove portion 110 g through this opening , so that the melting chips are not piled or hardened in the groove portion 110 g thereby not leading to damage of the rod 100 . further , a hole having a predetermined diameter can be formed in a single process . a top end of the connecting pin 113 is fixed to a bottom face of the lift block 105 . a bottom end of the same pin 113 is inserted through a pin insertion hole 114 a formed in the connecting member 114 , so that the connecting member 114 is allowed to slide up / down over a predetermined distance along the connecting pin 113 . thus , a lower half portion of the pin insertion hole 114 a formed in the connecting member 114 has a large diameter through a step and a bottom end of the connecting pin 113 has a flange 113 a which engages with the step . further , according to this embodiment , air cylinders 116 are provided to be fixed on the right and left sides of the lift block 105 such that a bottom end of each of the cylinder rods 116 a opposes a top face of the said tape pressing plate 115 . meanwhile , according to the invention , a pressing spring may be employed instead of the air cylinder 116 . a rod insertion hole 115 a is formed at a position opposing the drilling rod 110 of the tape pressing plate 115 . the diameter of this rod insertion hole 115 a is set up slightly larger than that of the drilling rod 110 so that there is provided a clearance . according to this embodiment , the diameter of the drilling rod 110 is 4 . 6 mm , the diameter of the rod insertion hole 115 a is 4 . 8 mm and the clearance is set to 0 . 2 mm . although this clearance is changed depending on the material of the tape or the diameter of the drilling rod 110 , generally , it is preferred to be in a range of 0 . 1 to 0 . 3 mm to ensure stability of processing and prevent melting chips from adhering to the peripheral edge of the hole . on the other hand , a through hole 108 is formed at a position , where the drilling rod 110 descends , of the said table 102 and bed 101 . an upper end portion of this through hole 108 is a tapered face whose diameter gradually decreases as it goes upward . the diameter of its opening coincides with the diameter of the rod drilling hole 115 a and a lower opening of the through hole 108 is connected to a chip discharging passage 108 a . a square cut - out portion 102 a is formed in a top face on the left end of the table 102 and a guide roller 102 b is attached in the cut - out portion 102 a . a eaves portion 102 c in which a bottom face thereof is a tapered face inclined upward toward outside is provided to be extended on a top portion on the right end of the table 102 . a tape feed driving roller 109 having a large diameter is supported rotatably by the said frame 103 below this eaves portion 102 c . the guide roller 102 b and the tape feed driving roller 109 are supported such that top ends of the peripheral faces thereof are on the same plane as the top face of the table 102 . first and second pressing roller lift cylinders 118 and 119 are provided to be fixed above the guide roller 102 b and the tape feed driving roller 109 being on the frame 103 such that they oppose respectively . first and second pressing rollers 118 b and 119 b are supported rotatably at end portions of cylinder rods 118 a and 119 a . a drilling process with the drilling apparatus 100 for the webbing tape of this embodiment having the above described structure will be described with reference to fig1 to 5 . if a long webbing tape t is placed on a drilling position of the table 102 when the drilling apparatus is in waiting condition as shown in fig1 the first and second pressing roller lift cylinders 118 and 119 are actuated , so that as shown in fig3 the first and second pressing rollers 118 b and 119 b are descended so as to sandwich the webbing tape t . here , the tape feed driving roller 109 is driven and rotated so as to feed a drilled portion of the same tape up to the drilling position and after the positioning is completed , the rotation is stopped . next , the rod lift cylinder 104 is actuated , so that as shown in fig4 the lift block 105 is descended . with this descent of the lift block , the drilling rod 110 is descended together with the rod rotation driving motor 111 . at this time , the connecting pin 113 provided to be suspended from the bottom face of the lift block 105 is also descended and the tape pressing plate 115 fixed to the connecting member 114 engaging with the bottom end of this connecting pin 113 is also descended . if the tape pressing plate 115 comes into contact with a top face of the webbing tape t , the tape pressing plate 115 is stopped there . however , only the connecting pin 113 continues to be descended and invades into a concave groove portion 102 d formed in part of the top face of the table 102 . at the same time when the rod lift cylinder 104 is actuated , the rod rotation driving motor 111 is also actuated so as to rotate the drilling rod 110 . according to this embodiment , the rotation speed of the drilling rod 110 is set to 20 , 000 rpm . because the diameter of the drilling rod 110 is 4 . 6 mm , a peripheral speed of the drilling rod 110 is as high as 480 cm / sec . meanwhile , the peripheral speed of a drill if actuated to drill disclosed in the said japanese patent application laid - open no . 7 - 308896 is only 26 . 17 cm / sec when the rotation speed is 100 , 000 rpm under a drill diameter of 0 . 5 mm . at the same time when the tape pressing plate 115 comes into contact with the webbing tape t , the air cylinders 116 are actuated so that the tape pressing plate 115 is pressed against the tape t at a predetermined pressing force by the cylinder rod end so as to hold the tape t . at this time , the front end of the drilling rod 110 is rotated quickly and penetrates through the rod insertion hole 115 a in the tape pressing plate 115 . consequently , the webbing tape t is drilled so that the drilling is completed in only two seconds . on the other hand , the bottom end of the connecting pin 113 continues to be descended in the concave groove portion 102 d until the drilling is completed . as for the configuration of a hole formed by the drilling apparatus according to this embodiment , a flat melting film is formed on its inside peripheral face and further , part of the melting substance penetrates into between fibers composing the tape and hardens there thereby stabilizing the configuration of the hole and maintain the configuration of the hole despite a long - term use . further , no swelling portion is formed of the melted material on front and rear surfaces around the peripheral end of the hole , so that a very beautiful hole configuration is formed . such a beautiful , stabilized hole can not be achieved unless the drilling rod 110 is formed in the above described configuration , the rotation speed is increased as described above , the front and rear surfaces of the webbing tape t are sandwiched by the table 102 and tape pressing plate 115 when drilling or the feeding speed of the drilling rod 110 is set to an appropriate speed . that is , when the drilling rod 110 is rotated at the above described rotation speed and pressed into the tape t , the contact surface is heated over a melting temperature by frictional heat so that the surface is melted and a beautiful melting film is formed on an inside surface of the hole . because the peripheral edge portion around the hole is sandwiched strongly by the table 102 and the tape pressing plate 115 , the hole is not deformed by a pressing force of the drilling rod 110 . further because the clearance between the drilling rod 110 and the rod insertion hole formed in each of the table 102 and tape pressing plate 115 is so small , melted composition material does not go out of the clearance or adhere to the front and rear surface of the peripheral edge portion around the hole edge . meanwhile , under the peripheral speed at the time of drilling described in the japanese patent application laid - open no . 7 - 308896 , an increase of temperature by frictional heat is so small that no melting film is formed . such operation and effect are not restricted to the above described embodiments , but the same operation and effect can be attained in drilling synthetic leather and the like formed by soaking thermoplastic synthetic resin in , for example , very thin thermoplastic synthetic fiber unwoven fabric so that both are integrated . | 7 |
the present embodiment describes an example where a dvd ( digital video disc ) which can achieve a storage capacity of around 4 . 7 gb on one side of a 120 mm diameter optical disc is used as a multimedia optical disc . fig2 shows a cross - section of the dvd . starting from the bottom , dvd 107 is formed of a first transparent substrate 108 which is around 0 . 6 mm thick ( which is to say between 0 . 5 mm and 0 . 7 mm ), on top of which an information layer 109 made of a reflective membrane such as metal foil is attached , with a bonding layer 110 and then a second transparent substrate 111 being formed on top of the information layer 109 . if necessary , a print layer 112 , or in other words a printed label , is printed on top of the second transparent substrate 111 , with it not being necessary for this print layer 112 to cover the entire disc . in this drawing , the bottom side of the disc onto which laser beam 113 is shone and from which information is read is set as the read - out surface a , while the top side of the disc with the print layer 112 is set as the rear surface b . here , indented and protruding pits are formed in the information layer 109 side of the first transparent substrate 108 by a manufacturing process so that information can be recorded by varying the length of pits and the intervals between them . this is to say , the indentations and protrusions of the pits in the first transparent surface 108 are imprinted into the information layer 109 . the lengths of the pits and intervals for this disc are shorter than on a conventional cd , with the pitch of the information tracks in which the pit streams are formed also being narrower , which results in improved surface storage density . the surface a side of the first transparent substrate 108 in which pits are not formed is flat . the second transparent substrate 111 is a reinforcer and is made of the same thickness ( around 0 . 6 mm ) of the same material as the first transparent substrate 108 , with both of its surfaces being flat , information is retrieved from this kind of disc by shining the laser beam 113 on the disc and measuring changes in the reflection ratio of the light spot 114 . the light spot 114 on a dvd has a diameter of around 1 / 1 . 6 times the diameter of a light spot on a conventional cd due to an increase in the numerical aperture na of the objective lens and a reduction in the wavelength ฮป of the laser beam , dvds of the physical construction described above can store around 4 , 7 gb of information on one side , which is almost eight times the storage capacity of a conventional cd . as a result , it is possible to achieve a great improvement in picture quality for moving pictures and to increase the reproduction time from the 74 minutes which is possible with a video cd to over two hours . this high storage capacity makes dvds very suitable for use as storage media for moving pictures . the substrate technique which has enabled this improvement in storage capacity is a reduction of the spot diameter d of the laser beam . here , spot diameter d is given by the equation &# 34 ; d = laser wavelength ฮป / numerical aperture of objective lens na &# 34 ;, so that the spot diameter d can be reduced by reducing the laser wavelength ฮป and by increasing the numerical aperture of objective lens na . it should be noted here that if the numerical aperture of objective lens na is increased , comatic aberration occurs due to the relative inclination , known as &# 34 ; tilt &# 34 ;, between the optical axis of the beam and the disc surface . in order to suppress this phenomenon , dvds use a transparent substrate of reduced thickness . such a reduction in the thickness of the transparent substrate creates the problem of reduced physical durability for the disc , although this problem can be overcome by reinforcing dvds with another substrate . here , it is especially desirable to have the two substrates formed of the same thickness of the same material . data is read from dvds using an optical system with a short wavelength ( 650 nm ) red semiconductor laser and an objective lens whose na ( numerical aperture ) can be enlarged up to 0 . 6 mm . if the thickness of the transparent substrate is reduced to around 0 . 6 mm , a storage capacity of up to 4 . 7 gb can be achieved for one side of a 120 mm diameter optical disc . with this large storage capacity , there is more than enough capacity for a whole feature film to be recorded on one disc , with it further being possible for the manufacturer to include soundtracks in several different languages . in fact , the storage capacity of 4 . 7 gb achieved by this substrate technique allows the storage of several sets of video and audio data on a same disc . fig4 shows a simplification of the data construction of the entire optical disc in the present embodiment . as shown in this drawing , the areas on the optical disc which store data can be broadly classified into a lead - in area , a volume area and a lead - out area . here , the volume area is further made up of a volume management area and a file area , with this file area being made up of a video manager file ( hereinafter abbreviated to &# 34 ; video manager &# 34 ;) and a plurality of video title set files ( hereinafter abbreviated to &# 34 ; video title sets &# 34 ;). for ease of understanding , the following explanation deals with the case where only file makes up each of the video manager and the video title set , although the increase in the size of the file when storing a movie makes it desirable to have these files divided into a plurality of smaller consecutive files to assist in the file management performed by the reproduction device . the &# 34 ; lead - in area &# 34 ; is located at the innermost part of the optical disc and stores data to stabilize operation at the start of retrieval by the reproduction device and a parental information table . this parent information table is reproduction control information relating to ratings for achieving parental locks customized to different countries . accordingly , it shows at what level the title recorded on the disc should be reproduced in order to conform to the rating systems used in different countries . it should be noted here that while the parental information table is described here as being recorded in the lead - in area , it may be recorded in any area df the disc , with one example being the arrangement of such information into one file in the volume area , or as one part of the video manager described below . the &# 34 ; lead - out area &# 34 ; is located at the outermost part of the optical disc and stores data which shows that the volume area has ended . the &# 34 ; volume area &# 34 ; is located between the lead - in area and the lead - out area and is made up of an extremely large number of logical blocks ( called &# 34 ; sectors &# 34 ;) which are physically arranged onto a spiral track as a one - dimensional array . each logical block is made up of 2 kb ( kilobytes ) and is distinguished from the others using a block number ( sector address ). this logical block size is the smallest unit for retrieval by the reproduction device . the &# 34 ; volume management area &# 34 ; takes up a necessary number of blocks starting from the first block and is used to manage the entire disc . it stores information for the files in the file area according to iso ( international standards organization ) 13346 . the &# 34 ; video manager &# 34 ; in the file area expresses the management information for the entire disc . this video manager includes information for expressing a volume menu which is a menu for setting / changing the reproduction control for the entire volume . it also stores a title search pointers as index information for finding the storage location of a selected title on the disc . the &# 34 ; video title set &# 34 ; has a size which is an integer multiple of logical blocks or , in other words , 2048 bytes * n , and stores a plurality of video objects ( hereinafter abbreviated to vob ) which compose a title set and information for reproduction control of vob . here , the title set ( hereinafter also referred to as &# 34 ; title group &# 34 ;) when three versions of a same movie title ( a &# 34 ; general &# 34 ;, an &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and an &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ; version for different ratings ) are recorded are the names of these three versions . since vobs can be common to these different versions of the title , each video title set stores all of the composite vobs which include both common vobs and vobs unique to only one version . fig5 shows the internal construction of the video title set file in fig4 . as shown in this drawing , the video title set is made up of video title set management information and a vob set . the vob set stores a plurality of vobs which make up one title set . each vob is composed of a plurality of sets of audio data , a plurality of sets of sub - picture data and management information which are interleaved together with a set of video data . since each vob includes a plurality of sets of audio data , soundtracks in a variety of languages such as english , french , german , italian , japanese and chinese can be recorded together with the video data . in the same , it is possible to use the plurality of sets of sub - picture data to store subtitles in a variety of languages . the &# 34 ; video title set management information &# 34 ; includes a video title set management table , title search pointer management information , a program chain information table and the like . the &# 34 ; video title set management table &# 34 ; shows the internal construction , which is to say the contents ( such as the kind of information stored or whether there is a table ) of the video title set management information . the &# 34 ; program chain information table &# 34 ; is a table which stores a plurality of entries of program chain information and a plurality of program chain attributes ( these attributes being collectively referred to hereinafter as the attribute table ) which correspond to each entry of program chain information . in fig5 program chain information # 1 -# m are written in along with the program chain attributes # 1 -# m so as to one - to - one correspond with each other . here , program chain information includes the information given by one program chain , which is to say route information showing a reproduction order of a plurality of vobs as well as control information relating to the reproduction . in this embodiment , a program chain ( hereinafter , pgc ) is a list of vobs which is decided by the reproduction order described above . here , by setting the route information , the software title developer can freely combine any number of vobs in their desired order as a pgc . program attributes , meanwhile , include information such as whether a parental lock level ( rating ) has been set and , if so , what the set level is . the &# 34 ; title search pointer management information &# 34 ; shows the plurality of pgcs included in a present video title set and the video title to which this belongs . the following is a detailed explanation of the pgc information and the pgc attributes . each entry of program chain information stores reproduction time , link information and route information . &# 34 ; link information &# 34 ; stores a pointer showing the pgc information which is to be reproduced after a present pgc . by doing so , a reproduction device can link a plurality of pgc together and reproduce them in order . as one example , one title may be made up of one pgc , three pgcs or a much greater number of pgcs . &# 34 ; route information &# 34 ;, as shown by the arrow in fig5 expresses the reproduction order of the vobs which compose the program chain in question and is made up of a list of pointers for indicating the logical address of the storage position of each vob on the optical disc . a list of these pointers is given in reproduction order of each of the vobs which form the pgc . as one example , the route information for pgc information # 1 is made up of pointers which show each of vobs # 1 through # 3 , while the route information for pgc information entry # 2 can be made up of pointers which show each of vobs # 4 through # 6 , thereby indicating a selected reproduction order of vobs . this is to say , by using pgc information # 1 , first vob # 1 is reproduced , with this being followed by vob # 2 and finally vob # 3 . similarly , by using pgc information # 2 , first vob # 4 is reproduced , with this being followed by vob # 5 and finally vob # 6 . it should be noted here that the data composition of the video title set is the same as the data composition ( not illustrated ) of the video manager , with them each only storing a necessary number of items . here , the video title set management information and the video title set management table in the video title set are respectively called the video manager management information and the video manager management table in the video manager . the video manager differs for the video title set mainly in that it stores a volume menu for allowing the user to select a title . this volume menu is stored in the same way as a title using pgc information ( which is in turn made up of one or more vob ). fig6 shows the relationship between pgcs and vobs . in this drawing , pgc # 1 is made up of three vob # 1 -# 3 . in this case , the route information of pgc information # 1 indicates the logical addresses of the storage positions on the optical disc of vob # 1 -# 3 . in the same way , pgc # 2 - pgc # 7 are made up of vob as described below . here , reproduction of each pgc is begun on the completion of reproduction of another pgc ( when indicated by a post - processing command ) or when there has been a branch during the reproduction of a vob in a different pgc . also , for the example shown in fig6 vob # 5 is commonly used by each of pgc # 2 -# 4 , vob # 6 is commonly used by each of pgc # 2 and pgc # 3 and vob # 11 and # 12 are commonly used by each of pgc # 5 and pgc # 6 . this use of vobs is due , for example , to the selective reproduction of one of pgc # 2 and pgc # 3 as different versions of a same movie , with vob # 4 and vob # 7 being unique to each version and vob # 5 and vob # 6 being common to each version . the following is a description of the details of the pgc attribute table . fig7 shows a detailed example of the attribute table shown in fig5 . here , each entry of the pgc information table ( attribute table ) is composed of a block type , a block mode and a level id . &# 34 ; block type &# 34 ; shows whether the pgc corresponding to the pgc attribute has been converted into a block . as a specific example , pgc # 2 , # 3 and # 4 are parts of a same film which belong to different versions and which are reproduced selectively . in this case , pgc information # 2 -# 4 are stored consecutively in the pgc information table , with pgc attributes # 5 and # 6 also being stored consecutively in the pgc information table ( in the attribute table ). these pgc attributes # 2 , # 3 and # 4 have &# 34 ; block &# 34 ; set as their block types , while the pgcs which have not been block converted having their block type set as &# 34 ; non - block &# 34 ;. &# 34 ; block mode &# 34 ; is set as &# 34 ; null &# 34 ; when the pgc corresponding to a pgc attribute has not been block converted (&# 34 ; non - block &# 34 ;), while , when the pgc has been block converted , it indicates the storage position in the block of the pgc attribute in the pgc information table , this storage position being one of the start , middle or end of the block . as a specific example , since the pgc attributes # 2 -# 4 are stored consecutively in the pgc information table the respective block modes are set as start , middle and end . here , if the pgc information which composes one block is recorded consecutively in the pgc information table , the order in which it is saved is not important . this is also the case for pgc attributes . each &# 34 ; level id &# 34 ; is a level which is present inside a title and which determines what video data can be selectively reproduced in accordance with the rating , with a level id being set for each pgc . it should be noted here that these levels are independent of the motion picture ratings systems in different countries . for ease of understanding , these levels have been given the name &# 34 ; reproduction levels &# 34 ; in the following explanation . in the present embodiment , eight levels l1 - l8 are used , with l1 being the most restricted level and l8 being the least restricted . for the example given above , the level ids of pgc attributes # 2 , # 3 and # 4 are l2 , l5 and l8 , respectively . here , out of the pgcs in a block , the reproduction device reproduces only the pgc whose level id corresponds to the reproduction level allowed by the user ( especially by parents ) or a pgc whose content is less restricted . for the example attribute table shown in fig7 three versions of a film , l2 , l5 and l8 , ( which correspond , for example , to the japanese rating system of &# 34 ; general viewing &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;) are made up of pgc # 1 - pgc # 7 as shown in fig6 . fig8 a shows how the three versions of the film ( hereinafter referred to as title set 1 or title group 1 ) shown in fig6 are made up of pgc . here , for the example above , pgc # 2 , pgc # 3 and pgc # 4 are treated so that only one of them is selected and reproduced in accordance with the chosen level . pgc # 5 and pgc # 6 are also treated so that only one of them is selected and reproduced in accordance with the chosen level . pgc # 1 and pgc # 7 , meanwhile , are treated as non - blocks and so are reproduced regardless of the chosen level . for this situation , the block type , block mode and level id are set in the attribute table as shown in fig7 . here , when a branch address pgc is a pgc which belongs to one of the blocks described above , it is not necessary for the link information in the branched - from pgc to include pointers for all of the pgcs in the block , so that it only needs to store a pointer for the first pgc information in the block . as a result , when a branch is made to a pgc in a block where selective reproduction is performed , the reproduction device can use the pgc attribute stored in the link information to search the entries which compose the block and selectively reproduce a pgc with an appropriate reproduction level . since entries for pgc attributes which belong to a same block are arranged consecutively in the attribute table , the reproduction device can be quickly complete its search for an appropriate entry . as an example , a branch from pgc # 1 to any of pgc # 2 , pgc # 3 , pgc # 4 can be made by merely setting &# 34 ; pgc # 2 &# 34 ; in the link information for pgc # 1 . similarly , fig8 b shows how six versions of a film ( hereinafter referred to as title set 1 or title group 1 ) are made up of pgcs . in this case , of these pgcs , pgc # 21 to pgc # 26 are set as a block using the pgc attribute table as described above . also , the vob which make up pgc # 20 - pgc # 27 are stored as one video title set ( for example , video title set 2 ). also , fig8 b shows how two versions of a film ( hereinafter referred to as title group 3 ) are made up of pgcs . in this case , fig9 shows how compressed video data and compressed audio data compose the combined data stream called a vob . this drawing shows the original video data stream , audio data stream and sub - picture data stream together with the vob . this illustrated example conforms to the compression method and data format stipulated under mpeg2 ( moving pictures experts group , is013818 ). in this example , &# 34 ; video data stream &# 34 ; is a serial video data stream which has been compressed and divided into sections called gops ( groups of pictures ), with these being expressed as &# 34 ; video 1 , video 2 , video 3 . . . . &# 34 ; in the drawing . this gop is the unit for decompression of the compressed data and includes about 12 - 15 frames of video data which equates to a reproduction time of around 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 seconds . each gop is made up of a plurality of video packs which are converted into packs at 2 kb intervals . similarly , &# 34 ; audio data stream &# 34 ; is composed of a compressed audio signal which includes left and right channel components of stereo sound and a &# 34 ; surround &# 34 ; component , with three kinds of audio a , b and c being expressed as &# 34 ; audio a - 1 , audio a - 2 . . . &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; audio b - 1 ; audio b - 2 . . . &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; audio c - 1 , audio c - 2 . . . &# 34 ; in the fig9 . here , audio a - 1 , audio a - 2 etc . are each made up of one or more audio packs which are converted into packs using 2 kb units . &# 34 ; sub - picture data stream &# 34 ; is a data stream which includes compressed graphics , with there being two kinds of sub - picture which are expressed as &# 34 ; sp a - 1 , sp a - 2 . . . &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; sp b - 1 , sp b - 2 . . . &# 34 ; in fig9 . here , sp a - 1 , sp a - 2 etc . are each made up of one or more sub - picture packs which are converted into packs using 2 kb units . each of the video data stream , the audio data stream and the sub - picture data stream are interleaved together in the vob . the cycle used for this interleaving is indicated by the gop unit in the drawing . it should also be noted that in the present embodiment management information ( pci ) is interleaved into the vob . the smallest unit in the vob which includes management information ( pci ) and the other data is hereinafter called a vob unit ( hereinafter , vobu ). here , information for achieving interactive reproduction is written in this management informationl here , the reason these packs are given a size of 2 kb is that it coincides with the smallest retrieval unit for the reproduction device , which is to say the same size as the logical blocks ( sectors ) shown in fig4 . also , the management information ( pci ) is distributed so that each vobu contains one set ( pack ) of management information ( pci ). fig1 shows the data format of each of the video data , audio data , sub - picture data and management information ( pci ) which are interleaved in a vob . each kind of data in the illustrated vob has been converted into packets and packs according to mpeg2 standard . in this embodiment , each pack contains one packet called a pes ( packetized elementary stream ) and is made up of a pack header , a packet header and a data field which together take up 2kb . the contents of the &# 34 ; pack header &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; packet header &# 34 ; conform to mpeg2 standard , so that their explanation has been omitted and the following explanation will focus on the information used to express the different kinds of data . the &# 34 ; stream id &# 34 ; included in the packet header is an eight - bit field which shows whether the packet is a video data packet for a video data stream , a private packet , or an mpeg audio packet . here , a &# 34 ; private packet &# 34 ; is data whose content can be freely defined under mpeg2 standard . in the present embodiment , private packet 1 is defined as audio data and sub - picture data while private packet 2 is defined as management information ( pci ). private packet 1 further includes substream id , which is an eight - bit field for showing whether the packet contains audio data or sub - picture data . the audio data defined by private packet 1 has a maximum of eight kinds of settings # 0 -# 7 for each of linear pcm format and ac - 3 format . the sub - picture data has a maximum of thirty - two kinds of settings # 0 -# 31 . here , for video data , the &# 34 ; data field &# 34 ; is made up of mpeg2 compressed data . for audio data , the &# 34 ; data field &# 34 ; is made up of data in one of mpeg , linear pcm or ac - 3 format . finally , for sub - picture data , the &# 34 ; data field &# 34 ; is made up of graphics data or the like which has been compressed using run - length encoding . here , the reason these packs are given a size of 2 kb is that it coincides with the smallest retrieval unit for the reproduction device , which is to say the same size as the logical blocks ( sectors ) shown in fig4 . fig1 shows the composition of the parental information table recorded in the lead - in area shown in fig4 . the parental information table shown in this figure is made up of a table header and a plurality of sets of country rating information # 1 -# n . the &# 34 ; table header &# 34 ; is made up of a &# 34 ; number of selectable countries &# 34 ; showing the number n of countries for which country rating information is provided , a &# 34 ; number of title groups &# 34 ; which shows the number k of title groups ( title sets ) recorded on the present disc and an &# 34 ; end position &# 34 ; which shows the end of the parental information table . each &# 34 ; country rating information # 1 -# n &# 34 ; is made up of a &# 34 ; country id &# 34 ;, a &# 34 ; total number of rating levels &# 34 ; and a plurality of &# 34 ; rating levels &# 34 ;. the &# 34 ; country id &# 34 ; is a code which specifies a country , with as one example , , id # 1 specifying japan , id # 2 specifying the usa and id # 3 specifying germany . also , if this code is id # 99 for example , it may collectively refer to all other countries . the &# 34 ; total number of rating levels &# 34 ; shows the number m of rating levels which are used to identify the range of the projected audience in the country identified by the &# 34 ; country id &# 34 ;. here , for the above example , the total number of rating levels for id # 1 ( japan ) is 3 , the total number of rating levels for id # 2 ( usa ) is 6 and the total number of rating levels for id # 3 ( germany ) is 5 . the &# 34 ; rating levels # 1 -# m &# 34 ; are sets of information related to reproduction control for each title at a given rating level , which include character strings which denote the various ratings , reproduction levels for each title , a validation date and an invalidation date . the character strings which denote the various ratings store character codes which show the names of the ratings . for the example of country id # 1 ( japan ), rating level # 1 is &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;, rating level # 2 is &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and rating level # 3 is &# 34 ; general &# 34 ;. for the example of country id # 2 ( usa ), rating level # 1 is &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, rating level # 2 is &# 34 ; nc - 17 &# 34 ;, rating level # 3 is &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;, rating level # 4 is &# 34 ; pg - 13 &# 34 ;, rating level # 5 is &# 34 ; pg &# 34 ;, and rating level # 6 is &# 34 ; g &# 34 ;. the reproduction levels for each title # 1 -# l correspond to the rating levels and show the reproduction levels for title group # 1 -# l . these reproduction levels show one of a plurality of levels ( the aforementioned l1 - l8 ) which can be distinguished inside the reproduction device . as one example , the rating &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ; in japan can correspond to reproduction level l2 for title 1 and reproduction level l4 for title 2 , so that the reproduction level can be different even when the rating level is the same . by doing so , the differences between rating levels in different countries can be handled flexibly . more specifically , the relationship between rating levels and reproduction levels can be set as follows for the content of a title group . in the same way , the five rating levels used in germany , the three rating levels used in italy and the four rating levels used in australia can be related to reproduction levels . this is the same for countries other than those mentioned above . when specific dates are set in the &# 34 ; validation date &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; invalidation date &# 34 ;, these show the date from which the reproduction levels for a title corresponding to each rating level become valid and the date on which they are invalidated . by setting these dates , it is possible to record titles whose valid reproduction period is limited on a disc . fig1 a and 12b show examples of country rating information # 1 ( japan ) and country rating information # 2 ( usa ) in the parental information table shown in fig1 . the title groups 1 , 2 and 3 in these figures are conceived from the content of fig8 a , 8b and 8c , and so are titles respectively made up of three versions , six versions and two versions . in fig1 a , title groups which correspond to the three rating levels in japan are shown related to the reproduction levels of the reproduction device . as one example , the reproduction levels l2 , l4 and l2 respectively relate to title groups 1 , 2 and 3 for the rating level &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;. in fig1 b , title groups which correspond to the six rating levels in the usa are shown related to the reproduction levels of the reproduction device . as one example , reproduction level l2 relates to title group 1 for the rating levels &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; nc - 17 &# 34 ;. in this kind of parental information table , rating systems ( number of ratings and rating levels ) which differ from country to country are related to the reproduction levels of the reproduction device , so that information can be related to any rating system used in any country . this concludes the description of the data construction of the optical disc , so that the following explanation will describe the construction of the reproduction device . fig1 a shows the appearance of the reproduction system of the present embodiment which is made up of a reproduction device , a monitor and a remote controller . as can be seen in the drawing , the reproduction device 1 reproduces the dvd described above in accordance with operation indications made using the remote controller 91 and outputs an image signal and an audio signal . here , the operation indications made using the remote controller 91 are received by the remote control reception unit 92 of reproduction device 1 . display monitor 2 receives the image signal and the audio signal from reproduction device 1 and displays an image output and an audio output . this display monitor 2 can be a conventional television set . fig1 b shows a block diagram for the entire construction of the reproduction device in the present embodiment . the reproduction device is made up of a motor 81 , an optical pickup 82 , a mechanism control unit 83 , a signal processing unit 84 , an av decoder unit 85 , a remote controller 91 , a remote control reception unit 92 , a system control unit 93 , a country information storage unit 930 and a nonvolatile memory 940 . the av decoder unit 85 is further composed of a system decoder 86 , video decoder 87 , a sub - picture decoder 88 , an audio decoder 89 , an image combining unit 90 and an 0sd ( 0n screen display ) unit 933 . also , the country information storage unit 930 is made up of an osd information storage unit 931 , a rating information storage unit 932 and a country id storage unit 935 . the mechanism control unit 83 controls the mechanism which includes the motor 81 for driving the disc and the optical pickup 82 for reading the signal recorded on the disc . more specifically , the mechanism control unit 83 adjusts the speed of the motor in accordance with the track position indicated by the system control unit 93 while at the same time moving the pickup position by driving the actuator of the optical pickup 82 and , having detected a desired track through servo control , waiting until the revolution of the disc has reached the point where the desired sector is recorded before finally continuously reading the signal from the desired position . the signal processing unit 84 executes signal processing , such as amplification , wave - shaping , demodulation , and error correction , for the signal read by the optical pickup 82 . after this , it stores the signal in logical block units in the buffer memory ( not illustrated ) of system control unit 93 . the data in the buffer memory is read by the system control unit 93 in accordance with the video title set management information and the video manager management information and is transferred from the buffer memory to the system decoder 86 according to control by the system control unit 93 for each vob . the av decoder unit 85 converts the received vob into the original video signal and audio signal . the system decoder 86 determines the stream id and substream id for each packet included in the vobs transferred from the buffer memory and outputs video data to the video decoder 87 , audio data to the audio decoder 89 , sub - picture data to the sub - picture decoder 88 and pack management information ( pci ) to the system control unit 93 . in doing so , the system decoder 86 outputs to the audio decoder 89 and the sub - picture decoder 88 only the audio data and sub - picture data whose number corresponds to the numbers indicated by the system control unit 93 , out of the plurality of pieces of audio data and sub - picture data , with the remaining pieces of data being discarded . the video decoder 87 decodes the video data inputted from the system decoder 86 and , having decompressed the data , outputs it as a digital video signal to the image combining unit 90 . when the sub - picture data inputted from the system decoder 86 is run - length compressed image data , the sub - picture decoder 88 decodes it , decompresses it and outputs it in the same format as the video data to the image combining unit 90 . the audio decoder 89 decodes the audio data inputted from the system decoder 86 , decompresses it and outputs it as digital audio data . the image combining unit 90 combines the output of the video decoder 87 and the output of the sub - picture decoder 88 according to proportions indicated by the system control unit 93 and outputs the result as a video signal . this signal is converted into an analog signal and is then inputted into a display device . the country information storage unit 930 is composed of rom ( read only memory ) and , for each set of stored information , can be divided into subregions made up of an osd information storage unit 931 , a rating information storage unit 932 and a country id storage unit 935 . the osd information storage unit 931 stores the osd information which shows the various operation mode setting menus for the present reproduction device . these operation mode setting menus include a rating setting menu for receiving a setting of parental block information in accordance with a user operation and a player setting menu for changing the default settings for audio data and sub - picture data at the start reproduction . this osd information is read by the system control unit 93 when the reproduction device has been turned on or reset , or whenever the &# 34 ; setup &# 34 ; key on the remote controller 91 is depressed . the country id storage unit 935 stores the country id used by the present reproduction device and can be set at the factory before shipping for the intended country of sale . the rating information storage unit 932 stores the content of the rating system for the country indicated by the country id stored by the country id storage unit 935 . for the example of japan , this stores the three levels named &# 34 ; general viewing &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;, while for the usa , this stores the six levels named &# 34 ; g &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; pg &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; pg - 13 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; nc - 17 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;. the osd unit 933 converts the image data , which has been converted by the system control unit 93 based on the osd information , into a digital video signal and outputs it to the image combining unit 90 . as a result , the menus for setting the operation modes for the reproduction device , such as the player setting menu and the rating setting menu , are displayed . the nonvolatile memory 940 is a rewritable memory whose stored content is not lost when the reproduction device is turned off . it is composed , for example , of eeprom ( electrically erasable programmable read only memory ) or battery backup ram ( random access memory ) and stores information such as the parental lock information which shows the ratings for which reproduction by the present reproduction device is permitted and operation modes set by the user . the remote controller 91 receives reproduction control indications made by user operations . an example key layout of the remote controller 91 is shown in fig9 . the following is a brief explanation of only the keys which specifically relate to the present invention . the &# 34 ; setup &# 34 ; key is used to call the player setting menu , the &# 34 ; title &# 34 ; key is used to call the title selection menu which can be displayed at any point during disc reproduction . the numeral keys and arrow keys are used for making menu selections . finally , the &# 34 ; enter &# 34 ; key is used for confirming a selected menu item . the remote control reception unit 92 receives the key signal which is infrared transmitted from the remote controller 91 in response to the depression of a key and informs the system control unit 93 of the key data using an interrupt process . the system control unit 93 controls the entire reproduction device . it is composed of a program memory for storing a program for realizing the functions of the system control unit , a buffer memory for temporarily storing data for logical blocks and a parental information table , a cpu for executing the program and a general register . more specifically , when the data read from the buffer memory is video title set management information or video manager management information , the system control unit 93 and performs reproduction control for the signal processing unit 84 in accordance with the content of this information , while when the data is a vob , the data is directly transferred from the buffer memory to the av decoder unit 85 . for the mechanism control unit 83 , the system control unit 93 calculates the number of the track on the disc which corresponds to the next logical block to be read , indicates the track position and indicates block reading control to the mechanism control unit 83 . also , on being interrupted by the remote control reception unit 92 , the system control unit 93 is informed of the key data corresponding to the depressed key and performs reproduction control corresponding to the key data . the general register includes a register for storing a reproduction level of a title presently being reproduced ( called the level register ) and a register for storing a combination of the audio data and sub - picture data to be reproduced for the title presently being reproduced ( called the language register ). here , the reproduction level at the start of reproduction is set in the level register by the system control unit 93 ( any of l1 - l8 ) and is used so that a pgc out of a block of pgcs with a matching reproduction level or next less restricted reproduction level is selected . also , the audio data number # i and the sub - picture data number # j which respectively show the language used for audio and subtitles corresponding to the country id stored in country id storage unit 935 are set in the language register when the reproduction device is turned on or when the reproduction of a title is commenced . the system control unit 93 also reads the osd information in the osd information storage unit 931 after reproduction device is turned on or whenever it detects that the &# 34 ; setup &# 34 ; key on remote controller 91 has been depressed . by converting the read 0sd information into image data and outputting it to the osd unit 933 , the player setting menu ( not illustrated in the drawings ) is displayed and the operation mode of the reproduction device is set in accordance with a user operation . the setting of this operation mode includes settings which relate to the ratings system . more specifically , when the user specifies the rating setting menu out of the player setting menu , parental lock information is stored in the nonvolatile memory 940 in accordance with the user indication made using the keys on the remote controller 91 . fig1 shows a block diagram for the construction of the system decoder 86 shown in fig1 b . as shown in this drawing , the system decoder 86 is made up of an mpeg decoder 120 , a sub - picture / audio separator 121 , sub - picture selection unit 122 and an audio selection unit 123 . the mpeg decoder 120 determines the kind of pack by referring to the stream id in the pack header of each data pack included in the vob transferred from the buffer memory and , depending on its determination result , outputs the packet data to the video decoder 87 for a video packet , to the sub - picture / audio separator 121 for private packet 1 , to the system control unit 93 for private packet 2 and to the audio selection unit 123 for an mpeg audio packet . the sub - picture / audio separator 121 determines the kind of packet by referring to the substream id in the packet header of the private packet 2 inputted from the mpeg decoder 120 and , depending on its determination result , outputs the data to sub - picture selection unit 122 if it is sub - picture data or to the audio selection unit 123 if it is audio data . the sub - picture selection unit 122 outputs to the sub - picture decoder 88 only the sub - picture data which has the number # j stored in the language register in the system control unit 93 , out of all the sub - picture data sent from the sub - picture / audio separator 121 . the remaining sub - picture data is discarded . the audio selection unit 123 outputs to the audio decoder 89 only the audio data which has the number # i stored in the language register in the system control unit 93 , out of the mpeg audio inputted from the mpeg decoder 120 and the audio data inputted from the sub - picture / audio separator 121 . the remaining audio data is discarded . fig1 shows an example of data indicated by the nonvolatile memory 940 in fig1 b . as shown in this figure , for the nonvolatile memory 940 , a group of flags , made up of a factory set flag , a parental level flag and a personal identification number flag , and a region which stores the parental level and the personal identification number are assigned to predetermined addresses . here , the content of these kinds of data is set by the user ( especially parents ) in the player setting menu . the &# 34 ; factory set flag &# 34 ; shows the setting when the reproduction device was shipped from the factory , which is to say whether the parental lock has been released or whether the parental lock is operational . the &# 34 ; parental lock flag &# 34 ; shows whether a parental level has been set . the &# 34 ; parental level &# 34 ; is a character code string showing the name of the rating whose reproduction is permitted , such as &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; general &# 34 ;. the &# 34 ; personal identification number flag &# 34 ; shows whether a personal identification number has been set . the &# 34 ; personal identification number &# 34 ; is a number which is set by a user ( especially parents ) and is used when setting or changing the parental level . fig1 shows a flowchart for the processing content of the system control unit 93 shown in fig1 b . first , on detecting that a disc is set in the reproduction device , the system control unit 93 controls the mechanism control unit 83 and the signal processing unit 84 and has disc rotation control performed until stabilized retrieval from the disc can be performed , at which point the optical pickup is moved and the parental information table shown in fig1 , 12a and 12b is read from the lead - in area ( steps 121 , 122 ). next , the system control unit 93 reads the volume menu management information in the video manager ( step 123 ) and reproduces the pgc for the volume menu ( step 124 ). this volume menu is a menu which ( 1 ) allows the user to select a title to be reproduced out of all the titles recorded on the optical disc , ( 2 ) allows the user to select the language for the soundtrack and ( 3 ) allows the user to select language for the subtitles . once the user has selected their desired title , the system control unit 93 refers to the title search pointer table to find the storage location of the selected title on the disc , before storing the video title set management information of the video title set for the selected title in an internal buffer ( step 126 ). if at this point a language for the soundtrack and a language for the subtitles have been selected , the system control unit 93 makes an appropriate setting of the audio data number and the sub - picture data in the language register . the system control unit 93 also sets the reproduction level of the selected title according to the following processes ( 127 . 1 ) through ( 127 . 7 ) ( step 127 ). ( 127 . 2 ) it specifies the country rating information in the parental information table read in step 122 from the country id . ( 127 . 3 ) it reads the character string showing the parental level from the nonvolatile memory 940 . ( 127 . 4 ) it searches the character strings showing ratings in the country rating information using the character string for the parental level as the key . ( 127 . 5 ) it specifies a rating level out of the country rating information as its search result . ( 127 . 6 ) it reads the reproduction level of the selected title in the specified rating levels . following this , the system control unit 93 determines the pgc information at the start of the selected title from the pgc information table in the video title set management information stored in the internal buffer ( step 128 ). next , the system control unit 93 reproduces the starting pgc and all of the pgcs which compose the title and returns to step 124 on completing the reproduction ( step 129 ). when , during the reproduction of the set of pgcs , several pgcs have been block converted , the system control unit 93 selects and reproduces a pgc in accordance with the level id stored by the level register . fig1 shows a detailed flowchart for the reproduction process of a set of pgcs by system control unit 93 which was shown as step 129 in fig1 . this process includes the same processing as step 123 ( reproduction of the pgc in for the volume menu ) in fig1 . in fig1 , the system control unit 93 first refers to the attribute table stored inside the reproduction device and then determines the pgc in accordance with the reproduction level stored in the level register ( step 130 ), before retrieving the pgc information for the determined pgc ( step 131 ) and , by controlling the mechanism control unit 83 and the signal processing unit 84 , reading the vob in order of the pointers stored in the route information ( step 132 ). the retrieved vobs are separated and reproduced by the av decoder unit 85 . at this point , the separated video is displayed on the display screen , with audio output also being commenced for the audio data which corresponds to the audio number specified by the language register and the video image being superimposed with the sub - picture image which corresponds to the sub - picture number specified by the language register . after this , the system control unit 93 reproduces the next vob in the order given by the route information and , when there is no vob to be reproduced next ( when the pgc is over ) ( step 133 : yes ), reads the link information and provisionally sets the next pgc to be reproduced ( step 134 ). here , if this branch address is the volume menu , the system control unit 93 returns to step 124 in fig1 ( step 135 : no ), while if this is not the case , the system control unit 93 returns to step 130 ( step 135 : yes ). fig1 is a detailed flowchart for the determination process of a pgc executed by the system control unit 93 in accordance with the reproduction level in the level register which was shown as step 130 in fig1 . in fig1 , the system control unit 93 reads the block type from the pgc attributes of the pgc to be reproduced given in the attribute table shown in fig7 ( step 171 ) and , if the block type is non - block , the pgc information corresponding to this pgc attribute is selected ( step 172 , 173 ). if the block type is block , all of the pgc attributes included in the block having this pgc attribute ( from the pgc attribute whose block mode is &# 34 ; start &# 34 ; to the pgc attribute whose block mode is &# 34 ; end &# 34 ;) are retrieved ( step 172 , step 174 ). when there is pgc information which has a reproduction level which matches the reproduction level in the level register of the reproduction levels in the retrieved block , the system control unit 93 selects this matching pgc information ( steps 175 , 176 ). however , when pgc information with a matching level is not present in a block , the system control unit 93 selects pgc information which has the next less restricted reproduction level after the reproduction level in the level register ( steps 175 , 177 ). by making the above determination , the provisionally determined branch address pgc can be confirmed , so that the pgc information which has a reproduction level corresponding to the parental level stored in the nonvolatile memory 940 can be selected . using the aforementioned link information , branches to pgcs which have been block converted can be performed by merely using any pgc in a block as a branch address , so that it is unnecessary to set a separate branch address for each reproduction level . the following is an explanation of ( 1 ) the setting of the permitted reproduction level for the reproduction device by the user , ( 2 ) the changing of the parental level in the reproduction device / removal of the parental lock and ( 3 ) the reproduction of a title for the reproduction device of the embodiment of the present invention described above . ( 1 ) setting of the permitted reproduction level for the reproduction device by the user the present explanation deals with the setting operation of the present reproduction device for ratings . fig1 a - 19c show the procedure for rating setting when the country id stored by country id storage unit 935 is for the usa . after the reproduction device is turned on , the system control unit 93 has the player setting menu 1 displayed by the osd unit 933 based on the osd information in the country information storage unit 930 and waits for an indication from the ten key on the remote controller 91 . in addition to the rating setting , this player setting menu 1 is also used for the display setting of a tv , the setting of the language to be used and the like . when &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; on the ten key has been pressed during the display of the player setting menu 1 and the factory set flag in the nonvolatile memory 940 is on , the system control unit 93 has the rating setting menu 2 displayed and waits for a next input from the ten key on the remote controller 91 . here , fig1 a and 19b assume that the usa is the country of use , so that the rating system used is that set by the motion picture association of america . when any of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 6 &# 34 ; on the ten key of the remote controller 91 are pressed during the reproduction of the rating setting menu 2 , the frame showing the permitted reproduction level changes to the selected level . as one example , when &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; is pressed , the rating setting menu 4 , such as that shown in fig1 b , is displayed showing that reproduction up to the level &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; is permitted . here , such settings may also be performed using cursor keys and enter key instead of direct input with the ten key . if the &# 34 ; 7 &# 34 ; key is pressed once the rating has been set , the display proceeds to the lock setting menu 5 . here , in order to terminate setting without using the lock , which is to say setting the device so as to allow the reproduction of all levels , the user can press &# 34 ; 7 &# 34 ; on the ten key during the reproduction of the rating setting menu 2 to advance to the lock setting menu 3 , before returning to player setting menu 1 without setting the lock . if the user presses the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; key or the enter key during the reproduction of lock setting menu 5 , the display advances to the personal identification number input menu 6 where the user can input a four - figure personal identification number using the ten key . once the user has inputted his / her personal identification number , the display advances to the lock completion menu 7 where the lock is confirmed and a return to player setting menu 1 is performed . at this point , the system control unit 93 sets the parental level flag and personal identification number flag at on and the factory set flag at off ( locked state ) in the nonvolatile memory 940 ( see fig1 b , 15 ) and writes in the parental level indicated by menu 6 and the personal identification number . the following is an explanation of a change or removal of the parental lock once it has been confirmed in the above procedure . when the factory set flag is off during the reproduction of the player setting menu 1 and the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; key on the ten key has been pressed , the display advances to the lock setting menu 8 ( see fig1 c ) which shows the parental level which may currently be reproduced and the and state of the lock . if the correct four - figure personal identification number is inputted during the display of this lock setting menu 8 , the display advances to rating setting menu 9 where the rating can be set and changed in the same way as in rating setting menu 2 . after changing the rating using the ten key , pressing &# 34 ; 7 &# 34 ; on the ten key makes the display advance to the lock setting menu 10 where pressing &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; sets the lock once again . as a result , in addition to the parental lock level and the personal identification number being stored in the parental lock level and the personal identification number shown in fig1 , in the group of setting flags the factory set flag is set at off and the parental level flag and the personal identification number flag are set at on . alternatively , if the &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; key or the &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; key and &# 34 ; enter &# 34 ; keys are pressed during the reproduction of the lock setting menu 10 , the inputted personal identification number can be removed and the reproduction device returned to the same state as when it was shipped from the factory . the above explanations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) focus on the case when the usa is set in the country id in the country id storage unit 935 , which is to say the case for a reproduction device for the american market , with the following points also being valid for other countries . if , for example , the country id is japan , the selection items in the rating setting menus 2 , 4 and 9 shown in fig1 a , 19b and 19c are &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; general &# 34 ;. this is achieved by reading the rating system (&# 34 ; adult &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; general &# 34 ;) for japan from the rating information storage unit 932 . the following is an explanation of the operation for reproducing a title when a disc is inserted into the reproduction device . once a disc has been set in the reproduction device , disc rotation control is performed until the balanced retrieval is possible , at which point the pickup is moved and the lead - in area shown in fig4 is read . this lead - in area includes the parental information table shown in fig1 . this parental information table is read and is temporarily stored in the buffer memory in the system control unit 93 . next , the video manager shown in fig4 is read . the system control unit 93 refers to the video manager management information and the title search pointer management information in the video manager , reads the pgc information for displaying the volume menu and displays the volume menu ( see step 124 in fig1 ). an example of this volume menu is shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , by displaying the volume menu , the system control unit 93 first has the title selection menu 12 displayed . in the illustrated example , the title groups are movie x , movie y and movie z which are displayed as menu items , with these being composed of the pgcs shown in fig8 a , 8b and 8c . this volume menu is also composed so as to allow the user to select the language for the audio soundtrack and the language for the subtitles using audio menu 13 and subtitle menu 14 according to necessity . when the interrelation between on the one hand the audio data number and the sub - picture data number in a vob and on the other hand the names of the designated languages is different for different titles , the audio menu 13 and subtitle menu 14 include specialized menus valid only for a particular title . when audio and subtitles are selected using such menus , the appropriate audio data number and sub - picture data number are then set in the language register in the system control unit 93 . here , the following explanation assumes that &# 34 ; usa &# 34 ; is set in the country id storage unit 935 of the reproduction device and the parental level &# 34 ; pc - 13 &# 34 ; is set in the nonvolatile memory 940 . in this state , the user selects movie y ( title group 2 shown in fig8 b ) in the title selection menu . here , the following operation is performed in accordance with the flow shown in fig1 . the system control unit 93 determines the reproduction level for parental level &# 34 ; pg - 13 &# 34 ; from the rating information ( see fig1 b ) for the usa in the parental information table ( see fig1 ) and sets the level register . this reproduction level is set at l6 from fig1 b . next , the system control unit 93 determines the starting pgc for movie y ( title group 2 ) and , in accordance with the flow shown in fig1 , reproduces the pgc group which compose movie y at reproduction level l6 . as a result , the &# 34 ; pg - 13 &# 34 ; version of movie y , which is to say pgc # 20 โ pgc # 24 โ pgc # 28 shown in fig8 b are reproduced . after reproduction is completed , the volume menu is displayed once again . next , the explanation assumes that &# 34 ; usa &# 34 ; is set in the country id storage unit 935 of the reproduction device and the parental level &# 34 ; pg &# 34 ; is set in the nonvolatile memory 940 . in this state , the user selects movie y ( title group 2 which is shown in fig8 b ) in the title selection menu . as a result , since the reproduction level corresponding to &# 34 ; pg &# 34 ; is determined at l7 from the parental information table in fig1 b , pgc # 20 โ pgc # 25 โ pgc # 28 shown in fig8 b are reproduced . for the above example operations , the user selects their desired language in the audio data menu and subtitle data menu in the volume menu , but this need not be the case . as one example , when the linked relations of all of the different languages with the audio data numbers and subtitle data numbers are the same for every title , the user may have their desired language set in the language register using a language processing setting item in the player setting menu 1 shown in fig1 . by means of the multimedia optical disc of the present invention , it is possible for disc manufacturers to market a same disc worldwide , which leads to a great reduction in the manufacturing and handling costs of discs . as a result , manufacturers are able to export to an even wider world market . from the viewpoint of a user , there are the benefits of being able to purchase discs at a lower price , while users in smaller markets will be able to enjoy a greater variety of titles which appear on the market quicker than now . furthermore , parents can have peace of mind when buying a player and disc software , since the whole family is able to enjoy such titles . here , since specified users ( such as parents ) still have full control over reproduction , users retain the right to watch whichever title they wish . it should be noted here that since the disc is adapted to world use , a parental information table needs to be prepared for use in each country , but , supposing a given country is not registered , the following procedure can be used . when country rating information corresponding to a country id in the country id storage unit 935 is not registered in the parental information table shown in fig1 , the system control unit 93 may reproduce the information corresponding to the parental information for country id # 99 (&# 34 ; other countries &# 34 ;). also , when country rating information corresponding to country id # 99 ( other countries ) is not registered , the system control unit 93 may refuse reproduction or alternatively reproduce the title at the highest available reproduction level which is unlikely to offend any potential viewers . for countries which do not have an established system of ratings , it is also possible for the manufacturers of the present disc to prepare different versions of a title according to their own guidelines . this kind of reproduction may also be used for countries which , due to their limited market for reproduction devices , do not have their country id registered in the country information rom . here , titles which are not movies may also be reproduced or not depending on the designated country . it should also be noted that in the above embodiment , the country id storage unit 935 was composed of rom whose content is set before shipping from the factory , but it is also possible for a specialized disc to be set by a user or dealer after shipping to store the necessary information in the non - volatile memory . the above embodiment also describes the use of a personal identification number to limit the users who may change the permitted rating level for the reproduction device , although provided some other specialized operation is used , the present invention need not be limited to such . as examples , ( 1 ) a user may instead insert a special optical disc into the player , or ( 2 ) insert a special magnetic card . in case ( 1 ), the special optical disc comes provided with the reproduction device and is then administered by parents who use it to change the settings of the reproduction device according to necessity . in this case , the system control unit 93 has a special mechanism for detecting such an optical disc ( which , for example , stores a file which shows that setting rating levels is possible ). in case ( 2 ), the reproduction device includes a magnetic card reader and a mechanism for detecting a special data input . also , the present embodiment describes the case where ratings are decided for each country separately , although regions ( such as north america ) or groups of countries may be used . the present embodiment also relates to the present ratings systems used in the film industry as an example , so that the present invention can be adapted should some other kind of regulatory system for multimedia come into force in the future . the above embodiment describes the case where the level id for selective reproduction control is set in each vob unit itself , although this need not be the case , so that it can alternatively be set in the pgc information table ( attribute table ) for controlling the reproduction order of vobs . by doing so , it is possible for a plurality of block - converted pgcs to commonly contain vobs on different levels . for the title developer , this means that it is only necessary to separately prepare vobs for sections of video where different images are necessary on different levels . in the above embodiment , the desirable arrangement order of pgc attributes in the attribute table is such that the levels in the level id are in ascending order of strictness of video content . as one example , for the example of fig7 the block - converted pgcs # 2 , # 3 and # 4 are arranged in ascending order of the strictness of the levels of their level ids ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) which correspond to the order &# 34 ; start , middle , end &# 34 ; in the block modes . by using this kind of arrangement order , it becomes possible to make the actual setting of a pgc ( see the process in fig1 ) at high speed , in accordance with the registered level and the temporarily determined pgc . as one example , suppose that in the determination process , the registered level is 3 and level of the temporarily determined pgc is 2 . here , if the block mode is start or middle , this means there is definitely a valid pgc in the lower entry of the attribute table . in this case , in step 174 in fig1 , the system control unit 93 does not need to read all of the pgc attributes in the block in the attribute table and so may instead only read the lower entry . furthermore , the aforementioned arrangement order is also desirable in order to prevent erroneous operation which does not observe the registered level , even when the pgcs are displayed totally at random . as one example , when a non - intended pgc is specified , which can be when a special function is prepared so that pgc numbers can be directly specified by the user making a remote control operation or when an erroneous operation occurs due to the reproduction device being knocked or to a disc retrieval error , if , in the determination process , the block mode of the pgc attribute in question is &# 34 ; end &# 34 ;, there is no need to perform a search and it can be immediately determined that there is no pgc which can be reproduced at the registered level . also , for the attribute table shown in fig7 pgc attributes whose block type is &# 34 ; non - block &# 34 ; may be registered so that their all of the reproducible levels are set as their level id . in the illustrated case , the level id for pgc # 1 and pgc # 7 in fig7 becomes levels 1 , 2 and 3 , and the level id for pgc # 5 becomes levels 1 and 2 . here , since there will always be pgc information with matching level id in step 175 in the determination process of the system control unit 93 shown in fig1 , the processing in step 177 can be omitted . the above description focussed on an example where the level ids were self - imposed ratings set according to the extent to which sex scenes , violent scenes and the like are present in the video content , although other kinds of ratings may be used . as examples , a no - cut version , a cinema version and a tv version may be used for a movie application while beginner , low level , intermediate and advanced may be set for a game application . also , since levels such as beginner , low level , intermediate and advanced do not require a parental lock , the nonvolatile memory 940 may be used as a special register inside the reproduction device for a temporary setting of reproduction level . in such a case , this level can be set according to a user indication at the beginning of the application . also , the present embodiment describes a case when a plurality of pgcs have been block converted , although when only one version of a movie title is recorded on an optical disc , one movie may be recorded on the optical disc as one pgc . in this case , when only one version of a film which would be rated &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ; in japan or &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; in the usa , the level id of this pgc can be set at l2 , with only the appropriate rating level for the country or region , such as &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ; for japan or &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; for the usa , and the level id ( in this case , l2 ) being set in the parental information table . by doing so , the movie title can only be viewed when the parental level is set at &# 34 ; adult &# 34 ; for japan or &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; for the usa , or when the parental lock has been removed . also , the present embodiment describes the case where management information is arranged into gops which are the unit for decompression of video , although if a different compression technique is used , the management information may be stored in accordance with the units for that compression technique . it should also be noted that in the present embodiment , the case where the video information is stored using digital video data under mpeg2 standard was explained , although the present invention should not be limited to this format , so that any multimedia data format where video , audio and sub - pictures can be supplied together may be used , such as digital video under mpeg1 or digital video according to a conversion algorithm aside from dct ( discrete cosine transform ) as used under mpeg format . also , the present embodiment describes the case where a dvd is used as the optical disc , although any storage medium which can be used for storing a large amount of digital video may be used . the level id registering operation shown in fig1 a through 19c was described as using a personal identification number in the level setting menu which is displayed using the osd information in the osd information storage unit 95 , although if only a specified user is allowed to set this function , these menus are no longer necessary . as an example , if parents have a special optical disc which stores a level setting menu , the reproduction level may be changed only when such disc is inserted in the reproduction device . finally , the present invention described the case where a dvd is used as the read - only disc for the present embodiment , although there is no difference to the effect of the invention if a rewritable disc is used . fig2 shows a flowchart for the manufacturing process of the optical disc in the present embodiment . first , the data in the volume area shown in fig4 is generated by a logical data stream generation device ( step 191 ). this logical data stream generation device uses multimedia data editing software on a personal computer or workstation and can generate volume data of the data construction shown in fig4 . this volume data is recorded onto a transfer medium , such as magnetic tape , and is then converted into a physical data stream by a physical data stream generation device ( step 192 ). this physical data stream is processed using an ecc ( error checking code ) after data for the lead - in area and data for the lead - out area and the like have been added to the volume data . a master disc cutting process then cuts a master disc for the optical discs using this physical data stream ( step 193 ). finally , optical discs are manufactured from the master disc by a pressing device ( step 194 ). the aforementioned manufacturing process can be achieved , with the exception of the part about the logical data stream generation device using the data construction of the present invention , by the same manufacturing equipment as conventional cds . this is described in &# 34 ; compact disc reader &# 34 ; by heitaro nakajima and hiroshi ogawa , ohm books and in &# 34 ; optical disc systems &# 34 ; by the applied physics society / optics discussion group , asakura publishing . although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates a laser processing machine 10 having a workpiece support 11 a , on which a workpiece 12 is arranged . alternatively or additionally , the laser processing machine 10 may include one or more workpiece retention members 118 for retaining a workpiece for processing . above the workpiece 12 a carrier structure 13 is arranged in the form of a portal . the carrier structure 13 can be moved along guides 15 , 16 in the direction of the double - headed arrow 14 . in this instance , the carrier structure 13 is driven by means of linear drives . the arrangement which brings about the movement in the direction of the double - headed arrow 14 is referred to as a ( tool ) axis . laser processing heads 17 , 18 are arranged at both sides of the carrier structure 13 . these can be moved relative to the carrier structure 13 in the direction of the double - headed arrow 19 . arrangements which bring about a movement in the direction of the double - headed arrow 19 are also referred to as a ( tool ) axis . owing to the fact that laser processing heads 17 , 18 are arranged at both sides of the carrier structure , a maximum operating range is achieved . in particular , it would be possible to process a workpiece which is substantially as long as the guides 15 , 16 and whose width almost corresponds to the spacing of the guides 15 , 16 . around the laser processing machine 10 there are further arranged additional devices , such as an operator console 20 , a switch cabinet 21 , an exhaust 22 , a cooling unit 23 , a power supply 24 , a hydraulic unit 25 and a disc changer 26 for loading and unloading the workpieces . in the configuration of a laser processing machine 30 according to fig2 , a total of four laser processing heads 32 to 35 are provided on the carrier structure 31 , two laser processing heads 32 , 35 and 33 , 34 being arranged at each side of the carrier structure 31 , respectively . the laser processing heads 32 to 35 are each arranged on a sliding member 36 to 39 . the sliding members 36 to 39 can be moved in the direction of the double - headed arrows y 1 and y 2 and the entire carrier structure 31 in the direction of the double - headed arrow x . this means that an operating range or operating space indicated by the surface - area 40 can be processed by the laser processing machine 30 . the operating range 40 substantially corresponds to the base surface - area 41 of the laser processing machine 30 . owing to the width of the carrier structure 31 , there is no region produced which corresponds to the width of the carrier structure 31 and in which no processing operation can be carried out . the laser processing heads 32 to 35 can either be arranged so as to be fixed in position , for example , centrally on the sliding members 36 to 39 , or they may be located on a small additional axis so that a highly dynamic movement of the laser processing heads 32 to 35 relative to the sliding members 36 to 39 is possible . in the laser processing machine 50 according to fig3 , two laser processing heads 55 to 62 are provided on each sliding member 51 to 54 , respectively . the laser processing heads 55 to 62 can be arranged so as to be fixed in position on the sliding members 51 to 54 or be arranged so as to be able to be moved on the sliding members in a coupled state or independently of each other . the operating range is indicated with the reference numeral 63 and the base surface - area of the laser processing machine 50 with the reference numeral 64 . fig4 a and 4 b schematically illustrate the power switching between two laser processing heads 55 , 66 . in a beam generator 67 , a beam is produced and supplied via a beam deflector 68 to the laser processing head 65 ( fig4 a ) or the laser processing head 66 ( fig4 b ). during the processing of a workpiece , it is therefore possible to switch from the laser processing head 65 to the laser processing head 66 at the appropriate location . to this end , the beam deflector 68 can be movably arranged and controlled by a control device . as illustrated in fig5 , however , there may also be provision for a plurality of beam generators 69 , 70 to be provided which each co - operate with an associated laser processing head 71 , 72 . however , as can be seen in fig6 a and 6 b , there is also another possibility for adjusting the power when a plurality of beam generators 73 , 74 are used . the beams of the beam generators 73 , 74 can be directed onto a beam coupling module 75 where the laser power is at least partially added together and subsequently transferred to one of the laser processing heads 76 , 77 . the beam coupling module 75 can be movably arranged so that the laser power can be selectively transmitted to the laser processing head 76 ( fig6 a ) or 77 ( fig6 b ). owing to the beam coupling module 75 , it is optionally also possible to transmit only part of the coupled power to the laser processing heads 76 , 77 . according to the configuration illustrated in fig7 a to 7 c , laser power can be produced using a beam generator 80 and transferred via a beam splitter module 81 to a first laser processing head 82 or a second laser processing head 83 . in fig7 a and 7 b , the beam splitter module is passive . this means that the laser power of the beam generator 80 is transferred either to the laser processing head 82 ( fig7 a ) or to the laser processing head 83 ( fig7 b ). in fig7 c , the beam splitter module is active . this means that the laser power of the beam generator 80 is divided and a part of the laser power produced can be transferred to both laser processing heads 82 , 83 . fig4 to 7 illustrate various beam guiding possibilities . this was illustrated by way of example by means of two opposing laser processing heads on a carrier structure . it will be appreciated that these concepts can also be transferred to a plurality of opposing laser processing heads on a carrier structure . furthermore , it is conceivable to use the beam guiding concepts on two or more laser processing heads which are located at the same side of a carrier structure . fig8 illustrates a configuration of a laser processing machine 90 which has a partition wall 91 . when the partition wall 91 is used , it is thereby possible to carry out a workpiece processing operation at one side 92 and to load or unload a workpiece 94 at the other side 93 . since the carrier structure with the laser processing head can be moved close to the partition wall from both sides , there is also practically no additional surface - area requirement in this operating mode . when the workpiece processing operation is complete at the right - hand side 92 , the carrier structure 95 can be transferred to the left - hand side 93 so that a workpiece processing operation can be carried out at that location , while the workpiece 96 processed at the right - hand side 92 is removed and a new workpiece loaded . it is also conceivable to omit the partition wall 91 and to process a workpiece which extends at both sides 92 , 93 . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
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