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fig1 depicts a flight vehicle , in this case a supersonic missile 20 , having a fuselage 22 with a curved window 24 attached thereto . the window 24 is a nose dome that protrudes at least partially into the air of the missile 20 . the fuselage is elongated along an axis of elongation 25 , and in a preferred application the window 24 is rotationally symmetric about the axis 25 . the missile 20 with the nose - dome window 24 is the preferred application of the optical system of the invention , but it is applicable in other contexts as well such as other missile windows and windows on manned aircraft . the window 24 is part of an optical system 26 , which is shown generally in fig2 . the optical system 26 includes the window 24 attached to the fuselage 22 , which serves as a housing for the optical system 26 . a curved inner surface 28 of the window 24 is the concave surface of the window 24 that faces the inside of the fuselage 22 . a curved outer surface 30 of the window 26 is the convex surface of the window 24 that faces outwardly and projects into the airstream as the missile 20 flies . the window 24 has a spatially dependent curvature . an optical corrector 32 is located adjacent to the inner surface 28 of the window 24 . the optical corrector 32 is a curved piece of material transparent to the radiation being sensed by the optical system 26 and its sensor . for example , for a visible radiation optical system the optical corrector 32 may be glass . the optical corrector 32 is preferably formed as a piece of the transparent material whose shape has an axial component x z extending along the axis of elongation 25 ( fig2 ), a radial component x r extending outwardly from the axis of elongation 25 ( fig2 ), and a circumferential component x 0 ( fig3 b ). fig3 a - 3c illustrative one form of the optical corrector 32 . as shown in fig3 a , the optical corrector 32 lies adjacent to the inner surface 28 of the window 24 , and therefore extends outwardly from the axis of elongation 25 ( the x r component ) and rearwardly from a vertex 34 ( the x z component ) of the optical corrector 32 . the cross section of the optical corrector 32 may be circularly symmetric or nearly circularly symmetric about the axis of elongation 25 at a location near to the vertex 34 , as shown in fig3 b . at locations further rearwardly from the vertex 34 , the optical corrector 32 is formed as at least one strip 32a of the transparent material and preferably two strips 32a as illustrated to balance the loading on its support in longitudinal section , fig3 a , the strips 32a generally follow the curvature of the window 24 , but may deviate from that curvature to some extent in transverse section perpendicular to the axis of elongation 25 , fig3 c , each strip 32a is preferably two - fold symmetric about a corrector transverse axis of symmetry 35 and subtends a total arc a about the axis of elongation 25 . the use of the strip form of the optical corrector 32 allows the optical corrector to have a curvature and thickness different from that of the window 24 , when viewed transversely to the a of elongation 25 , as in fig3 c . in the illustrated preferred case of fig3 , the transverse curvature and thickness variation of the strip 32 are different from the transverse curvature and thickness variation of the window 24 . the optical corrector 32 functions as a lens to correct the aberrations introduced into an optical ( light ) ray passing through the window 28 . because the aberrations are spatially dependent upon the vector of the optical ray , the optical corrector 32 is formed so that its correction is spatially dependent as well . the aberrations introduced into the optical ray depend upon the exact shape of the window 24 , and therefore no specific design may be set forth for the shape of the optical corrector 32 . however , some generalizations may be made . as shown in the longitudinal sectional view of fig3 a and the transverse sectional view of fig3 c , the optical corrective characteristics ( i . e ., curvature and / or thickness ) of the optical corrector 32 are , in general , a functions of position . the optical corrective characteristics of the optical corrector 32 may vary as a function of location along the axis of elongation 25 , as shown in fig3 a , and / or as a function of angle about the axis of elongation 25 , as shown in fig3 c . the curvature and thickness , and hence the optical properties , of the optical corrector 32 are selected to correct aberrations introduced when a light ray passes through the window 24 and thereafter through the optical corrector 32 . the optical corrector 32 is mounted on an movable optical corrector support 36 , shown in fig2 . the optical corrector support 36 is preferably movable by rotation about the axis of elongation 25 , as schematically indicated by arrow 38 . the optical corrector support 36 may also be movable by linear movement parallel to the as of elongation 25 , as schematically indicated by arrow 40 . the rotational and linear movement are produced by conventional actuators , which are known for other purposes . the rotational movement of the optical corrector support 36 , and thence of the optical corrector 32 , allows the strip 32a of the optical corrector 32 to be rotationally positioned according to the rotational angle of regard of the optical train to be discussed subsequently . that is , when the optical in is positioned to look downwardly , the optical corrector support 36 would normally be rotationally positioned as shown in fig3 c , so that an optical ray entering the optical train must pass through the optical corrector 32 . if the optical train is rotated by 90 degrees to look to the left or right , the optical corrector support 36 would normally also be rotated by 90 degrees from the position shown in fig3 c so that the incident optical ray must pass therethrough . the axial movement of the optical corrector support 36 , and thence of the optical corrector 32 , allows different portions of the optical corrector 32 to be used to correct the aberration introduced by the window 24 . an optical train 42 is positioned such that the optical corrector 32 lies between the window 24 and the optical train 42 . the optical train 42 includes at least one optical element operable to alter an optical ray incident thereon . in fig2 the optical element is illustrated as a refractive lens 44 , but it may also include a mirror , a prism , or any other operable optical element the optical element may also include a combination of such lenses , mirrors , and / or prisms . the detailed design of optical trains is known in the art , and the present invention is not concerned with such design specifics . the optical train 42 directs incident optical rays , which previously passed first through the window 24 and then through the optical corrector 32 , into a sensor 46 . the sensor 46 is illustrated as a focal plane array sensor , but may be of any operable type . the sensor 46 is selected according to the nature of the energy to be sensed , and is typically a sensor of visible light or infrared energy . the design of such sensors 46 is known in the art . the sensor 46 provides its output as an electrical signal to processing electronics , which are not illustrated but which are known in the art . the optical train 42 is mounted on a movable optical train support 48 . the movement characteristics of the optical train support 48 are selected to permit the optical train 42 to point in the desired directions , and also to take advantage of the corrective properties of the optical corrector 32 . to allow the optical train 42 to point in the desired directions , a roll / nod movement is illustrated in fig2 . the optical train support 48 rotates about the axis of elongation 25 , as indicated by arrow 50 . a gimbal 52 produces a nodding movement indicated by arrow 54 about a traverse axis 56 that is perpendicular to the axis of elongation 25 ( and thence the axis of rotation ). the combination of movements 50 and 54 allows the optical train 42 to be pointed in any desired rotational and azimuthal directions . in another approach within the scope of the present invention , the optical train may be mounted on an x - y rotational gimbal support , which permits the optical train to move about two transverse axes , so that the rotational movement is not required . the entire optical an 42 may be moved forwardly or rearwardly parallel to the axis of elongation 25 by a linear axial movement , indicated by arrow 58 . the axial movement 58 of the optical train support 48 allows the optical train 42 to be positioned for optimal performance relative to the window 24 and to the optical corrector 32 . the movements 50 , 54 , and 58 are produced by conventional actuators which are known for other purposes . the movements 38 and 40 of the optical corrector 32 , and the movements 50 , 54 , and 58 of the optical train 42 , may be rely independent of each other or may be mechanically and / or electrically linked . for example , the rotational movement 38 of the optical corrector 32 may be linked together with , or even accomplished by the same actuator as , the rotational movement 50 of the optical train 42 . in that case , the optical in 42 looks through the same portion of the optical corrector 32 for all angles of rotation about the axis of elongation 25 . similar linkages are possible for the axial movements 40 and 58 , for example . fig4 depicts a preferred approach for designing , tailoring , and operating the optical system 26 . the physical components of the optical system , as described previously , are provided , numeral 70 . the optical corrector 32 is designed and fabricated , and the movements 38 , 40 , 50 , 54 , and 58 are interrelated and programed for subsequent service applications , using an iterative procedure , numerals 72 , 74 , 76 , and 78 . first , the optical characteristics of the window 24 are evaluated , numeral 72 . this evaluation establishes the nature of the aberration introduced into the wavefront of an incident optical ray as it passes through the window 24 , for all relevant incident positions and angles . this evaluation may be performed using conventional optical ray analysis and the known and / or measured shape of the window 24 . the shape of the window 24 is dictated to a degree by aerodynamic requirements , but it may also be fine - tuned according to optical requirements . the required shape and position of the optical corrector 32 are calculated as a function of its position and the incident optical ray positions and angles , using conventional optical ray analysis . the shape and positioning of the optical corrector 32 are chosen to establish selected optical characteristics of the optical beam after it has passed through the window 24 and the optical corrector 32 . examples of such characteristics include deviation of the apparent angle to the target , optical power or focal length as a function of optical ray position and angle , and axially symmetric aberration . the designed shape of the optical corrector 32 is then changed to adjust for asymmetric aberrations such as coma and astigmatism . in this analysis , the symmetric aberrations are chosen to be constant as the elevation angle is changed , whereas the asymmetric aberrations that change with elevation angle are corrected to acceptably small values . the optics of the optical train may also be designed to correct symmetrical aberrations to acceptably small values . in the final stages of the design process the optical elements of the optical train 42 are designed to correct all of the symmetrical aberrations to acceptably small values . these aberrations have been rendered nearly constant by the prior design steps . based upon this designing process , the optical corrector is fabricated , numeral 74 . the window 24 , the optical corrector 32 , and the optical train 42 are mounted on the fuselage 22 , optical corrector support 36 , and optical train support 48 , respectively , numeral 76 . test optical signals received at the sensor 46 are evaluated during manufacturing . the associated values of the movements 38 , 40 , 50 , 54 and 58 that yield the optimal optical properties are determined and stored , numeral 78 . if these received optical signal properties are acceptable and within specifications , the manufacturing and assembly process is complete . errors and aberrations are also detained and stored , so that they may be accounted for by other processing . if the results achieved are not acceptable , the steps 72 , 74 , 76 , and 78 are repeated as necessary until acceptable results are obtained . typically , the modification is achieved by reworking the optical corrector 32 until its properties are acceptable , by polishing , grinding , machining and other known working operations . the shape of the optical corrector 32 may not be stated in any general form , inasmuch as it depends upon the shape and optical characteristics of the window 24 , and is determined in the above - described design process . however , in a typical case , as shown in fig2 and 3a , the optical corrector typically conforms to the shape of the window 24 fairly closely but not necessary exactly , when the window and the optical corrector are viewed in the longitudinal section of fig3 a . however , the optical corrector 32 typically does not conform to the shape of the window 24 when viewed in transverse section in the strip section of the optical corrector , as seen in fig3 c . once the optical corrector 32 is fabricated and the positions of the movements 38 , 40 , 50 , 54 , and 58 yielding acceptable optical properties are known , the missile is placed into service , numeral 80 . when the optical system 26 is to be used during service , the angular positions of the movements 50 and 54 are typically chosen in order to point the optical train 42 along a desired line of sight . the optimum angular positions of the other movements 38 , 40 , and 58 ( collectively , the &# 34 ; support positions &# 34 ;), associated with those desired angular positions of the movements 50 and 54 , are recalled from the memory established during the initial manufacturing and calibration operation , steps 72 , 74 , 76 , and 78 , and set using the respective actuators . the result is an optimum image reaching the sensor 46 for all desired viewing ( pointing ) angles of the optical train . although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention accordingly , the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims .	6
broadly , the instant invention relates to a method and system to produce electric power . the system comprises a sub - system to produce and store a liquid from a lower pressure gas stream ; a sub - system to produce a higher pressure gas from the stored liquid ; and a sub - system to generate electric power by heating the higher pressure gas with an external heat source ( e . g ., csp ), decreasing the pressure of the gas through a device which produces shaft work , and applying that shaft work to operate an electric generator . one embodiment comprises using atmospheric gas as the feed gas . this is a readily available gas supply , and permits the system to be operated as an open system , so that the lower pressure feed gas is atmospheric gas at atmospheric pressure and the decreased pressure gas discharge from the work - producing device is discharged to the atmosphere . another embodiment comprises using concentrated solar thermal energy ( also known as “ concentrating solar power ”, or simply “ csp ”) as the external heat source . while any suitable source of csp can be employed , an example of suitable csp comprises a circular or fan shaped array of spherical , concave mirrors which are mounted for individual rotation and track the sun to concentrate reflected solar rays onto a defined area of a tower . another embodiment comprises operating the system such that gas liquefaction and storage occurs during a time period , and the production of higher pressure gas , heating and power generation occurs during another time period . this permits the power - consuming liquefaction step to be operated at a time - of - day when grid power is underutilized , and the power - generating heating / pressure decrease step to be performed when grid power is in demand . one aspect of the system and method is illustrated in fig1 . referring now to fig1 , lower pressure gas stream , 100 , which may be comprised of atmospheric gas , is a feed stream to a liquefier , 1 , to produce a liquid , 110 , which is stored in liquid storage container , 2 . in the case of the use of atmospheric gas as the feed stream , the liquid is stored at a cryogenic temperature . after the liquid is stored for a period of time , the liquid , 110 ′, is removed from the liquid storage container and converted to higher pressure gas , 210 , in system 3 . higher pressure gas , 210 , is conducted to a heating device , 4 , which may be a csp solar collector / heat exchanger . device 4 transfers heat into the gas stream to provide exit stream 220 at an elevated temperature . stream 220 is conducted to a pressure reducing device , 5 , such as an expander , which produces shaft work . the shaft work is applied to power generation system , 6 , to produce electrical energy . gas exiting device 5 , stream 300 , is now at a reduced pressure . in the case of an open system employing atmospheric gas as the feed , stream 300 is discharged to the atmosphere . one embodiment of the system illustrated in fig1 comprises liquefaction by increasing the pressure of the feed gas stream to a pressure above its critical pressure , cooling the fluid , and reducing its pressure to form liquid fluid stream , 110 . another embodiment of the system illustrated in fig1 comprises producing the higher pressure gas stream , 210 , provided to the heater by removing the liquid , 110 ′ from liquid storage , 2 , pumping the liquid to a pressure greater than its critical pressure , and heating the fluid to produce stream 210 . another embodiment is the incorporation of a regenerator to sequentially cool and heat the fluid . the regenerator removes and stores sub - ambient heat from a fluid as part of the liquefaction step during a time period , and restores the heat to a fluid during the step of producing the higher pressure gas provided to the power generation system , during a separate time period . various aspects and configurations of a system which cools , stores and heats an atmospheric gas are described in the previously identified copending and commonly assigned patent applications . another embodiment , also described in previously identified commonly assigned patent application ser . no . 12 / 817 , 627 is the provision for supplemental cooling to be provided to the gas stream being liquefied , so that the process can be operated on a continual basis . the supplemental cooling may be provided by an auxiliary refrigeration source or may be provided by compressing , cooling , and depressurizing a portion of the feed gas , and then using this portion to remove heat from the other portion of the feed gas . another embodiment is the incorporation of a supplemental heating step prior to heater 4 . this heating step utilizes heat from other sources , including heat of compression , or waste heat from the pressure reducing device discharge gas , or other external heat sources , or any combination . the additional heating step improves net power output relative heat input in heater 4 . referring now to fig2 , fig2 depicts one embodiment which utilizes a regenerator , auxiliary refrigeration and supplemental heating . feed gas , 100 , is compressed to create in multiple stages to a pressure greater than its critical pressure in compression steps 10 and 30 to form supercritical fluid , 105 . in certain case , particularly with the use of atmospheric gas as feed gas , additional purification step , 20 , is provided to remove undesirable impurities . at least a major portion of fluid 105 is cooled in regenerator 40 and heat exchanger 60 . another portion of fluid 105 is cooled by heat transfer with an auxiliary refrigeration source in heat exchanger 50 and heat exchanger 60 . the combined cooled stream is reduced in pressure through pressure reducing device 70 , which may be a valve or may be an expander , to produce liquid stream 110 . liquid stream 110 is conducted to liquid storage container 80 . after the liquid is stored for a period of time , the liquid , 110 ′, is removed from the liquid storage container , pumped to a pressure greater than its critical pressure and reheated in regenerator 40 to form stream 210 . stream 210 is further heated to form stream 215 in heater 510 by heat exchange with stream 300 . stream 215 is further heated in heater 4 to form stream 220 . stream 220 is reduced in pressure in an expander or gas turbine , 5 , which produces useful shaft in order to operate an electric power generator . the exhaust stream 230 from expander 5 provides heat to heater 510 , and then is removed as stream 300 . an example of operating the system of fig2 is a case wherein feed gas 100 is ambient air at 1 kg / s . this air is compressed in compressors 10 and 30 to 60 bara to form supercritical fluid 105 . compressors 10 and 30 are multistage compressors with intercoolers . at an intermediate compression stage , most water and carbon dioxide are removed from the air stream in adsorber purifier 20 . approximately 1 . 2 % of 105 is removed to heat exchanger 50 and cooled to − 188 c . the combined fluids from heat exchange 50 and regenerator 40 are further cooled in heat exchanger 60 to − 191 c , then expanded through dense fluid expander 70 to 1 . 3 bara , producing a lower pressure , liquefied fluid 110 for storage in storage container 80 . at such time when it is desired to produce electric power , fluid 110 is pumped to 60 bara and heated in regenerator 40 to 100 c to form supercritical fluid 210 . 210 is further heated in recuperative heater 510 to a temperature of 146 . 3 c . concentrated solar energy is provided as a heat source to heater 4 , increasing the temperature of exit fluid 220 to 800 c . this high temperature , high pressure supercritical fluid is reduced in pressure to near atmospheric through expander 5 , which may be a multi - stage gas turbine . expander 5 provides shaft work which drives electric generator 6 to produce electric power . the exit stream 230 from expander 5 provides heat to heater 510 , and then is exhausted to atmosphere as stream 300 . the energy and material balance for this example are listed in table 1 below , and the heat exchange duties , machinery power and efficiency are listed in table 2 . it is desirable for cost optimization to have an option to provide high pressure gas to the heating / power generating system at pressure selected from a range of pressures including pressures below the gas supercritical pressure . several embodiments of the invention include the provision to provide the gas stream , 210 , to the heating device at a selected pressure below the critical pressure of the gas in order to provide an improved overall net power output relative to the net power output from the process in which supercritical gas is provided to the power generation system . the pressure is selected so that , relative to the supercritical gas case , the power requirement reduction to produce the gas feed is greater than the power generation reduction from the heater / pressure - reducer / generator . an additional consideration of pressure selection is an overall cost optimization considering both the capital cost of equipment in addition to operating efficiency . it is desirable to operate the regenerator 40 at supercritical pressure during both cooling and heating steps to avoid phase change . therefore , several different embodiments are provided so that pressurized gas can be provided to the heating / power generation at a selected pressure below supercritical pressure . one embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device such as a valve . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . further , said shaft work is applied to provide drive force to a compressor . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . further , said shaft work is applied to provide drive force to a compressor , in which the compressor is used to compress additional gas feed to the heating / power generating system . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . further , said shaft work is applied to provide drive force to a compressor , in which the compressor is used to compress gas feed , a portion of which is subsequently liquefied and conducted to the liquid storage container . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . further , said shaft work is applied to provide drive force to a generator system which produces electrical power . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes a supplemental heating step followed by a pressure reduction step in which the pressure of the gas from regenerator is fed to pressure reducing device which is an expander producing shaft work . the supplemental heating step increases the temperature of the gas feed to the pressure reducing device such that the gas formed from pressure reducing device is discharged at a super - ambient temperature . another embodiment which provides sub - critical , pressurized gas to the heating / power generation system includes an additional , closed loop fluid circuit which is in communication with the regenerator . liquid from the liquid storage container is pumped to a pressure less than its supercritical pressure and then heated by exchange with the fluid in closed - loop fluid circuit . another embodiment which provides additional selection of the time period for power generation is accommodation of high temperature heat storage in a portion of regenerator 40 . heat is removed from the high temperature gas exiting from heater 4 during a time period . during another time period , pressurized gas is heated by recovering heat from the high temperature portion of regenerator 40 then conducted to pressure reducing device 5 . this allows the heating step performed in heater 4 and the pressure - reducing / power generation step performed in devices 5 and 6 to be operated during separate time periods . this is particularly advantageous in combination with an embodiment using a csp heat source which is only available during daily insolation periods , which may not entirely coincide with preferred power generation periods . the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific aspects or embodiments disclosed in the examples which are intended as illustrations of a few aspects of the invention and any embodiments that are functionally equivalent are within the scope of this invention . various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims .	5
an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of a mobile unit associated with one embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 mobile unit 10 comprises antenna coupler 11 for transferring signals from transmitter section 12 to antenna 13 and for transferring signals from antenna 13 to receiver section 14 , microprocessor 15 for controlling elements of mobile unit 10 , oscillator 16 for generating tones , displaying unit 17 for displaying information sent from microprocessor 15 , speaker 18 for outputting signals from receiver section 14 or from tone generated 16 , microphone 19 for inputting signals to transmitter section 12 , switch 34 controlled by microprocessor 15 , and speech synthesis unit 35 for synthesizing predetermined speech patterns . transmitter section 12 includes baseband unit 20 coupled to an input speech signal for processing signals at baseband frequency and transmitter 21 coupled to the output of baseband unit 20 for modulating the output signal to be broadcast via antenna coupler 11 and antenna 13 . receiver section 14 includes receiver 22 coupled to antenna coupler 11 for demodulating received signals , baseband unit 23 coupled to the output of receiver 22 for processing the received signals , and a / d converter 24 for converting an analog signal supplied thereto to a digital signal responsive to control of microprocessor 15 . more specifically , as shown in fig2 receiver 22 includes first signal source 25 , mixer 26 for combining an incoming radio - frequency signal with the signal from first signal source 25 , first i - f ( intermediate - frequency ) amplifier 27 for amplifying the output signal of mixer 26 , second signal source 28 , mixer 29 for combining the output signal of first i - f amplifier 27 with signal from second signal source 28 , second i - f amplifier 30 for amplifying the output signal of mixer 29 , and i - f integrated circuit ( ic ) 31 . i - f ic 31 may comprise a plurality of linear amplifiers 32 for amplifying received signals and a plurality of diodes 33 for detecting the strength of received signals . fig3 shows the relationship between the voltage value detected by the plurality of didoes 33 and field intensity indicative of received radio frequency signal strength . the detected voltage value , for example 0 - 5 volts is converted to a digital value having a range , for example of 00000000 - 11111111 by a / d converter 24 . this digital value is applied to microprocessor 15 . when the detected voltage value decreases to a first predetermined value , for example , 1 volt , microprocessor 15 controls switch 34 so that the tone output of oscillator 16 is applied to speaker 18 and transmitter section 12 , thereby an alarm sound generated via speaker 18 is likewise transmitted to the radio channel via transmitted section 12 . when the detected voltage value decreases to a second lower predetermined value , for example , 0 volts microprocessor 15 controls transistor section 12 so as to terminate broadcasting and receiver section 14 so as to receive signals of a telephone signal link control channel . a voice synthesized alarm may also be provided by voice synthesis unit 35 as described below . now the operations of mobile unit 10 in accordance with the embodiment will be described in reference to fig4 and 3 . in this embodiment , the strength of received radio frequency signals is checked after a predetermined time interval ( steps 401 , 402 , and 403 ), for example , every five seconds . the time interval is counted down by a timer of microprocessor 15 or , alteratively , a peripheral unit thereto . after the time delay expires at step 402 , the microprocessor continues to step 403 . if the digital value corresponding to the detected signal voltage at step 403 is equal to or lower than the digital value corresponding to the first predetermined voltage value ( step 404 ), for example 1 volt , microprocessor 15 activates switch 34 so that the output of oscillator 16 is applied to speaker 18 and to transmitter section 12 , thereby an alarm tone generated by oscillator 16 is sounded via speaker 18 and also transmitted to the radio channel via transmitter section 12 . therefore this alarm may also be heard by the other party to the conversation . if the overall duration of the alarmer is 400 ms , for example , comprising a repeating nonsilence duration of 100 ms and a silence duration of 50 ms as shown in fig5 users may easily perceive the alarm sound as distinct from other telephone signals and the alarm may not significantly interfere with the telephone conversation . furthermore microprocessor 15 may control display unit 17 so that an alarm message , for example , &# 34 ; near boundary &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; speech line disconnect soon &# 34 ; is displayed . microprocessor 15 may simultaneously control speech synthesis unit 35 so that an alarm message is sounded via speaker 18 and , on the other hand , transmitted to the radio channel via transmitted section 12 typically after the audible periodic tone ( fig5 ) is sounded . in this case , speech synthesis unit 35 may artificially synthesize speech on the basis of prestored data or reproduce spoken words of the user which have been stored in advance ( step 405 ). on the other hand , in the event that the digital value corresponding to the detected voltage returns to a level above the digital value corresponding to the first predetermined value ( step 404 ) in the next iteration ( the predetermined time interval has lapsed ) or measurement at step 411 , microprocessor 15 terminates displaying the alarm message if appropriate and the operation of microprocessor 15 returns to step 401 ( via steps 414 and 415 ). next microprocessor 15 checks whether the detected voltage value determined at step 403 is below a second predetermined value or has fallen to 0 voltage ( step 407 ) after setting a timer to a second predetermined interval of , for example , 5 seconds ( step 406 ). if the detected signal voltage is not below or has not fallen to the second predetermined value , the operation of microprocessor 15 returns to step 401 to check the signal strength again to determine if it is below the first predetermined level . first , however , the timer turned on at step 406 is turned at step 413 . if the detected voltage value determined at step 403 is at or below the second predetermined voltage value ( step 407 ), it would be normally expected that the five second interval established at step 406 has not yet expired at step 408 . then the timer is set to a third predetermined interval of , for example , 5 seconds at step 409 . once the time expires at step 410 , the signal level is checked against at step 411 . at box 407 , it is again determined that the signal value , for example , is 0 volts and the signal level has remained at or below the second predetermined level . now time has expired at step 408 and the mobile telephone receiver returns to a standby mode at step 412 . this entails causing a disconnection from the telephone link at a telephone central office including terminating a broadcasting from transmitter section 12 . also , receiver section 14 returns to a control channel for receiving telephone link controls signals . it may be seen that two sequential measurements of signal level at , for example , 0 volts are required before the link is caused to be disconnected . from the above description , the first predetermined value for signal strength may be assumed to equal the second predetermined value in one embodiment or may be greater than the second predetermined value in a second embodiment . if at step 403 ( fig4 ) the signal strength value decreases below either the first or second predetermined value ( the values being equal in the first embodiment , an alarm tone generated by oscillator 16 may be immediately sounded via speaker 18 and also transmitted to the radio channel via transmitter section 12 ( and other appropriate indications made , for example , via display 17 ). furthermore , microprocessor 15 sets the timer to a second predetermined interval at step 406 of , for example , 5 seconds . consequently , unless the signal strength value recovers within the second predetermined interval , the communication link will be disconnected at step 412 . during the second predetermined interval of time , the several indications of an alarm initiated at step 405 continue to be indicated to at least one party to the conversation . in accordance with the second embodiment and in the event that the second predetermined value is not the same value but may be less than the first predetermined value for signal strength , two types of alarm indications may be initiated . a first alarm message of form in accordance with the above i . e . near boundary may be ordered at step 405 . however , in the second embodiment a second indication step may be provided between steps 409 and 410 such that in the first passage through loop 407 - 411 a more urgent indication is provided for the third predetermined interval . for example , if the signal strength value decreases below the second predetermined value , urgent types of indicia such as a more rapid periodic alarm tone or a more important displayed message such as &# 34 ; speech line disconnect imminent &# 34 ; may be provided until the third predetermined interval lapses . the first , second and third predetermined intervals at steps 401 , 406 and 409 and preferably as short as 4 - 5 seconds to insure that in - use channels are freed for use by others after a reasonable period of time .	8
preferred embodiments will be described in detail below referring to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows the whole configuration of an image display according to a first embodiment of the invention . the image display includes a image processing function section including a tuner 11 , a y / c separation circuit 12 , a chroma decoder 13 , a switch 14 , a delay circuit 15 , a luminance signal correction section 2 and an image processing circuit 3 and an image display function section including a matrix circuit 41 , a driver 42 and a display 5 . an image correction circuit and an image correction method according to a first embodiment of the invention are embodied by the image display according to the embodiment , so they will be also described below . image signals inputted into the image display may be outputs from a vcr ( video cassette recorder ), a dvd ( digital versatile disc ) or the like in addition to a tv signal from a tv ( television ). it has become common practice for recent televisions and personal computers ( pcs ) to obtain image information from a plurality of kinds of media and display an image corresponding to each of the media . the tuner 11 receives and demodulates the tv signal from the tv , and outputs the tv signal as a composite video burst signal ( cvbs ). the y / c separation circuit 12 separates the composite video burst signal from the tuner 11 or a composite video burst signal from a vcr or a dvd 1 into a luminance signal y 1 and a chrominance signal c 1 to output them . the chroma decoder 13 outputs the luminance signal y 1 and the chrominance signal c 1 separated by the y / c separation circuit 12 as yuv signals ( y 1 , u 1 , v 1 ) including the luminance signal y 1 and color - difference signals u 1 and v 1 . the yuv signals are image data of a digital image , and a set of pixel values corresponding to a position on a two - dimensional image . a luminance signal y represents a luminance level , and takes an amplitude value between a white level which is 100 % white and a black level . moreover , a 100 % white image signal is 100 ( ire ) in a unit called ire ( institute of radio engineers ) representing a relative ratio of an image signal . the black level is 0 ire . on the other hand , the color - difference signals u and v correspond to a signal b - y produced by subtracting the luminance signal y from blue ( b ), and a signal r - y produced by subtracting the luminance signal y from red ( r ), respectively , and when the signals u and v are combined with the luminance signal y , colors ( color phases , chroma saturation , luminance ) can be shown . the switch 14 switches yuv signals from a plurality of kinds of media ( in this case , the yuv signals ( y 1 , u 1 , v 1 ) and yuv signals ( y 2 , u 2 , v 2 ) from a dvd 2 ) so as to output selected signals as yuv signals ( yin , uin , vin ). the luminance signal correction section 2 corrects the luminance signal yin of the yuv signals ( yin , uin , vin ) outputted from the switch 14 , and includes a dc transmission rate correction section 21 , a black level adjusting section 22 and a γ correction section 23 . fig2 shows the circuit configuration of the dc transmission rate correction section 21 . the dc transmission rate correction section 21 includes an apl detection circuit 211 , a dc shift circuit 212 , a black level correction function generating circuit 213 , a correction function determining circuit 214 and a correction execution circuit 215 . moreover , fig3 shows input / output characteristics in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , and shows an image correction function defining a relationship between an inputted luminance signal yin and an outputted luminance signal yout 11 . a line l 10 in fig3 shows a reference image correction function ( before dc transmission rate correction ) in which the inputted luminance yin = outputted luminance yout 11 . the apl detection circuit 211 detects an average peak level ( apl ) in each image frame on the basis of the luminance signal yin . the detected average peak level is outputted to the dc shift circuit 212 . for example , as shown in fig3 , the dc shift circuit 212 generates an intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 , which lowers a luminance level in an intermediate • high luminance region to lower than an original luminance level ( the luminance level of the reference image correction function l 10 ) according to the average peak level in each image frame detected by the apl detection circuit 211 , in an image correction function ( for example , an image correction function l 14 in fig3 ) in the dc transmission rate correction circuit 21 . more specifically , the amount of dc shift is fixed irrespective of average luminance , and the whole image is shifted to darker side , thereby the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 is generated . for example , as shown in fig3 , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 generates a low luminance function part ( a black level correction function ) l 11 , which is a part continuously connecting between a minimum luminance point p 0 and the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 at a connection point p 1 so as to reduce a luminance signal in a low luminance region from an original luminance level though at a predetermined rate , in the image correction function ( for example , the image correction function l 14 in fig3 ) in the dc transmission rate correction circuit 21 . for example , in fig3 , the low luminance function part l 11 connects between the minimum luminance point p 0 and the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 with a line with a predetermined change rate ( a gradient k 1 ). as a method of generating such a low luminance function part l 11 , the following two methods are cited . at first , as one of the methods , for example , as shown in fig4 a , a line l 110 having a given gradient except for 0 and passing through the minimum luminance point p 0 is predetermined , and the points of intersection of the line l 110 and intermediate • high luminance function parts ( for example , intermediate • high luminance function parts l 12 a and l 12 b ) are set as connection points ( for example , connection points p 1 a and p 1 b ) to the intermediate • high luminance function parts . in other words , irrespective of the dc fluctuation amounts of the intermediate • high luminance function parts , the low luminance function part l 11 with a fixed gradient continuously connects to the intermediate • high luminance parts at the connection points along the line l 110 . as another method , for example , as shown in fig4 b , a given output luminance yt 12 is predetermined , and points at which intermediate • high luminance function parts ( for example , intermediate • high luminance function parts l 12 c and l 12 d ) meet the output luminance yt 12 are set as connection points ( for example , connection points p 1 c and p 1 d ) to the intermediate • high luminance function parts . in other words , in the low luminance function parts l 11 c and l 11 d , the gradients of lines are changed according to the dc fluctuation amounts of the intermediate • high luminance function parts ( for example , gradients k 1 c and k 1 d ). a low luminance function part is represented by formula 1 , and an intermediate • high luminance function part is represented by formula 2 , and the output luminance at the point ( connection point ) of intersection of these function parts is yt 12 , so the gradient k of the line in this case is represented by formula 3 . in other words , as the value of α in formula 3 is increased with an increase in the dc fluctuation amount of the intermediate • high luminance function part , the gradient k of the line is decreased . the low luminance function part l 11 generated by the black level correction function generating circuit 213 in such a manner is outputted to the correction function determining circuit 214 . referring back to fig2 , the correction function determining circuit 214 determines an image correction function ( for example , an image correction function l 14 in fig3 ) including these function parts on the basis of the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 generated by the dc shift circuit 212 and the low luminance function part l 11 generated by the black level correction function generating circuit 213 . moreover , the correction execution circuit 215 actually corrects the luminance signal yin from the switch 14 on the basis of the image correction function determined by the correction function determining circuit 214 . the luminance signal corrected in such a manner is outputted to the black level adjusting section 22 as a luminance signal yout 11 . referring back to fig1 , the black level adjusting section 22 detects a low luminance level region ( a blackest level region ) in an image frame on the basis of the inputted luminance signal yout 11 , and in the case where the blackest level region exists in a certain area range , for example , as shown in fig5 , the black level adjusting section 22 shifts the luminance signal in the blackest level region to black side ( the luminance level is lowered ) so as to correct the luminance signal yout 11 to a luminance signal yout 12 . thus , in the black level adjusting section 22 , the luminance signal is corrected so that a black level in a displayed image is enhanced , and the corrected luminance signal is outputted to the γ correction section 23 as the luminance signal yout 12 . for example , as shown in fig6 , the γ correction section 23 detects the histogram distribution of the luminance signal in each image frame on the basis of the inputted luminance signal yout 12 , and , for example , as shown in fig7 , the γ correction section 23 adaptively changes an input / output characteristic ( a γ characteristic ) ( for example , changes a γ characteristic l 30 into a γ characteristic l 31 or l 32 ) on the basis of the luminance histogram distribution , and corrects the luminance signal yout 12 into a luminance signal yout 13 on the basis of the γ characteristic . thus , in the γ correction section 23 , the luminance signal is corrected on the basis of the detected luminance histogram distribution so that the contrast is improved , and the corrected luminance signal is outputted to the image processing circuit 3 as the luminance signal yout 13 . the delay circuit 15 delays the color - difference signals um and vin outputted from the switch 14 , and synchronizes the color - difference signals um and vin and the corrected luminance signal yout 13 outputted from the luminance signal correction section 2 to output them to the image processing circuit 3 . the image processing circuit 3 performs predetermined image processing such as , for example , sharpness processing on the corrected luminance signal yout 13 outputted from the luminance signal correction section 2 and uv signals ( uout 1 , vout 1 ) which are outputted from the switch 14 and pass through the delay circuit 15 . the yuv signals ( yout 2 , uout 2 , vout 2 ) after image processing in such a manner are outputted to the matrix circuit 41 . the matrix circuit 41 reproduces rgb signals from the yuv signals ( yout 2 , uout 2 , vout 2 ) after image processing by the image processing circuit 3 , and outputs the reproduced rgb signals ( rout , gout , bout ) to the driver 42 . the driver 42 produces a driving signal for the display 5 on the basis of the rgb signals ( rout , gout , bout ) outputted from the matrix circuit 41 , and outputs the driving signal to the display 5 . the display 5 displays an image on the basis of the yuv signals ( yout 2 , uout 2 , vout 2 ) after the luminance signal is corrected by the luminance signal correction section 2 , and image processing is performed by the image processing circuit 3 according to the driving signal outputted from the driver 42 . the display 5 may be any kind of display device . for example , a crt ( cathode - ray tube ) 51 , a lcd ( liquid crystal display ) 52 , a pdp ( plasma display panel ; not shown ) or the like is used . the yuv signals ( yin , uin , vin ) correspond to specific examples of “ input image data ” in the invention . the dc transmission rate correction section 21 corresponds to a specific example of “ an image correction circuit ” in the invention , and the apl detection circuit 211 corresponds to a specific example of “ a luminance detection means ” in the invention , and the dc shift circuit 212 , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 , the correction function determining circuit 214 and the correction execution circuit 215 correspond to specific examples of “ an image correction means ” in the invention . the dc shift circuit 212 , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 and the correction function determining circuit 214 correspond to specific examples of “ a function determination means ” in the invention , and the correction execution circuit 215 corresponds to a specific example of “ a correction execution means ” in the invention . next , the operation of the image display according to the embodiment will be described below . at first , an image signal to be inputted into the image display is demodulated into the yuv signals . more specifically , a tv signal from the tv is demodulated into a composite video burst signal by the tuner 11 , and a composite video burst signal is directly inputted into the image display from the vcr or the dvd 1 . then , the composite video burst signals are separated into the luminance signal y 1 and the chrominance signal c 1 in the y / c separation circuit 12 , and then the luminance signal y 1 and the chrominance signal c 1 are decoded into the yuv signals ( y 1 , u 1 , v 1 ) in the chroma decoder 13 . on the other hand , yuv signals ( y 2 , u 2 , v 2 ) are directly inputted into the image display from the dvd 2 . next , in the switch 14 , either the yuv signals ( y 1 , u 1 , v 1 ) or the yuv signals ( y 2 , u 2 , v 2 ) are selected to be outputted as the yuv signals ( yin , uin , vin ). then , the luminance signal yin of the yuv signals ( yin , uin , vin ) is outputted into the luminance signal correction section 2 , and the color - difference signals uin and vin are outputted to the delay circuit 15 . in the luminance signal correction section 2 , the following operation of correcting the luminance signal is performed on the basis of the inputted luminance signal yin . at first , in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , the apl detection circuit 211 detects the average peak level in each image frame on the basis of the inputted luminance signal yin , and the dc shift circuit 212 generates the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 which lowers the luminance level in the intermediate • high luminance region according to the detected average peak level . on the other hand , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 generates the low luminance function part l 11 which is a part continuously connecting between the minimum luminance point p 0 and the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 at the connection point p 1 so as to reduce the luminance signal in the low luminance region though at a predetermined rate . then , the correction function determining circuit 214 determines the image correction function including the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 and the low luminance function part l 11 , and the correction execution circuit 215 corrects the luminance signal yin from the switch 14 on the basis of the determined image correction function . as described above , the determined image correction function is generated so that the input luminance signal is lowered according to the average peak level in the intermediate • high luminance region , and the input luminance signal is maintained at a level lower than an original level in the low luminance region ( refer to the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 and the low luminance function part l 11 in fig3 ), so while the dc level conversion is performed in the intermediate • high luminance region , a loss of gray levels in the low luminance region of the converted luminance signal can be prevented . next , the black level adjusting section 22 detects the blackest level region in the image frame on the basis of the luminance signal yout 11 , and in the case where the blackest level region exists in a certain area range , the black level adjusting section 22 shifts the luminance signal in the blackest level region to black side ( the luminance level is lowered ) so as to correct the luminance signal so that the black level in the displayed image is enhanced . then , the γ correction section 23 detects the luminance histogram distribution in each image frame on the basis of the luminance signal yout 12 , and corrects the luminance signal on the basis of the characteristic adaptively changed according to the luminance histogram distribution so that the contrast is improved . the luminance signal corrected in such a manner is outputted to the image processing circuit 3 as the luminance signal yout 13 . on the other hand , the delay circuit 15 delays the color - difference signals uin and vin , and as a result , the color - difference signals um and vin and the luminance signal yout 13 outputted from the luminance signal adjusting section 2 are synchronized . next , the image processing circuit 3 performs predetermined image processing such as , for example , sharpness processing on the corrected luminance signal yout 13 outputted from the luminance signal correction section 2 and the uv signals ( uout 1 , vout 1 ) which are outputted from the switch 14 and pass through the delay circuit 15 . then , the matrix circuit 41 reproduces rgb signals ( rout , gout , bout ) from the yuv signals ( yout 2 , uout 2 , vout 2 ) after image processing , and the driver 42 produces a driving signal on the basis of the rgb signals ( rout , gout , bout ), and an image is displayed on the display 5 on the basis of the driving signal . as described above , in the embodiment , in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , while the luminance signal level in the low luminance region is reduced from the original luminance signal level though at a predetermined rate , the luminance signal level in the intermediate • high luminance region is lowered according to the average peak level detected by the apl detection circuit 211 , so even if the dc level conversion is performed in the intermediate • high luminance region as in the case of a related art , a loss of gray levels in the low luminance region after the conversion can be prevented . therefore , gray levels in the low luminance region can be reliably displayed , and the quality of a displayed image can be improved . moreover , for example , as shown in fig3 , 4 a and 4 b , the low luminance function part is represented by a line continuously connecting between the minimum luminance point p 0 and the intermediate • high luminance function part , so the image correction function including these function parts can be easily generated . therefore , the configurations of the black level correction function generating circuit 213 and the correction function determining section 214 can be simplified , and the circuit sizes can be reduced . further , in the correction function determining circuit 214 , in the low luminance region , a smaller value ( the low luminance function part ) is selected and determined between the intermediate • high luminance function part and the low luminance function part , so also in this viewpoint , the image correction function can be easily generated . next , a modification of the first embodiment will be described below . in the modification , for example , as shown by an image correction function l 14 a in fig8 , in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , a low luminance function part which includes a part l 11 a passing through the minimum luminance point p 0 and having the same shape as the image correction function l 10 before dc level conversion is generated , and the luminance signal is corrected by the image correction function including such a low luminance function part . more specifically , for example , in fig8 , the low luminance function part l 11 includes a line part l 11 a connecting between the minimum luminance point p 0 and a connection point p 20 on the image correction function l 10 and a line part l 11 b connecting between the connection point p 20 and the intermediate • high luminance function part l 12 at a connection point p 21 . in other words , in the image correction function in the first embodiment , the minimum luminance point p 0 and the intermediate • high luminance function part are directly connected by a line with a fixed gradient , but in the modification , they are connected by the part l 11 a having the same shape as the image correction function l 10 before dc level conversion . therefore , in the modification , for example , as shown by the image correction function l 14 in fig9 , even if the luminance level of the corrected luminance signal yout 11 is further lowered by the dc transmission rate correction section 21 in the low luminance region , for example , as in the case of an image correction function l 24 , a loss of gray levels can be prevented . therefore , even if the black level adjusting section 22 is arranged before the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , or the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , the black level adjusting section 22 and the γ correction section 23 are arranged in parallel , for example , as shown in luminance signal correction sections 2 a and 2 b in fig1 a and 10b , respectively , as described above , a loss of gray levels can be reliably prevented . as described above , in the modification , in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , the low luminance function part which includes the part l 11 a passing through the minimum luminance point p 0 and having the same shape as the image correction function l 10 before dc level conversion is generated , and the luminance signal is corrected by the image correction function including such a low luminance function part , so , for example , even if the luminance level in the low luminance region is further lowered after the dc transmission rate correction , a loss of gray levels can be reliably prevented . therefore , in addition to the effects in the first embodiment , irrespective of the arrangement of the luminance signal correction section 2 or the like , gray levels in the low luminance region can be displayed more reliably , and the quality of a displayed image can be further improved . moreover , as the line part l 11 a , the image correction function l 10 before dc level conversion may be used as it is , so the image correction function can be easily generated and achieved . further , irrespective of the arrangement of the luminance signal correction section 2 or the like , the modification can be applied to luminance signal correction sections with various configurations , so flexibility in device design can be improved . next , a second embodiment of the invention will be described below . an image display according to the embodiment adjusts an image correction function in a high luminance region ( a white level region ) in addition to the adjustment of an image correction function in a low luminance region ( a black level region ) described in the first embodiment . fig1 shows the circuit configuration of a dc transmission rate correction section 21 a according to the embodiment . the dc transmission rate correction section 21 a further includes a white level correction function generating circuit 216 in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 described in the first embodiment . like components are denoted by like numerals as of the first embodiment and will not be further described . for example , as shown in fig1 , the white level correction function generating circuit 216 generates a high luminance function part ( a white level correction function ) l 13 , which is a part continuously connecting between a maximum luminance point p 4 and an intermediate luminance function part l 14 while maintaining the maximum luminance point p 4 at the maximum luminance point in the image correction function l 10 , in an image correction function ( for example , an image correction function l 15 in the drawing ) in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 a . for example , in fig1 , the high luminance function part l 13 connects between the maximum luminance point p 4 and the intermediate luminance function part l 12 with a line with a predetermined change rate ( a gradient k 2 ). the dc shift circuit 212 , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 , the white level correction function generating circuit 216 , the correction function determining circuit 214 and the correction execution circuit 215 in the embodiment correspond to specific examples of “ an image correction means ” in the invention . the dc shift circuit 212 , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 , the white level correction function generating circuit 216 and the correction function determining circuit 214 correspond to specific examples of “ a function determination means ” in the invention . by the structure of such an image correction function , in the dc transmission rate correction section 21 a in the embodiment , while the luminance level of the luminance signal yin in the intermediate luminance region is lowered according to the detected average peak level by a predetermined level , the maximum luminance point p 4 is maintained in the high luminance region . therefore , while dc level conversion is performed in the intermediate luminance region , a decline in the luminance level can be prevented in the high luminance region of the luminance signal yout 11 after the conversion . as described above , in the embodiment , while the maximum luminance point p 4 is maintained in the high luminance region , the luminance level of the luminance signal yin in the intermediate luminance region is lowered according to the detected average peak level , so even if the dc level conversion is performed in the intermediate luminance region , a decline in the luminance level in the high luminance region after the conversion can be prevented . therefore , in addition to the effect of preventing a loss of gray levels in the low luminance region in the first embodiment , gray levels in the high luminance region can be reliably displayed , and the quality of a displayed image can be improved . moreover , for example , as shown in fig1 , the high luminance function part is also represented by a line continuously connecting between the maximum luminance point p 4 and the intermediate luminance function part , so an image correction function including these function parts can be easily generated . therefore , the configuration of the white level correction function generating circuit 216 can be simplified , and the circuit size can be reduced . further , the black level correction function generating circuit 213 and the white level correction function generating circuit 216 are separately arranged , so the operation of adjusting an image correction function in the low luminance region and the operation of adjusting an image correction in the high luminance region can be individually performed . also in the image correction function described in the embodiment , for example , as shown by an image correction function l 15 a in fig1 , like the modification of the first embodiment ( refer to fig8 ), the low luminance function part l 11 may include a part l 11 a which passes through the minimum luminance point p 0 and has the same shape as the image correction function l 10 before dc level conversion . in such a configuration , in addition to the effects in the embodiment , irrespective of the arrangement of the luminance signal correction section or the like , gray levels in the low luminance region can be displayed more reliably , and the quality of a displayed image can be further improved . although the invention is described referring to the first embodiment and the second embodiment ; however , the invention is not limited to them , and can be variously modified . for example , in the above embodiments , the case where the image correction function in the low luminance region ( the black level region ) is adjusted ( the case of the first embodiment ) and the case where in addition to the image correction function in the low luminance region , the image correction function in the high luminance region ( the white level region ) is adjusted ( the case of the second embodiment ) are described ; however , for example , as shown by an image correction function l 15 b in fig1 , only the image correction function in the high luminance region ( the white level region ) may be adjusted . in such a configuration , while the dc level conversion is performed in the intermediate luminance region , a decline in the luminance level in the high luminance region after the conversion can be prevented . therefore , gray levels in the high luminance region can be reliably displayed , and the quality of a displayed image can be further improved . moreover , in the above - described embodiments , the case where the low luminance function part or the high luminance function part is represented by a line with a fixed gradient is described ; however , as long as a loss of gray levels in the low luminance region or a decline in the luminance level in the high luminance region can be prevented , and the low luminance function part or the high luminance function part can continuously connect to the intermediate luminance function part , the function part may be represented by a curve instead of a line . further , in the above - described embodiments , the luminance signal correction section 2 includes the black level adjusting section 22 and the γ correction section 23 in addition to the dc transmission rate correction section 21 ; however , the luminance signal correction section 2 may include only the dc transmission rate correction section 21 , or the luminance signal correction section 2 may further include another luminance signal correction circuit in addition to them . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications , combinations , sub - combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	7
the method described herein will be referred to as the edge - restricted spline - under - tension ( ersut ) interpolation method . the ersut image interpolation method is based on a computer graphics curve interpolation algorithm . therefore , a brief explanation of that curve interpolation algorithm will be presented before the ersut image interpolation method will be described . in general , the interpolating graphics curves are called &# 34 ; splines under tension &# 34 ;. while the curves are not truly splines , they are built up from basic curves similar to the uniform b - spline . the &# 34 ; tension &# 34 ; portion of the name of the curves refers to the tension control parameter employed in the algorithm to decrease or increase the slack in the curve . advantages of the &# 34 ; splines under tension &# 34 ; are that they interpolate through given points and the computation of the interpolation is relatively simple , as opposed to interpolation curves such as the cubic b - spline . the &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; algorithm uses four consecutive points ( these are the control points or knots ) to interpolate points between the two middle points . if ( 1 ) the four consecutive points are designated as p i + 1 , p i , p i + 1 , and p i + 2 , ( 2 ) the variable c represents the tension control parameter , and ( 3 ) the variable u indicates the fractional position of interpolated point p i + u between original points p i and p i + 1 , then the interpolating curve c ( u ) can be expressed as ## equ1 ## the useful range of values for the tension control parameter , c , is given by { cεr : 0 . 0 ≦ c ≦ 1 . 0 }. values of c less than 0 . 0 lead to loops in the curve at the control points , while c values greater than 1 . 0 cause loops between the control points . the greatest tension in the interpolated curve results from c = 0 . in this case , the &# 34 ; curve &# 34 ; is essentially linear connections of the control points . the curve exhibits the greatest slack when c = 1 . when the tension control parameter has a value of 0 . 5 the curve is known as a catmull - rom curve . see , pokorny et al , computer graphics : the principles behind art and science , pp . 260 - 262 ( franklin , beedle and assoc . 1989 ). the values of the variable u are determined by the number of points to be interpolated between each two control points , and are always fractional values between 0 and 1 . if just one point is interpolated between each two , the u = 1 / 2 . if two points are interpolated between each two , u ={ 2 / 3 , 1 / 3 }. in general , if n represents the number of points to be interpolated , ## equ2 ## if the product given in equation ( 1 ) is multiplied through , then the value of the curve at interpolated point p i + u is given by if ## equ3 ## represents the weight placed on the point p i - 1 in calculating then a one - dimensional mask of weights for interpolating n points is given by specifically , if the number of points being interpolated is n = 2 , then those two interpolated points are denoted p i + 2 / 3 and p i + 1 / 3 , and , for each point , equation ( 3 ) simplifies to ## equ4 ## incorporating the weights given in equations ( 5 ) and ( 6 ), the general one - dimensional mask of weights given in ( 4 ) becomes the specific one - dimensional mask ## equ5 ## the symmetry about the center weight , 1 , in the mask above is independent of the number of points being interpolated . any n - point interpolation will exhibit such symmetry . this fact greatly simplifies the next step in the development of the ersut interpolation method . the discussion thus far has only been concerned with the &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; curve interpolation algorithm . in order to find application for image interpolation , the concept of curve interpolation must be extended one more dimension to surface interpolation . a two - dimensional mask of weights is created by forming a cartesian product of the one - dimensional mask of weights , given in ( 4 ), with itself . due to the symmetry of the one - dimensional mask , if the two - dimensional mask is separated into four quadrants , these quadrants are symmetric about the weight in the center of the mask , which will again be a weight of 1 . therefore , only the weights in one quadrant of the mask need be calculated ; the other three quadrants are merely reflections of that quadrant . if the weights are calculated for the upper left quadrant of the mask , then the upper right quadrant is a reflection to the right , and the two lower quadrants are formed by reflecting the two upper quadrants down . for the specific case of a two - point interpolation , the upper left quadrant of the two - dimensional mask is shown below . this was formed from the one - dimensional mask in ( 7 ). ## equ6 ## with the introduction of this second dimension , some additional notation must be included in the discussion . in the first dimension , pixels were indexed with the subscript i , and p i + u indicated a pixel interpolated between p i and p i + 1 . in the second dimension , pixels shall be indexed with the subscript j , and p i + u , j + v will indicate a pixel interpolated between p i , j , p i , j + 1 , and p i - 1 , j + 1 . if the pixel to be interpolated , p i - u , j - v , is in line with a row or column of control pixels , then its gray - level value will be a weighted sum of the gray levels of the four closest control pixels in line with it , as described previously for curve interpolation . however , if the pixel to be interpolated is not in line with any row or column of control pixels , then its gray - level value will be a weighted sum of the gray levels of the sixteen nearest surrounding control pixels . specifically , the sixteen pixels form a four - by - four square with the upper left pixel identified as p i - 1 , j - 1 and the lower right pixel identified as p i + 2 , j + 2 . in the ersut interpolation method , and referring to the flowchart diagram in fig1 the actual interpolation process is preceded by a preprocessing stage at 10 and 12 intended to produce well - defined edges in the interpolated image . the goals of this stage are ( 1 ) to identify locations of edges in the original image , and then ( 2 ) to predict the locations of edges in the interpolated image . in the first part of this stage , shown at 12 , the original image is convolved with a laplacian gaussian filter . if the gaussian distribution , in two dimensions , is represented by ## equ7 ## then the laplacian (∇ 2 ) of this is represented by ## equ8 ## according to marr , vision , pp . 54 - 61 ( w . h . freeman and co . 1982 ), the ∇ 2 g filter is the most satisfactory means of locating intensity changes in an image . the result of the convolution of the ∇ 2 g filter with the original image will be referred to as the ∇ 2 g - filtered image . the ∇ 2 g - filtered image contains positive and negative values with an overall average of zero . neighboring values of opposite sign indicate a zero - crossing in the second derivative of the image , which corresponds to an intensity change in the image . by thresholding the difference of neighboring values having opposite signs , the locations of edges in the original image can be accurately identified , and this information can be used to achieve better contrast along edges in the interpolation process . bearing in mind that the ∇ 2 g - filtered image contains positive and negative values , the actual location of edges generally lies between original pixels that correspond to opposite - signed neighboring values . since new pixel values will be determined in the interpolation process and placed between original pixels , it is important to predict the location of edges in the interpolated image before the interpolation begins . accordingly , in this second part of the preprocessing stage , the ∇ 2 g - filtered image is interpolated to the same size to which the original image will be interpolated . the interpolation of the ∇ 2 g - filtered image is performed by the two - dimensional catmull - rom &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; algorithm . recall that the catmull - rom specification indicates that the mask of weights employs a tension control parameter of c = 0 . 5 . with the completion of this preprocessing stage , locations of edges for the yet - to - be - interpolated image are determined , and this information , stored in the ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated image , will be used to influence the interpolation of the actual image . the image interpolation process involves three different &# 34 ; splines under tension &# 34 ;. the three masks of weights are formed with three different tension control parameters values : c = 1 . 0 , c = 0 . 5 , and c = 0 . 0 . for each known pixel , an examination is made of the pixel &# 39 ; s neighbors at 14 . the mask based on c = 1 . 0 is used to interpolate pixels along edges and in detailed areas of the image . such edges and details are indicated by inspecting the ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated image for adjacent values of opposite sign and thresholding the difference of those values by a preselected edge threshold value , as described above and shown at 16 and 18 . for smooth areas of the image , the c = 0 . 0 mask performs the interpolation . these smooth areas are indicated by adjacent ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values whose difference does not exceed the preselected smooth threshold value . see blocks 20 and 22 . if neither edges nor smoothness are indicated by thresholding adjacent ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated image values , then the pixels that correspond to those values are interpolated using the c = 0 . 5 catmull - rom mask of weights shown at 20 and 24 . the selection of the two threshold values are based on individual preference . the choice of a threshold value for edges depends on how &# 34 ; hard &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; the interpolated image is to appear . a &# 34 ; hard &# 34 ; image has sharp edges that are defined by significant intensity differences . conversely , the edges of a &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; image are blurred and indistinct . if the edge threshold is chosen to be a small value , the image will appear harder . this is because a lower edge threshold will identify smaller differences as edges . increasing the edge threshold value causes the appearance of the image to become softer as fewer differences will be identified as edges . based on our experience , a gray scale difference of 20 or more is perceived as a significant edge by human eyes . in the ersut method , an image gray scale difference of 20 most closely corresponds to ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values that differ by 5 . 0 . therefore , in the simulations of the algorithm , an edge threshold value of 5 . 0 has been adopted . similarly , it has been found that neighboring ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values that differ by 3 . 0 or less correspond to smooth areas in the image . accordingly , the method incorporates a smooth threshold value of 3 . 0 . once the mask with the appropriate tension control value ( c = 1 . 0 , 0 . 5 , or 0 . 0 ) has been selected for the interpolation of a particular pixel , p i + u , j + v , all of the ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values that lie within the square region from upper left corner corresponding or original pixel p i - 1 , j - 2 to lower right corner corresponding to original pixel p i + 2 , j + 2 are examined at 26 for indication of an edge , using the same edge threshold described above . since the ∇ 2 g - filtered image has undergone interpolation , both ∇ 2 g - filtered values originally calculated from the image and ∇ 2 g - filtered values interpolated from those calculated values are inspected for evidence of zero - crossings . if evidence of an edge is found within that square region , the ersut method branches at 28 to an edge - restricted version of the &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; interpolation , which will be discussed shortly . if , however , there is no indication of an edge , the &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; mask explained above ( with c = 0 . 5 or 0 . 0 ) is used at 30 to weight the gray - level values of the sixteen nearest pixels to determine the gray - level value of interpolated pixel p i + u , j + v . if an edge is detected in the search of the surrounding square region , the edge - restricted branch of the algorithm will adjust the weights of the &# 34 ; spline under tension &# 34 ; mask ( c = 1 . 0 , 0 . 5 , or 0 . 0 ) before applying it to the sixteen nearest pixels . the adjustments made to the mask depend upon the sign of the ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated image value corresponding to the pixel being interpolated . if , for example , that pixel has a ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated value that is negative , then only those original pixels that correspond to negative ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values will be used in the calculation of that pixel value . in order to keep the mask one - weighted , the sum of the weights that would have been applied to original pixels with positive ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values is evenly distributed to the weights for original pixels with negative ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated values . the effect of this adjustment of weights is that the gray level of a pixel interpolated close to an intensity edge is calculated only from those original pixels on the &# 34 ; same side &# 34 ; of the edge ; pixels on the &# 34 ; opposite side &# 34 ; of the edge make no contribution . this edge - restricted branch of the method should lead to an interpolated image which exhibits significant , visually - pleasing contrast along edges and enhancement of image details . the ersut interpolation method produces a higher contrast image than the image resulting from bilinear interpolation , and at the same time , ersut interpolation introduces minimal artifacts . this minimization of artifacts is due primarily to the ∇ 2 g - filtered - interpolated image . therefore , a video signal which is interpolated by the ersut interpolation method before printing should result in a print of high quality . while the methods described herein constitute preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise methods , and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended claims .	6
a traditional stator of a line - start electric motor comprises a plurality of windings of a stator winding or of several stator windings . the stator is made of several stator sheets , which are substantially shaped as annulus discs . the accommodating chambers for the windings are open inside and are therefore also called slots . the windings are made of copper wire and distributed in the individual slots in different numbers . the distribution of the windings per slot usually follows the rule of a sine distribution . thus , it is achieved that the rotating field resulting from the interaction of stator and rotor during operation of the line - start electric motor has an approximately sine - shaped course , when , as shown in fig1 , the magneto - motoric force mmk is distributed over the slots . in fig1 , the magneto - motoric force is distributed over the slots 1 to 24 . in the fig2 and 3 , the magneto - motoric force mmk or the relative magneto - motoric force , respectively , distributed over the sequence of the harmonics 1 to 30 . from the fig2 and 3 it appears that with a substantially sine - shaped distribution of the winding wires a large first harmonic occurs , whereas the particularly critical third harmonic as well as the fifth and the seventh harmonics are only weakly pronounced . the copper comprised in the winding wires causes a copper loss , which reduces the efficiency of the line - start electric motor . when a reduction of the copper amount comprised in the stator was possible , the efficiency of the line - start electric motor would increase . within the scope of the present invention it has been established that the copper amount comprised in the stator can be reduced , in that the concentration of the copper wires in some slots is increased . a line - start motor supplies the same torque , when , for example , the copper wires are distributed over four slots instead of over five slots . through the concentration increase of the winding wires , the magnetic poles in the stator are concentrated . however , when concentrating the winding wires in a smaller number of slots , the rotating field will lose its sine - shape to become approximately square . in the diagrams shown in the fig4 to 6 , the copper winding wires are distributed on only two slots , which are located to be diametrically displaced , that is , by 180 °, in relation to each other . the course of the magneto - motoric force mmk over the slots 1 to 24 is square . from the slots 1 to 12 , the magneto - motoric force mmk has a value of plus 10 and then drops to minus 10 . from the slots 12 to 24 the magneto - motoric force mmk has the value minus 10 . the fig5 and 6 show the result of a fourier analysis . the distribution of the magneto - motoric force over the harmonics shows that particularly the third , fifth and seventh harmonic have a rather high value , which causes an unacceptable reduction of the efficiency . through the design of the stator in accordance with the invention , the copper amount in the stator can be reduced , which at the same time reduces the reducing influence of the harmonics or the harmonic frequencies , respectively , on the efficiency . fig7 shows a cross - section of a stator sheet . the stator sheet substantially has the shape of an annulus disc , in which a plurality of slots 1 to 24 are undercut , which are open on the radial inside . in the stator sheet 30 is formed a rotor accommodating chamber , which substantially has an annular shape . however , the inner radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 is not constant . the rotor accommodating chamber has a plurality of different radii 41 to 52 . in fig8 , some of the slots accommodate windings of a main winding and an auxiliary winding . in the embodiment according to fig8 , the main winding comprises two windings , which enter the drawing level at 61 and 63 in the slots 21 and 22 and leave the drawing level at 62 and 64 in the slots 9 and 10 . during operation of the line - start electric motor , the windings 61 to 64 of the main winding generate a magnetic field , whose main axis is called 71 . the auxiliary winding comprises two windings , which enter the drawing level at 65 and 67 in the slots 3 and 4 and leave the drawing level at 66 , 68 in the slots 15 , 16 . during operation of the line - start electric motor , the windings 65 to 68 of the auxiliary winding generate a magnetic field , whose auxiliary axis is called 72 . the auxiliary axis 72 is arranged to be vertical to the main axis 71 . in fig8 it can be seen that the two windings 61 to 64 of the main winding are distributed on four slots 21 , 22 , 9 , 10 , which are arranged in pairs diametrically opposite each other . the two windings 65 to 68 of the auxiliary winding are distributed on four slots 3 , 4 , 15 , 16 , which are arranged in pairs diametrically opposite each other . the remaining slots accommodate no windings . in the area of the slots 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 15 , 16 and 21 , 22 , in which windings 61 to 68 of the main winding and the auxiliary winding are located , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 is smaller than in the neighbouring areas . the slots , in which the windings 61 to 68 are located , are also called stator winding accommodating chambers or stator winding accommodating slots 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 15 , 16 , 21 , 22 . in the area of the stator winding accommodating slots , the radius 44 of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 has a value of 31 . 52 mm . at 41 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 50 and 52 , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 has a value of 31 . 7 mm . at 42 , 76 , 48 and 51 , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 has a value of 32 mm . thus , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 is smallest in the area of the stator winding accommodating slots , and then increases steadily in the area of the empty slots , up to the angle halvings between the main axis and the auxiliary axis . the size of the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 varies substantially in a wave - shape between the stator winding accommodating slots of the different windings , to achieve a substantially sine - shaped course of the magnetic field occurring during operation . thus , the amplitude of the harmonic frequencies can be reduced in relation to a stator with a constant inner radius . the varying radius causes a reduction of the magnetic field in the air gap between stator and rotor , where the radius is largest . when the stator shown in fig8 would only have one stator winding , for example , the main stator winding with the windings 61 to 64 , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 would be largest in the area of the main stator winding accommodating slots 9 , 10 ; 21 , 22 , and would decrease steadily in the area of the empty slots . the largest radius of 32 mm of the rotor accommodating chamber 32 would then be in the areas , in which the largest copper concentration of the stator would be . fig9 shows the magneto - motoric force over the slots 1 to 24 of a stator . in the area of the slots 1 , 5 to 8 , 13 , 17 to 20 and 24 , the inner rotor chamber of the stator has a radius of 32 mm . in the area of the slots 2 , 4 , 9 , 11 , 14 , 16 , 21 , 23 , the radius of the rotor accommodating chamber has a value of 31 . 7 mm . in the area of the slots 3 , 10 , 15 , 22 , the radius of the radiator accommodating chamber has a value of 31 . 52 mm . in the slots with a radius of 32 mm no windings of the main and the auxiliary windings are arranged . in the remaining slots , windings are arranged . from the fig1 and 11 , it appears that particularly the size of the particularly critical third harmonics could be reduced by the distribution of the windings and by the varying inner rotor accommodating chamber diameter . the diagram in fig1 refers to a stator , which only has a smaller radius in the area of the slots 2 , 11 , 14 and 23 than in the area of remaining slots . however , the fig1 and 14 show that the effect on particularly the third harmonics is then no longer as large as in the embodiment example above . a solution with several different radii is preferred . tests have shown that the differences of the radii of the rotor accommodating chamber must not be too large . otherwise , they will have a negative effect on the efficiency of the line - start electric motor . in the area between the slots , the inner rotor accommodating chamber radius can be constant , so that the inner radii of the slot interspaces , which are also called teeth , vary from tooth to tooth . however , it is also possible that the inner radius of a tooth is not constant , but varies . while the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof , it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	7
an embodiment of the device according to the present invention will hereinafter be described by reference to the fragmentary plan view of fig5 the front view of fig6 and the cross - sectional views of fig7 and 8 . a casing 14 for the cleaning device has an engaging member 14 1 engageable with a rail 15 secured to the body of a copying apparatus , thus making the cleaning device removable from the apparatus body . a blade 16 is nipped by and between adapters 18 and 19 and mounted on a shaft 17 . by rotating the shaft 17 counterclockwise to lock the blade , the end edge portion of the blade 16 may be urged against a photosensitive drum 20 which is rotating clockwise . cleaning of the photosensitive drum 20 may be accomplished by the sharp end edge portion 16 1 of the blade 16 . a guide plate 21 , which keeps an appropriate gap 16 2 with respect to the blade edge portion 16 1 , may be formed of a thin sheet of such material as mylar or the like , and is suspended from a shaft 24 substantially at the center of the longitudinal dimension of the drum 20 by means of a resilient member 22 of urethane foam or like material and a back metal 23 . this ensures uniform contact of the guide plate 21 with the photosensitive drum 20 . a suitably resilient sheet 26 secured to the adapter 18 by a screw 25 is sandwiched at one end portion between the blade 16 and the adapter 18 . the other end portion of the sheet 26 is sandwiched between the resilient member 22 on the guide plate 21 and the back metal 23 and secured to the latter . the end portion 21 1 of the guide plate 21 is vertically movable with vertical movement of the blade 16 . the sheet 26 is formed with a window 26 1 having a width substantially conforming to the gap 27 between the blade 16 and the back metal 23 . a screw 29 accommodated within a pipe 28 is disposed substantially above the blade edge portion 16 1 . the pipe 28 has a window 28 1 at a portion thereof which faces the blade edge portion 16 1 . the screw 29 is supported and sealed at the opposite ends of the pipe 28 by bearings 30 and seals 31 , and rotatively driven from a drive source ( not shown ), which is common to the photosensitive drum 20 , through a lever 32 attached to one end of the pipe . a flexible wrap sheet 33 ( which may be formed of , for exaple , mylar ) extends over the window 26 1 of the sheet 26 and the window 28 1 of the pipe 28 and is secured to the sheet 26 and the pipe 28 , thus forming a sealed cylindrical chamber or space 33 1 . the wrap sheet 33 has a window 33 1 at a portion which is also substantially in conformity with the window 26 1 of the sheet 26 . on the other hand , as shown in fig8 a resilient seal 34 of urethane foam or like material secured to the sheet 26 extends into intimate contact with the end edge of the blade 16 near the opposite side edges thereof corresponding to the non - image - bearing area 20 1 of the photosensitive drum 20 , and the resilient seal 34 frictionally slides relative to the photosensitive drum 20 while making intimate contact therewith , whereby the gaps 16 2 and 27 defined by the blade 16 , the guide plate 21 and the back metal 23 are closed at the opposite ends thereof . the windows 26 1 and 33 1 of the sheet 26 and the wrap sheet 33 , respectively , terminate substantially in conformity with the position of the resilient seal 34 . the cylindrical wrap sheet 33 has the opposite ends thereof tied to the pipe 28 by bands 35 to close the opening of the cylindrical space 33 1 . with the above - described construction of the cleaning device , the toner removed by the blade edge portion 16 1 is forced upwardly through the gap 21 1 between the blade and the guide plate 21 to fill the space 33 1 within the wrap sheet 33 . subsequently , the toner is conveyed forwardly through the pipe 28 by the rotating screw 29 . at the same time , that part of the toner which spreads axially of the drum along the blade edge portion 16 1 at the opposite side edges thereof , as already mentioned , is prevented from further advancing by the resilient seal 34 and also forced upwardly into the overlying space 33 1 . since the space 33 1 is closed at the opposite ends thereof by the bands 35 , the toner filling the space 33 1 is all conveyed forwardly through the pipe 28 without leaking outwardly . thus , there is no contamination of the apparatus interior which would otherwise result from scattered toner near the opposite ends of the photosensitive drum 20 . description will now be made of a mechanism for preventing the toner within the space 33 1 from dropping through such opening as the gap 16 2 between the blade 16 and the guide plate 21 when the cleaning device is in non - cleaning condition such as inoperative condition or when it is being mounted or dismounted . fig9 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the operative position of such mechanism , fig1 is a side view thereof , fig1 is a cross - sectional view along line c -- c in fig9 and fig1 illustrates the operative condition of the present mechanism in the cross - sectional view of fig7 . a shutter 43 has a length ( axial ) equal to or slightly greater than that of the blade 16 , and is situated between the guide plate 21 and the photosensitive drum 20 . as shown in fig1 , it is supported by a shaft 46 at one end and also supported from therebelow for movement on a support member 44 . the shaft 46 is extended rightwardly as viewed in fig1 and engages each of shutter arms 47 provided within the casing 14 at the opposite ends thereof . each shutter arm 47 is secured to a rotatable shaft 48 extending through the casing 14 laterally thereof , and a shutter lever 49 is secured to that portion of the shaft 48 which is projected beyond the casing 14 . with such construction , the shutter 43 may be substantially horizontally moved to right and left in fig1 or 11 by moving the shutter lever 49 sidewise from its position shown in fig1 . when the cleaning device is in its cleaning position , the shutter lever 49 is pivoted clockwise in fig1 ( the position indicated by dot - and - dash line ), whereby the shutter 43 is displaced leftwardly as indicated by dots - and - dash line in fig1 or in solid outline in fig7 ( the &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; position of the shutter 43 ), thus making no interference with the cleaning operation . subsequently , the shaft 17 is rotated by means of a knob 50 and a lever 51 ( fig1 ) on the front of the device shown in fig9 to thereby raise the blade 16 away from the photosensitive drum 20 , whereupon the edge portion of the guide plate 21 is also raised by the described action of the sheet 26 . when the shutter lever 49 is then pivoted back to the solid - line position shown in fig1 , the shutter 43 is displaced rightwardly so that the forward end thereof passes below the blade edge portion 16 1 and is finally raised slightly due to the angular movement of the shutter arm 47 . by this , the upper surface of the shutter 43 is urged against the blade edge portion 16 1 and also against the guide plate 21 and the resilient seal 34 at the opposite ends ( the &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position of the shutter 43 ). thus , the lower opening 16 2 of the cleaning device is completely sealed to prevent dropping of the toner perfectly . a slight amount of toner would then remain on the photosensitive drum 20 , but such slight amount of toner would not slip down the surface of the photosensitive drum to contaminate the interior of the apparatus . by bringing the shutter 43 into &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position as described , the toner cannot drop from anywhere even if the present device is tilted during the removal thereof from the apparatus , because the toner at the opening 16 2 is blocked by the shutter 43 and the toner on the blade 16 and the guide plate 21 is blocked by the seal at the opposite ends of the wrap sheet 33 . the device according to the present embodiment of the invention further incorporates therein a safety mechanism for the shutter mechanism . if one tries to lower the blade 16 with the shutter remaining in &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position or to close the shutter 43 with the blade 16 remaining lowered , then there will be a possibility that damages may be imparted to the shutter 43 , the guide plate 21 , the blade 16 , the photosensitive drum 20 , etc . in the present embodiment , therefore , a knob 50 for controlling the blade 16 and the shutter lever 49 for controlling the shutter 43 are associated together to prevent malfunctioning . the end portion 50 1 of the knob 50 lies on an arm rest 52 provided on the casing 14 when the blade 16 is in raised position . to lower the blade 16 to urge it against the photosensitive drum , the know 50 is first pulled upwardly in fig9 to cause the end portion 50 1 thereof to escape from the arm rest 52 , and then the knob 50 is depressed downwardly in fig1 to cause the arm 51 to rotate the shaft 17 counter - clockwise to urge the blade and finally , the end portion 50 1 of the knob is forced in to underlie pressure plate 53 ( in fig9 the knob 50 is depressed back ), thus accomplishing the setting ( the dots - and - dash line position in fig1 ). in order to associate such movement with the movement of the shutter lever 49 , a link 54 is pivotally supported on the shutter lever 49 . the other end portion of the link 54 extends to the neighborhood of the end portion 50 1 of the knob 50 and is slidable in a groove 55 formed in the casing 14 . when the blade 16 is in raised position with the shutter 43 in &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position ( the solid - line position of fig1 ), the upper surface 54 1 of the end of the link 54 may interfere with the path followed by the end portion 50 1 of the knob 50 as the blade 16 is lowered . thus , the blade 16 cannot be lowered when the shutter 43 is in &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position . next , when the shutter lever 49 is pivoted rightwardly to bring the shutter 43 into &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; position , the link 54 is displaced rightwardly in fig1 to cause the upper surface 54 1 of the end portion of the link to escape from the path of the end portion 50 1 of the knob ( dot - and - dash line ), thus permitting the blade 16 to be lowered . when the blade 16 is in its lowered position , namely , when the end portion 50 1 of the knob underlies the pressure plate 53 , the bent end 54 2 of the link 54 strikes against the end portion 50 1 of the knob so that the shutter 43 cannot be &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; by cocking up the shutter lever 49 . when the knob 50 is lifted to return the end portion 50 1 thereof onto the arm rest 52 ( namely , when the blade 16 is raised ), the interference of the bent end 54 2 of the link is eliminated so that the shutter 43 can now be &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; by cocking up the shutter lever 49 . such a safety mechanism can entirely prevent the accidents as already described . further , in the device of the present embodiment , the operation of bringing the shutter 43 from its &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; position to its &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position is automated to simplify the manipulation . the shutter lever 49 is normally biased leftwardly in fig1 , namely , in a direction to bring the shutter 43 into &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position . thus , in the cleaning position of the device , the bent end 54 2 of the link is urged against the knob end portion 50 1 to &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; the shutter 43 , but when the knob 50 is lifted to raise the blade 16 , the intereference of the bent end portion 54 2 of the link is eliminated to permit the shutter lever 49 to be rotated counter - clockwise by the force of the spring 55 , whereby the shutter is automatically brought to its &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position . this simplifies the operation and also prevents the risk of the toner reserved in the cleaning device dropping to contaminate the apparatus interior and its environment when the operator forgets to close the shutter 43 during mounting or dismounting of the cleaning device or the photosensitive drum 20 . it will be noted that this shutter mechanism is applicable for the opening portion not only in the blade cleaning device of the present invention but also in other types of cleaning device , and also as the toner scatter preventing mechanism during inoperative condition of the developing device . fig1 and 14 are cross - sectional views illustrating a modified form of the device . in the embodiment shown there , the guide member is in the form of a roller and the blade serves also to perform the function of the shutter . the members similar to those in the previous embodiment are given similar reference numerals . the guide roller 46 disposed adjacent to the blade 16 may be formed of rubber or synthetic resin , for example , delrin , and is pivotally supported by a shaft 56 1 . the guide roller may preferably rotate at a velocity substantially equal to that of the photosensitive medium 20 . a conveyor screw 29 for laterally conveying the developer extends substantially parallel to the roller . members 57 and 58 together define a passage space leading from a slit opening , formed by the roller 56 and the blade 16 , to the screw 29 . disposed in the gap between the pivotally supported blade 16 and the member 58 is a seal member 59 formed of a material such as sponge or the like having a high compression deformation factor , while a seal member 60 formed of mylar or like material is disposed in the gap between the guide roller 56 and the member 57 , thus providing good sealing for the conveyance passage space . with such construction , the developer separated from the surface of the photosensitive medium by the blade may be moved along the passage for collection . on the other hand , when the blade is pivoted to its inoperative position , as shown in fig1 , the blade edge portion makes intimate contact with the surface of the guide roller to close the slit opening completely . thus , the blade , when maintained in its inoperative position , performs the function of the shutter and eliminates the risk of the collected developer leaking and scattering during the mounting or dismounting of the device , just as in the previous embodiment . the guide member is disposed in proximity to or in intimate contact with the surface of the photosensitive medium but the guide member may preferably be designed to be movable away from the surface of the photosensitive medium , in order to facilitate the mounting or dismounting of the device . reference will now be had to fig1 and 16 to describe a mechanism whereby the toner removed by the present cleaning device may be directed to the developing section . a pipe 28 extends outwardly through the casing 14 at the front thereof and has a discharge port 28 2 thereat . a screw 29 within the pipe 28 extends to the vicinity of the discharge port 28 2 , and is succeeded by a screw 36 threaded oppositely to the screw 29 to ensure positive discharge into the discharge port 28 2 . a bearing 30 and a seal 31 are provided at the front end of the pipe 28 to support the screws 29 and 36 , and this is also the case with the rear end of the pipe 28 . a collecting duct 37 is removably fitted over the outwardly projected portion of the pipe 28 to cause the toner discharged through the discharge port 28 2 of the pipe 28 to be directed to the developing section from gravity . the toner tends to scatter upwardly when delivered from the pipe 28 into the collecting duct 37 , but the sufficiently close fit of the collecting duct 37 to the pipe 28 prevents the upwardly scattered toner from leaking outwardly to contaminate the environment . since the collecting duct 37 is somewhat inclined with respect to the vertical because of the arrangement of the cleaning and the developing section , toner may possibly be deposited on the inner wall of the collecting duct 37 and even clog the duct to cause some accident . for this reason , a coil spring 38 is provided and rotated within the collecting duct 37 to assist in conveying the toner , thereby preventing deposition of the toner onto the inner wall of the duct . the rotative drive for the coil spring 38 may be transmitted by converting an axial drive into a vertical drive through such means as a bevel gear 39 on the forward end of the screw shaft of the cleaner , an unshown bevel gear 40 , an unshown spur gear 41 and a spur gear 42 . according to the present invention , as noted above , a seal 34 is provided at the opposite ends of the gap between the blade 16 and the guide plate 21 so that all the removed toner may be forced upwardly into the space 33 1 completely sealed except for the inlet and outlet , from which the toner may be discharged . thus , no toner leaks from either end of the blade or from anywhere else when the device is tilted , and the delivery of the toner to the collector device can occur easily and without the toner being scattered during the delivery . also , according to the present invention , a shutter mechanism including a shutter 43 for closing the opening portion of the device is provided to prevent dropping of toner within the device during its non - cleaning conditions and thus , no scattering of toner occurs during the mounting or dismounting of the device or of the photosensitive drum 20 . further , the shutter mechanism of the present invention has a safety mechanism for preventing the resilient blade from being interfered with when in its cleaning position , thus preventing occurrence of such malfunctioning that the shutter closes the slit opening and the blade strikes against the surface of the photosensitive medium . this completely eliminates the possibility that the shutter may be closed during the cleaning operation to prevent the developer separated by the blade from being removed from the vicinity thereof and to permit such developer to build up there to reduce the cleaning efficiency or impart to the blade and / or the surface of the photosensitive medium any abnormal load which would result in damages thereof . further , the automatic shutter closing mechanism is useful to eliminate the occurrence of the risk of toner being scattered during the mounting or dismounting of the cleaning device or of the photosensitive medium . the device of the present invention , as has hitherto been described in detail , performs the cleaning operation by the use of a resilient blade and this contributes to a very compact construction of the device . moreover , the set position of the device may be arbitrarily selected by the use of the blade and the guide member and this means a great advantage when the present invention is applied to copying machines . furthermore , the device of the present invention is constructed with a good sealing effect maintained and thus eliminates the risk of the removed developer being scattered and contaminating the interior and exterior of the apparatus . in addition , the collected developer may be conveyed back into the developing device for reuse and this means highly efficient recycling and economy of the material .	6
as is shown in the drawings , which are included for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation , the invention is embodied in a radiopaque marker 10 ( fig1 a , 1b , 2a , 2b , and 5 ). conventional radiopaque markers are limited in that they may comprise undesirable projections extending from a stent , may be arduous to attach , restrict the expansion capabilities of an expandable stent and may be ineffective in the identification of the position , orientation and configuration of a stent . the radiopaque marker 10 of the present invention defines an acceptable , very low profile , may be conveniently affixed to a stent , does not impede the expansion capabilities of an expandable stent , and may be useful in identifying the position , orientation and configuration of a stent within a blood vessel . the radiopaque marker of the present invention , therefore , provides superior means of marking a stent . the present invention facilitates precise placement of a stent 12 by way of its novel configuration , position upon a stent , and material properties . the characteristics of a radiopaque marker 10 are selected to assure that a stent 12 embodying the radiopaque marker 10 may benefit from the advantages which the invention provides . thus , radiopaque marker 10 may have various geometric shapes , comprise various materials and may be positioned anywhere on a stent 12 , so long as the desired advantages of the invention are achieved . while stent 12 can include any number of configurations , one preferred embodiment includes a plurality of cylindrical elements 13 which are interconnected so as to be generally aligned on a common longitudinal axis . stent 12 includes proximal end 14 and distal end 16 , and cylindrical elements 13 are attached by one or more connecting elements 17 . the connecting elements 17 interconnect the cylindrical elements so that each connecting element 17 connects only cylindrical elements that are adjacent to each other . each cylindrical element is formed from straight segments 18 connected by curved portions 20 which together form a generally serpentine pattern 21 . in a preferred embodiment , radiopaque marker 10 is plated upon an outer circumference of a generally cylindrical stent 12 and upon a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16 of the stent 12 . in another embodiment , it is contemplated that an inner circumference underlying the outer circumference be plated as well . by utilizing plating as the means for affixing radiopaque marker 10 to a stent 12 , a minimum profile may be achieved . it is contemplated that the thickness of radiopaque marker 10 be in the range of about 0 . 0003 to 0 . 003 inches . as such , the radiopaque marker 10 does not appreciably alter the profile of stent 12 and therefore , does not result in stent 12 having substantial projections extending into the blood flow or into the walls of the blood vessel being repaired . in addition , by plating or similarly affixing radiopaque material upon a stent , radiopaque markers 10 can be easily and accurately affixed to a stent . that is , plating is an improved means of affixing radiopaque material to stent 12 over conventional means of affixing radiopaque markers , such as sewing or bonding , which can be tedious and imprecise . although it is not necessary for all embodiments , the preferred embodiment contemplates that the entire circumference of the stent be plated at both its proximal end 14 and distal end 16 . it is also contemplated that the plating material may be gold or a material , such as platinum , which has similar radiopaque characteristics . it is significant that gold , or a similar material , is contemplated as the preferred radiopaque marker material . other metals suitable as radiopaque markers include , for example , platinum and silver . by selecting such a material , the stent may be effectively identified under fluoroscopy . in various conventional stents , the radiopaque material employed glows so brightly under fluoroscopy so as to obscure the lesion being repaired . in contrast , the images of radiopaque markers comprised of gold or platinum do not , under fluoroscopy , substantially obscure the lesion being repaired . it is also significant that the preferred embodiment contemplates affixing radiopaque markers 10 to the ends of stents 12 having various geometric configurations ( see fig2 a and 2b ). by doing so , the orientation or configuration of the stent 12 , irrespective of its geometric configuration , can be ascertained , which is particularly important to the determination of whether a stent has completely repaired a blood vessel . by noting the distance between the radiopaque bands , the length of the stent 12 can be ascertained and compared to an expected stent length . by observing the height or width of the radiopaque markers 10 , the extent of expansion of an expandable stent 12 can be ascertained and compared with expected values . similarly , by examining the radiopaque markers of the present invention under fluoroscopy , it can be determined whether the stent 12 is twisted or otherwise improperly seated within a vessel . the plating of radiopaque markers upon a stent may add some rigidity to a stent in the areas of plating . since this is the case , the preferred embodiment contemplates affixing radiopaque markers 10 to only those portions of an expandable stent 12 that do not deform upon expansion . as shown in fig1 a and 1b for example , radiopaque markers 10 may be affixed to straight segments 18 of the proximal end 14 and distal end 16 of a stent . upon expansion , the curved portions 20 of the stent 12 may deform so as to allow the stent 12 to expand , while the straight portions 18 may remain undeformed . by affixing radiopaque markers 10 to the straight portions 18 of stent 12 as shown in fig1 a and 1b , the additional rigidity added to the stent 12 by the radiopaque markers 10 does not impede expansion . therefore , an expandable stent having radiopaque markers 10 of the present invention can uniformly and predictably expand . in order to plate a radiopaque marker 10 upon a stent 12 , a mandrel 30 may be employed ( see fig3 a ). the mandrel 30 may comprise any suitable material formed into an elongate cylindrical shape having a main portion 21 with a cross - sectional diameter sized for receiving stent 12 . the mandrel may further embody a collar 22 formed or attached to one end of the mandrel 30 that has a cross - sectional diameter larger than that of stent 12 and two annular recesses 23 formed in the main portion 21 which have cross - sectional diameters less than that of the main portion 21 . the collar 22 functions as a stop and may aid in registering stent 12 upon the mandrel 30 . annular recesses 23 function to allow interior surfaces of stent 12 to be plated . in another embodiment of mandrel 30 ( fig3 b ), recesses 23 may be sufficiently shallow or be missing entirely from mandrel 30 so that , where desirable , interior surfaces of stent 12 are not plated with radiopaque material . in a preferred method , stent 12 is placed upon mandrel 30 and heat shrink tubing 32 ( see fig4 a and 4b ) is slipped over stent 12 . the heat shrink tubing 32 is then exposed to heat to shrink the tubing on the stent 12 . it is contemplated that the heat be concentrated at a midpoint of the heat shrink tubing 32 and then gradually apply heat towards each end so as to prevent distortion of the stent . the shrink tubing 32 may be any polyester having heat shrink properties and the ability to mask the stent during the electroplating process . once the heat shrink tubing 32 is snug upon stent 12 , the stent may be precisely positioned on the mandrel 30 and then temporarily secured in place using a high temperature wax . where it is desired to plate an interior as well as an exterior surface of stent 12 , the annular recesses 23 may be aligned with the interior portions of the stent 12 desired to be plated ( see fig4 a ). where it is deemed undesirable to plate the interior surface , no such further alignment is necessary ( see fig4 b ). next , the curved portions 20 ( fig1 b ) of stent 12 as well as the ends of the mandrel 30 can be dipped in high temperature wax to prevent them from being plated . in order to plate the desired portions of stent 12 , the heat shrink tubing 32 surrounding portions of the stent 12 to be plated may be cut away using a standard co 2 laser or its equivalent . the laser output is to be limited so that stent 12 and mandrel 30 are not affected . by utilizing a mandrel 30 without annular recesses ( see fig3 b and 4b ), portions of the heat shrink tubing 32 may be lased away so that only the outer circumferences of stent 12 may be plated . by employing the mandrel 30 illustrated in fig3 a and 4a , portions of the heat shrink tubing 32 overlaying annular recesses 23 may be lased away , thereby resulting in a stent 12 having desired portions of its interior as well as its exterior 12 plated with radiopaque material ( see fig2 b ). as with any electroplating process , an electrical current is used in the process of putting a metallic coating on a metal or other conducting surface . in the preferred embodiment , a gold solution exists in the form of positively charged ions that have lost one or more electrons . the stent is connected to the cathode or negative terminal and the anode , or positive electric terminal , is connected to the stainless steel mandrel 30 which is dipped into the gold solution . the ions are attracted to the cathode and the coating is deposited on the stent metal surface . as is known in the art , the thickness of the layer deposited depends on the amperage of the electric current , the concentration of the metallic ions and the length of time that the stent is plated . the plating process should be at a low enough amperage to prevent mapping , nodules , and a matte surface . after plating the gold on the stent , the wax is removed from stent 12 and mandrel 30 by inserting them in acetone or an equivalent solution . as can be appreciated from the drawings ( fig2 a and 2b ), the end portions 36 , 38 of a stent 12 which are not masked , are plated with radiopaque material and the portions of the stent 12 which are masked , are not plated . once the stent 12 is plated with a radiopaque marker 10 , it is removed from the mandrel 30 and the heat shrink tubing 24 is stripped away . the heat shrink tubing 24 may be removed , for example , by cutting it with a laser or in the alternative , dissolved with chemicals . finally , the mandrel is withdrawn from the plated stent 12 and the stent 12 may be cleaned with an alcomox or equivalent solution . in another embodiment , the entire exterior surface of a stent may be plated with radiopaque material . subsequent to plating , the stent 12 is masked and subjected to etching . in this embodiment , the areas designated to retain radiopaque material are masked and the radiopaque material is etched away from the remaining portions of the stent . in yet another embodiment , radiopaque markers having some pattern are affixed to a generally cylindrical stent so as to facilitate the identification , position and configuration of a stent 12 within a blood vessel . for example , the pattern of a radiopaque marker 10 may be in the form of a sine wave . as the sine wave expands along with the stent during deployment , it is visible under fluoroscopy and it can be determined whether the stent 12 is properly seated within a blood vessel by viewing the amplitude and shape of the sine wave radiopaque marker . as another example , as depicted in fig5 the pattern of a radiopaque marker 10 may be a continuous or dashed line extending from the proximal end 14 to the distal end 16 of stent 12 . a longitudinal marker of the type described will allow the doctor to determine if the stent has twisted upon deployment or if it expanded unevenly . in an alternative embodiment , a radiopaque plastic may be coated or affixed to all or a portion of a stent . in this embodiment , a radiopaque plastic is formed by loading a plastic material with a radiopaque material such as barium sulfate or bismute trioxide . the resultant mixture is then coated or affixed to the stent . several methods of affixing the radiopaque material to the stent are contemplated and include : ( 1 ) melting the radiopaque material and then dipping the stent into the melt ; ( 2 ) solvent casting ; and ( 3 ) vacuum deposition . these methods are generally known and various process steps are apparent to those skilled in the art . as with the plating process steps described above , the stent can be masked and mounted on a mandrel and then coated by dipping , solvent casting , or vacuum deposition . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that the radiopaque marker of the invention effectively identifies the location and configuration of a stent within a patient &# 39 ; s body lumen and provides a method and apparatus for constructing the same . while several particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , it will also be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , it should be understood that various changes in form , and detail , and application of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention .	0
the present invention provides a method for recovery and purification of isoamylase , said method comprising : using raw starch to adsorb isoamylase in the fermentation broth of an isoamylas - producing bacterium . fermentation broth of any isoamylase - producing bacterium is useful in the present invention . the bacteria useful in the present invention only produce isoamylase but no other protein adsorbable by raw starch . among such bacteria , pseudomonas amyloderamosa is the most preferred . the raw starch useful in the present invention include corn starch , rice starch , potato starch , or wheat starch , for example , that available from sigma chemical co . ( usa ) and sweet potato starch , for example , that available from wako pure chemical co . ( japan ). the condition for isoamylase adsorption onto raw starch is preferably acidic , for example , ph 2 - 7 and most preferrably ph 3 . 5 - 5 . 2 . the temperature is preferably 0 °- 50 ° c . and more preferably below 10 ° c . generally known methods for isolation of isoamylase adsorbed onto raw starch such as column separation or elution are useful in the present invention . elution method is preferred , for example , using buffer solution containing saccharide as eluant . the saccharide is preferably of low molecular weight such as soluble starch , amylose , dextran and maltose wherein maltose is the most preferred . there follows a detailed description of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention , but these are intended to be illustrative only , and not in any way a limitation of the present invention . pseudomonas amyloderamosa wu 2130 used in this study is an isoamylase - hyperproducing mutant derived from p . amyloderamosa jd210 deposited in the culture collection and research center , food industry research and development institute ( hsinchu , taiwan ). the seed medium ( sm ) is composed of ( w / v ) 1 . 0 % maltose , 0 . 2 % peptone , 0 . 1 %( nh 4 ) 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 05 % mgso 4 . 7h 2 o ( ph 5 . 0 ); production medium ( pm ) is composed of ( w / v ) 2 . 0 % maltose , 0 . 5 % proteimax ( sanbra co ., brazil ), 0 . 3 % kh 2 po 4 , 0 . 05 % mgso 4 . 7h 2 o ( ph 5 . 0 ). 0 . 5 ml bacterial cells stored in glycerol was used to inoculate a hinton flask containing 10 ml sm . incubation was at 30 ° c . on a rotary shaker at 150 rpm for 24 hours to activate bacterial cells . 5 ml culture broth was used to inoculate 100 ml sm and was incubated on a rotary shaker under the same condition for 16 to 20 hours to generate seed culture . 20 ml seed culture was used to inoculate 400 ml pm . incubation was at 30 ° c . on a rotary shaker at 150 rpm for 2 days . the culture broth was collected and centrifuged in a frozen centrifuge ( 9000 × g ) for 40 minutes . the supernatant was used as crude enzyme solution . enzyme activity was determined according to the method described in harada , t ., k . yokobayashi , and a . misaki . appl . microbiol . 1968 , 16 , 1439 . 100 mg raw starch was added to 5 ml crude enzyme solutions of different ph ( 1n hcl and 1n naoh were used to adjust the solution to a desired ph ). the solution was vigorously shook , incubated at 4 ° c . for 1 hour , centrifuged ( 12 , 000 × g ) for 1 minute and the enzyme activity remaining in the supernatant was then determined . the control group was operated similarly except that no raw starch was added . ## equ1 ## as shown in fig1 optimum adsorption to corn starch or potato starch occurred in a broad ph range of 3 . 2 - 5 . 2 . at any ph , enzyme adsorption onto corn starch was higher than that onto potato starch . 100 mg raw starch was added to 5 ml crude enzyme solution ( ph 5 . 2 ). the solution was vigorously shook , incubated in a water bath of indicated temperature for 1 hour , centrifuged ( 12 , 000 × g ) for 1 minute and the enzyme activity remaining in the supernatant was then determined . adsorption reaction was conducted at various temperatures . as shown in fig2 the lower the temperature , the higher the adsorption . adsorption to corn starch and potato starch respectively decreased 67 % and 55 % when the temperature was raised from 0 ° c . to 40 ° c . at any temperature , adsorption onto corn starch was higher than those onto other starches . one gram of raw starch was added to suitable amount of crude enzyme solution ( ph 5 . 2 ) with agitation for 1 hour followed by standing for 3 hours at 4 ° c . most of the supernatant was removed by vacuum pump and the residue was centrifuged ( 12 , 000 × g ) to remove the remaining supernatant . the enzyme activity of the original crude enzyme solution and that of the supernatant were determined . the enzyme activity adsorbed onto raw starch was defined as the activity of the original crude enzyme solution -- the activity of the supernatant !. the starch pellet with adsorbed enzyme was washed in 50 ml cold acetate buffer ( 0 . 05m , ph5 . 2 ), centrifuged and decanted of supernatant for three times . the sample was suspended in 20 ml eluant buffer solution at 40 ° c ., stirred for 1 hour to elute the enzyme , and centrifuged . the supernatant was collected and the enzyme activity in the supernatant was assayed . the eluted isoamylase activity was compared with the adsorbed enzyme activity to calculate the elution percentage . ## equ2 ## the result showed that acetate buffer containing 10 % maltose gave an elution percentage of higher than 56 %. the isoamylase adsorption capability of five starches including rice starch , corn starch , sweet potato starch , potato starch and wheat starch was tested . as shown in table 1 , corn starch and rice starch had highest isoamylase adsorption capability , wheat starch the second and potato starch the lowest . the elution percentage of isoamylase from various raw starches were in the range of 52 - 60 %. table 1______________________________________the effect of various raw starches on the adsorptionand elution of isoamylase . sup . a adsorbed isoaylase eluted isoamylase total total activity adsorption activity elutionstarch ( u ) (%) ( u ) (%) ______________________________________corn 73 , 520 90 . 1 44 , 280 60 . 2rice 75 , 000 91 . 9 41 , 520 55 . 4sweet potato 58 , 740 72 . 0 31 , 600 53 . 8potato 42 , 000 51 . 5 21 , 960 52 . 3wheat 64 , 560 79 . 1 34 , 860 54 . 0______________________________________ . sup . a one gram of raw starch was used to adsorb the isoamylase in 100 ml crude enzyme solution ( 816 u / ml ). the eluant was 20 ml of 0 . 05m acetate buffer ( ph 5 . 2 ) containing 10 % maltose . protein was estimated by the coomassie blue binding method ( scopes , r . k . in &# 34 ; protein purification : principles and practice &# 34 ; second edition , springer - verlag press , new york , heidelberg , berlin , london , paris , tokyo , p . 306 ) with bovine serum albumin as standard . 1 . 5 ml sample was added to 1 . 5 ml coomassie brilliant blue g - 250 reagent ( 600 mg coomassie brilliant blue in 1 liter 2 % perchloric acid with insoluble materials removed ) and incubated for 2 to 30 minutes . adsorption at 595 nm was determined and compared with the standard curve . preparation of gel , electrophoresis and cbr staining were all performed according to the method described in the doctoral thesis by r . h . chaung in graduate school of agricultural chemistry , national taiwan university . raw corn starch was used in the crude enzyme solution containing isoamylase to perform the adsorption and elution of isoamylase . the isoamylase purification effect is illustrated in table 2 . a 13 . 3 - fold purification and 54 % recovery were resulted . purity was determined on sds - page . as shown in fig4 the purified isoamylase had desirable purify and a molecular weight of 80 , 300 . table 2______________________________________purification of isoamylase by adsorption - elution oncorn starch . sup . a total total specific purifi - activity activity protein activity cation recovery ( u / ml ) ( u ) ( mg ) ( u / mg ) fold (%) ______________________________________crude 805 80 , 500 14 . 74 5 . 461 1 100enzymesolutionadsorption - 2 , 112 42 , 200 0 . 58 72 . 828 13 . 3 54elution______________________________________ . sup . a one gram of raw starch was used to adsorb the isoamylase in 100 ml crude enzyme solution ( 816 u / ml ). the eluant was 20 ml of 0 . 05m acetate buffer ( ph 5 . 2 ) containing 10 % maltose . raw starch was repeatedly used in the adsorption - elution reaction . as shown in table 3 , no significant decrease in the adsorption and elution rates was detected . on the other hand , raw starch before and after isoamylase adsorption and elution was washed in cold distilled water and freeze - dried . the freeze - dried sample was coated with a thin layer of gold on an ion coater ( model ib - 2 , hitachi koki ltd ., japan ) and scanning electron microscopy was performed ( model s - 450 , hitachi koki co ., japan ). as shown in fig3 isoamylase had no hydrolytic capacity on raw starch . the above results show that raw starch can be repeatedly used in isoamylase adsorption - elution reaction . table 3______________________________________repeated use of raw corn starch for the adsorptionand elution of isoamylase . sup . aruns adsorption (%) elution (%) ______________________________________1st 90 . 7 57 . 82nd 89 . 3 57 . 53rd 90 . 2 55 . 44th 92 . 1 61 . 2______________________________________ . sup . a one gram of raw starch was used to adsorb the isoamylase in 100 ml crude enzyme solution ( 816 u / ml ). the eluant was 20 ml of 0 . 05m acetate buffer ( ph 5 . 2 ) containing 10 % maltose .	2
referring now more particularly to the drawings , and specifically to fig1 thereof , a doorway is there generally designated 10 , being formed in a building wall 11 , and composed of generally upright doorway sides or jambs 12 and 13 , and a generally horizontal top or head 14 extending between the upper ends of the jambs . door stop strips 15 and 16 extend around the doorway , specifically along the jamb 12 and head 14 , respectively . a door 20 is hinged , as at 21 , to door jamb 12 , for swinging movement between the illustrated open position and a closed position limited by the door stop elements 15 and 16 . the door stop 15 and 16 are formed with longitudinally extending grooves 22 and 23 facing toward the door 20 when the latter is closed . the grooves 22 and 23 of the respective door stop elements 15 and 16 open at their adjacent ends into each other , and extend at right angles to each other , as do the door stop elements . thus , the door stop grooves 22 and 23 combine to define a continuous elongate groove having a relatively sharp bend , being a right angle bend in the illustrated embodiment . seated in the grooves 22 and 23 , and suitably secured therein , as by adhesive or other means , may be an elongate , generally tubular , flexible hollow sensor body 25 . this hollow sensor body 25 is essentially of constant cross sectional configuration in its undistorted condition , and may be fabricated by extrusion of resiliently flexible material , such as vinyl , or other suitable material . the sensor body 25 is best seen in fig2 and may be of generally rectangular external configuration conformably seated in and projecting slightly beyond the groove 22 of the stop element 15 . the hollow body may include a bottom wall 26 seated on the bottom wall of groove 22 , and side walls 27 and 28 generally normal to the bottom wall and extending along opposite sides of the groove . the body 25 projects from the groove 22 outwardly beyond the stop element 15 and is there provided with an outer wall 29 , which may be externally convexly rounded , if desired . formed coextensively of and within the sensor body 25 , longitudinally thereof , is an internal hollow or passageway 30 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig2 the internal hollow 30 is of a rectangular internal cross section , but may be of other configuration , as will appear hereinafter . extending longitudinally along and within the hollow 30 of body 25 is a flexible , elongate inner member or body 31 . the inner body 31 may be longitudinally coextensive with the outer body , but not necessarily coextensive . however , it is advantageous that the inner body 31 , or length of inner body be located at each bend or turn of the outer body , for reasons which will presently become apparent . the cross sectional configuration of the inner body 31 is necessarily of a shape different from that of the internal hollow 30 of the outer body 25 , and of a cross sectional area or size less than that of the hollow . this assures the provision of openings or interstices , as at 32 , between the internal surface of hollow 30 and the external surface of inner body 31 . thus , even under circumstances of extreme pressure , bending or kinking of the assembled outer and inner bodies 25 and 31 , the internal hollow 30 is never completely closed or occluded , but by the aforesaid openings or interstices there remain fluid passageways in the hollow 30 communicating through and onto opposite sides of a kink , bend or pressure point . in fig3 is shown the condition of a severe bend of the hollow body 25 causing a constriction of the internal hollow 30 . however , the filamentary inner body 31 , being of a different external cross section from the internal cross section of the hollow 30 effectively assures one or more intersticial passageways 32 remaining between the outer and inner bodies . in practice , flexible wire stock , either insulated or noninsulated , has been found suitable for use as the inner body 31 . for example , round wire stock in a polygonal hollow has been found entirely satisfactory . completing the pressure change sensing system of fig1 is a fluid operated switch 35 suitably connected to energize an alarm 36 , or other desired device . the switch 35 may be seen in cross section in fig4 as including a hollow body or chamber 36 , and interiorly of the hollow body 36 a flexible wall , partition or diaphragm subdividing the interior into a pair of separate subchambers 38 and 39 . the hollow body or casing 36 may be plastic , or nonconducting , and the internal wall or diaphragm may be rubber or elastic , also nonconducting , and normally subdividing the casing interior into subchambers 38 and 39 of generally equal size . a pair of nipples 40 and 41 are provided on the hollow casing 36 each communicating into a respective subchamber 38 and 39 . a selectively adjustable needle valve 42 and 43 is provided on each side of the casing 36 for communication with respective subchambers 38 and 39 . the needle valves 42 and 43 may be identical , each including a hollow boss , as at 44 and 45 opening through a respective constriction 46 and 47 with the adjacent subchamber 38 and 39 . the hollow bosses 44 and 45 are each provided with ports 46 and 47 communicating between the interior and exterior of the respective boss ; and , externally threaded valve elements 48 and 49 extend from exteriorly of each respective boss 42 and 43 , in threaded engagement therethrough , into and toward the associated orifice 46 , 47 . thus , the threaded needle elements 48 and 49 are selectively adjustable toward and away from the apertures 46 and 47 to achieve the desired constriction thereof . centrally of the diaphragm may be a movable contact 50 connected to a conductor 51 extending exteriorly of the casing 36 . a central boss 52 may be provided on the casing 36 , having therein a threaded insert 53 extending between the interior and exterior of the casing . an elongate externally threaded conductive member 54 extends in threaded engagement through the insert 53 into the adjacent subchamber 39 . the insert 53 may be of conductive material , and a conductor 55 may extend from the insert 53 exteriorly of the casing 36 . thus , the threaded member or screw 54 combines with the contact 50 to define a complementary contact for engagement with the contact 50 to switch closed an electrical circuit . it will be appreciated that the diaphragm is illustrated in a distended condition , being normally substantially flat and spaced from the contact screw 54 . however , the illustrated closing of switch contacts 50 , 54 will occur either by an increase of pressure in subchamber 38 or a decrease in pressure in subchamber 39 , either of which will distend the diaphragm to the illustrated position . the switch contacts 50 and 54 will close momentarily upon a rise in pressure in subchamber 38 or a decrease in pressure in subchamber 39 ; and , upon the bleeding of excess pressure from subchamber 38 outwardly through port 46 or the bleeding of environmental pressure into subchamber 39 through port 47 , the diaphragm will be restored to its spaced condition from contact 54 . the length of momentary switch closure is predetermined by the constriction of orifice 46 and 47 by its respective needle element 48 and 49 . the alarm 36 in fig1 is shown as connected to electrical supply conduits 60 and 61 which , in turn , may be connected to an electrical power source . the switch 35 may be connected in one of the conductors 60 and 61 , say the latter , as by conductors 55 and 51 , to open and close the alarm 36 to electric power . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 with the door 20 closed and in depressing engagement with the hollow sensor body 25 , the interior hollow 30 of the sensor body may be connected in fluid communication , as by tube 65 , with the switch 35 . that is , the sensor body 25 is connected in fluid communication with the pressure reduction or vacumn side ( subchamber 39 ) of the switch casing 36 . the door 20 in its closed condition effectively depresses or compresses the sensor body 25 ; and upon tampering which tends to relieve the compression by the slightest opening movement of the door , a pressure reduction or vacumn is transmitted from the sensor body 25 , through tubing 65 to subchamber 39 , which closes the switch contacts 50 , 54 momentarily , as illustrated in fig4 . of course , it is appreciated that the sensing of increased pressure requires only connection of the sensor body 25 through tubing 65 to nipple 40 of the subchamber 38 . in fig5 is shown a modification wherein a hollow flexible , elastic sensor body 25a is provided with an internal hollow or passageway 30a having an elongate , rectangular cross sectional configuration . this embodiment illustrates that a pair of flexible , filamentary inner bodies or wires 31a may be interposed in the hollow 30a . however , the essential requirements remain , that the cross sectional area of the inner body or bodies be less than that of the internal hollow ; and that the cross sectional shape of the internal bodies be different from that of the internal hollow . from the foregoing , it is seen that the present invention provides a pressure change sensor which is extremely simple in construction and operation , highly sensitive throughout a long useful life , and otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects . although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding , it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention .	4
embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments . fig1 shows a block diagram of an imaging apparatus , or a magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) apparatus , which is an embodiment of the present invention . the configuration of the apparatus represents an embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention . the operation of the apparatus represents an embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig1 the present apparatus has a magnet system 100 . the magnet system 100 has a main magnetic field coil section 102 , a gradient coil section 106 and an rf ( radio frequency ) coil section 108 . these coil sections have a generally cylindrical shape and are concentrically disposed . an object to be imaged 300 is rested on a cradle 500 and carried into and out of the generally cylindrical internal space ( bore ) of the magnet system 100 by carrier means , which is not shown . the main magnetic field coil section 102 generates a static magnetic field in the internal space of the magnet system 100 . the direction of the static magnetic field is generally in parallel with the direction of the body axis of the object 300 . that is , a “ horizontal ” magnetic field is generated . the main magnetic field coil section 102 is made using a superconductive coil , for example . it will be easily recognized that the main magnetic field coil section 102 is not limited to the superconductive coil , but may be made using a normal conductive coil or the like . the gradient coil section 106 generates gradient magnetic fields for imparting gradients to the static magnetic field strength . the gradient magnetic fields to be generated are the following three : a slice gradient magnetic field , a readout gradient magnetic field and a phase encoding gradient magnetic field . the gradient coil section 106 has three gradient coils , which are not shown , corresponding to these three gradient magnetic fields . the rf coil section 108 generates a high frequency magnetic field for exciting spins within the object 300 in the static magnetic field space . the generation of the high frequency magnetic field will be sometimes referred to as transmission of an rf excitation signal hereinbelow . the rf coil section 108 also receives electromagnetic waves , i . e ., magnetic resonance signals , generated by the excited spins . the rf coil section 108 has transmitting and receiving coils , which are not shown . for the transmitting and receiving coils , the same coil or separate dedicated coils may be used . the gradient coil section 106 is connected with a gradient driving section 130 . the gradient driving section 130 supplies driving signals to the gradient coil section 106 to generate the gradient magnetic fields . the gradient driving section 130 has three driving circuits , which are not shown , corresponding to the three gradient coils in the gradient coil section 106 . the rf coil section 108 is connected with an rf driving section 140 . the rf driving section 140 supplies driving signals to the rf coil section 108 to transmit the rf excitation signal , thereby exciting the spins within the object 300 . the rf coil section 108 is connected with a data collecting section 150 . the data collecting section 150 gathers receive signals received by the rf coil section 108 , and collects the signals as view data . the gradient driving section 130 , rf driving section 140 and data collecting section 150 are connected with a control section 160 . the control section 160 controls the gradient driving section 130 , rf driving section 140 and data collecting section 150 to carry out imaging . the output of the data collecting section 150 is connected to a data processing section 170 . the data processing section 170 is , for example , constituted using a computer . the data processing section 170 has a memory , which is not shown . the memory stores programs for the data processing section 170 and several kinds of data . the function of the present apparatus is implemented by the data processing section 170 executing a program stored in the memory . the data processing section 170 stores the view data gathered from the data collecting section 150 into the memory . a data space is formed in the memory . the data space constitutes a two - dimensional fourier space . the two - dimensional fourier space is sometimes referred to as a k - space . the data processing section 170 performs a two - dimensional inverse fourier transformation on the data in the two - dimensional fourier space to produce ( reconstruct ) an image of the object 300 . the image reconstructed by the two - dimensional inverse fourier transformation has pixel values of a complex number . the absolute value of the complex number is used to construct an absolute - value image . the real part of the complex number can be used to construct a real - part image . the imaginary part of the complex number can be used to construct an imaginary - part image . both the real part and the imaginary part can be positive and negative values . such an image is sometimes referred to as a positive - negative image . the data processing section 170 has the function of performing image processing for determining the variance of pixel values with respect to a reconstructed image . the data processing section 170 also has the function of performing image processing for determining the variance of noise with respect to the reconstructed image . the data processing section 170 further has the function of performing image processing for adjusting the pixel values with respect to the reconstructed image . the data processing section 170 furthermore has the function of performing image processing for executing maximum intensity projection ( mip ) with respect to the image subjected to the pixel value adjustment . such image processing functions of the data processing section 170 will be described later . the data processing section 170 is an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention . the configuration of the apparatus represents an embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention . the operation of the apparatus represents an embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention . the data processing section 170 is connected to the control section 160 . the data processing section 170 is above the control section 160 and controls it . the data processing section 170 is connected with a display section 180 and an operating section 190 . the display section 180 comprises a graphic display , etc . the operating section 190 comprises a keyboard , etc ., provided with a pointing device . the display section 180 displays the reconstructed image and several kinds of information output from the data processing section 170 . the operating section 190 is operated by a human operator , and the section 190 inputs several commands , information and so forth to the data processing section 170 . the operator interactively operates the present apparatus via the display section 180 and operating section 190 . [ 0080 ] fig2 is a block diagram of an mri apparatus of another type , which is one embodiment of the present invention . the configuration of the apparatus represents an embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus shown in fig2 has a magnet system 100 ′ of a type different from that in the apparatus shown in fig1 . since the apparatus has a configuration similar to that of the apparatus shown in fig1 except for the magnet system 100 ′, similar portions are designated by similar reference numerals and the explanation thereof will be omitted . the magnet system 100 ′ has a main magnetic field magnet section 102 ′, a gradient coil section 106 ′ and an rf coil section 108 ′. the main magnetic field magnet section 102 ′ and the coil sections each consists of a pair of members facing each other across a space . these sections have a generally disk - like shape and are disposed to have a common center axis . the object 300 is rested on the cradle 500 and carried into and out of the internal space ( bore ) of the magnet system 100 ′ by carrier means , which is not shown . the main magnetic field magnet section 102 ′ generates a static magnetic field in the internal space of the magnet system 100 ′. the direction of the static magnetic field is generally orthogonal to the direction of the body axis of the object 300 . that is , a “ vertical ” magnetic field is generated . the main magnetic field magnet section 102 ′ is made using a permanent magnet , for example . it will be easily recognized that the main magnetic field magnet section 102 ′ is not limited to a permanent magnet , but may be made using a super or normal conductive electromagnet or the like . the gradient coil section 106 ′ generates gradient magnetic fields for imparting gradients to the static magnetic field strength . the gradient magnetic fields to be generated are the following three : a slice gradient magnetic field , a readout gradient magnetic field and a phase encoding gradient magnetic field . the gradient coil section 106 ′ has three gradient coils , which are not shown , corresponding to these three gradient magnetic fields . the rf coil section 108 ′ transmits an rf excitation signal for exciting spins within the object 300 in the static magnetic field space . the rf coil section 108 ′ also receives magnetic resonance signals generated by the excited spins . the rf coil section 108 ′ has transmitting and receiving coils , which are not shown . for the transmitting and receiving coils , the same coil or separate dedicated coils may be used . [ 0086 ] fig3 shows a flow chart of the operation of the present apparatus . both the apparatuses shown in fig1 and 2 operate in the same way . as shown in fig3 blood flow imaging is performed at step 302 . for the blood flow imaging , a time - of - flight ( tof ) technique , phase contrast ( pc ) technique or the like is employed . moreover , the imaging is performed in multi - slice . thus , multi - slice blood flow tomographic images s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , . . . , sm are captured with respect to a three - dimensional region of the object 300 , as conceptually shown in fig4 . next , at step 304 , pixel value adjustment is performed on the blood flow tomographic images s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , . . . , sm . the pixel value adjustment is implemented by the data processing function of the data processing section 170 . the blood flow tomographic image will be referred to simply as an image hereinbelow . [ 0088 ] fig5 shows a detailed flow chart of the pixel value adjustment . as shown , slice selection is performed at step 502 . thus , one of the images s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , . . . , sm , for example , the image s 1 , is selected . next , at step 504 , calculation of the variance of noise is performed . the data processing section 170 that calculates the variance of noise at step 504 is an embodiment of the noise variance calculating means of the present invention . fig6 shows a detailed flow chart of the noise variance calculation . as shown , a local region is defined in an image at step 602 . the local region is a region to which a pixel value for use in a calculation at the next step belongs . a local region in a center of an image , for example , is defined as the first region . as the local region , an n × n pixel matrix is employed . n is 9 , for example . it should be noted that the matrix size is not limited to this value but may be any appropriate one . moreover , the pixel matrix is not limited to a square matrix but may be any appropriate region centered on a pixel . the local region will sometimes be referred to simply as a region hereinbelow . next , at step 604 , a residual sum of squares s of pixel values that belong to the region is determined . specifically , s = ∑ i k  ( p i - p _ i ) 2 , ( 1 ) p i is a pixel value , and { overscore ( p )} i is an average value of the pixel values in the n × n region centered on p i . moreover , k is , for example , 81 . next , at step 606 , a decision is made as to whether the above processes are finished for all the local regions , and if not , the local region is shifted at step 608 . thus , an adjacent n × n region , for example , is selected as a new local region . the process of step 604 is performed on the new local region to determine the residual sum of squares of pixel values . thereafter , a residual sum of squares of pixel values is determined for every local region in the image in a similar manner . the residual sums of squares thus obtained have a χ 2 distribution , and the average value thereof is κ · σ 2 . when k is large , the χ 2 distribution approximates to a gaussian distribution , and its peak position lies approximately at κ · σ 2 . next , at step 610 , a histogram of the residual sums of squares s is generated . [ 0098 ] fig7 shows the concept of the histogram of the residual sums of squares s when the image is an absolute - value image . as shown , the histogram consists of three distribution curves a , b and c . the distribution curve a is a gaussian distribution curve , resulting from noise in the uniform structure portion . the distribution curve b is a rayleigh distribution curve , resulting from noise in a portion of an fov ( field of view ) that does not contain the object 300 , i . e ., noise in a background . because the image is an absolute - value image , the distribution curve resulting from noise in the background does not conform to the gaussian distribution but to the rayleigh distribution . the distribution curve c results from the fine structure of the object , and exhibits an indeterminate distribution , unlike the two other curves . at step 612 , peak position detection is performed for such a histogram . thus , a peak position s 1 is detected for the gaussian distribution curve a , and a peak position s 2 is detected for the rayleigh distribution curve b . since the histogram has discrete values in practice , fitting to a function is preferably performed at step 612 prior to the peak detection , in that the peak positions can be detected with a good accuracy . the functions employed in the fitting are , for example , a gaussian distribution function and a rayleigh distribution function , respectively . however , the functions are not limited thereto but may be any other appropriate one . next , at step 614 , the variance of noise is calculated . the calculation of the variance of noise is performed based on the peak position s 1 or s 2 . since s 1 , s 2 and σ have respective relationships : s 2 = ( 2 - π 2 )  k · σ 2 , ( 3 ) the value of σ is determined from these relationships . the value of σ is the same whether it is determined from eq . ( 2 ) or from eq . ( 3 ). the determined value of σ is stored in the memory as the variance of noise vn . under some conditions of the distribution curve c , the peak position s 1 of the gaussian distribution curve a may not be accurately detected . in this case , the value of σ is determined based on the peak position s 2 of the rayleigh distribution curve b . moreover , with respect to an image having a larger proportion of the background portion area , the rayleigh distribution curve b is more suitable for determining the variance of noise with a good accuracy . while the preceding description is made for a case of an absolute - value image , when the image to be processed is a positive - negative image , i . e ., a real - part image or an imaginary - part image , noise in the background portion has positive and negative values centered on zero . accordingly , the histogram generated at step 610 becomes one as exemplarily shown in fig8 and it no longer has the rayleigh distribution . in this case , the variance of noise is determined based on the peak position s 1 of the gaussian distribution curve a at step 614 . a value of the variance of noise can thus be obtained directly based on an image that is actually captured . if the variance of noise is previously known , that variance may be used and the calculation may be omitted . after the variance of noise vn is thus determined , a pixel of interest is defined in the image at step 506 in the flow chart of fig5 . the first pixel of interest is , for example , a pixel in the center of the image . next , at step 508 , the variance of pixel values vi in a local region that contains the pixel of interest is calculated . the local region that contains the pixel of interest is , for example , a 5 × 5 matrix centered on the pixel of interest i , as shown in fig9 . it should be noted that the matrix size is not limited to this value but may be any appropriate one . moreover , the pixel matrix is not limited to a square matrix but may be any appropriate region centered on a pixel . the local region will sometimes be referred to simply as a region hereinbelow . the data processing section 170 that calculates the variance of pixel values vi at step 508 is an embodiment of the variance calculating means of the present invention . the following equation is employed for the calculation of the variance of pixel values vi : v i = ∑ i k  ( p i - p _ i ) 2 k , ( 4 ) next , at step 510 , a decision is made as to whether the variance of pixel values vi is significantly larger than the variance of noise vn . the decision is made using the following formula : for the value of the threshold γ , an appropriate value greater than one is employed . if the variance of pixel values in the local region that contains the pixel of interest is not significantly greater than the variance of noise , the image in the local region probably has no prominent structure , and the variance of pixel values probably originates from noise . hence , in this case , the pixel value of the pixel of interest is suppressed at step 512 . the suppression of the pixel value is achieved by , for example , multiplying the pixel value by a coefficient α . the value of the coefficient α is a positive number less than one , for example , 0 . 8 . thus , the pixel value of the pixel of interest is reduced by , for example , 0 . 8 times the original value . however , the value of the coefficient a is not limited to 0 . 8 but may be any appropriate one . moreover , the suppression of the pixel value may be achieved by , for example , subtracting a certain predefined value from the pixel value . it should be noted that the constant value does not exceed the minimum of the pixel values . if the variance of pixel values vi in the local region that contains the pixel of interest is significantly greater than the variance of noise vn , the image in the local region probably has a specific structure , such as an edge , and the variance of pixel values probably originates from the structure of the image . in this case , no special operation is applied to the pixel value . thus , the pixel value of the pixel of interest maintains its original value . the data processing section 170 that performs such pixel value adjustment is an embodiment of the pixel value adjusting means of the present invention . next , at step 514 , a decision is made as to whether the above processes are finished for all the pixels of interest , and if not , the pixel of interest is shifted to , for example , the adjacent one at step 516 , and the processes from step 508 are performed . thereafter , the same processes are repeated to adjust the pixel value for every pixel in the image s 1 . then , at step 518 , a decision is made as to whether the above processes are finished for all the slices , and if not , the slice is shifted at step 520 , and the same processes are performed on the image of that slice . thereafter , the same processes are repeated to perform the pixel value adjustment on the pixels in all the images s 1 - sm . between steps 508 and 510 , steps as shown in the flow chart of fig1 may be added . specifically , the variance of pixel values vi ′ is calculated for a local region that contains a corresponding pixel of interest in a neighboring slice at step 702 . the term ‘ neighboring slice ’ implies one or more slices adjoining the slice for which the variance of pixel values vi has been determined at step 508 . for such slices , a slice adjoining the front or the rear , or slices adjoining the front and rear may be employed , for example . at step 704 , the variance ( s ) of pixel values vi ′ is added to vi , and the added value is defined as a variance of pixel values vi for use in the decision at next step 510 . an appropriate weight may be applied to vi ′ in the addition . the data processing section 170 that calculates the variances of pixel values at step 702 is an embodiment of the pixel value variance calculating means of the present invention . the data processing section 170 that adds the variances of pixel values at step 704 is an embodiment of the adding means of the present invention . thus , a structure across a plurality of slices is reflected in the variance of pixel values vi obtained by the above processing . therefore , for example , if a blood flow image exists in a direction passing through slices , which image should appear as one point on one image , a variance of pixel values exactly reflecting such a structure can be obtained , and more exact pixel value adjustment can be achieved based on the variance . [ 0127 ] fig1 shows an effect of such pixel value adjustment as a change in a pixel value profile . the symbol b in fig1 denotes a profile before the pixel value adjustment , and there exist a distinct blood flow image b 1 and a faint blood flow image b 2 over background noise . as a result of the above - described pixel value adjustment , such a profile has pixel values of the background noise suppressed by , for example , 0 . 8 times while maintaining pixel values of the blood flow images b 1 and b 2 , resulting in a profile as shown at a in fig1 . in the profile a , the blood flow image b 2 which was faint in the original image exhibits an enlarged difference from the background noise and becomes distinct , not to mention the blood flow image b 1 . thus , elicitability of the blood flow image b 2 that was faint in the original image can be enhanced . [ 0129 ] fig1 shows another effect of the pixel value adjustment . the symbols p and q in fig1 denote profiles of two images of different slices , and the background noise level of the profile q is larger than the signal intensity of a distinct blood flow image b 1 in the profile p . by the aforementioned pixel value adjustment , such profiles have pixel values of the background noise suppressed by , for example , 0 . 8 times and therefore a profile can be obtained that has the noise level reduced relative to the signal intensity of the blood flow images b 1 and b 2 , as shown at q ′ in fig1 . thus , a difference of the blood flow images b 1 and b 2 from the noise level of the image of the slice q also becomes distinct , and both images can be elicited . [ 0131 ] fig1 shows a flow chart of another procedure of the pixel value adjustment . in fig1 , similar steps to those shown in fig5 are designated by similar reference numerals and the explanation thereof will be omitted . the difference between the procedures shown in fig5 and 13 is in pixel value processing after the decision at step 510 . specifically , if the variance of pixel values is significantly larger than the variance of noise in a local region that contains a pixel of interest , the pixel value of the pixel of interest is enhanced at step 512 ′. the enhancement of the pixel value is achieved by , for example , multiplying the pixel value by a coefficient β . the value of the coefficient β is a positive number greater than one , for example , 1 . 2 . thus , the pixel value of the pixel of interest is enlarged by , for example , 1 . 2 times the original value . it should be noted that the value of the coefficient β is not limited to 1 . 2 but may be any appropriate one . moreover , instead of multiplying by a coefficient , the enhancement of the pixel value may be achieved by , for example , adding a certain predefined value to the pixel value . if the variance of pixel values vi in the local region that contains the pixel of interest is not significantly greater than the variance of noise vn , no special operation is applied to the pixel value . thus , the pixel value of the pixel of interest maintains its original value . the data processing section 170 that performs such pixel value adjustment is an embodiment of the pixel value adjusting means of the present invention . [ 0134 ] fig1 shows an effect of such pixel value adjustment by a change in a profile of pixel values . as shown , blood flow images b 1 and b 2 in a profile before the pixel value adjustment will have enlarged pixel values as a result of the aforementioned pixel value adjustment , as shown by blood flow images b 1 ′ and b 2 ′. thus , the difference from the background noise is enlarged and elicitability is enhanced . [ 0135 ] fig1 shows another effect of the pixel value adjustment . the symbols p and q in fig1 denote profiles of two images of different slices . even when the background noise level of the profile q is larger than the signal intensity of a distinct blood flow image b 1 in the profile p , the pixel values of the blood flow images b 1 and b 2 in the profile p is enlarged by , for example , 1 . 2 times by the aforementioned pixel value adjustment , resulting in blood flow images b 1 ′ and b 2 ′. thus , the blood flow images b 1 ′ and b 2 ′ can also be elicited relative to the noise level of the image of the slice q . for the multi - slice images after the pixel adjustment as described above , maximum intensity projection ( mip ) is performed at step 306 in the flow chart of fig3 . the data processing section 170 that performs the maximum intensity projection at step 306 is an embodiment of the maximum intensity projecting means of the present invention . a program for a computer to implement the functions as described above is recorded on a recording medium in a computer - readable manner . for the recording medium , for example , any one of a magnetic recording medium , an optical recording medium , a magneto - optical recording medium and any other appropriate type of recording medium is employed . the recording medium may be a semiconductor storage medium . a storage medium is synonymous with a recording medium in the present specification . [ 0138 ] fig1 shows a conceptual diagram of the maximum intensity projection . as shown , the maximum of pixel values is extracted along a line of sight e passing through the multi - slice images s 1 - sm , and the extracted value is used as a pixel value for a projection image r . a number of lines of sight that is equal to the number of pixels in the projection image r are employed as the line of sight e . according to the pixel value adjustment as described above , since a difference between a blood flow image and noise is enhanced for every image s 1 - sm , even a faint blood flow image can be distinctly rendered without being obscured by noise . therefore , an mip image having a distinct blood flow image can be obtained even if the blood flow image is faint . such an mip image is displayed on the display section 180 at step 308 . the preceding description has been made on an example in which the image processing is performed by a data processing section in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus ; however , it will be easily recognized that the image processing may be performed by a data processing apparatus separate from the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus , such as an ews ( engineering workstation ) or pc ( personal computer ). moreover , although the imaging apparatus has been described as being an mri apparatus , the imaging apparatus is not limited thereto but may be any other type of imaging apparatus , such as an x - ray ct ( computed tomography ) apparatus , an x - ray imaging apparatus , pet ( positron emission tomography ) or a γ - camera . furthermore , while the description has been made with reference to an example of processing a medical image , the object to be processed is not limited to a medical image , but image processing on a variety of images , such as a digital image captured by an optical instrument , can be performed . while the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments hereinabove , various changes or substitutions may be made on these embodiments by those ordinarily skilled in the art pertinent to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention . therefore , the technical scope of the present invention encompasses not only those embodiments described above but all the embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims .	6
fig1 is a schematic view of a gas turbine engine 10 including a fan assembly 12 , a high - pressure compressor 14 , and a combustor 16 . engine 10 also includes a high - pressure turbine 18 and a low - pressure turbine 20 . a shaft 22 couples fan assembly 12 and turbine 20 . engine 10 has an intake side 24 and an exhaust side 26 . an engine casing 28 including an exterior surface 30 extends circumferentially around engine 10 . in one embodiment , gas turbine engine 10 is a ge90 engine commercially available from general electric company , cincinnati , ohio . engine 10 also includes a center longitudinal axis of symmetry 32 extending therethrough . in operation , air flows through fan assembly 12 and compressed air is supplied to high - pressure compressor 14 . highly compressed air is delivered to combustor 16 where it is mixed with fuel and ignited . hot gas / air mixture from combustor 16 propels turbines 18 and 20 , and turbine 20 rotates fan assembly 12 about axis 32 . fig2 is a partial cross - sectional view of combustor 16 , including a turbine nozzle 56 , of gas turbine engine 10 shown in fig1 . combustor 16 includes an annular outer liner 40 , an annular inner liner 42 , and a domed end 44 extending between outer and inner liners 40 and 42 , respectively . outer liner 40 is spaced radially inward from a combustor casing 46 and couples to inner liner 42 to define a generally annular combustion chamber 48 . combustor casing 46 is generally annular and extends downstream from a diffuser ( not shown ) positioned within domed end 44 . outer liner 40 and , combustor casing 46 define an outer passageway 52 , and inner liner 42 and an inner combustor casing 54 define an inner passageway 58 . inner liner 42 is spaced radially outward from inner combustor casing 54 . outer and inner liners 40 and 42 extend to a turbine nozzle 60 disposed downstream from diffuser . an annular turbine nozzle 56 is disposed radially inward from a casing internal wall 70 . combustor 16 is located upstream of nozzle 56 , and turbine blades 74 are located downstream from nozzle 56 . in one embodiment , engine 10 includes a plurality of nozzles 56 . nozzle 56 includes an arcuate outer band 80 ( shown in fig4 ), an arcuate inner shroud segment 82 , and a nozzle vane 84 mounted between outer band 80 and inner shroud segment 82 . nozzle vane 84 extends generally radially between outer band 80 and inner shroud segment 82 . fig3 is a perspective view of gas turbine casing assembly 54 including turbine nozzle assembly 56 . fig4 is an enlarged view of turbine nozzle 56 . fig5 is a side view of a nozzle lock 130 used with turbine nozzle 56 . outer band 80 includes a generally axially extending platform 92 including an upstream circumferential forward support flange 94 and a downstream circumferential aft rail 96 . aft rail 96 includes a radial outer portion 102 including a slot 100 therein . casing 28 includes a casing support channel 104 , a casing shoulder 106 , and a casing groove 108 . a turbine shroud forward rail 110 extends between aft rail 96 and casing groove 108 . in the exemplary embodiment , casing 28 also includes a first opening 120 and a second opening 124 that extend through casing 28 . more specifically , first opening 120 is radially outward of slot 100 , and a second opening 124 is adjacent and upstream from first opening 120 . forward support flange 94 engages casing support channel 104 to radially support outer band 80 . turbine shroud forward rail 110 radially supports aft rail 96 to casing shoulder 106 and facilitates minimizing leakage therebetween . nozzle lock 130 includes a locking pin 132 , a base 134 , and an attachment device 136 . in one embodiment , locking pin 132 is formed unitarily with base 134 . in a further embodiment base 134 includes a first aperture ( not shown ) sized to receive and fixedly retain locking pin 132 . base 134 includes a second aperture 142 for receiving attachment device 136 . in one embodiment , attachment device 136 is a blind bolt 148 including an insert 150 , and is inserted through a washer 146 . in another embodiment attachment device 136 is a rivet ( not shown ). nozzle lock 130 includes a seal 160 . in one embodiment , seal 160 is a metallic o - ring seal . locking pin 132 includes a substantially cylindrical body 164 and a tip 166 . body 164 extends substantially perpendicularly from base 134 such that tip 166 is a distance 167 from base 134 . in one embodiment nozzle lock 130 includes a plurality of locking pins 132 . fig6 is a cross - sectional view of nozzle lock 130 coupled to gas turbine engine 10 . nozzle lock 130 facilitates restricting tangential movement of nozzle 56 . base 134 is coupled to exterior surface 30 by attachment device 136 . seal 160 extends circumferentially around locking pin 132 to facilitate reducing or eliminating gas / air mixture leakage through exterior surface 30 . locking pin 132 extends through opening 120 ( shown in fig3 ) to radially engage aft rail slot 100 ( shown in fig3 ) to secure nozzle 56 to casing 28 . because nozzle 56 is secured to casing 28 , nozzle lock 130 facilitates maintaining a relative alignment of nozzle 56 within engine 10 despite nozzle 56 being subjected to tangential forces induced by the gas / air mixture . tip 166 is adapted to engage slot 100 . in an exemplary embodiment tip 166 is cylindrical . in other embodiments a shape of tip 166 is selected to satisfy system requirements while securing nozzle 56 in slot 100 , and includes , but is not limited to a square shape , a rectangular shape , or a crescent moon shape . attachment device 136 is coupled to base 134 and secures base 134 to casing 28 . attachment device 136 is inserted in second opening 124 ( shown in fig3 ) to secure base 134 to casing 28 . in an alternate embodiment attachment device 136 includes a circumferential split ring ( not shown ) that encircles turbine engine 10 and secures base 134 to casing 28 . during operation hot gas / air mixture from combustor 16 ( shown in fig1 ) is directed through nozzle 56 to turbine blades 74 ( shown in fig2 ) to rotate the turbine rotor ( not shown ). the combustion gas mixture may exert axial and tangential forces on nozzle 56 as nozzle 56 redirects the gas / air mixture . nozzle vane 84 ( shown in fig2 ) redirects the gas / air mixture to impinge on turbine blade 74 and impart a tangential force on nozzle 56 . outer band 80 and inner shroud segment 82 ( shown in fig2 ) support and position nozzle vane 84 . nozzle lock 130 secures outer band 80 to casing 28 and restrains tangential movement or flexing of nozzle 56 . base 134 is mounted to casing external surface 30 and seal 160 seals casing 28 . in one embodiment , nozzle lock 130 is installed during initial assembly . in an alternate embodiment , nozzle lock 130 is installed as an engine maintenance procedure after engine assembly . in a further embodiment , nozzle lock 130 supplements internal nozzle locks already installed on an engine , and as such , nozzle lock 130 is capable of being installed with or without a removal of other engine components . advantageously , nozzle lock 130 can be installed on an engine without disassembly of engine casing 28 or removal of engine 10 from its operating configuration , such as on an aircraft wing . in one embodiment a technician forms opening 120 in casing by drilling using standard machining techniques to maintain gas turbine cleanliness . the technician inserts locking pin 132 of nozzle lock 130 from casing exterior surface 28 through opening 120 to engage a portion of nozzle 56 . in one embodiment tip 166 engages slot 100 to secure nozzle 56 and restrict tangential movement of nozzle 56 . the technician secures nozzle lock 130 to engine casing 28 . in one embodiment the technician inserts bolt 148 through second aperture 142 ( shown in fig3 ) and into second opening 124 to secure nozzle lock 130 to casing exterior surface 28 . fig7 illustrates a first loading relationship between nozzle lock 164 and engine casing opening 120 with respect to attachment aperture 142 . fig8 illustrates a second loading relationship between nozzle lock 164 and engine casing opening 120 with respect to attachment aperture 142 . in the exemplary embodiment of fig7 a load applied to nozzle lock body 164 adjacent to nozzle outer band 80 ( shown in fig4 ) may result in unacceptably high stresses in nozzle lock 130 , if nozzle lock cylindrical body 164 is not in direct contact with case opening 120 . more specifically , fatigue failure of nozzle lock 130 may result from such loading . however , if nozzle lock cylindrical body 164 is in contact with case opening 120 stresses induced to nozzle lock 130 are facilitated to be reduced . unfortunately , due to necessary manufacturing tolerances , the above - described contact may not always be guaranteed . in the exemplary embodiment of fig8 a single attachment aperture 142 is formed in engine casing 28 with a position offset from the direction of load application . the resulting moment about aperture 142 may result in a slight physical rotation of nozzle lock assembly 130 until contact is made between nozzle lock cylindrical body 164 and case opening 120 , as shown in fig8 . this type of stress reducing , self - adjusting capability is possible because of two conditions that are present in this invention . more specifically , a first condition is that the attachment is statically unstable once clamping friction at aperture 142 is exceeded . the second such condition is that relative position of aperture 142 is not along a line of action of load application , thus resulting in a moment about aperture 142 and subsequent rotation . the above - described nozzle lock for a gas turbine engine is cost - effective and reliable . the nozzle lock secures the nozzle to the casing , thus facilitating maintaining the nozzles in alignment within the engine . furthermore , because the nozzles are secured in alignment , the nozzle lock also facilitates reducing the effects of tangential forces induced to the nozzles during engine operation . in addition , because the nozzle lock may be installed or removed from the engine without removing the engine casing , the nozzle lock also facilitates in - place engine maintenance . furthermore , the nozzle locks facilitate the nozzles self - aligning with respect to the load path during operation . as a result , the nozzle lock facilitates maintaining the nozzle in alignment in a cost - effective and reliable manner . while the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims .	5
fig1 is a top view of a grinding center embodied as a grinding cell 1 . this grinding cell has a common machine bed 2 on which are arranged two stations 3 , 4 for machining crankshafts 22 by grinding . the stations 3 , 4 have a common grinding table 5 on which holding apparatus and drives for each of the crankshafts 22 are present . the grinding cell also normally has a machine cover and loading and unloading apparatus for feeding in and removing the crankshafts 22 and for transporting them from the first station 3 to the second station 4 . these are not shown in fig1 , however , nor is the cnc control device with input keyboard or hydraulic and / or pneumatic supply devices shown . the first station 3 for the grinding cell 1 , which is depicted individually in fig2 , is for grinding the main bearings 23 of the crankshafts 22 . to promote understanding , the most important functional parts in the first station 3 therefore have “ main bearing ” added to their identifiers . the main bearings 23 ( fig4 ) are ground by means of a plurality of main bearing grinding wheels 10 that are arranged on a main bearing grinding spindle 9 . the main bearing grinding spindle 9 itself is attached to a main bearing compound slide rest 6 that can be moved , cnc controlled , in the z direction , which corresponds to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 , and in the x direction , which permits an adjustment perpendicular to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 . guide or slide tracks on which the main bearing compound slide rest 6 is moved in the z direction are not shown because they are covered by covers 16 . the crankshaft 22 to be machined is clamped between a main bearing workpiece headstock 7 and a main bearing tailstock 8 , as is shown in greater detail in fig4 , and in accordance with the depiction in fig2 is caused to rotate by the main bearing headstock 7 . at least two main bearings 23 on the crankshaft 22 are rough - ground or finish - ground simultaneously in the first station 3 , a time t 1 being required for this . the second station 4 in the grinding cell 1 , which is depicted individually in fig3 , is employed for machining the pin bearings 24 through 27 on the crankshaft 22 , two pin bearings 24 through 27 that are disposed in the same angular position with respect to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 being ground simultaneously . the time required for grinding all four pin bearings 24 through 27 is t 2 . to promote understanding , the most important functional parts of the second station 4 therefore have “ pin bearing ” added to their identifiers . the crankshaft 22 to be ground is also clamped centrally in the second station 4 , i . e . the common longitudinal axis of the clamping devices on both sides is the same as the longitudinal axis 29 of the crankshaft 22 , which is defined by its main bearings 23 . as can be seen from fig3 and 5 , in the second station 4 the crankshaft 22 is clamped at its exteriorly disposed main bearings 23 , which have been ground in the first station 3 . this produces a precise reference for the pin bearings 24 through 27 to the main bearings 23 of the crankshaft . in accordance with fig3 , pin bearing workpiece headstocks 12 , 13 are provided on both sides of the crankshaft 22 for clamping . the chucks 31 for these pin bearing workpiece headstocks 12 , 13 are provided with supports and each is driven by the c 1 or c 2 axis , which rotate absolutely synchronously . however , in the second station 4 the crankshaft 22 can also be received between tips and is then driven by a pin bearing workpiece headstock 12 , at least only on one side , the chuck of which is provided with floating clamping jaws 33 and effects an equalizing , radially no - clearance rotary drive . the crankshaft 22 is then aligned by centering it on the centering tips . the manner in which the crankshaft 22 is received in the second station can be varied and optimized according to the individual circumstances . in both stations 3 and 4 , the crankshaft 22 can be supported by one or a plurality of self - centering steadies . provided in the second station is a pin bearing compound slide 11 that can be moved in the direction of the axes z 2 and x 2 , which are perpendicular to one another , and thus can be moved parallel to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 and perpendicular thereto . the pin bearing compound slide 11 supports a first pin bearing grinding spindle 14 and a second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 . the first pin bearing grinding spindle 14 is securely connected hereby to the pin bearing compound slide 11 in the direction perpendicular to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 . in contrast , the second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 is arranged movable in the direction perpendicular to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 on the pin bearing compound slide 11 . its movement is controlled based on a dimensional or roundness error that is obtained from an in - process measurement during grinding . to this end , in - process measuring heads 19 for a measuring device 20 ( fig6 ) continuously measure the diameter of the pin bearings 24 , 27 or 25 , 26 , which are ground in pairs , during the grinding . each of the two pin bearing grinding spindles 14 , 15 supports a pin bearing grinding wheel 17 , 18 whose axial distance from one another must be equal to the distance between the pin bearings 14 through 17 that are to be ground in pairs . to this end , the two pin bearing grinding spindles 14 , 15 must be movable relative to one another axially on the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 , that is , in the direction of the rotational axis of their pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 . the axial distance between the pin bearing grinding spindles and pin bearing grinding wheels must be adjusted every time a different type of crankshaft is to be ground or when a specific crankshaft that has a pair of pin bearings with a different distance between them is to be ground next . to this extent the change in the distance must be included in the entire control of the grinding process . the first pin bearing grinding spindle 14 or the second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 can be arranged displaceable in the direction of its longitudinal axis on the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 . fig5 , 11 and 12 provide a particularly clear depiction of the particularity of crankshafts 22 for four cylinder in - line engines : the two outer pin bearings 24 and 27 have the same angular position with respect to the rotational and longitudinal axis 29 of the crankshaft 22 , as do the two interior pin bearings 25 and 26 , the angular position of the two pairs of pin bearings 24 , 27 and 25 , 26 differing from one another . this attribute is used for operating the inventive grinding center in an economic manner . specifically , the two pin bearings 24 , 27 and 25 , 26 are each ground simultaneously using the two pin bearing grinding wheels 17 and 18 , the term “ simultaneously ” also having the same meaning as the grinding terms “ time - parallel ” or “ at the same time ”. in any case , what is meant is that the grinding process unfolds in approximately the same time , but not that it must be ended at exactly the same point in time . the second pin bearing is frequently not finish - ground until after the first pin bearing , in that e . g . a dressing amount of 0 . 02 mm is to be removed . fig6 depicts the arrangement of a measuring device 20 for continuously measuring the roundness and dimensions of a pin bearing in the second station 4 by means of a measuring head 19 . during grinding , the measuring head 19 is positioned against pin bearing 24 - 27 that is to be monitored and continuously generates signals regarding the dimensions and / or roundness of the pin bearing 24 - 27 , which signals are evaluated by the cnc control and used to generate control commands for the drives for the pin bearing compound slide 11 and / or the dimensions and roundness correction axis 44 . the position of the measuring device 20 indicated by the broken lines is a retracted position that the measuring device 20 assumes for instance during a dressing process and / or when the parts of the pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 are being handled . fig7 depicts a schematic side elevation of the first station 3 in the grinding cell 1 in accordance with the section vii - vii in fig1 . at the beginning of the pin bearing grinding in the second station 4 , the mutual axial distance between the two pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 is adjusted , for instance , to the distance between the pin bearings 24 and 27 . then grinding of these pin bearings 24 , 27 begins with the pin chasing method that is cnc controlled . for this , first the two pin bearing grinding spindles 14 , 15 are moved together perpendicular to the crankshaft longitudinal axis 29 . the second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 remains stationary relative to the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 . this applies both to the rough - grinding phase and the finish - grinding phase . however , the diameter just attained for each of the pin bearings 24 , 27 is measured during grinding and its roundness is determined . as the finished dimensions are neared in the finish - grinding phase , the movement by the second grinding spindle 15 is decoupled from that of the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 . the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 is moved according to the measurement on the pin bearing 24 in the sense of a dimension or roundness correction axis 44 , the final dimensions and the required roundness of the pin bearing 24 finally being attained by means of the first pin bearing grinding spindle 14 . the second pin bearing grinding spindle 27 simultaneously performs correction movements with respect to the pin bearing compound slide 11 according to the separate measurement on the pin bearing 27 if the measurements for the pin bearing 27 differ from those for the pin bearing 24 . these differences result from the continuous measurement for both pin bearings 24 and 27 . the computer for the machine control analyzes the measurement results and provides corresponding correction and control signals for the drive for the second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 . naturally , the second pin bearing grinding spindle 15 only needs to be slightly movable in the direction of the x axis with respect to the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 . an advantageous displacement path , in practice , can be , for instance , in the range of +/− 0 . 2 mm . the grinding center can be adjusted such that the grinding time t 1 is equal to the grinding time t 2 . two of the main bearings 23 are then ground in approximately the same time as a pair 24 , 27 or 25 , 26 of the pin bearings . then the pin bearing compound slide rest 11 is withdrawn , the distance between the two pin bearing grinding spindles 14 , 15 is adjusted to the distance between the center pin bearings 25 , 26 , and the grinding cycle starts over . fig8 provides a simplified schematic drawing of the first station in the grinding cell , in which drawing the main bearings 23 on the crankshaft 22 are undergoing multilayer grinding by means of main bearing grinding wheels 10 . in the first station 3 the main bearing grinding wheels 10 grind the main bearings 23 . if the planar surfaces of the cheeks of the crankshaft 22 that have the main bearing pins are to be ground , the spindle with the main bearing grinding wheels is moved axially relative to the crankshaft 22 . however , it is also possible for the crankshaft 22 to be moved along its rotational axis relative to the main grinding wheels 10 . a profiled grinding wheel 45 is arranged opposite the main bearing grinding wheels 10 on a spindle 46 that is inclined relative to the z axis , i . e . to the spindle axis of the main bearing grinding wheels 10 . the grinding wheel 45 is profiled such that and its angle to the z axis is arranged such that the flat end faces and also the cylindrical surfaces of the flange 47 on the crankshaft 22 can be ground simultaneously . the grinding wheel 45 can be adjusted along the adjusting axis x . fig9 is an elevation in accordance with fig8 in which , in contrast to the arrangement in accordance with fig8 , the profiled grinding wheel 45 with its spindle 46 is arranged on the same side of the crankshaft 22 as the main bearing grinding wheels 10 . the end - side surfaces 48 , specifically the flat end faces and the cylindrical surfaces of the flange , are ground in one work step using the profiled grinding wheel 45 , it being possible to adjust the profiled grinding wheel 45 along its adjusting axis x . in accordance with this embodiment , the main bearing grinding wheels 10 are arranged on a common spindle and grind the main bearings between the cheeks 49 of the crankshaft 22 . fig1 is a schematic elevation of the second station 4 of the grinding cell having a profiled grinding wheel 45 arranged opposite the pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 for grinding the cylindrical and flat surfaces 48 of the flange 47 on the crankshaft 22 . the profiled grinding wheel 45 with its spindle 46 can be adjusted along its adjusting axis x and grinds the flange 47 in one work step . the profiled grinding wheel 45 is arranged opposite the pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 in order to avoid any collision of the grinding wheels and in order to obtain simultaneous machining of the surfaces to be machined . the pin bearing grinding wheels 17 , 18 with their spindles 14 , 15 grind each pin bearing between the cheeks 49 using the pin chasing grinding method .	1
the hammer has an internal combustion engine 1 , which drives a striking mechanism 5 via a first crank drive 2 , a transmission 3 , and a second crank drive 4 . the striking mechanism 5 in turn acts on a tool 6 , in the present example a drill bit . many designs of a hammer of this type are known and therefore do not have to be explained in detail . the internal combustion engine 1 is surrounded by an engine housing 7 . the expression “ engine housing ” is selected comprehensively herein as an all - encompassing expression . of course , the engine housing 7 may also comprise a plurality of sub - housing components , that is to say for example a cylinder housing 7 a and a crank housing 7 b . the crank housing 7 b surrounds the first crank drive 2 . the transmission 3 is surrounded by a transmission housing 8 , which also receives the second crank drive 4 . the striking mechanism 5 is formed as a pneumatic spring striking mechanism and has a connecting rod 9 , which is moved by the second crank drive 4 and which moves a drive piston 10 up and down in a striking mechanism housing 11 serving as a guide housing . a percussion piston 12 is guided inside the drive piston 10 and moves against the end of the tool 6 and is guided back again via a pneumatic spring 13 formed between the drive piston 10 and the percussion piston 12 . the function of a striking tool 5 of this type is also known and does not have to be discussed in greater detail at this juncture . a cooling air fan 14 with a cooling air inlet 15 is arranged at the end face of the first crank drive 2 . the cooling air fan 14 is driven in rotation by the crankshaft of the first crank drive 2 and sucks up ambient air via the cooling air inlet 15 . the cooling air is then guided via a cooling air duct 16 to the components of the hammer to be cooled . in particular , the cooling air duct 16 guides the cooling air to an outer wall of the cylinder housing 7 a . the cooling air can then still be used to cool an exhaust gas system 17 or the striking mechanism housing 11 . the striking mechanism housing 11 should be cooled in particular in the region of the pneumatic spring 13 , because this is where high temperatures may prevail due to the air compression . a baffle plate 18 is provided inter alia to guide the cooling air flow generated by the cooling air fan 14 . in this regard , the design and cooling function with the aid of forced cooling of this type is known from the prior art . with the hammer according to the invention , a hood 19 is arranged in the upper region and surrounds the components to be cooled , at least in part . in the example shown , the hood 19 encloses part of the engine housing 7 and a considerable part of the transmission housing 8 in a tent - like manner . the striking mechanism housing 11 is not surrounded by the hood 19 . however , it is easily conceivable that the hood 19 could also extend further downwards so as to also enclose at least part of the striking mechanism housing 11 . the hood is arranged at a distance from the parts surrounded thereby so that a gap 20 is formed between the hood 19 and the housing components 7 , 8 . in the example shown in fig1 , it can be seen that the gap 20 , based on a vertical working direction of the hammer , has an inlet 21 in its lower side , said inlet initially extending vertically along the housing components 7 , 8 and ultimately discharging into a flue 22 . the flue 22 ends at an upper side of the hood 19 in the form of an opening 23 . if , during operation , the housing components 7 , 8 are heated , the air in the gap 20 is also heated . the air in the gap 20 thus flows upwardly and may ultimately emerge from the gap 20 via the opening 23 . the rising effect is intensified by the flue 22 , which can be seen clearly in particular in fig2 . due to the rising cooling air in the gap 20 , a vacuum is produced at the lower side at the inlet 21 , and therefore cool ambient air can flow into the gap 20 via the inlet 21 . a cooling air current caused by free convection is thus produced in the gap 20 and cools the outer side of the housing walls . the cooling air flow is also maintained if the operation of the hammer is abandoned and the internal combustion engine 1 is switched off . the engine components , transmission components , and striking mechanism components , which are still hot , also heat the air in the gap 20 , and therefore the cooling air flow is maintained . the flue 22 is conical , thus intensifying the flue effect . in addition , the flue is arranged on the upper side of the tent - like hood 19 at the highest point , more specifically both if the hammer stands in the vertical position provided for operation and if the hammer is put down and thus adopts a horizontal position . the flue 22 may also have an upwardly inclined course extending away from the operator . in addition , transverse ribs or transverse walls may be used in the flue 22 to stabilize the flue 22 . in this case , the opening 23 may be formed as a plurality of cooling slits , which are provided at the upper end of the flue 22 . the inlet in the flue 22 in the lower side thereof or at the transition between the gap 20 and the flue 22 can be rounded and conical so as to introduce the air current into the flue with as little resistance as possible . by contrast , the outlet in the flue 22 is formed in an angular manner at the opening 23 so that the air is prevented from flowing back into the flue 22 from the outside . this design may be advantageous in particular if the hood 19 is mounted in a resiliently movable manner in relation to the other components of the hammer . a resilient movability of this type is desired so as to achieve vibration insulation between the hood 19 , generally also carrying handles for the operator , and the rest of the hammer , which is subjected to intense vibration . it is known from de 20 2004 006 553 u1 that a pump effect can be produced between the hood and the rest of the components of the hammer due to the relative movement thus possible . this pump effect can also be used in the present case to assist the convection current and to superimpose an additional pump current . due to the described design of the flue , the pump current is conveyed in one direction , namely from bottom to top . an opposed current direction is prevented , and therefore the design of the flue achieves a similar effect to a check valve . for example , it has been found that suitable dimensions for the flue 22 include a length of the flue opening at the lower side of 90 mm and a width between 40 and 60 mm . at the upper side , the length may be 65 mm and the width may be between 20 and 35 mm . the height should be at least 25 mm . a flue height of up to 80 mm is particularly suitable . if the flue is inclined forwards in relation to the horizontal , the height may be 26 mm at the front side for example , and 77 mm at the rear side . a tank 24 , in which the fuel for the hammer is stored , is arranged above the hood 19 . other fuel - guiding components ( not illustrated in the figure ), such as a fuel valve , a fuel filter , etc ., can equally be arranged outside the hood 19 . the tank 24 is arranged at a distance above the hood 19 so that a further air gap 25 is formed between the hood 19 and the tank 24 . the air gap 25 causes additional thermal insulation , and therefore the tank 24 may be hardly heated by the hot components inside the hammer . in addition , a convection current similar to that in the gap 20 can be produced in the air gap 25 . for this purpose , the air gap 25 can be open towards the ambient environment via an inlet 26 and an outlet 27 . the inlet 26 and the outlet 27 may each extend as slits along the air gap 25 . the gap 25 runs in a u - shaped manner around the flue 22 at the outlet 27 , as shown in fig2 . the gap 20 extends laterally vertically from the housings 7 , 8 of the sub - components . the gap 20 rises at an incline towards the flue 22 above the housing components , in particular above the transmission housing 8 . the inclined rise of the gap 20 can also be seen clearly in fig2 . due to the course , inclined to a horizontal plane , above at least the transmission housing 8 , it is possible to achieve a reliable convection current , even in a region in which a substantially horizontal air current of the cooling air has to be provided , due to the at least slight rise as a result of the inclined position of the gap 20 . fig1 thus shows the inclined course of the gap 20 above the transmission housing 8 , whilst the inclined course of the gap 20 , corresponding to the upper side of the hood 19 , can be seen clearly in fig2 . the inclined course of the gap 20 above the transmission housing 8 has a further advantage , as will be explained hereinafter . according to experience , a hammer is switched off immediately once work is complete and is conventionally put down on the rear side . the side opposite the internal combustion engine in relation to the transmission 3 and the striking mechanism 5 is understood to mean the rear side , that is to say the right - hand side of the hood 19 in fig1 , which is not visible in fig2 . the hammer is normally held by an operator , standing on the rear side , by handles ( not illustrated in the figures ). when the hammer is put down on the rear side , the region of the gap 20 , which is provide above the transmission housing 8 in the working position , runs substantially vertically towards the then horizontally aligned flue 22 . an air current , which cools the components , is thus also produced in the gap 20 . the hammer can therefore also be cooled by free convection in the horizontal idle position . the tank 24 surrounds the flue 22 in a u - shaped manner , as shown in fig2 . the installation space can thus be utilized effectively . it is likewise possible to position the flue 22 slightly closer to the center , above the shaft of the tool 6 , and to arrange the tank 24 annularly around the flue 22 .	1
halogenated alcohols are both unique in the reservoir environment and more chemically and biologically stable than corresponding molecules without halogen atoms . there are several references in the literature to the biodegradability of alcohols [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]. previous experience with per - deuterated butanol as partitioning tracer at ife and information found in the literature indicate that presence of halogen atoms in the molecules will lead to less biodegradation of the selected alcohols . structural formulas of examples of compounds from four groups of fluorinated benzyl alcohols tested are shown herein , including in fig1 . the compounds could be analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection ( gc - ms ) in produced water after clean - up and pre - concentration of the water samples . detection limits of 50 ng / l ( ppt ) could be obtained depending on the level of interferences from the sample matrix . several compounds from the four groups were selected and tested for thermal stability , flooding properties , and adsorption to rock materials . in addition , two pilot field tests were initiated . some results from the laboratory tests are shown in table 1 and in fig2 to fig1 . partition coefficients were measured at 80 ° c ., oil 2 and water 2 . a selection of compounds have been submitted for standard environmental tests and have come in the same classification as the fluorinated benzoic acids which are currently permitted for use as passive water tracers , thus allowing their use in field experiments . since the partition coefficients for these compounds are relatively low , there is little risk of bioaccumulation . isomers from the mono -, di - and trifluorobenzyl alcohols as well as the fluoromethyl benzyl alcohols have been tested successfully as representative partitioning tracers . chlorinated benzyl alcohols and combinations of chlorinated and fluorinated benzyl alcohols are predicted to function well due to similar chemical properties . the present invention relates to the use of at least one benzyl alcohol of formula i ) as a partitioning tracer in a petroleum reservoir , as well as to the corresponding compounds for that use . compounds of formula i ) have the general formula : wherein each of r 1 to r 5 is independently selected from h , f , cl , br , i , cf 3 cf 2 cl , cfcl 2 and ccl 3 and wherein at least one of r 1 to r 5 is not h . preferred r groups include those indicated herein . particular examples of compounds of formula i ) which are suitable for use in all aspects of the present invention include at least one fluorinated benzyl alcohol of formulae f1 to f24 or of formula f25 or f26 . similarly at least one of f1 to f26 may be used : wherein each r group is independently selected from h , cl , br , i , cf 2 cl , cfcl 2 and ccl 3 . preferably each r group is independently selected from h and cl . in one embodiment , all r groups in formulae f1 to f24 , as well as optionally in f25 and f26 , are hydrogen . in one embodiment 1 , 2 or 3 r groups of formulae f1 to f24 , as well as optionally f25 and f26 , are cl . the remaining r groups may be any specified herein but will preferably be h . further particular examples of compounds of formula i ) which are suitable for use in all aspects of the present invention include at least one chlorinated benzyl alcohol of formulae cl1 to cl24 or of formula cl25 or cl26 similarly at least one of f1 to f26 may be used : wherein each r group is independently selected from h , f , br , i , cf 2 cl , cfcl 2 and ccl 3 . preferably each r group is independently selected from h and f . in one embodiment , all r groups in formulae cl1 to cl24 , as well as optionally in cl25 and cl26 , are hydrogen . in another embodiment 1 , 2 or 3 r groups of formulae cl1 to cl24 , as well as optionally cl25 and cl26 , are f . the remaining r groups may be any specified herein but will preferably be h . further particular examples of compounds of formula i ) which are suitable for use in all aspects of the present invention include at least one of the following chlorinated fluorinated benzyl alcohols ; the cl and f groups in the above formulae may evidently be exchanged such that f may be present in place of cl and vice versa . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the compounds of formula i ) which are suitable for use in all aspects of the present invention are the compounds shown in fig1 . in a further , highly effective embodiment compatible with all aspects of the invention , the benzyl alcohol is at least one selected from 2 - fluorobenzyl alcohol ( 2 - fboh ), 2 , 6 - difluorobenzyl alcohol ( 2 , 6 - dfboh ), 3 , 5 - difluorobenzyl alcohol ( 3 , 5 - dfboh ), 3 , 4 - difluorobenzyl alcohol ( 3 , 4 - dfboh ), 2 , 4 , 6 - trifluorobenzyl alcohol ( 2 , 4 , 6 - tfboh ) and 2 , 3 , 6 - trifluorobenzyl alcohol ( 2 , 3 , 6 - tfboh ). the halogenated benzyl alcohols for use in the various aspects of the present invention are typically highly stable in aqueous solution and such stability is a considerable advantage since degradation reduces the concentration of tracer available for detection . preferably , the compounds of formula i ) ( and the preferred compounds as indicated herein ) are stable in water at concentration levels typical in water samples from oil reservoirs ( typical concentration level is 50 ppt to 100 ppb ) for at least 4 weeks at reservoir temperatures . preferably such compounds are stable for at least 6 weeks , preferably at least 8 weeks under such conditions . preferably , this stability will be exhibited at temperatures of at least 80 ° c ., more preferably at least 100 ° c ., most preferably at temperatures of at least 150 ° c . “ stable ” in this context may be taken as having a concentration of tracer compound within 20 % of the starting concentration as measured by gc - ms , more preferably within 10 %. a further key feature of the compounds used in the various aspects of the present invention is their high detectability . specifically , the compounds of formula i ) ( and the preferred compounds as indicated herein ) are preferably detectable by gc - ms down to a concentration of 500 ppt ( parts per trillion ) or lower . preferably this detection limit will be 100 ppt or lower , more preferably 50 ppt or lower . it is possible for the detection limit to be still lower , such as 1 ppt or 100 ppb . a still further important feature of the compounds used in the various aspects of the present invention is their relatively low environmental impact . specifically , the compounds of formula i ) ( and the preferred compounds as indicated herein ) are preferably classified as “ red ” or better ( e . g . “ red ” or “ yellow ”) according to the hocnf ( harmonized offshore chemical notification format for chemicals released to the north sea ) testing criteria . a yet further feature of the compounds used in the various aspects of the present invention is their low reaction with and sorption onto materials typically found in oil fields such as rock , particularly limestone and / or sandstone . specifically , the compounds of formula i ) ( and the preferred compounds as indicated herein ) will typically be stable in the presence of sandstone and / or limestone for at least a month , more preferably at least two months under aqueous conditions at temperatures corresponding to oil reservoir temperatures . preferably , this stability will be exhibited at temperatures of at least 80 ° c ., more preferably at least 100 ° c ., most preferably at temperatures of at least 150 ° c . “ stable ” in this context may be taken as having a concentration of tracer compound within 20 % of the starting concentration as measured by gc - ms , more preferably within 10 %. a still further feature of the benzyl alcohol compounds used in the various aspects of the present invention is their highly suitable partition coefficients . for example , compounds of formula i ) or preferred compounds as described herein may have partition coefficients between 1 . 0 and 8 . 0 . the partition coefficients should not be too high because the partitioning tracers then will be retained too much compared to the passive water tracer . preferable values for the partition coefficients will be between 1 . 2 and 7 , preferably between 1 . 3 and 5 . the partition coefficients of two example compounds at given conditions are shown in table 1 herein . in all cases referred to herein partition coefficients are measured at 80 ° c ., oil 2 and water 2 , unless otherwise stated . one important aspect of the present invention relates to a method of assessing the oil saturation of an oil field ( petroleum reservoir ) having an injection well and a production well , said method comprising : a ) injecting at least a first tracer having a first partition coefficient and a second tracer having a second partition coefficient into said injection well ; b ) measuring the presence and / or concentration over time of said first tracer and said second tracer in produced water from said production well ; c ) determining the retention times for each of said first tracer and said second tracer d ) relating the retention times and partition coefficients of each of said first and second tracers to oil saturation of said oil field . in such a method , at least the first tracer will be a “ partitioning tracer ” and will be a halogenated benzyl alcohol such as any of those described herein . this will be a “ partitioning ” tracer and may have a partition coefficient as described herein . the second tracer may also be a benzyl alcohol , such as those described herein but will typically have a different partition coefficient from the first tracer . most commonly the second tracer ( which may be injected before , after or simultaneously with the first tracer ) will have a lower partition coefficient and may be a “ passive ” tracer . another possibility will be to inject a passive tracer ( tracer 2 ) and two or more partitioning tracers ( where at least one and optionally both may be of the invention ). the partitioning tracers will have different partition coefficients . partitioning tracers will be selected based among other things on their degree of partitioning . the distance between injector and producer as well as the assumed oil saturation between the well pair will be considered when selecting the partitioning tracers . one of the selected partitioning tracers will be a benzyl alcohol as described herein while the other partitioning tracers may be benzyl alcohols or other suitable partitioning tracers . such tracers are known in the art . in one preferred embodiment , the first tracer is a tracer of formula i as described herein and the second tracer is a “ non - partitioning ”, “ passive ” or “ passive water ” tracer . it is not essential that one tracer be a “ passive ” tracer but this forms one preferred embodiment . if one tracer is a “ passive ” tracer and if the partition coefficients for the partitioning tracers are known , the residual oil saturation can be calculated or estimated from the measured difference in the arrival times between the passive tracer and the partitioning tracer using equation 1 as described herein . where t r and t r w are the retention times of the partitioning and passive water tracer , respectively ( in this case tracer 1 and tracer 2 if the latter is a passive tracer ), s is the residual oil saturation , and k is the partition coefficient of the partitioning tracer ( e . g . see table 1 ). more general equations may be formulated for situations where all tracers are partitioning tracers and other equations and approximations which can be used in calculating residual oil saturation are well known . similarly , non - partitioning tracers are well established and will be well known to those of skill in the art . where one passive tracer and more than one partitioning tracer is used then equation 1 may be used two or more times , or a general equation developed . 1 . cooke , c . e . j ., method of determining fluid saturation in reservoirs , 1971 . 2 . jin , m ., et al , partitioning tracer test for detection , estimation and remediation performance assessment of subsurface nonaqueous phase liquids , water resources research , 1995 . 31 ( 5 ): p . 1201 - 1211 . 3 . deans , h . h ., using chemical tracers to measure fractional flow and saturation in - situ , in fitlh symposium on improved methods for oil recovery of the society of petroleum engineers of aime held in tulsa , okla ., apr . 16 - 19 , 1978 . 1978 , spe : tulsa , okla . 4 . lichtenberger , g . j ., field applications of interwell tracers for reservoir characterization of enhanced oil recovery pilot areas , in spe production operations symposium 1991 , society of petroleum engineers : oklahoma city , okla . 5 . zemel , b ., tracers in oil field 1994 , new york : elsevier . 6 . dias , f . f ., alexander , m , effect of chemical structure on the biodegradability of aliphatic acids and alcohols . applied microbiology 22 : p . 1114 - 1118 . 7 . yang , h ., et al ., aromatic compounds biodegradation under anaerobic conditions and their qsbr models . science of the total environment 358 : p . 265 - 276 . 8 . setarge , b ., et al , partitioning and interfacial tracers to characterize non - aqueous phase liquids ( napls ) in natural aquifer material . phys . chem . earth ( b ) 1999 . 24 : p . 501 - 510 . the invention will now be further illustrated by reference to the following non - limiting experimental examples : oil and gas reservoirs generally have temperatures between 50 ° c . to 150 ° c . a tracer must therefore be stable at such temperatures for an extended period of time . because of this , the tracer candidate was tested for thermal stability at different temperatures up to 150 ° c . for eight weeks . the tests were conducted by adding a solution of the tracer candidates in formation water to a vial . the vial was sealed under an argon atmosphere and heated for eight weeks . the results for 3 , 5 - dfboh are shown in fig2 the x - axis represents temperatures in ° c . and the y - axis represents the recovery compared to a reference solution stored at − 20 ° c . during the time course of the test . as shown in fig2 the tracer candidate demonstrates good thermal stability up to 150 ° c ., allowing its use in petroleum reservoirs worldwide . oil / water partitioning tracers have to follow the movement of the aqueous based fluids in an oil and gas reservoir with a predictable partitioning to the oil . it is therefore crucial that the tracer candidate follows the flow of injected water without interaction with the reservoir rock . in addition the partitioning characteristics of the tracer candidate to the oil in the reservoir must be known . to test this , the tracer candidate was subjected to a test of flow and interaction properties in an oil environment as well as tests with certain rock materials . these tests are critical because many tracer candidates may have unwanted interactions and therefore are unsuited as tracers . to test the possibility of interactions of the tracer candidate with reservoir rock , sorption tests with sandstone and limestone were performed . sandstone and limestone are typical petroleum reservoir rock materials . 2 ml of a solution of the tracer candidates in formation water were added to vials containing 0 . 5 g sandstone or 0 . 5 g limestone . the vials were sealed under an argon atmosphere and heated for eight weeks up to 150 ° c . the results are given in fig3 and fig4 . the x - axis represents temperatures in ° c . and the y - axis represents the recovery compared to a reference solution stored at − 20 ° c . during the time course of the test . the results in fig3 and fig4 show that the tested tracer candidate has low interaction with the tested rock material and may therefore be suitable as a tracer in oil and gas reservoirs . to test the dynamic properties of the tracer candidate an experimental setup containing a residual oil saturated column was used . the column had a length of 2 m and an internal diameter of 11 . 1 mm . the column was packed with 70 μm silica beads . dead crude oil was pumped through the column after which artificial formation water was pumped through the system until residual oil saturation was reached . the tracer candidate was then co - injected with tritiated water ( hto ) as a pulse into the water flow . the experiments were conducted with different oil types , different water compositions and at several temperatures . the results from some of these experiments are given in fig5 , fig6 , fig7 and fig8 . the tracer responses are plotted as a function of the accumulated water amount produced from the residual oil saturated column . the tracer responses are plotted as relative responses ; all tracer concentrations for one compound are divided by the peak concentration for that compound . the results from the dynamic flow experiments show that the partitioning tracer candidate is retained on the column compared to hto meaning that it has a partition into the oil phase . referring to fig8 , it can be seen that two different candidates show different degrees of partitioning to the oil . these tests indicate that the tested tracer candidates should act as partitioning tracers under reservoir conditions . it is important that a tracer can be detected at as low concentrations in field samples and with as much certainty as possible . a partitioning tracer is injected into a field as a pulse ( approximately 7 - 10 % tracer ( weight / weight )) into a water injection well . the amount of tracer required is a function of the total applicable reservoir volume to be traced and the limit of detection for the injected tracer . a low detection limit reduces the amount of tracer required for each field injection , giving an environmental and economic benefit . samples containing fluorinated benzyl alcohols are pre - concentrated ( solid phase extraction ) and analysed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry ( gc - ms ). the different fluorinated benzyl alcohols are separated on a gas chromatography column . specific detection is obtained using a mass spectrometer operating in single ion monitoring mode . this gives detection limits at 50 ppt concentrations . a chromatogram of a standard solution of selected fluorinated benzyl alcohols are given in fig9 . it is appreciated that further development could allow even better detection limits . a typical concentration range detected in an oil producer in a partitioning tracer test performed by ife ( institute for energy technology , norway ) is 50 ppt to 100 ppb . further analysis of blank samples from different oil fields around the world showed that the tracer candidates are not naturally present in the field and will thus not interfere with tracer studies ( data not shown ). these tests verify the fluorinated benzyl alcohols applicability as partitioning tracers for the petroleum industry worldwide . one field trial with the fluorinated benzyl alcohols have been performed in a relatively small field with short breakthrough times and one field test in a larger field is in progress . in the completed field trial a selected fluorinated benzyl alcohol was injected together with the passive water tracer 2 - fba . results from one of the production wells are given in fig1 . due to re - injection of the produced water from the well , the plot of the produced tracer is not symmetrical . the pilot shows the applicability of tracers of this type and of the method . the test was successful and the tested tracer was verified and worked satisfactory giving accurate results for calculated oil saturation . the use of halogenated compounds is generally thought to have a negative effect on the environment and / or the ability to get regulatory approval for their use . on the norwegian continental shelf ( ncs ) in particular , all compounds to be injected must be tested for their environmental impact according to stringent tests under oslo - paris commission for the protection of the marine environment of the north - east and atlantic . the results are summarized in the harmonized offshore chemical notification format ( hocnf ), which is used when applying for permit to use and discharge the chemicals to the sea on the ncs . according to the hocnf testing , a tested compound is environmentally classified with the label green , yellow , red or black according to the negative effect the compound is classified to have on the environment . it is very difficult to get permission for the use of black compounds , rendering their use unrealistic . red compounds can be used , even though they are not preferred . tracers must be stable in the harsh reservoir environment , thus their results in the seawater biodegradation component of the hocnf scheme “ oecd ( 306 1999 ) guideline for testing chemicals , biodegradation in seawater ” often show less than 20 % biodegradation ensuring that they automatically are placed in the red category . in addition to biodegradation in seawater other tests to be conducted are the toxicity test with acardia tonsa ( iso14669 ; 1999 ), providing a median lethal concentration ( lc50 ) after an exposure of 48 hr , toxicity test with skeletonema costatum ( iso 10253 ; 2006 ), providing a median effect concentration ( ec50 / el50 ) after an exposure of 72 hr , toxicity test with scophthalmus maximus ( parcom 2006 ), providing the mortality of fish after 96 hr at ec50 value and bioaccumulation potential ( oecd guidelines for testing of chemicals , 117 ), providing the logarithm of n - octanol / water partition coefficient . the most important environmental properties were tested on several example compounds . these are biodegradability in seawater and toxicity screening for skeletonema costatum . the latter gives a good general indication of the total toxicity of a chemical and in combination with the biodegradability gives a strong indication of the total impact of the environment . the results are given in table 2 . the results given in table 2 indicate that the tested fluorinated benzyl alcohols will be classified as red chemicals . this is the same category as most of the existing water tracers and thus should receive regulatory approval . accordingly , the tracer candidates of the invention may be used as partitioning tracers in oil and gas reservoirs .	6
referring now to the drawings in which like numerals refer to like component parts , fig1 shows in side elevational view the important operational components of the insert cart and braking assembly of the present invention . a one piece clamping rod 10 has a cross - handle welded to the top thereof as indicated at 11a and 11b . clamping rod 10 extends downwardly through a clamping cam subassembly 20 and , at its lower end shown in fig2 rod 10 extends through an opening 61 in the insert cart base 60 . as shown , the rod 10 at its lower portion is not in contact with floor 5 thus being in the brake - off position . in the basic operation of the device , upper portions 11a and 11b are grasped by the operator and turned counterclockwise . rod 10 is driven downward by the action of floating compression spring 50 on the spring collar 53 and the lower portion of rod 10 thus contacts floor 5 where the insert cart is braked from further translational movement . it is to be understood that in the brake - on position , the cart can pivot about the point created by rod 10 and ground 5 by way of conventional roller casters 62 . as shown in fig3 the clamping rod 10 has two components rigidly attached thereto . the first attached component is a pivot pin 15 which passes through clamping rod 10 and is attached rigidly to it by means of set screws indicated at 16 . the second component rigidly attached to the clamping rod 10 is a spring collar 53 mounted by means of pin 54 . the purpose and function of both components will be more fully described hereinbelow . referring again to fig1 it can be understood that , as handles 11a and 11b are grasped and turned counterclockwise , pivot pin 15 follows the downwardly angled path formed by slot 30 which has been formed in the clamping cam assembly 20 . it is to be understood that a groove 32 and lip 33 construction is formed on the upper portion of slot 30 so that , once the pin 15 slides over lip 33 , the compression spring 50 strongly urges collar 53 and therefore the attached rod 10 downwardly into a braking position with floor 5 . pin 15 thus follows the path of slot 30 until it contacts a lower vertical wall 31 of the slot 30 where the pin 15 and its attached rod 10 are stopped from further movement . it is to be understood that slot 30 extends for a distance of approximately ninety degrees around the circumference of clamping cam 20 . it is contemplated that , in practice of the invention , the slope of slot 30 would be in the range of 25 - 55 degrees as measured from a horizontal plane . it should also be understood that a second slot 35 would be formed on the other side of clamping cam 20 . this second slot is indicated by dashed lines in fig1 and would be identical to slot 30 and receive the second end of pivot pin 15 , sbown in fig3 thus providing a more positive and durable clamping cam action . in viewing fig1 it can be seen that the clamping cam subassembly 20 has three sections or zones as a part thereof . a middle zone 22 has the slots 30 and 35 formed therein , said slots serving to guide the ends of pin 15 along the desired path and thereby permit compression spring 50 to force rod 10 into its downward or brake - on position . a lower reduced area zone 23 of the clamping cam subassembly 20 serves as a guide for rod 10 during its upward and downward operating motions . zone 23 by its reduced area also serves as an abutting surface for spring 50 . an upper zone 21 serves as a mounting section for the clamping cam cover plate 36 . in practice of the invention , cover plate 36 is welded to upper zone 21 . the clamping cam cover plate 36 is of importance to the overall invention since it serves in part to isolate the camming area from the operator of the cart , thus serving to reduce the likelihood of injury . cover plate 36 has an aperture 38 in a central portion thereof to allow passage and upward and downward motion of rod 10 . cover plate 36 also has four apertures 37 at its corners whereby the cover plate and the entire clamping cam subassembly 20 may be bolted or otherwise fixedly attached to the upper ends of four vertical sectional dividers 40 , said dividers 40 serving to provide four compartments for loading of newspaper inserts into the cart . two of the vertical dividers 40 are shown schematically in fig1 and the location of all four vertical dividers is shown in the top plan view of fig4 . the four apertures 37 are also shown in the plan view of fig4 . as can be seen in the views of fig1 and 4 , the vertical dividers 40 in combination with the bolted clamping cam cover plate 36 serve to completely isolate the clamping cam subassembly 20 and the moving pin 15 therein . such isolation of the camming assembly results in a system which is much less likely to result in injury to a person utilizing the cart for the simple reason that the operator &# 39 ; s hands , hair or loose clothing cannot be caught in the camming mechanism . to recapitulate the operation of the insert cart of the present invention , a cart loaded with newspaper inserts would be pushed to the desired work area with the clamping rod 10 in the brake - off position shown in fig1 and 2 i . e . pin 15 is resting in the groove 32 formed in slot 30 and also in slot 35 . upon reaching the desired point , handles 11a and 11b are grasped by the workman and turned counterclockwise thus slipping the pivot pin 15 ends over lips 33 . spring 50 , which is always under compression , then acts to force rod 10 downward into its floor 5 contacting brake - on position . as rod 10 is forced downward , ends of pin 15 move downwardly along slots 30 and 35 until said pin ends contact the lower slot walls as indicated at numeral 31 , thus stopping the downward motion of rod 10 . in the brake - on position , with rod 10 in contact with floor 5 , the cart is braked from translational movement ( for example , a rubber tip may be used on the end of rod 10 ) while still allowing cart rotational movement via casters 62 as desired by the person unloading the insert cart . from the foregoing , it can be realized by those of skill in the art that a reliable and durable , positive acting combined insert cart and brake assembly has been set forth by the applicant herein . the overall system also incorporates important safety features which greatly reduce the possibilities of injury and resultant products liability suits for users and manufactures of the device . while there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications are likely to occur to those skilled in the art , and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all those changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention .	8
the preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to fig1 through 4 of the drawings . like numerals are used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of a system 10 including a voltage detector 100 , a memory 106 , and a microprocessor 118 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . voltage detector 100 can be implemented on a single chip , is capable of detecting both power - on and low power conditions , can be programmed to detect a large number of threshold point values , and consumes a low amount of current . voltage detector 100 is connected to a power supply ( or supply voltage ) vdd and a ground gnd . voltage detector 100 is also connected to memory 106 , such as an electrically programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ), and microprocessor 118 . memory 106 stores a plurality of bits which correspond to and define a number of values for a threshold voltage that can be programmed in detector 100 . as used herein , the term “ threshold voltage ” refers to a value of supply voltage vdd which is less than its maximum value and at which supply voltage vdd may be considered to be at either a low power or power - off condition . for each threshold voltage value , a respective set of data bits may be provided in memory 106 . the plurality of bits are conveyed from memory 106 to a selectable threshold point circuit block 108 within voltage detector 100 via a plurality of control signals n . in one embodiment , a separate control signal may be provided to selectable threshold point circuit 108 for each bit of a bit set . the number of bits ( or control signals n ) determines the resolution of the programmable threshold voltage . the use of more data bits in each bit set will allow more values to be defined , and thus provide greater resolution . selectable threshold point block 108 is connected to a switch circuit at a node cc , a voltage following circuit board 107 at node aa , and to a memory 106 . selectable threshold point circuit block 108 generally functions to select one of a number of values for the threshold voltage at which supply voltage vdd is deemed to be at a low power or power - off condition . when the supply voltage vdd has a value lower than the selected threshold voltage value , then selectable threshold point circuit block 108 may pull the voltage at node cc up to the level of vdd . voltage following circuit block 107 is connected to supply voltage vdd , selectable threshold point circuit block 108 at a node aa , and a current source generator at a node bb . voltage following circuit block 107 follows or tracks supply voltage vdd . due to the operation of voltage following circuit board 107 , the voltage at node bb follows supply voltage vdd . current source generator block 110 is connected to node bb and supply voltage vdd . current source generator block 110 generally functions to generate a current which is provided to node bb . a switch circuit block 109 is connected to voltage following circuit block 107 and current source generator block 110 at node bb , and to selectable threshold voltage circuit block 108 at a node cc . switch circuit block 109 generally functions as a switch . when supply voltage vdd has a value greater then the selected threshold voltage , switch circuit block 109 pulls the voltage of node cc to ground . a voltage level detection circuit block 116 is connected to node cc and external microprocessor 118 . voltage level detection circuit block 116 generally functions to output a signal which indicates to microprocessor 118 whether the supply voltage vdd is at a low power condition or a power - on condition . this is further described herein . in operation , one of the bit sets stored in memory 106 is conveyed to selectable threshold point circuit block 108 via control signals n . the bit set essentially programs the selectable threshold point circuit 108 , thus selecting the threshold voltage value associated with that data bit set . from another perspective , the control signals define the magnitude of a pull - up current that flows from node cc through selectable threshold point circuit block 108 . voltage following circuit block 107 tracks the power supply voltage vdd and outputs a tracked voltage which appears at node bb , the input to switch circuit block 109 . the tracked voltage controls the magnitude of a pull - down current that flows from node cc through switch circuit block 109 . node cc functions as a detection node for the threshold point . when the magnitude of the voltage supply vdd is lower than the selected threshold point , the pull - down current flowing through switch circuit block 109 is less than the pull - up current flowing through selectable threshold point circuit block 108 . this pulls the voltage level of node cc to the voltage level of supply voltage vdd through selectable threshold point circuitry block 108 . the voltage level detection circuit block 116 detects this voltage value at node cc and , in response , outputs a signal which tracks the supply voltage vdd . this signifies that the value of supply voltage vdd is below the threshold point . when the magnitude of the voltage supply vdd is greater than the selected threshold point , the pull - down current flowing through switch circuit block 109 is greater than the pull - up current flowing through selectable threshold point circuit board 108 . this pulls the voltage level of node cc to ground through switch circuit block 109 . the voltage level detection circuit block 116 then detects this low voltage at node cc and , in response , outputs a driven and clearly defined low output to microprocessor 118 . this signifies that the value of the voltage supply vdd is above the threshold point . fig2 is a schematic diagram of a circuit implementation for voltage detector 100 of fig1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . in particular , fig2 depicts a number of circuits which correspond to voltage following circuit block 107 , selectable threshold point circuit block 108 , switch circuit block 109 , current source generator block 110 , and voltage level detection circuit block 116 . voltage following circuit block 107 includes a weak nmos transistor 230 configured as a source follower . voltage following circuit block 107 functions to track supply voltage vdd . the gate terminal of transistor 230 is connected to supply voltage vdd . supply voltage vdd is provided by power source 204 , which can be a battery . the source terminal of transistor 230 is connected to node bb . the drain terminal of transistor 230 is connected to selectable threshold voltage point block 108 at node aa . selectable threshold point circuit block 108 includes a number of pmos current mirror transistors 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 , which function as current mirrors , coupled to a number of nmos switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 , which function as switches . selectable threshold point circuit block 108 functions to precisely set the value of the threshold voltage . a pmos transistor 228 provides a reference for the current mirrors . the source and body terminals of current - reference transistor 228 are connected to supply voltage vdd . the gate and drain terminals of current - reference transistor 228 are connected to current - mirror - reference node aa . the gate terminals of current mirror transistors 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 are connected to current mirror reference node aa . the source and body terminals of current mirror transistors 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 are connected to supply voltage vdd . the drain terminal of current mirror transistor 232 is connected to node cc . the drain terminals of current mirror transistors 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 are connected to the drain terminals of switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 , respectively . the source terminals of switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 are connected to node cc . the gate terminals of switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 are connected to memory 106 to receive control signals 208 , 210 , 212 and 214 , respectively , which are generated from bit sets in memory 106 . the selected value of the threshold voltage is determined by the amount of current which is allowed to flow from selectable threshold voltage circuit block 108 to node cc . if more current is allowed to flow , then the value selected for the threshold voltage will be higher . conversely , if less current is allowed to flow , then the value selected for the threshold voltage will be lower . in operation , when any of the control signals 208 , 210 , 212 and 214 have a logic high value , the respective switch transistor 242 , 244 , 246 , and / or 248 is turned on . this allows current to flow through the respective current mirror transistor 234 , 236 , 238 , and / or 240 to node cc . when any of control signals 208 , 210 , 212 and / or 214 have a logic low value , the respective switch transistor 242 , 244 , 246 , and / or 248 is turned off . this prevents current from flowing through the respective current mirror transistor 234 , 236 , 238 , and / or 240 to node cc . note that the current always flows through current - mirror transistor 232 to node cc since it is not controlled by a switch transistor . the amount of current conducted by each individual current mirror transistor 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 is determined by its width to length ( w / l ) ratio . in one embodiment , current mirror transistors 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 each have a different w / l ratio . thus , the total amount of current that flows to node cc from selectable threshold point circuit block 108 can be precisely set and controlled depending on which switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 have been turned on by respective control signals 208 , 210 , 212 and 214 ( according to a particular data bit set ). in one embodiment , switch transistors 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 have w / l ratios of 5μ / 2μ . current - mirror reference transistor 228 and current - mirror transistor 232 have w / l ratios of 8μ / 4μ , current - mirror transistor 234 has a w / l ratio of 3μ / 4μ , current - mirror transistor 236 has a w / l ratio of 6μ / 4μ , current - mirror transistor 238 has a w / l ratio of 8μ / 4μ , and current - mirror transistor 240 has a w / l ratio of 10μ / 4μ . switch circuit block 109 includes a weak nmos transistor 112 . switch circuit block 109 allows node cc to be pulled up to the voltage level of supply voltage vdd or down to ground gnd depending on the amount of current being provided to node cc by selectable threshold point circuit block 108 and the value of the tracked supply voltage appearing at node bb . the gate terminal of transistor 112 is connected to node bb . the drain terminal of transistor 112 is connected to node cc . the source terminal of transistor 112 is connected to ground gnd . when the value of supply voltage vdd is above the selected value for the threshold voltage , transistor 112 is turned on , and the voltage at node cc is pulled low . current source generator block 110 includes an nmos transistor 250 ( which can be a depletion type transistor ), nmos transistors 252 and 254 , and a capacitor 256 . transistor 252 is configured as a diode - connected current reference transistor and transistor 254 is configured as a current mirror . the drain terminal of transistor 250 is connected to supply voltage vdd . the gate and source terminals transistor 250 , the gate and drain terminals of transistor 252 , and the gate terminal of transistor 254 are connected together at a node dd . the source terminals of transistors 252 and 254 as well as one terminal of capacitor 256 are connected to ground gnd . the other terminal of capacitor 256 and the drain terminal of transistor 254 are connected to node bb . the gate - source connected transistor 250 sets the current level passed to current reference transistor 252 . this current level is relatively constant and independent of voltage source 204 . in operation , transistor 250 provides current to current reference transistor 252 . this current is proportionately mirrored in current mirror transistor 254 . the mirrored current , acting against the pull - up current provided by pmos transistor 228 ( in the selectable threshold voltage circuit block 108 ) and weak nmos transistor 230 ( in the voltage - following circuitry block 107 ), sets the voltage at the node bb , that is , the gate voltage of weak transistor 112 ( in switch block 109 ). the voltage at node bb increases with an increasing power supply voltage vdd . capacitor 256 stabilizes the voltage at node bb . in one embodiment , nmos transistors 252 and 254 both have w / l ratios of 4μ / 4μ and capacitor 256 has a capacitance of 500ff . voltage level detection circuit block 116 includes pmos transistors 260 , 262 , and 264 , nmos transistors 266 , 268 , and 270 , and an inverter 272 . the source and body terminals of transistors 260 and 262 are connected to supply voltage vdd . the gate terminal of transistor 262 is connected to node cc . the drain terminal of transistor 262 is connected to the source terminal of transistor 264 and to the drain terminal of transistor 260 . the body terminal of transistor 264 is connected to supply voltage vdd . the gate terminal of transistor 264 is connected to node cc . the drain terminal of transistor 264 is connected to the drain terminal of transistor 266 and to the input terminal of inverter 272 . the gate terminal of transistor 266 is connected to node cc . the source terminal of transistor 266 is connected to the drain terminals of transistors 268 and 270 . the gate terminal of transistor 268 is connected to node cc . the source terminals of transistors 268 and 270 are connected to ground gnd . the gate terminals of transistor 270 and transistor 260 are connected to the output terminal of inverter 272 . the inverter 272 outputs an output signal 274 . transistors 262 , 264 , 266 , and 268 are connected as an inverter . this inverter , in combination with inverter 272 , forms a hysteresis circuit . transistors 260 and 270 provide a feedback loop . in one embodiment , transistor 268 has a w / l ratio of 10μ / 2μ , transistor 266 has a w / l ratio of 7μ / 1μ , and nmos transistor 270 has a w / l ratio of 12μ / 1μ . transistor 262 has a w / l ratio of 20μ / 2μ , transistor 264 has a w / l ratio of 15μ / 1μ , and transistor 260 has a w / l ratio of 24μ / 1μ . in operation , voltage level detection circuit block 116 monitors the voltage at node cc , which indicates when supply voltage vdd is less than or greater than the programmed threshold voltage . the threshold point for supply voltage vdd is reached when the pull - up current from the selectable threshold point circuit block 108 is equals the pull - down current in transistor 112 . if the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd is lower than the threshold point , the current flowing through selectable threshold point circuit block 108 pulls the voltage at node cc up to the level of vdd . this indicates a low power condition . in contrast , if the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd is greater than the threshold point , the current flowing through transistor 112 pulls the voltage at node cc to ground gnd . this indicates a sufficient / adequate power condition . the voltage at node cc is put through the hysteresis circuit ( consisting of two inverters ) and a feedback loop to sharpen the output signal and to prevent it from responding to small signal perturbations on the node cc at the threshold point . fig3 a - 3c are diagrams illustrating the response of the voltage detector of fig2 to a varying supply voltage input . fig3 a shows the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd and the magnitude of the voltage at node bb on the y - axis versus time on the x - axis . fig3 b shows the magnitude of the output signal 274 appearing at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 on the y - axis versus time on the x - axis when an exemplary threshold point b has been programmed . fig3 c shows the magnitude of the output signal 274 appearing at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 on the y - axis versus time on the x - axis when an exemplary threshold point a has been programmed . although fig3 b and 3c only shows the response for two programmed threshold points , threshold point a and threshold point b , skilled artisans will recognize that a large number of programmable threshold voltages can be precisely defined using selectable threshold point circuit block 108 . initially , as the level of supply voltage vdd increases from 0 . 0 volts , both the voltage at node bb and the voltage at the output terminal of voltage detector ( output signal 274 ) increase proportionally . when vdd exceeds the programmed threshold point ( approximately 2 . 5 volts for threshold point b and 4 . 3 volts for threshold point a ), the voltage at node bb increases proportionally , but the voltage at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 ( output signal 274 ) falls to approximately 0 . 0 volts . this signifies a power - on condition . as long as the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd is above the threshold point , the voltage at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 remains at approximately 0 . 0 volts . but , as the magnitude of supply voltage vdd decreases from 5 . 0 volts , the voltage at node bb decreases proportionally . when the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd decreases below the programmed threshold point ( approximately 2 . 5 volts for threshold point b and 4 . 3 volts for threshold point a ), the voltage at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 rises from 0 . 0 volts to the programmed threshold point . this indicates a low voltage condition . then as the magnitude of the supply voltage vdd continues to decrease , both the voltage at node bb and the voltage at the output terminal of voltage detector 100 decrease proportionally . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a current source generator block 210 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . current source generator block 210 can be used as an alternative to current source generator block 110 of fig2 . current source generator block 210 , like the current source generator block 110 , includes nmos transistor 250 , nmos transistors 252 and 254 , node dd , and capacitor 256 . current source generator block 210 further includes nmos transistors 300 , 302 , 304 , and 306 . nmos transistors 300 and 302 are connected in series , as are nmos transistors 304 and 306 . the source terminals of nmos transistors 302 and 306 are connected to ground gnd . the gate terminals of nmos transistors 302 and 306 are connected to node dd . the drain terminals of nmos transistors 300 and 304 are connected to node bb . the gate terminals of nmos transistors 300 and 304 are connected to receive control signals 308 and 310 , respectively . control signals 308 and 310 may be generated from data stored in memory 106 . transistor 252 functions as a current reference and each of transistors 254 , 302 , and 306 function as current mirrors . transistors 300 and 304 function as switches for current mirror transistors 302 and 306 , respectively . in operation , when any of control signals 308 or 310 have a logic high value , the respective switch transistor 300 and / or 304 is turned on . this allows current to flow through the respective current mirror transistor 302 and / or 306 to node bb . when any of control signals 308 or 310 have a logic low value , the respective switch transistor 300 and / or 304 is turned off . this prevents current from flowing through the respective current mirror 302 and / or 306 to node bb . while particular embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been shown and described , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions , and alterations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
referring initially to fig1 , a schematic diagram outlining the major processing zones of a poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin production facility 10 , configured according to one or more embodiments of the present invention , is provided . as shown in fig1 , facility 10 includes a reaction zone 20 , a wash zone 30 , a separation zone 40 , and a drying zone 50 . reactants , which typically include at least one poly ( vinyl alcohol ) and at least one aldehyde , are introduced into reaction zone 20 , along with a catalyst , and are reacted to form a slurry including a plurality of solid poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . the slurry is introduced into wash zone 30 , wherein at least a portion of the particles are contacted with a wash liquid to remove contaminants and to further cool the slurry . the resulting cooled washed particle slurry is then introduced into separation zone 40 , wherein additional liquid is removed . the resulting solids - rich material can then be further dried in drying zone 50 to provide a plurality of dried resin particles . as shown in fig1 , spent wash liquid withdrawn from wash zone 30 and / or separation zone 40 may be filtered with one or more internal or external filtration devices in order to remove any residual solids . as shown in fig1 , one or more of the resulting solids - depleted and / or solids - enhanced streams can then be returned to one or more locations within the facility , upstream or downstream of the withdrawal point , for further recovery and / or use . although generally described herein with respect to the production and recovery of particles of poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin , it should also be understood that the systems and methods according to embodiments of the present invention can be utilized when producing one or more other types of polymers . for example , in some embodiments , the systems and processes described herein may be used to produce one or more thermoplastic polymers , such as , for example , polyurethanes ( pu ), poly ( ethylene - co - vinyl ) acetates ( eva ), polyvinyl chlorides ( pvc ), poly ( vinylchloride - co - methacrylate ), polyethylenes , polyolefins , ethylene acrylate ester copolymers , poly ( ethylene - co - butyl acrylate ), silicone elastomers , epoxy resins , polyvinyl alcohols , polyvinyl acetates , poly ( arylene sulfides ), cellulose esters , and acid copolymers such as ethylene / carboxylic acid copoloymers and ionomers thereof , derived from any of the previously - listed polymers , and combinations thereof . when facility 10 is used to produce particles of a poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin , two or more reaction components , such as , for example , an aldehyde and a poly ( vinyl alcohol ), may be added to a polymerization reactor ( not shown ) in reaction zone 20 via conduits 110 and 112 , as shown in fig1 . in some embodiments , at least one catalyst , such as , for example , an acid catalyst , may also be added to reaction zone 20 via conduit 114 , as shown in fig1 . although shown in separate conduits 110 , 112 , and 114 , one or more of the reaction components introduced into reaction zone 20 may be combined prior to entering the reaction zone , or one or more of the components may be added separately . additionally , the components may be added in any suitable order , or two or more may be added simultaneously . further , one or more of the components may be combined with or dissolved in one or more solvents including , but not limited to , water or another aqueous solvent , prior to , or within , reaction zone 20 . the aldehyde in conduit 112 can be any suitable aromatic or aliphatic aldehyde and , in some embodiments , may comprise at least one c 1 to c 10 aldehyde or at least one c 4 to c 8 aldehyde . the aldehyde may be introduced alone as a single aldehyde component , or may be combined with one or more other aldehydes before introduction into , or within , reaction zone 20 . examples of suitable c 4 to c 8 aldehydes can include , but are not limited to , n - butyraldehyde , iso - butyraldehyde , 2 - methylvaleraldehyde , n - hexyl aldehyde , 2 - ethylhexyl aldehyde , n - octyl aldehyde , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the aldehyde component may be selected from the group consisting of n - butyraldehyde , iso - butyraldehyde , 2 - methylvaleraldehyde , 2 - ethylhexyl aldehyde , and combinations thereof . in other embodiments , the aldehyde in conduit 112 can comprise one or more other aldehydes including , but not limited to , cinnamaldehyde , hexylcinnamaldehyde , benzaldehyde , hydrocinnamaldehyde , 4 - chlorobenzaldehyde , 4 - t - butylphenylacetaldehyde , propionaldehyde , 2 - phenylpropionaldehyde , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the aldehyde concentration of the stream in conduit 112 can be at least about 90 , at least about 95 , at least about 97 , at least about 99 weight percent , based on the total weight of the stream in conduit 112 . in some embodiments , the aldehyde concentration in the stream in conduit 112 can be in the range of from about 90 to about 99 . 9 , about 95 to about 99 , or about 99 to about 99 . 9 weight percent , with the balance being one or more other aldehydes or other impurities . in some embodiments , the concentration of poly ( vinyl ) alcohol in the reactant stream in conduit 110 can be at least about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 weight percent and / or not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 18 , or not more than about 15 weight percent , based on the total weight of the stream in conduit 110 , with the balance being water or other solvent . the concentration of the poly ( vinyl alcohol ), or “ varnish ,” in conduit 110 can be in the range of from about 5 to about 30 , about 8 to about 20 , or about 10 to about 18 weight percent , based on the total weight of the stream . the weight ratio of aldehyde in stream 112 to poly ( vinyl alcohol ) in stream 110 added to reaction zone 20 can be at least about 0 . 10 : 1 , at least about 0 . 25 : 1 , at least about 0 . 50 : 1 and / or not more than about 2 : 1 , not more than about 1 . 5 : 1 , or not more than about 0 . 75 : 1 , or it can be in the range of from about 0 . 25 : 1 to about 1 . 5 : 1 or about 0 . 5 : 1 to about 0 . 75 : 1 . in reaction zone 20 , the temperature of the reaction can be at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 25 , at least about 40 , at least about 45 , at least about 50 , at least about 55 , at least about 60 , at least about 65 , at least about 70 , at least about 75 , at least about 80 and / or not more than about 105 , not more than about 100 , not more than about 95 , or not more than about 90 ° c ., or in the range of from about 5 to about 105 ° c ., from about 25 to about 100 ° c ., from about 40 to about 95 ° c ., or from about 50 to about 90 ° c . the reaction pressure can be at or near atmospheric pressure , and the residence time or average residence time may be varied as needed . details for various other parameters of the reaction are described in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 282 , 057 and 2 , 282 , 026 and in vinyl acetal polymers , in encyclopedia of polymer science & amp ; technology , 3 rd edition , volume 8 , pages 381 - 399 , by b . e . wade ( 2003 ), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure . in some embodiments , the reaction performed in reaction zone 20 may be a batch reaction , while , in other embodiments , it can be semi - batch or continuous . further , the reaction may take place in a single reaction vessel , or it may be performed in two or more reaction vessels arranged in parallel or in series . the contents of the reactor may be agitated during the reaction and , in some embodiments , the reactor can be a continuous stirred tank reactor including at least one mechanical agitator . in some embodiments , the reactor may employ a high shear mixer as described in u . s . patent application no . 2010 / 0267921 , the entirety of which is incorporated by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure . upon reaction of the poly ( vinyl alcohol ) and aldehyde in reaction zone 20 , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles precipitate out of solution and form a reaction slurry . as shown in fig1 , a stream of reaction slurry may be withdrawn from reaction zone 20 and passed to wash zone 30 via transfer conduit 116 . in some embodiments , the particle slurry withdrawn from reaction zone 20 can have a total solids content , on a dry weight basis , of at least about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 and / or not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , or not more than about 18 weight percent , or in the range of from about 5 to about 30 , about 8 to about 25 , or about 10 to about 20 weight percent . as used herein , the term “ total solids content ” refers to the concentration , by weight , of solids in a given stream , based on the total weight of the stream . the dry weight of a slurry is measured by weighing the residue of a sample after complete evaporation of the liquid phase . all values provided herein for the total solids content of various streams are given on a dry weight basis , unless otherwise noted the average particle size of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles in the reaction slurry can be at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 75 , at least about 80 microns , at least about 100 , at least about 150 , or at least about 200 microns and / or not more than about 1 , 000 , not more than about 800 , not more than about 700 , not more than about 600 , not more than about 500 , not more than about 400 microns , or in the range of from about 50 to about 1 , 000 , about 75 to about 500 or about 150 to about 400 microns , measured according to astm d1921 , method a . the particle slurry withdrawn from reaction zone 20 can be at or near the reaction temperature when passed to separation zone 30 . for example , the average temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 can be at least about 5 , at least about 15 , at least about 25 , at least about 40 , at least about 45 , at least about 55 , at least about 55 , at least about 60 , at least about 65 , at least about 70 , at least about 75 , at least about 80 and / or not more than about 105 , not more than about 100 , not more than about 95 , not more than about 90 , not more than about 85 , or not more than about 75 ° c ., or it can be in the range of from about 5 to about 105 ° c ., from about 25 to about 100 , from about 40 to about 95 , or about 50 to about 90 ° c . in certain embodiments , facility 10 may include at least one precipitation device ( not shown ) located between reaction zone 20 and wash zone 30 . the precipitation device may be any device or vessel suitable for combining a solution of poly ( vinyl acetal ) polymer in a suitable solvent such as but not limited to methanol , ethanol , isopropanol etc . withdrawn from reaction zone 20 with water prior to introducing the resultant slurry into wash vessel 30 . according to some embodiments , such a device may be used when , for example , the slurry exiting reaction zone 20 may comprises at least one organic solvent in place of , or in addition to , water . according to some embodiments of the present invention , the particle slurry transported from reaction zone 20 to wash zone 30 via conduit 116 can optionally be combined with at least one dilution liquid , as shown by conduit 118 in fig1 , to provide a diluted reaction slurry in conduit 120 . any suitable amount of dilution liquid can be used and , in some embodiments , may be an amount sufficient to increase the mass flow rate of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 by at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 20 , or at least about 30 percent . when a dilution liquid is added to the reaction slurry in conduit 116 , the ratio of the mass flow rate of the diluted reaction slurry in conduit 120 to the mass flow rate of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 can be at least about 1 . 1 : 1 , at least about 1 . 2 : 1 , at least about 1 . 5 : 1 and / or not more than about 5 : 1 , not more than about 3 : 1 , or not more than about 2 : 1 , or it can be in the range of from about 1 . 1 : 1 to about 5 : 1 , about 1 . 2 : 1 to about 3 : 1 , or about 1 . 5 : 1 to about 2 : 1 . the dilution liquid can be any liquid suitable for addition to the reaction slurry as described above . in some embodiments , the dilution liquid in conduit 118 can comprise water in an amount of at least about 25 , at least about 50 , at least about 75 , or at least about 90 weight percent . in some embodiments , the dilution liquid in conduit 118 can consist of water . the stream of dilution liquid may originate from one or more sources within or outside of facility 10 , shown in fig1 , and may or may not originate from the same source as the yet - to - be - discussed wash liquid introduced into wash zone 30 via conduit 122 . various embodiments of additional sources from which the dilution liquid may originate will be described in further detail shortly . upon combination with the dilution liquid in conduit 118 , the resulting diluted reaction slurry in conduit 120 can have a total solids content of at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 2 . 5 and / or not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , or not more than about 3 weight percent , or it can be in the range of from about 0 . 5 to about 10 , about 1 to about 8 , or about 2 to about 5 weight percent . in some embodiments , the difference between the solids content of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 and the diluted reaction slurry in conduit 120 can be at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 5 , at least about 10 weight percent . as used herein , the phrase “ difference between ” refers to the mathematical difference between two given weight percentages , calculated by subtracting one number from the other . for example , the difference between a reaction slurry having a total solids content of 15 weight percent and a diluted reaction slurry having a total solids content of 10 weight percent is 5 weight percent ( 15 weight percent − 10 weight percent = 5 weight percent ). as used herein , the term “ different ” can mean higher or lower . in some embodiments , the solids concentration of the dilute reaction slurry in conduit 120 is lower than the solids concentration of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . for example , the total solids concentration of the dilute reaction slurry in conduit 120 can be not more than about 90 , not more than about 75 , or not more than about 50 percent of the total solids content of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . the temperature of the dilution liquid stream in conduit 118 can be similar to or different than the temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . in some embodiments , the dilution liquid stream in conduit 118 can be cooler than the reaction slurry in conduit 116 , such that , upon combination , the temperature of the reaction slurry is reduced . in other embodiments , the temperature of the dilution liquid in conduit 118 can be the same as or higher than the temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . the temperature of the dilution liquid in conduit 118 may be about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 , or at least about 15 ° c . different than the temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . in some embodiments , the temperature of the dilution liquid stream in conduit 118 can be at least about 20 , at least about 25 , at least about 30 , at least about 35 , at least about 40 and / or not more than about 70 , not more than about 60 , not more than about 50 , not more than about 45 , not more than about 40 , or not more than about 30 ° c . when the temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 falls within the ranges described above , the resulting diluted slurry in conduit 120 can have a temperature of at least about 25 , at least about 30 , at least about 35 , at least about 40 and / or not more than about 70 , not more than about 65 , not more than about 60 , not more than about 55 , not more than about 50 ° c ., or it can be in the range of from about 25 to about 70 , about 30 to about 65 , or about 40 to about 60 ° c . this can , in some embodiments , represent a reduction in temperature of the reaction slurry in conduit 116 of at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 20 and / or not more than about 45 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , or not more than about 25 ° c ., or by an amount in the range of from about 5 to about 45 , about 10 to about 40 , or about 15 to about 30 ° c . in other embodiments of the present invention , the reaction slurry in conduit 116 may be directly introduced into wash zone 30 without the addition of a dilution liquid in conduit 118 . according to such embodiments , the temperature of the reaction slurry introduced into wash zone 30 can be the same , or nearly the same , as the temperature of reaction slurry in conduit 116 described above , and the total solids content may also be within one or more of the ranges described previously . in some embodiments , facility 10 may be configured such that the dilution liquid in conduit 118 may be added on a non - continuous or as - needed basis , such that the dilution liquid in conduit 118 may be selectively added to the reaction slurry in conduit 116 . in addition to poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles and liquid , the reaction slurry and / or diluted reaction slurry may also include one or more other components that are typically undesirable when present in the final resin particles , especially in high concentrations . examples of these components can include , but are not limited to , residual catalyst , metal salts , unreacted materials , including aldehydes , reaction byproducts , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , one or more of these additional components may be present in the reaction slurry and / or diluted reaction slurry in an amount of at least about 50 , at least about 100 , at least about 250 , at least about 500 , at least about 1000 and / or not more than about 15 , 000 , not more than about 12 , 500 , not more than about 10 , 000 , not more than about 7500 , not more than about 5000 , not more than about 2500 , or not more than about 1500 ppmw , or these could be present in an amount in the range of from 50 to about 15 , 000 , about 100 to about 10 , 000 , or about 500 to about 7500 parts per million by weight ( ppmw ). in many cases , failure to remove such components from the resin particles may result in increased operating inefficiencies during subsequent processing of the particles and / or defects in the final products , such as sheets or interlayers , formed with the dried resin particles . to remove these unwanted components from the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles , the reaction slurry or diluted reaction slurry in conduit 120 can be introduced into a wash zone 30 , wherein at least a portion of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles may be contacted with at least one wash liquid . in some embodiments , the total amount of undesired components , including one or more of those listed above , present in the washed particle slurry removed from wash zone 30 via conduit 124 can be not more than about 1000 , not more than about 750 , not more than about 500 , not more than about 250 , not more than about 100 , not more than about 75 , not more than about 50 , or not more than about 20 ppmw . this can represent a reduction in unwanted components of at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 70 , at least about 75 , at least about 85 , at least about 90 , at least about 95 percent , as compared to the slurry introduced into wash zone 30 via conduit 120 . the step of contacting the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles with a wash liquid performed in wash zone 30 can be carried out in a batch , semi - batch , or continuous manner . the contacting may be performed in a single wash vessel , or in two or more wash vessels arranged in parallel or in series . in some embodiments , at least one of the reacting step performed in reaction zone 20 and the contacting step performed in wash zone 30 may be performed continuously , while the other step may be carried out in a batch or semi - batch manner . alternatively , both the reacting and contacting steps may be carried out in a batch or semi - batch manner , or both may be done continuously . the average residence time of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles within wash zone 30 can be , for example , at least about 15 , at least about 30 , at least about 60 , at least about 90 minutes and / or not more than about 360 , not more than about 300 , or not more than about 240 minutes , or it can be in the range of from about 30 to about 360 minutes , about 60 to about 300 minutes , or about 90 to about 240 minutes . as shown in fig1 , the wash liquid introduced into wash zone 30 via conduit 122 may originate from one or more sources within or outside of facility 10 . for example , in some embodiments , the wash liquid can comprise at least one liquid transported to facility 10 via conduit 121 , while , in some embodiments , all or a portion of the wash liquid in conduit 122 can originate from one or more locations within facility 10 , typically from locations at or downstream of wash zone 30 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , portions of the wash liquid stream in conduit 122 may originate from yet - to - be - discussed filtered liquid streams in conduits 138 b and / or 146 removed from wash zone 30 and / or separation zone 40 . the wash liquid in conduit 122 can comprise any liquid suitable for contacting the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . in some embodiments , the wash liquid in conduit 122 can comprise or be water , and may include , for example , at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 70 , at least about 80 , at least about 90 , at least about 95 weight percent water , based on the total weight of the liquid in conduit 122 . in some embodiments , the wash liquid may include other components , such as a neutralizing agent , in order to further reduce or remove one or more contaminants from the slurry . for example , when the slurry introduced into wash zone 30 has an acidic ph of not more than about 6 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 4 , not more than about 3 , or not more than about 2 , the wash liquid in conduit 122 may comprise a neutralizing agent having a ph of at least about 7 . 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 8 . 5 , or at least about 9 . alternatively , the wash liquid may have a ph of less than about 6 , less than about 5 , or less than about 4 , when the slurry has a basic ph greater than 8 . in some embodiments , the neutralizing agent may be added intermittently , such that the wash liquid stream in conduit 122 has an acidic or basic ph for only a portion of the contacting step performed in wash zone 30 . the wash liquid in conduit 122 may be substantially free of solids . for example , in some embodiments , the total solids content of the wash liquid in conduit 122 can be not more than about 0 . 05 , not more than about 0 . 01 , or not more than about 0 . 005 weight percent . if present , the solids in wash liquid 122 may have a smaller average particle size than the solids present in the slurry introduced into wash zone 30 and can , for example , have an average particle size of not more than about 50 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , or not more than about 10 microns . the wash liquid can be at any suitable temperature and , in some embodiments , the temperature of the wash liquid in conduit 122 can be at least about 2 , at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 20 , at least about 25 , at least about 30 , at least about 35 and / or not more than about 90 , not more than about 85 , not more than about 80 , not more than about 75 , not more than about 65 , not more than about 50 , or not more than about 40 ° c ., or in the range of from about 2 to about 90 , about 15 to about 80 , or about 20 to about 75 ° c . depending on the origin of the wash liquid , the stream in conduit 122 ( and / or one or more streams contributing thereto ) may optionally be heated or cooled in one or more heat exchangers ( not shown in fig1 ) prior to being introduced into wash zone 30 . such heating or cooling may be performed via indirect heat exchange with one or more heat exchange fluids , such as , for example , cooling water , steam , or another process stream of higher or lower temperature , and / or it may be performed via direct heat exchange with steam or cooled or ice water . in addition to removing contaminants , the wash liquid may also reduce the temperature of the slurry in wash zone 30 . for example , in some embodiments , when contacted with the slurry , which can have a temperature within the ranges described previously , the wash liquid may reduce the temperature of the wash vessel contents by at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 20 , at least about 30 , or at least about 40 ° c . such a reduction may take place over a period of time of , for example , at least about 15 minutes , at least about 30 minutes , at least about 1 hour , at least about 2 hours , or at least about 3 hours . at the end of the contacting step , the washed particle slurry within wash zone 30 may have a temperature of not more than about 50 , not more than about 45 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 35 , not more than about 30 , or not more than about 25 ° c . in some embodiments , the wash liquid may be continuously introduced into wash zone 30 and one or more streams of spent wash liquid may be continuously removed from separation zone 30 as shown in fig1 . according to some embodiments of the present invention , facility 10 may further comprise one or more filtration devices configured to separate at least a portion of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles from at least a portion of the spent wash liquid within and / or removed from wash zone 30 . in some embodiments , one or more filtration devices , generally represented by filter element 60 in fig1 , may be located within one or more wash vessels ( not shown ) disposed within wash zone 30 . in the same or other embodiments , one or more filtration devices , generally represented by filter 62 in fig1 , may also be located external to the wash vessels and can be configured to filter at least a portion of the spent wash liquid and / or washed poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin slurry withdrawn from wash zone 30 via conduit 126 . specific embodiments of various filtration devices suitable for use in facility 10 will be discussed in detail shortly . when facility 10 includes at least one filter element 60 disposed within the interior of a wash vessel within wash zone 30 , at least a portion of the spent wash liquid can be passed through the filter elements before being removed from the vessel via conduit 125 . as a portion of the liquid within wash zone 30 is passed through the filter , at least a portion of the solid poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles can be retained within the interior of the vessel , thereby providing a solids - enriched retentate phase within the vessel and a solids - depleted permeate stream . the solids - depleted permeate stream , at least a portion of which may be withdrawn from the wash vessel as a stream of spent wash fluid in conduit 125 , may have total solids content lower than the solids - enriched retentate phase retained within the wash vessel and may also have a total solids content lower than the slurry introduced into the wash vessel in conduit 120 . in some embodiments , the spent wash liquid stream in conduit 125 may have a total solids content of at least about 0 . 001 , at least about 0 . 0025 , at least about 0 . 005 , at least about 0 . 010 , at least about 0 . 050 , at least about 0 . 10 and / or not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 4 , not more than about 3 , not more than about 2 , not more than about 1 , or not more than about 0 . 50 weight percent . the total solids content of the spent wash liquid stream in conduit 125 can be in the range of from about 0 . 001 to about 10 , about 0 . 005 to about 8 , or about 0 . 010 to about 5 weight percent . in some embodiments , the average particle size of the solid particles present in the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 125 can be smaller than the average particle size of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles in the slurry introduced into wash zone 30 . for example , the average particle size of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles present in the solids - depleted stream in conduit 125 can be not more than about 50 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 15 , not more than about 10 , or not more than about 5 microns , which may be at least about 30 , at least about 40 , at least about 50 , at least about 60 , or at least about 70 percent less than the average particle size of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles present in the slurry introduced into wash zone 30 in conduit 120 . in certain embodiments , a solids - containing stream withdrawn from wash zone 30 in conduit 126 may be introduced into at least one filter 62 located external to the wash vessel within wash zone 30 . filter 62 may be any suitable device for filtering at least a portion of the solids - containing stream and may include one or more filters , arranged in series or in parallel . each filter may further include one or more filtration elements . additional details regarding specific embodiments of suitable filters and filter elements will be discussed shortly . in some embodiments , the temperature of the solids - containing stream in conduit 126 passing through filter 62 can be at least about 25 , at least about 30 at least about 40 , at least about 45 , at least about 50 , at least about 55 , at least about 60 , or at least about 65 ° c . the total solids content of the stream in conduit 126 introduced into filter 62 can be at least about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 and / or not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , or not more than about 18 weight percent , or in the range of from about 5 to about 30 , about 8 to about 25 , or about 10 to about 20 weight percent . as shown in fig1 , filter 62 may be configured to separate the solids - containing stream in conduit 126 into a solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 and a solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 134 . in some embodiments , the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 can include at least about 60 , at least about 65 , at least about 70 , at least about 75 , at least about 80 , at least about 85 , or at least about 90 percent of the total amount of solids present in the solids - containing stream introduced into filter 62 via in conduit 126 . the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 134 can comprise not more than about 40 , not more than about 35 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 15 , not more than about 10 , not more than about 5 , or not more than about 1 weight percent of the total amount of solids introduced into filter 62 in the solids - containing stream in conduit 126 . as it passes through filter 62 , the total solids content of the portion of the stream retained by the filter may be increased . for example , the total solids content of the retained phase may be increased by an amount of at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 1 . 5 , or at least about 2 weight percent , such that the total solids content of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 can be at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 4 weight percent , at least about 6 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 weight percent and / or not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 18 , not more than about 15 , not more than about 12 weight percent . according to some embodiments , the difference between the total solids content of the solids - containing stream introduced into filter 62 and the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 can be at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 and / or not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 3 , or not more than about 2 weight percent . as shown in fig1 , at least a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 can be recycled back to the process at a location at or downstream of wash zone 30 . in some embodiments , at least a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 can be returned to wash zone 30 via conduit 136 a , wherein it can be introduced directly into wash zone 30 via conduit 137 b , or it can be routed via conduit 137 a for combination with the slurry in conduit 120 prior to being introduced into wash zone 30 . in some embodiments , at least a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 136 b can be optionally combined with a washed particle slurry withdrawn from wash zone 30 in conduit 124 a and the combined stream may be introduced into separation zone 40 , as shown by conduit 139 . once returned to the process , the recovered poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles may be continued through the remaining process stages as described herein . the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 134 can have a total solids content less than the solids - containing stream introduced into filter 62 in conduit 126 and less than the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 132 . in some embodiments , the total solids content of the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 134 may be not more than about 1 , not more than about 0 . 5 , not more than about 0 . 1 , not more than about 0 . 05 , not more than about 0 . 01 , or not more than about 0 . 005 weight percent . as shown in fig1 , at least a portion of the solids - depleted permeate stream withdrawn from filter 62 in conduit 134 may be optionally combined with a spent wash fluid stream in conduit 125 , if present , and the combined stream can be returned to the facility 10 and reintroduced into the process at or upstream of wash zone 30 . in particular , in some embodiments , at least a portion of the permeate stream in conduit 125 and / or conduit 134 may be reintroduced directly into wash zone 30 for use as a wash liquid , as shown by conduit 138 a , or it may be combined with the wash liquid stream in conduit 122 , as shown by conduit 138 b . upon introduction into wash zone 30 , at least a portion of the recycled portion of the solids - depleted permeate stream may be used for contacting the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particle as described in detail previously . when all or a portion of the solids - depleted streams in conduit 125 and / or conduit 134 are recycled back to wash zone 30 , the flow rate of these recycled streams in conduits 138 a and / or 138 b can be substantially less than the fresh wash liquid in 122 . for example , in some embodiments , the flow rate of the wash liquid in conduit 122 can be at least about 25 , at least about 40 , at least about 50 , at least about 75 percent higher than the total flow rate of the spent wash liquid returned to wash zone 30 via conduits 138 a and 138 b . alternatively , all or a portion of the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 125 and / or the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 134 may be routed out of facility 10 for further storage and / or disposal , as shown by conduit 190 . turning now to fig2 , a reaction zone 20 and a wash zone 30 configured according to one or more embodiments of the present invention are shown as generally comprising a reaction vessel 220 , a wash vessel 230 , and a slurry transfer conduit 250 for transporting the reaction slurry from reaction vessel 220 to wash vessel 230 . additionally , the portion of the resin production facility shown in fig2 further comprises a dilution liquid conduit 252 for diluting at least a portion of the slurry in transfer conduit 250 , and two filtration devices 280 and 282 for respectively filtering solids from at least a portion of the washed particle slurry within the interior of and withdrawn from wash vessel 230 . in operation , one or more components introduced into reaction vessel 220 via conduit 260 may be reacted to form a solid particle slurry , as described above . the slurry may then be removed from reaction vessel 220 and passed to a wash vessel 230 via transfer conduit 250 . as shown in fig2 , transfer conduit 250 may comprise a first segment 250 a and a second segment 250 b , wherein the first segment 250 a is positioned between the slurry outlet of reaction vessel 220 and the point at which the dilution liquid in conduit 252 is introduced into transfer conduit 250 and the second segment 250 b is positioned between the point at which the dilution liquid in conduit 252 is introduced and the slurry inlet of the wash vessel 230 . in some embodiments , first segment 250 a may be positioned closer to the slurry outlet of reaction vessel 220 than to the slurry inlet of wash vessel 230 , such that the linear distance of first segment 250 a is less than the linear distance of second segment 250 b . as used herein , the term “ linear distance ” is the total distance traveled by the slurry in a given conduit and is calculated by adding the total length of straight pipe plus the equivalent length of any fittings , calculated according to standard conversion charts , for that conduit . in some embodiments , the linear distance of first segment 250 a of transfer conduit 250 can be at least about 10 , at least about 25 , at least about 35 , at least about 50 , at least about 65 , or at least about 75 percent less than the linear distance of second segment 250 b . in some embodiments , the diameter of second segment 250 b of transfer conduit 250 can be larger than the diameter of first segment 250 a . as a result , the average cross - sectional flow area of second segment 250 b of transfer conduit 250 may be at least about 10 , at least about 20 , at least about 25 , at least about 30 percent larger than the average cross - sectional flow area of first segment 250 a of transfer conduit 250 . the average velocity of the slurry passing through first and second segments 250 a , b of transfer conduit 250 can be similar or may be different from each other , although the average velocity in both segments 250 a , b may be at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 feet per second ( ft / s ). in some embodiments , transfer conduit 250 may include one or more pressurization devices , such as , for example , a pump 240 , for increasing the pressure of the slurry , thereby maintaining sufficient pressure drop and adequate fluid velocity within transfer conduit 250 . as discussed previously , the dilution liquid in conduit 252 may originate from any suitable source , including a source within or outside of the facility . in some embodiments shown by dashed line 252 a , at least a portion of the dilution liquid in conduit 252 may originate from a different source than the wash liquid in conduit 262 introduced into wash vessel 230 , and / or at least a portion of the dilution liquid in conduit 252 may originate from the same source as the wash liquid , as shown by dashed line 252 b . prior to being introduced into transfer conduit 250 , the dilution liquid stream in conduit 252 may be passed through at least one heat exchange device , shown in fig2 as heat exchanger 246 , wherein the stream may be heated or cooled to a desired temperature via indirect heat exchange with at least one stream of heat exchange media . depending on the source of the dilution liquid and the availability of various streams , the heat exchange media used in heat exchanger 246 may be a dedicated heat exchange media , such as thermal heat transfer media or cooling water , or it may comprise all or a portion of one or more process streams within facility 10 . once combined with the dilution liquid , when present , the slurry in transfer conduit 250 may pass through at least one flow restriction device , shown in fig2 as control valve 242 , before being introduced into wash vessel 230 . the flow restriction device may be any device suitable for controlling or at least partially controlling the flow rate of the slurry between reaction vessel 220 and wash vessel 230 , and it may have an average cross - sectional flow area less than the average cross - sectional flow area of the transfer conduit adjacent to the flow restriction . for example , in some embodiments , the average cross - sectional flow area of the flow restriction may be at least about 10 , at least about 20 , at least about 30 , at least about 40 , at least about 50 , at least about 60 percent less than the average cross - sectional flow area of the transfer conduit adjacent to and on either side of the restriction . examples of suitable flow restrictions may include , but are not limited to , reduced port block valves , control valves , including automated control valves and manual control valves , orifice plates , and combinations thereof . although shown in fig2 as including a single flow restriction 242 , two or more flow restrictions , of the same or different types , may also be used depending on the specific configuration of the system . when the system shown in fig2 does not include a flow restriction , shown as control valve 242 in fig2 , the rate of discharge of the reaction slurry between reaction vessel 220 and wash vessel 230 may be quite rapid and , as a result , most poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles within reaction vessel 220 may have approximately the same residence time . as a result , the residence time distribution of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles may be very narrow and can approach a 6 function in the theoretical limit . in some embodiments , use of a flow restriction , shown in fig2 as flow control device 242 , may help control the flow rate of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particle slurry from reaction vessel 220 to wash vessel 230 , thereby allowing the flow rate to be varied over a wider range . as a result , the residence time distribution of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles within reaction vessel 220 may be wider than if the flow restriction were not present . the breadth of the residence time distribution may depend , in part , on the flow rate of the reaction slurry discharged from reaction vessel 220 . addition of a dilution liquid via conduit 252 and / or washing of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles with a wash liquid via conduit 262 may help decelerate the reaction considerably within transfer line 250 and / or wash vessel 230 by reducing the effective concentration of the residual reactant and the catalytic species . as shown in fig2 , upon exiting flow restriction device 242 , the slurry may be directed into a slurry inlet of wash vessel 230 . upon introduction into wash vessel 230 , at least a portion of the solid particles may be contacted with a wash liquid added to vessel 230 via conduit 262 . in some embodiments , the wash liquid may be heated or cooled via indirect heat exchange with a heat transfer medium or via direct heat exchange with steam , cooled water , ice , or the like , as generally shown by exchanger 248 in fig2 , before being introduced into wash vessel 230 . additionally , as shown in fig2 , the wash liquid in conduit 262 may be introduced into wash vessel 230 in a counter - current manner , such that the solid and liquid phases are flowing in generally opposite directions . such counter - current operation may also be performed when wash zone 30 includes two or more wash vessels operated in series ( not shown ). in some embodiments , the contents of wash vessel 230 may be agitated during the contacting step with one or more agitators disposed within the interior of wash vessel 230 . the agitator or agitators , when present , may be centrally located , at or near the vertical center - line of the wash vessel , or one or more of the agitators may be off - center . additionally , one or more of the wash vessels may include baffles , or no baffles may be present . after contacting at least a portion of the solid particles with a wash liquid , at least a portion of the spent wash liquid may be withdrawn from wash vessel 230 via conduit 255 . in some embodiments , wash vessel 230 may include at least one internal filtration device , shown in fig2 as filter element 280 , disposed within the vessel for removing at least a portion of the solid particles from at least a portion of the spent wash liquid before the liquid is removed from the wash vessel 230 via conduit 255 . several embodiments of various internal filtration devices suitable for use in wash vessel 230 will be discussed in detail shortly . in some embodiments , the system shown in fig2 may include at least one external filtration device . as shown in fig2 , at least a portion of the contents of wash vessel 230 may be withdrawn via conduit 266 and may be passed through at least one external filtration device 282 to provide another solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 256 a and a solids - enriched stream in conduit 270 . as shown in fig2 , the solids - depleted permeate stream withdrawn from filter 282 in conduit 256 a may optionally be combined with at least a portion of a spent wash liquid stream withdrawn from wash vessel 230 in conduit 255 , if present , and the combined stream in conduit 256 b may be routed for disposal via conduit 258 a or it may be combined with the wash liquid in conduit 262 via conduit 258 b and returned to wash vessel 230 . in some embodiments , all or a portion of the recycled liquid in conduit 258 b may be routed to and held in one or more intermediate hold tanks ( not shown ) for use in an upcoming wash cycle . at least a portion of the solids - enriched stream in conduit 270 may be routed to a downstream separation zone ( not shown ) via conduit 270 b , and / or , as shown in fig2 , at least a portion of the stream may be routed via conduit 270 a to be combined with the washed particle slurry withdrawn from reaction vessel 220 in conduit 250 b and the combined stream may be reintroduced into wash vessel 230 . alternatively , the stream in conduit 270 a may be directly returned to wash vessel 230 via one or more separate nozzles ( not shown ). although depicted in fig2 as including both internal and external filtration devices , it should be understood that systems configured according to various embodiments of the present invention may include at least one internal filtration device , at least one external filtration device , or at least one internal device and at least one external filtration device . when present , the internal and / or external filtration devices may be any suitable filtration devices configured to remove at least a portion of the solid particles from a liquid stream . internal and / or external filtration devices 280 , 282 may include any suitable number of filtration stages or filter elements , which , when two or more are present , may be operated in parallel or in series . any number of filter stages or elements may be used by or within the internal and / or external filtration devices and , in some embodiments , may number at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 4 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 and / or not more than about 50 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , or not more than about 25 , or in the range of from about 1 to about 50 , about 2 to about 30 , or about 4 to about 25 . the filter elements utilized as or within the internal filtration device and / or external filtration device , when present , can be any suitable size . for example , in some embodiments , each filter element can have a total length , or longest dimension , of at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 4 , at least about 6 feet and / or not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , or not more than about 15 feet , or in the range of from about 0 . 5 to about 40 , about 1 to about 30 , or about 6 to about 15 feet . each filter element may be a single continuous element , or may comprise two or more elements coupled to one another such as , for example , via welding or other suitable technique . the inner diameter of one or more filter elements can be at least about 0 . 10 , at least about 0 . 25 , at least about 0 . 50 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 4 , at least about 6 , at least about 8 , at least about 12 and / or not more than about 24 , not more than about 18 , not more than about 12 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 6 , not more than about 2 , not more than about 1 . 5 inches , or not more than about 1 inch , or in the range of from about 0 . 10 to about 24 , about 2 to about 18 , or about 4 to about 12 inches . according to some embodiments , at least one filter element may have a nominal filter rating of at least about 0 . 1 , at least about 0 . 50 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 and / or not more than about 50 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , or not more than about 20 microns , or a rating in the range of from about 0 . 1 to about 50 , about 0 . 5 to about 30 , about 1 to about 25 , or about 2 to about 20 microns . the filter elements may be formed from any suitable material of construction including , but not limited to , stainless steel alloys , such as ss304l and ss316l , titanium , corrosion - resistant nickel and nickel alloys . ideally , each filter element is formed from a material non - reactive with the feed passing therethrough . in some embodiments , one or more of the filter elements may be made of a non - metallic material , such as ceramics , glass , and the like . whether used within internal or external filtration devices 280 or 282 , the filter elements can be mounted in any suitable manner and may , in some embodiments , comprise multiple layer filter elements secured with a mounting frame , a back plate , a mesh screen , and optional retainer bracket ( not shown ). in some embodiments , the mesh screen may be formed from one or more of the metallic materials listed above , or it may be formed from a filter cloth comprising , for example , monofilament polypropylene fabric . the filter elements utilized by filters 280 and / or 282 , when present , may be configured to minimize agglomeration and plugging of the filter surface , such that fouling of the filtration device is minimized during operation of the system . for example , in some embodiments , one or more of the filter elements utilized by filtration devices 280 and / or 282 may be backwashed filter elements . when one or more elements are backwashed , any suitable back wash fluid may be used . examples of suitable fluids can include , but are not limited to , pressurized air , nitrogen , and other inert gases . the backwash pressure and intervals are not particularly limited and can be selected to minimize agglomeration of the solid resin particles at the filter surface . in some embodiments , one or more of the filter elements are self - cleaning and are not backwashed elements . whether back - washed or self - cleaning , filter elements configured according to embodiments of the present invention can retain a substantially constant permeate flux during the operation of the filter . for example , in some embodiments , after a continuous operating period of at least about 30 minutes , at least about 1 hour , or at least about 2 hours , the average permeate flux through a specified filter element can within about 25 , within about 20 , within about 15 , or within about 10 percent of the average permeate flux at the beginning of the continuous operating period . according to some embodiments , the average permeate flux across the surface one or more filter elements employed in devices 280 and / or 282 can be at least about 0 . 10 , at least about 0 . 20 , at least about 0 . 25 , at least about 0 . 30 , or at least about 0 . 40 gallons per minute per square foot of filter surface ( gpm / ft 2 ). in some embodiments , the internal and / or external filtration devices may include one or more cross - flow filter elements . unlike dead - end filter elements , which permit the slurry being filtered to pass generally perpendicularly through the filter surface , cross - flow filter elements can be configured to permit the feed slurry to pass over a significant portion of the filter surface as a portion of the liquid phase passes through the filter element with minimal or no wet cake accumulating on the filter media surface . as a result , the cross - flow filter elements can be configured to concentrate solids in the retentate phase , thereby providing a solids - depleted permeate phase and a solids - enriched retentate phase . in some embodiments , the solids - enriched retentate stream has a concentration of solids that is not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 3 , or not more than about 2 weight percent different than the concentration of solids in the feed stream introduced into the filter . further , unlike most dead - end filtration devices , cross - flow filter elements may be operated in a continuous manner . in one embodiment , cross flow filter elements inside the wash vessel elements may be positioned along , or integrated into , one or more of the internal side walls or bottom wall of wash vessel 230 . as shown in fig2 , when wash vessel 230 includes one or more internal filter elements , the elements may be positioned along , or integrated into , one or more of the internal side walls or bottom wall of wash vessel 230 . in some embodiments , at least one of the internal filter elements can be positioned at or near one or more outlet nozzles ( not shown ) of wash vessel 230 . any suitable type of filter may be used as an internal filtration device and , in some embodiments , the internal filtration device disposed within wash vessel 230 may include at least one filter device selected from the group consisting of screen filters , candle filters , pressure leaf filters , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , generally depicted in fig3 a and 3 b , wash vessel 230 can include a plurality of screen filters 380 disposed along the inner wall of vessel 230 . as shown in fig3 a and 3 b , screen filters 380 may be disposed between the interior volume 386 of wash vessel 230 and one or more outlet nozzles 390 disposed at various locations along the outer wall of vessel 230 . in some embodiments , one or more of the outer nozzles 390 may be located in the bottom one - half , bottom one - third , or bottom one - fourth of the vertical dimension of one or more of the filter elements . in other embodiments , generally shown in fig3 c and 3 d , wash vessel 230 can include a plurality of candle filters 380 spaced from one another within the interior of vessel 230 . similarly , candle filters 380 shown in fig3 c and 3 d may also be positioned between the interior of wash vessel 230 and one or more fluid outlets ( not shown ). when wash vessel 230 includes two or more internal filter elements , the elements can be spaced apart from one another within the interior of the vessel 230 . in the elements can be circumferentially spaced from one another , radially spaced from one another , and / or vertically spaced from one another . as used herein , the term “ circumferentially spaced ” refers to two elements that are spaced from each other along the inner perimeter of the vessel . an example of two circumferentially - spaced elements 480 a and 480 b located within the interior of a wash vessel 330 is schematically depicted in fig4 a . as used herein , the term “ radially spaced ” refers to two elements that are spaced from each other along a vessel radius ( r ) that extends from the vessel center line ( cl ) to the outer wall of the vessel . one example of two radially - spaced elements 480 c and 480 d within a wash vessel 330 is shown in fig4 b . as used herein , the term “ vertically spaced ” refers to two elements spaced from one another along the vertical centerline ( cl ) of the wash vessel . one example of two vertically - spaced elements 480 e and 480 f disposed within the interior of wash vessel 330 is schematically depicted in fig4 c . when more than two interior filter elements are utilized , each of the elements can be circumferentially , radially , and / or vertically spaced from one another within the interior of the vessel and may be operated in series or in parallel . additionally , as shown in fig3 a - 3 d , wash vessel 230 can include at least one agitation device 384 for agitating the contents of wash vessel 230 . the agitator may be any suitable type of mechanical agitation device can include one or more impellers 392 a , b for imparting shear force and velocity to the surrounding fluid . at least a portion of the contacting step performed in wash vessel 230 can include agitating the slurry within the wash vessel and passing at least a portion of the agitated slurry across the surface of the filter element or elements . in some embodiments , the portion of the slurry passed or flowing across the face of the filtration element within vessel 230 may do so at an average cross - flow velocity of at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 feet per second ( ft / s ) and / or not more than about 20 , not more than about 15 , or not more than about 12 ft / s . in some embodiments , the average cross - flow velocity can be in the range of from about 0 . 5 to about 30 , about 1 to about 15 , or about 2 to about 12 ft / s . in contrast , many dead - end filtration devices have an average cross - flow velocity near 0 ft / s . examples of dead - end filtration devices can include , but are not limited to vacuum belt filters , rotary drum filters , rotary vacuum filters , belt filters , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the pressure drop across the filter surface of filter element 280 may be substantially less than the pressure drop across conventional filtration devices . for example , the average cross - membrane pressure drop across the filter surface during the passing step can be not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 3 , or not more than about 2 pounds per square inch per square foot of filter surface ( psi / ft 2 ). such a pressure drop may be achieved in combination with the average - cross flow velocity and permeate flux described herein . referring again to fig2 , the external filtration device , shown as filter 282 , can be any device suitable for filtering a portion of the spent wash liquid withdrawn from wash vessel 230 as described previously . external filtration device 282 can include a single stage filtration device , or it may include a multiple stage filtration device having two or more filter stages arranged in series or in parallel . in some embodiments , two or more of the filter elements used in external filtration device may be the same , while , in other embodiments , one or more elements may be different . the filter elements may include one or more of the elements described herein . the velocity of the feed introduced into at least one of the filter elements of the external filtration device 282 can be at least about 2 , at least about 5 , at least about 7 , or at least about 10 ft / s and / or not more than about 35 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , or not more than about 20 ft / s . in some embodiments , one or more filter elements employed by filter 282 may be cross - flow filter elements and / or one or more may be a dead - end filter element or device . in some embodiments , none of the filter elements in filter 282 may be dead - end filter elements or filtration devices . turning now to fig5 , one example of a suitable external filtration device for use with the system shown in fig2 is provided . as shown in fig5 , the filtration device includes a plurality of individual filters 582 a - d , arranged in parallel and in series . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , a solids - containing liquid stream in conduit 526 is divided into two portions in conduit 526 a and 526 b . the solids - containing liquid stream in conduit 526 can be withdrawn from a wash vessel similar to wash vessel 230 , as shown in fig2 , and can have a total solids content similar to the total solids content of the solids - containing stream in conduit 126 described above with respect to fig1 . as shown in fig5 , the first and second portions of the solids - containing stream in conduits 526 a and 526 b are passed through two parallel sets of individual filtration devices 582 a , b and 582 c , d , which are each arranged in series . each of filtration devices 582 a - d are shown in fig5 as comprising cross - flow filtration devices , which are configured to remove a portion of the liquid phase as a solids - depleted permeate stream and to concentrate the solids into a solids - enriched retentate stream . as generally shown in fig5 , the feed stream passing through each of filtration device 582 a - d passes in a direction generally parallel to the filter surface 583 a - d . this is in contrast to most dead - end filters , which permit the steam being filtered to pass through the filter in a direction generally perpendicular to the filter surface . as shown in fig5 , the concentrated solids - enriched retentate streams withdrawn from filtration devices 582 a and 582 c via respective conduits 528 a and 528 b can then be passed as feed streams to successive filtration devices 582 b and 582 d . the solids - enriched retentate streams from conduits 528 a and 528 b can then be further concentrated by passage through filtration devices 582 c and 582 d to provide further concentrated solids - enriched retentate streams in conduits 530 a and 530 b and two additional solids - depleted permeate streams in conduits 536 b and 536 d . these further enriched solids - enriched retentate streams in conduits 530 a and 530 b can then be combined and the combined solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 532 may be routed to back to the wash zone for further washing or it may be passed to a downstream separation zone ( not shown in fig5 ) once the wash step is complete . each of the solids - depleted permeate streams in conduits 536 a - d may also be combined and routed to a location at or upstream of the wash zone , including one or more intermediate hold tanks ( not shown in fig5 ), as also discussed previously , for use in the current or a future wash cycle . optionally , one or more of filter elements 582 a - d may be backwashed via a back wash fluid , shown by dashed lines 541 a - d , which can be passed to the permeate side of filter elements 582 a - d via backwash pressure vessels 540 a - d , as shown in fig5 . referring again to fig1 , upon completion of the contacting step in wash zone 30 , a washed particle slurry comprising a plurality of washed poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles and at least a portion of the wash liquid , can be removed from wash zone 30 via conduit 124 . in some embodiments , at least a portion , or substantially all , of the washed poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin slurry may have passed through a filter 62 and may be into separation zone 40 via conduit 136 b , optionally after combination with a washed poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin slurry withdrawn from wash zone 30 via conduit 124 a , if present . in some embodiments , the washed particle slurry introduced into separation zone 40 via conduit 139 can have a total solids content similar to the total solids content of the reaction or diluted reaction slurry introduced into wash zone 130 in conduit 120 . for example , the total solids content of the washed particle slurry in conduit 139 can be at least about 0 . 5 , at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 2 . 5 , at least about 5 , at least about 8 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 and / or not more than about 30 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 18 , not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , or not more than about 3 weight percent . the total solids content of the washed particle slurry in conduit 139 can be in the range of from about 0 . 5 to about 30 , about 1 to about 25 , about 5 to about 20 , or about 8 to about 18 weight percent . the temperature of the washed particle slurry in conduit 139 can be substantially cooler than the reaction slurry or diluted reaction slurry introduced into wash zone 30 and may be , for example , at least about 15 , at least about 20 , at least about 25 , at least about 30 and / or not more than about 60 , not more than about 50 , not more than about 45 , not more than about 40 , or not more than about 35 ° c ., or it may be in the range of from about 15 to about 50 , about 20 to about 45 , or about 25 to about 40 ° c . as shown in fig1 , the washed particle slurry in conduit 139 , which may optionally be combined with a yet - to - be - discussed stream in conduit 150 , can be introduced into a separation zone 40 . in some embodiments , at least a portion of the washed slurry stream in conduit 124 a may be directed via conduit 124 b to a yet - to - be - discussed reslurry tank 68 and combined with a liquid stream in conduit 151 . the resulting solids - containing stream in conduit 150 may then be combined with the stream in conduit 139 before being introduced into separation zone 40 . optionally , in some embodiments , facility 10 can include at least one buffer tank ( not shown in fig1 ) positioned between wash zone 30 and separation zone 40 . when present , the buffer tank may help facilitate transfer of the washed slurry from wash zone 30 , which may be operated in a batch mode , to separation zone 40 , which may be operated in a continuous mode . according to such embodiments , the buffer tank can be configured to receive washed slurry from conduit 124 a , 136 b , and / or 150 , and to discharge slurry into separation zone 40 via conduit 139 . separation zone 40 can include one or more solid - liquid separation devices capable of separating at least about 20 , at least about 30 , at least about 40 , at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 70 , or at least about 80 percent of the total amount of liquid from the washed poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . examples of suitable solid - liquid separation devices can include , but are not limited to , gravity separators , centrifuges , belt filters , vacuum filters , and combinations thereof . the separation may be performed in a single vessel or multiple vessels , arranged in series or in parallel , and may be carried out under any suitable operating conditions . the resulting substantially dewatered , solids - rich material withdrawn from separation zone 40 via conduit 128 can have a total solids content of at least about 50 , at least about 55 , at least about 60 , or at least about 65 weight percent . depending on the solids content , a screw conveyor or other such device may be needed to remove the solids - rich material from separation zone 40 . in some embodiments , the solids - rich material in conduit 128 can comprise at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 70 , at least about 75 , at least about 80 , at least about 85 , or at least about 90 percent of the total amount of solids introduced into separation zone 40 via conduit 139 . as shown in fig1 , a stream of liquid separated from the solids - rich material may be withdrawn from separation zone 40 via conduit 140 . in some embodiments , the separated liquid stream may also be passed through at least one filtration device , shown in fig1 as filter 64 upon removal from separation zone 40 . the filtration device can be any suitable device for separating at least a portion of the solids from the separated liquid stream in conduit 140 . in some embodiments , the filtration device may include one or more filter elements or filters , arranged in series or in parallel , and may comprise at least one cross - flow filter or filter element . one or more characteristics described above with respect to interior filter element 60 and / or external filter 62 as shown in fig1 and / or filter element 280 and filter 282 shown in fig2 may also be applicable to filter 64 shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , filter 64 is configured to separate the solids - containing feed stream in conduit 140 into a solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 142 and a solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 144 . in some embodiments , the solids - enriched retentate stream can have a total solids content of at least about 2 , at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 and / or not more than about 50 , not more than about 40 , or not more than about 30 weight percent , or it can be in the range of from about 2 to about 50 , about 5 to about 40 , or about 10 to about 30 weight percent . the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 144 may have a total solids content of not more than about 10 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 2 , not more than about 1 , not more than about 0 . 5 , or not more than about 0 . 1 weight percent . the average particle size of the solids present in the solids - depleted permeate stream is not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 15 , or not more than about 10 microns . according to some embodiments , the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 144 can be reintroduced into the process at a location at or upstream of separation zone 40 . as shown in fig1 , at least a portion of the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 144 may be combined with the wash liquid in conduit 122 and introduced into wash zone 30 . optionally , all or a portion of the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 144 may be temporarily stored in at least one intermediate hold tank , shown as tank 66 in fig1 , prior to being combined with the wash liquid in conduit 122 . in some embodiments , tank 66 may be an unagitated tank and may not include any sort of mechanical agitation device . as shown in fig1 , at least a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream withdrawn from filter 64 via conduit 142 may be routed via conduit 148 and can be recombined with the washed particle slurry introduced into separation zone 40 via conduits 148 a and 150 . additionally , or in the alternative , all or a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 148 may be introduced into a reslurry tank 68 via conduit 148 b and combined with a liquid stream in conduit 151 to produce a reslurried solid stream . in some embodiments , the reslurried stream in conduit 150 can be combined with the washed particle stream from wash zone 30 via conduit 124 , when present , and the combined stream may be introduced into separation zone 40 . in some embodiments , as discussed previously , the washed particle stream in conduit 124 may pass through reslurry tank 68 and may enter separation zone 40 via conduits 150 and 139 . the solids content of the reslurried stream in conduit 150 and / or the solids - containing stream in conduit 139 can be similar to that of the washed particle slurry described herein . in some embodiments , all or a portion of the solids - enriched retentate stream in conduit 142 may be passed via conduit 152 to another filtration device , shown as filter 68 in fig1 , wherein the solids - rich material in conduit 152 may be further concentrated to form a further solids - enriched retentate phase in conduit 156 and another solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 154 . the solids - depleted permeate stream in conduit 154 may be routed to disposal , or may be reintroduced into one or more locations within the process at or upstream of separation zone 40 ( not shown in fig1 ). at least a portion of the further concentrated solids - rich material in conduit 156 , which may have a total solids content of at least about 50 , at least about 60 , at least about 70 , or at least about 80 weight percent , may be combined with at least a portion of the solids - rich material withdrawn from separation zone 40 via conduit 128 and the combined material can be introduced into drying zone 50 , as shown in fig1 . drying zone 50 may include one or more driers suitable for further drying the solids - rich material to form a plurality of dried poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . in some embodiments , drying zone 50 can include a continuous drier such as a fluidized bed dryer , a circulating fluidized bed drier , or a flash drier , although any suitable drier may be used . drying zone 50 may be operated under any suitable conditions in order to remove as much liquid as possible from the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . when removed from drying zone 50 via conduit 160 , the dried poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles may have a total liquid content of not more than about 5 , not more than about 4 , not more than about 3 , not more than about 2 not more than about 1 weight percent . in various embodiments , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles can comprise particles of polyvinyl n - butyral ( pvb ) resin . for example , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin forming the particles may comprise residues of n - butyraldehyde , and may , for example , include not more than about 50 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 10 , not more than about 5 , or not more than about 2 weight percent of residues of an aldehyde other than n - butyraldehyde , based on the total weight of all aldehyde residues of the resin . when the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin comprises a pvb resin , the molecular weight of the resins can be at least about 50 , 000 , at least about 70 , 000 , at least about 100 , 000 daltons and / or not more than about 600 , 000 , not more than about 550 , 000 , not more than about 500 , 000 , not more than about 450 , 000 , or not more than about 425 , 000 daltons , measured by size exclusion chromatography using a low angle laser light scattering ( sec / lalls ) method . as used herein , the term “ molecular weight ” refers to weight average molecular weight ( m w ). the molecular weight of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin can be in the range of from about 50 , 000 to about 600 , 000 , about 70 , 000 to about 450 , 000 , or about 100 , 000 to about 425 , 000 daltons . in some embodiments , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin in the solid particles formed as described herein can have a residual hydroxyl content and an residual acetate content within one or more ranges provided herein . as used herein , the terms “ residual hydroxyl content ” and “ residual acetate content ” refer to the amount of hydroxyl and acetate groups , respectively , that remain on a resin after processing is complete . for example , polyvinyl n - butyral can be produced by hydrolyzing polyvinyl acetate to polyvinyl alcohol , and then acetalizing the polyvinyl alcohol with n - butyraldehyde to form polyvinyl n - butyral . in the process of hydrolyzing the polyvinyl acetate , not all of the acetate groups are converted to hydroxyl groups , and residual acetate groups remain on the resin . similarly , in the process of acetalizing the polyvinyl alcohol , not all of the hydroxyl groups are converted to acetal groups , which also leaves residual hydroxyl groups on the resin . as a result , most poly ( vinyl acetal ) resins include both residual hydroxyl groups ( as vinyl hydroxyl groups ) and residual acetate groups ( as vinyl acetate groups ) as part of the polymer chain . the residual hydroxyl content and residual acetate content are expressed in weight percent , based on the weight of the polymer resin , and are measured according to astm d - 1396 , unless otherwise noted . in some embodiments , the resin used to form the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles described herein can have a residual hydroxyl content of at least about 14 , at least about 14 . 5 , at least about 15 , at least about 15 . 5 , at least about 16 , at least about 16 . 5 , at least about 17 , at least about 17 . 5 , at least about 18 , at least about 18 . 5 , at least about 19 , at least about 19 . 5 and / or not more than about 45 , not more than about 40 , not more than about 35 , not more than about 33 , not more than about 30 , not more than about 27 , not more than about 25 , not more than about 22 , not more than about 21 . 5 , not more than about 21 , not more than about 20 . 5 , or not more than about 20 weight percent , or in the range of from about 14 to about 45 , about 16 to about 30 , about 18 to about 25 , about 18 . 5 to about 20 , or about 19 . 5 to about 21 weight percent . in other embodiments , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin can have a residual hydroxyl content of at least about 8 , at least about 9 , at least about 10 , at least about 11 weight percent and / or not more than about 16 , not more than about 14 . 5 , not more than about 13 , not more than about 11 . 5 , not more than about 11 , not more than about 10 . 5 , not more than about 10 , not more than about 9 . 5 , or not more than about 9 weight percent , or in the range of from about 8 to about 16 , about 9 to about 15 , or about 9 . 5 to about 14 . 5 weight percent . the residual acetate content of the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin present in the solid particles formed as described herein can be , for example , not more than about 25 , not more than about 20 , not more than about 15 , not more than about 12 , not more than about 10 , not more than about 8 , not more than about 5 , not more than about 2 , or not more than about 1 weight percent , and / or the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin can have an acetate content of at least about 1 , at least about 2 , at least about 3 , at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 12 , or at least about 15 weight percent . poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin formed by processes and systems described herein may be used in a variety of applications . in some embodiments , the poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin may be used to form a polymer sheet , which may be used , for example , in automobile and architectural safety glass or in photovoltaic modules . as used herein , the term “ polymer sheet ” refers to any thermoplastic polymer composition formed by any suitable method into a thin layer that is suitable alone , or in multiple layer configuration , for use as a polymeric interlayer in various applications . resin sheets formed using poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles described above may further include at least one plasticizer . in some embodiments , the plasticizer may be present in an amount of at least about 5 , at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 20 , at least about 25 , at least about 30 , at least about 35 , at least about 40 , at least about 45 , at least about 50 , at least about 55 , at least about 60 parts per hundred parts of resin ( phr ) and / or not more than about 120 , not more than about 110 , not more than about 105 , not more than about 100 , not more than about 95 , not more than about 90 , not more than about 85 , not more than about 75 , not more than about 70 , not more than about 65 , not more than about 60 , not more than about 55 , not more than about 50 , not more than about 45 , or not more than about 40 phr , or in the range of from about 5 to about 120 , about 10 to about 110 , about 20 to about 90 , or about 25 to about 75 phr . as used herein , the term “ parts per hundred parts of resin ” or “ phr ” refers to the amount of plasticizer present as compared to one hundred parts of resin , on a weight basis . examples of suitable plasticizers can include , but are not limited to , triethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylhexanoate ) (“ 3geh ”), triethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylbutyrate ), triethylene glycol diheptanoate , tetraethylene glycol diheptanoate , tetraethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylhexanoate ) (“ 4geh ”), dihexyl adipate , dioctyl adipate , hexyl cyclohexyladipate , diisononyl adipate , heptylnonyl adipate , di ( butoxyethyl ) adipate , and bis ( 2 -( 2 - butoxyethoxy ) ethyl ) adipate , dibutyl sebacate , dioctyl sebacate , and mixtures thereof . the plasticizer may be selected from the group consisting of triethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylhexanoate ) and tetraethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylhexanoate ), or the plasticizer can comprise triethylene glycol di -( 2 - ethylhexanoate ). the polymer sheets may also include at least one additive for imparting particular properties or features to the interlayer . such additives can include , but are not limited to , dyes , pigments , stabilizers such as ultraviolet stabilizers , antioxidants , anti - blocking agents , flame retardants , ir absorbers or blockers such as indium tin oxide , antimony tin oxide , lanthanum hexaboride ( lab 6 ) and cesium tungsten oxide , processing aides , flow enhancing additives , lubricants , impact modifiers , nucleating agents , thermal stabilizers , uv absorbers , dispersants , surfactants , chelating agents , coupling agents , adhesives , primers , reinforcement additives , and fillers . additionally , the polymer sheets may also include various adhesion control agents (“ acas ”) can be used in the interlayers of the present disclosure to control the adhesion of the sheet to glass . suitable acas can include , but are not limited to , sodium acetate , potassium acetate , magnesium bis ( 2 - ethyl butyrate ), magnesium bis ( 2 - ethylhexanoate ), and combinations thereof . the resin sheets formed from particles as described herein may be formed according to any suitable method . exemplary methods of forming polymer sheets can include , but are not limited to , solution casting , compression molding , injection molding , melt extrusion , melt blowing , and combinations thereof . multilayer interlayers including two or more resin sheets may also be produced according to any suitable method such as , for example , co - extrusion , blown film , melt blowing , dip coating , solution coating , blade , paddle , air - knife , printing , powder coating , spray coating , and combinations thereof . in various embodiments of the present invention , the layers or interlayers may be formed by extrusion or co - extrusion . the thickness , or gauge , sheets can be at least about 10 , at least about 15 , at least about 20 mils and / or not more than about 100 , not more than about 90 , not more than about 60 , not more than about 50 , or not more than about 35 mils , or it can be in the range of from about 10 to about 100 , about 15 to about 60 , or about 20 to about 35 mils . in millimeters , the thickness can be at least about 0 . 25 , at least about 0 . 38 , at least about 0 . 51 mm and / or not more than about 2 . 54 , not more than about 2 . 29 , not more than about 1 . 52 , or not more than about 0 . 89 mm , or in the range of from about 0 . 25 to about 2 . 54 mm , about 0 . 38 to about 1 . 52 mm , or about 0 . 51 to about 0 . 89 mm . the resulting resin sheet may be utilized in a multiple layer panel that comprises a resin layer or interlayer and at least one rigid substrate . any suitable rigid substrate may be used and in some embodiments may be selected from the group consisting of glass , polycarbonate , biaxially oriented pet , copolyesters , acrylic , and combinations thereof . the panels can be used for a variety of end use applications , including , for example , for automotive windshields and windows , aircraft windshields and windows , panels for various transportation applications such as marine applications , rail applications , etc ., structural architectural panels such as windows , doors , stairs , walkways , balusters , decorative architectural panels , weather - resistant panels , such as hurricane glass or tornado glass , ballistic panels , and other similar applications . the following examples are intended to be illustrative of the present invention in order to teach one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . the permeate flux of several filtration devices was determined according to the following procedure . an experimental set up as shown in fig6 was constructed . the set up included an agitated reaction vessel 600 , a positive displacement pump 610 , a feed slurry line 612 , a cross - flow filtration device 620 , a filtrate recirculation line 660 , and a concentrated slurry line 670 . as poly ( vinyl alcohol ) and butyraldehyde were reacted within agitated reaction vessel 600 , the pvb resin precipitated and the resulting aqueous slurry was transported from reaction vessel 600 to filtration device 620 via slurry line 650 . various pressure transducers ( p 1 through p 4 ) and several valves were also included , as shown in fig6 . filtration device 620 included a single , 2 - foot long cross - flow filter element having an internal diameter of ⅜ inch . the total flow area of filtration device 620 was 0 . 19 ft 2 . several trials were conducted using the apparatus shown in fig6 at varying slurry flow rates and / or using differently - sized filter elements . the conditions for these trials are summarized in table 1 , below , and the permeate flux across the filtration surface for each run , as a function of time , is graphically summarized in fig7 . the inlet , outlet , and transmembrane pressures were measured using pressure transducers available from omega engineering , inc ., and filtrate quality was measured using a turbidimeter available from hach company . filtration device 620 back - pulsed only once during run a , as described below . as shown in fig7 , a fairly constant permeate flux can be maintained , even without back - pulsing when , for example , a 2 - micron filter element is used with a slurry flow rate of 2 . 6 gpm ( run b ) or a 5 - micron filter element is used at a 3 gpm slurry flow ( run c ). a gradual drop in permeate flux was observed when , for example , a 1 . 5 gpm slurry flow rate was used with the 2 - micron filter element ( run a ) and when a 3 . 2 gpm flow rate was used with a 10 - micron filter element ( run d ), as also shown in fig7 . in the case of a drop in permeate flux , a simple back - pulse may be useful , as evidenced by the rapid increase in permeate flux following a back pulse shown in run a at 110 minutes . overall , fig7 demonstrates that sustainable operation of a cross - flow filter element , with little or no back - pulsing , can be used with aqueous slurries of poly ( vinyl acetal ) resin particles . the operation of a multiple - stage filtration system suitable for concentrating a poly ( vinyl n - butyral ) resin slurry is simulated in the following prophetic example . an aqueous poly ( vinyl n - butyral ) slurry , which has a solids content of 1 weight percent , is passed through a 7 - stage cross - flow filtration device . the final filtrate withdrawn from the system has a solids content of 17 . 2 weight percent . each stage employs at least one tubular 3 / 8 - inch ( id ) filter element , and the minimum velocity of the slurry through each of the filtration stages is 5 ft / s . table 2 , below , summarizes key parameters for each stage of the filtration system , including filtration area , feed and exit flow rate , velocity , and concentration , and permeate flow rate , simulated as above . a resin production process including a reaction vessel , a wash vessel , and an interim holding tank was used to produce pvb . several process parameters , including reactor temperature , hold tank temperature , amperage of the reaction agitator , and the flow of each reactant stream , were monitored using an online control system and the value of each of these parameters was graphed as a function of time , along with the output of the flow control valve disposed between the reaction vessel and the hold tank , which indicated the opening or closing of the valve . in the comparative case shown in fig8 a , the reactor effluent stream was routed directly from the reaction vessel to the hold tank , while , in the disclosed case shown in fig9 b , a stream of dilution fluid was added to the reactor effluent upstream of the control valve and the combined stream was introduced into the hold tank . the addition of a dilution stream to the reactor effluent upstream of the control valve had three main effects on the system . first , it reduced the slurry temperature in the hold tank , which may help decrease the “ stickiness ” and agglomeration tendency of the particles . next , it reduced the concentration of solids in the reactor effluent , which may reduce the likelihood of agglomeration . finally , the use of in - line dilution stabilized the reactor effluent flow without requiring a change in line size or a reduction in velocity . further , as shown by a comparison of fig8 a and 8 b , in - line dilution of the reaction vessel effluent resulted in more stabilized operation of the flow control valve between the reaction vessel and the hold tank . while the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a description of certain embodiments , including those that are currently believed to be the preferred embodiments , the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope of the present disclosure . as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art , embodiments other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the present invention . modifications and variations of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention it will further be understood that any of the ranges , values , or characteristics given for any single component of the present disclosure can be used interchangeably with any ranges , values or characteristics given for any of the other components of the disclosure , where compatible , to form an embodiment having defined values for each of the components , as given herein throughout . for example , an interlayer can be formed comprising poly ( vinyl butyral ) having a residual hydroxyl content in any of the ranges given in addition to comprising a plasticizers in any of the ranges given to form many permutations that are within the scope of the present disclosure , but that would be cumbersome to list . further , ranges provided for a genus or a category , such as phthalates or benzoates , can also be applied to species within the genus or members of the category , such as dioctyl terephthalate , unless otherwise noted .	1
in fig1 and 2 a steering arm 10 is depicted which has a structure generally known . as to this it is for example referred to the u . s . pat . no . 6 , 382 , 359 b1 . in this document a typical pallet truck for the walking / rider operation is shown which has a steering arm with a basic structure to which also the present invention refers . therefore , it is expressly referred to this prior art . as can be seen in fig1 and 2 the steering arm 10 has a steering rod 12 and a steering head 14 . the structure of the steering rod 12 can be clearly seen in fig8 . it has a u - shaped profile with a web plate 16 and leg portions 18 , 20 . the mentioned parts are attached to each other by welding . the shown u - profile at the end has two laterally spaced bearing eyes 22 , 24 . the bearing eyes are provided for the mounting of a steering arm to a vertical steering shaft of a pallet truck not shown . by this the steering arm 10 can be pivoted about a horizontal axis and contemporarily rotate about a vertical axis in order to effect a steering motion . as can be seen further in fig1 and 2 the steering head 14 has two gripping portions 26 , 28 on both sides of a horn portion 30 . the gripping portion 26 , 28 at the outer ends are connected to leg portions 32 , 34 which in turn are connected to a transverse portion 36 . the transverse portion 36 is attached to the steering rod 12 . the horn is centrally attached to the transverse portion and extends beyond the gripping portions 26 , 28 . such design is conventional and is not to be explained further in detail . as can be seen the described parts of the steering head 14 form two gripping openings 38 , 40 . individual actuation elements are provided on the steering head 14 for the control of functions of the pallet truck not shown . this is also not to be described in detail . from fig1 , 2 and 8 it can be seen that the steering rod 12 or the u - shaped profile of the steering rod shown in fig8 is embraced by a cushion portion 42 . as can be seen in fig8 , the cushion portion 42 is c - shaped in cross section . a web portion 44 faces the web plate 16 and covers the web plate , leg portions 46 , 48 extend approximately parallel to the leg portions 18 , 20 and lower portions 50 , 52 undergrip the leg portions 18 , 20 , with grooves in the portions , 50 , 52 accommodate lower edges of the leg portions 18 , 20 . an intermediate space 54 is formed between the web portion 44 and the web portion 16 in fig8 . it results from the fact that the leg portions 18 , 20 somewhat protrude beyond the web plate 16 . a further intermediate space is provided between the leg portions 46 , 48 on one side and the associated sides of the leg portions 18 , 20 on the other side . by this the cushion portion 42 which may be made of a suitable elastomeric cushion material , e . g . plastic foam , can be deformed inwardly upon a pressure thereon . as can be seen further in fig8 a relatively thin cover plate 56 is provided which has a u - shaped profile in cross section by bent edges which engage corresponding grooves of portions 50 , 52 of the cushion portion 42 . by means of screws one of which is shown at 58 the cover plate 56 can be attached to web plate 16 . this attachment secures the cushion portion 42 to the steering rod 12 in that it prevents the leg portions 18 , 20 from disengagement with the associated grooves of portions 50 , 52 . the basic structure of the cushion portion 42 is shown in fig3 and 4 . it can be seen that at the upper end thereof curved legs 60 , 62 extend laterally away from each other . the legs 60 , 62 engage the associated front curved surfaces of steering head 14 as shown in fig1 and 2 . the mounting of the legs 60 , 62 to the steering head 14 is described hereinafter in more detail . an arcuately shaped portion 64 is provided at the other end of the cushion portion 42 as can be seen in fig3 and 4 . the portion 64 extends upwardly beyond the web portion 44 . at the lower side it is adapted to the shape of the bearing eyes 22 , 24 and engages the bearing eyes at the associated side as can be seen in fig1 and 2 . thus , the cushion portion 42 at the lower end is supported by the steering rod 12 . fig6 shows a cross section of the cushion portion 42 in the range of the steering rod 12 . the grooves which according to fig8 accommodate the leg portions 18 , 20 are designated with 66 , 68 . the grooves which accommodate the edges of the cover plate 57 are designated with 70 , 71 . it can be seen in fig7 that the housing of the steering head 14 is composed of an upper cup portion 74 and a lower cup portion 76 . the separation line which is defined by the cup portions 74 , 76 are not shown in fig1 and 2 . the upper cup portion 74 is made of plastic material and the lower of aluminum . as can be seen fig7 , the legs 60 , 62 have a specific cross sectional profile with a first t - profile 78 and a second t - profile 80 , the associated edge portions of the cup portions 74 , 76 are shaped complementarily so that it may engage the grooves formed by the t - profiles 78 , 80 on opposing sides . thereby the legs 60 , 62 are positively retained by the housing of steering head 14 . it should be mentioned with respect to fig1 and 2 that the legs 60 , 62 are attached to the cup portions 74 , 76 of steering head 14 such that the outer surfaces of the housing of the steering head 14 and of the legs 60 , 62 are aligned with each other without a step .	1
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals indicate identical or similar parts throughout the several views , fig1 and 2 show the portable hand rails 10 shown attached to a dock 11 that has a boat 12 tied thereto . each of the hand rails 10 have a plate 13 with a u - shaped rail 20 attached thereto , such as by welding for example . the plate 13 has a pair of flanges 14 and 15 welded to the underside thereof that are aligned along a vertical plan so that they can slide between dock boards on a typical boat dock . of course they could be attached in other ways . the plate 13 has a pair of apertures 13 a disposed there through as can be seen best in fig8 . threaded members 17 extend through the apertures 13 a , through washer 20 , and is threaded into a threaded opening 18 t in pin 18 while pin 18 is disposed in the openings 19 a of cam 19 . the bottom of each threaded member 17 has a moveable flange 16 on it . directional indicator knobs 22 are optionally threadably attached to the top of threaded members 17 for reasons which will be discussed below . looking to fig7 and 8 , a jam nut 22 a is threaded onto each threaded member 17 followed by threading the directional knob 22 onto the shaft 17 . the purpose of the directional indicator knobs 22 is to be able to tell the position of flange 16 even when it is out of sight under the dock 11 . so before installation , each directional indicator knob 22 is threaded onto the threaded shaft 17 so it is in alignment with the flange 16 . after that , the jam nut 22 a is screwed in a direction to go upwardly into abutment with the directional indicator knob 22 to hold it firmly in the position selected . essentially a plane extending through the moveable flange 16 will extend through the widest part of the directional indicator knob 22 that is shown . if a symmetrical knob was to be used instead of the directional indicator knob 22 , then a line or other indicia could be placed on such round knob to be aligned with the flange 16 to indicate to the user the position of the moveable flange 16 when it is out of sight under dock boards . looking to fig3 - 8 , to use the portable hand rails 10 the moveable flanges 16 would be aligned with the fixed flanges 14 and 15 so that the these flanges 14 - 16 can be pushed down between adjacent boards 11 a and 11 b of dock 11 as shown in fig6 . the next step for the installation to put the hand rails 10 in the position shown in fig1 and 2 , would be to turn the threaded rod 90 degrees from the position shown in fig6 to the position shown in fig3 and 8 , using the directional indicator knobs 22 as an indication of when the flanges 16 are in the position shown in fig3 , 5 and 8 in solid lines and in the position in dashed lines as shown in fig6 , noting that the knob 22 in dashed lines in fig6 is also turned 90 decrees from the solid line position thereof . then , while pulling up on the directional indicator knobs 22 and thereby on threaded members 17 while the moveable flange 16 against the bottom of the dock boards 11 a / 11 b , the pin 18 of the cam handle 19 h would be turned sort of like you would thread a nut ( like the threaded pin 18 ) onto a bolt ( like the pin 17 ). this would be done by turning the handle 19 h while in the up position , kind of like using a wrench and spinning the cam 19 around the threaded rod 17 in a rotary direction to move the rod 17 and flange 16 upwardly until it is tightened to the dock board thickness generally . after that , the handle 19 h is just pushed down about the longitudinal axis of pin 18 to cause the final tightening of the flange 16 against the bottom of the boards 11 a / 11 b . in this way , the boards 11 a / 11 b are clamped tightly between the flange 16 and the plate 13 . once one side is clamped , i . e . the boards are clamped between one flange 16 and the plate 13 , the same procedure is used to tighten and clamp the boards 11 a / 11 b between the other moveable flange 16 and the other half of the plate 13 . this will produce the hand rail structure 10 shown in fig1 and 2 , noting that two hand rails 10 can be used instead of just one if desired . fig2 shows a person in dashed lines moving from the boat 12 to the dock 11 while using the handrails 10 , by grasping the top parts 20 of the handrails 10 . obviously the handrails 10 / 20 can be used to go from the dock 11 to the boat 12 in the same manner . once the user of the handrails 10 decides not to use them on the dock 11 anymore , the user merely reverses the installation steps described above to remove the handrails 10 from the dock 11 . for example if the user were to go on a fishing trip for a week , then the portable handrails 10 could be used on a dock where the user is boating / fishing , whether using the user &# 39 ; s own boat or someone else &# 39 ; s boat . but then when the vacation is over , the handrails 10 can be removed from the dock and taken home for storage and be ready for a future use at a different location . because the handrails 10 do not harm the dock itself , there should be no objection by the dock owner to their use . those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications , alterations , and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , and that such modifications , alterations , and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept as expressed by the attached claims .	4
a description will now be given of embodiments of the present invention with reference to drawings . fig1 to fig3 show a first embodiment of an electrode terminal 1 according to the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the electrode terminal 1 can be used as a minus output terminal ( minus output side ) of each of battery cells 2 , for example , in a battery pack 4 and the like constructed by serially connecting the multiple battery cells 2 by busbars 3 . as shown in fig3 , the battery cell 2 is a lithium ion battery , and the minus output terminal is formed from copper or copper alloy . this is because a negative - electrode - side carrier 7 ( base body for fixing electrons and ions ) connected to the minus output terminal inside the battery is formed from copper or copper alloy . in relation to a positive - electrode - side carrier , the plus output terminal ( plus output side ) is formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy . as shown in fig2 a and fig2 b , the electrode terminal 1 according to the present invention adopted as the minus output terminal is formed into inner / outer double shafts by a shaft 10 ( first connection portion ) and an outer cylinder 11 ( second connection portion ) fitting over and covering the shaft 10 . a lower - end side of the shaft 10 protrudes from the outer cylinder 11 in the axial direction . an upper - end side of the shaft 10 and an upper end portion of the outer cylinder 11 are aligned to the same level in height . the shaft portion 10 is a round shaft , and the outer cylinder 11 is formed into a cylindrical shape . in other words , a shape on a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft 10 and the outer cylinder 11 presents a double circle , and the thickness of the outer cylinder 11 surrounding the shaft 10 is approximately constant . a base portion 12 is formed in a lower - end side of the outer cylinder 11 , and the shaft 10 protrudes downward so as to pass through the base portion 12 . moreover , a male thread portion 13 is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11 except for the base portion 12 . the base portion 12 serves to maintain a constant length of the male thread portion 13 protruding from the battery cell 2 when the electrode terminal 1 is attached to the battery cell 2 , or serves as a spacer for holding a busbar 3 lifted above the battery cell 2 when the busbar 3 is connected to the male thread portion 13 . the base portion 12 is not always necessarily provided integrally with the outer cylinder 11 , and may be provided as a separate member . according to the first embodiment , the maximum diameter of the electrode terminal 1 ( corresponding to an outer diameter of the base portion 12 ) is 5 - 25 mm , and the maximum length ( corresponding to an overall length of the shaft 10 ) is 10 - 100 mm . the nominal outer diameter of the male thread portion 13 provided on the outer cylinder 11 is 4 - 12 mm . the shaft 10 and the outer cylinder 11 are formed from metal having forming materials different from each other . the shaft 10 is formed by the same metal as of the negative - electrode - side carrier 7 of the battery cell 2 , namely copper or copper alloy . moreover , the outer cylinder 11 is formed by the same metal as of a positive - electrode - side carrier and the plus output terminal of the battery cell 2 , namely aluminum or aluminum alloy as a source material . a bonding interface in which the metal ( cu ) of the shaft 10 and the metal ( al ) of the outer cylinder 11 are brought in close contact with each other at a metal structure level by imparting deformation at an extreme high pressure ( approximately 1000 mpa , for example ) is formed in a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the shaft 10 and an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11 , and , as a result , the gap is brought into a state in which the electric conductivity and the mechanical bonding strength are increased to “ values proper for practical use as an electrode terminal ”. when such an electrode terminal 1 is attached to the battery cell 2 , a portion of the shaft 10 protruding from the outer cylinder 11 is used as an internal connection portion 15 . in other words , the internal connection portion 15 is electrically connected to the negative - electrode - side carrier 7 of the battery cell 2 . moreover , the portion of the outer cylinder 11 on which the male thread portion 13 is provided is used as an external connection portion 16 . in other words , one end portion of the busbar 3 made of aluminum , which is the same metal as the outer cylinder 11 , is connected to the external connection portion 16 . specifically , connection holes 20 are provided on both end portions of the busbar 3 as shown in fig1 and fig3 , the connection hole 20 is inserted over the external connection portion 16 ( the male thread portion 13 of the outer cylinder 11 ) of the electrode terminal 1 , and an aluminum nut 21 made of the same metal as of the outer cylinder 11 is threadedly engaged with the male thread portion 13 which is passing through the connection hole 20 . on this occasion , the external connection portion 16 , the busbar 3 , and the nut 21 constitute a connection of the same metal , which does not cause galvanic corrosion . in addition , though the dissimilar metals are present between the internal connection portion 15 and the external connection portion 16 ( between the shaft 10 and the outer cylinder 11 ), they are metallically bonded , do not cause galvanic corrosion , and are kept in a state in which the electric resistance is restrained . on the other hand , the plus output terminal preferably employs an electrode terminal in which all forming materials are formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy . the shape thereof is approximately the same as the electrode terminal 1 , and includes a base portion 23 and a male thread portion 24 . therefore , the connection hole 20 on the other side of the busbar 3 is inserted over the male thread portion 24 of the electrode terminal on the plus side , and the nut 21 is threadedly engaged with the male thread portion 24 , which is passing through the connection hole 20 . it should be understood that connection portions between the plus output terminal and the busbar 3 constitutes a connection of the same metal , which does not cause galvanic corrosion . as a result , in the battery pack 4 constructed by serially connecting the multiple battery cells 2 via the busbars 3 , galvanic corrosion is not generated in any of the connection portions , and a highly efficient electric conductivity is maintained . moreover , the electrode terminal 1 is excellent in mechanical strength , and the electrode terminal 1 is not bent or broken in an ordinary state of use . it should be noted that the busbar 3 is formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy according to the first embodiment , is light in weight , and can restrain the weight of the battery pack 4 to a small value . as a result , the battery pack 4 is advantageous in weight reduction of an electric vehicle carrying the battery pack 4 as a battery . an extrusion process is carried out under a hydrostatic pressure at an extremely high pressure in order to produce the electrode terminal 1 constituted in this way as shown in fig4 . an extrusion device 30 used for this process includes a die 31 having a single opening corresponding to the maximum diameter of the electrode terminal 1 ( corresponding to the outer diameter of the base portion 12 ) to be obtained , and extrusion molding can be carried out in an isostatic environment at an extremely high pressure ( approximately − 1000 mpa ). as a production sequence of the electrode terminal 1 , a source material for positive electrode 11 a ( metal source material ) made of the same metal as of the plus output terminal of the battery cell 2 and a source material for negative electrode 10 a ( metal source material ) made of the same metal as of the minus output terminal of the battery cell 2 are first prepared . in other words , the source material for positive electrode 11 a is aluminum or aluminum alloy , and the source material for negative electrode 10 a is copper or copper alloy . then , a billet ( source material facing each other ) in a round shaft shape structured so that the source material for positive electrode 11 a surround the source material for negative electrode 10 a in a shaft shape is formed . for example , the source material for negative electrode 10 a is formed as a round shaft member , the source material for positive electrode 11 a is formed as a hollow pipe member , and the source material for positive electrode 11 a is externally fit and inserted over the source material for negative electrode 10 a , thereby forming the billet . alternatively , the source material for negative electrode 10 a is formed as a round shaft member , the source material for positive electrode 11 a is formed as a belt - shape member , and the source material for positive electrode 11 a is wound over the source material for negative electrode 10 a , thereby forming the billet . then , the billet is loaded in the extrusion device 30 , and the extrusion device 30 is actuated in the isostatic environment at an extremely high pressure (− 1000 mpa ). as described before , the billet has such a structure that the source material for positive electrode 11 a surrounds the source material for negative electrode 10 a , and the source material for positive electrode 11 a and the source material for the negative electrode 10 a are extruded in parallel . as shown in fig4 , an opening area of the die 31 of the extrusion device 30 is smaller than a cross sectional area of the billet , the billet is compressed over the whole circumference , and is plastically deformed by causing the billet to pass through the die 31 . mating surfaces of both the source materials 10 a and 11 a come out of the die 31 , and then form “ the interface ( metallically bonded portion ) between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11 ”. this extrusion processing forms a formed body 1 a in an inner / outer double - shaft configuration in which the source material for positive electrode 11 a and the source material for negative electrode 10 a are integrally bonded by means of the metallic bonding . the formed body 1 a acquired in this way is cut in the extruded direction at a predetermined interval . according to the first embodiment , the die 31 of the extrusion device 30 is formed into an opening shape corresponding to a cross sectional shape of the electrode terminal 1 , and the cut interval of the formed body 1 a is set to match the length dimension of the electrode terminal 1 . after the cut , a turning process and a male thread cutting process are applied to the source material for positive electrode 11 a , thereby forming the male thread portion 13 , forming the base portion 12 , and forming the protruded portion of the shaft 10 , resulting in completion of the electrode terminal 1 . a surface grinding and a surface treatment may be applied according to necessity . fig5 a , fig5 b , and fig6 show a second embodiment of the electrode terminal 1 according to the present invention . the electrode terminal 1 according to the second embodiment is also adopted as the minus output terminal of the battery cell 2 . as shown in fig5 a and fig5 b , the outer cylinder 11 of the electrode terminal 1 is formed to extend upward exceeding the length of the shaft 10 . in other words , the shaft 10 is not present inside the extended portion of the outer cylinder 11 , and is thus hollow . on the other hand , the shaft 10 of the electrode terminal 1 is formed to extend downward exceeding the length of the outer cylinder 11 . in addition , the base portion 12 and the male thread portion 13 are not provided on the outer cylinder 11 , and the outer cylinder 11 is thus formed into a straight cylindrical shape . it should be noted that the point that the shaft 10 is the same metal ( copper or copper alloy ) as of the negative - electrode - side carrier 7 of the battery cell 2 , and the outer cylinder 11 is the same metal ( aluminum or aluminum alloy ) as of the positive - electrode - side carrier and the plus output terminal of the battery cell 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment . moreover , the point that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11 are metallically bonded by the die processing in the isostatic environment at an extremely high pressure is the same as that of the first embodiment . on the electrode terminal 1 according to the second embodiment , the portion of the shaft 10 protruding from the outer cylinder 11 is attached to the battery cell 2 as the internal connection portion 15 , and then , the hollow portion of the outer cylinder 11 is used as the external connection portion 16 . in other words , one end portion of the busbar 3 is connected to the external connection portion 16 by means of welding . specifically , as shown in fig6 , the connection hole 20 of the busbar 3 is inserted over the external connection portion 16 ( corresponding to the hollow portion ) of the electrode terminal 1 , and a periphery of the external connection portion 16 passing out the connection hole 20 may be welded by welding . both the busbar 3 and the external connection portion 16 of the welded portion are formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy , are the same metal , do not generate eutectic , and the electric resistance therebetween is not excessive . as shown in fig4 , in order to produce the electrode terminal 1 according to the second embodiment , as in the first embodiment , the extrusion device 30 is actuated in the isostatic environment at an extremely high pressure , thereby forming the formed body 1 a , and the outer cylinder 11 is then hollowed by boring ( the shaft 10 is removed to a predetermined depth ). according to the second embodiment , other configuration , actions and effects , and the production method are the same as those of the first embodiment , and therefore are not detailed . by the way , it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are examples in terms of all the points , and are not limitative . the scope of the present invention is not represented by the above description but by claims , and it is intended that connotation equivalent to the scope of claims , and all changes within the scope of claims are included . for example , according to the first and second embodiments , though the electrode terminal 1 used as the minus output terminal is exemplified , the electrode terminal may be adopted to the plus output terminal . in this case , preferably , the shaft 10 is formed from the same metal ( aluminum or the aluminum alloy ) as of the positive - electrode - side carrier of the battery cell 2 , and the outer cylinder 11 is formed from the same metal ( copper or copper alloy ) as of the negative - electrode - side carrier 7 of the battery cell 2 . the busbar 3 is formed from copper or copper alloy . moreover , the busbar 1 according to the present invention is highly preferred for the connection of the lithium ion batteries to be installed on an automobile , and application to connection of the lithium ion batteries used for other applications poses no problem . the present application is described in detail referring to the specific embodiments , and it is apparent to a person skilled in the art that various changes and modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the present application is based on japanese patent application no . 2010 - 075916 filed on may 29 , 2010 , and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference .	7
fig1 is a general architecture diagram schematically illustrating an example of an interactive menu display system 100 that performs and provides the menu display and menu configuration services described herein . the interactive menu display system 100 can include any system capable of performing the processes described herein . for example , in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 , the interactive menu display system 100 communicates with one or more user computing devices 162 and one or more display devices 166 over a network 160 . in fig1 , the interactive menu display system 100 includes several components such as a menu display configuration module 122 and user interface module 124 . these components may also include further components that may not be depicted in fig1 . for example , interactive menu display system 100 can also include one or more servers , e . g ., a web server , configured to receive and respond to requests from the user computing devices 162 . the menu display configuration module 122 may be configured to , for example , manage various aspects of configuring a menu for a retail establishment . the menu display configuration module 122 may operate in conjunction with a user interface module 124 configured to generate and provide various menu configuration user interfaces described herein to enable the owner or manager to edit the menu , including menu content ( e . g ., food and drinks available at the retail establishment ), notices ( e . g ., informational items ), advertising content ( e . g ., banner advertisements , in - menu advertisements , etc . ), and presentation settings including display and layout settings , font styles and alignments , and the like . among other things , the menu display configuration module 122 and / or user interface module 124 may be configured to execute various processes , such as the process 1100 described with reference to fig1 , and the process 1200 described with reference to fig1 . also shown in fig1 , the interactive menu display system 100 may include and / or have access to one or more data stores or data sources including , for example , a menu and content data store 170 . the menu and content data store 170 may include data for the interactive menu display system , such as information or data about menu items available at a retail establishment including food and drinks ; notices including information about upcoming events , special offers for the retail establishment , information about performers and performance schedules , and the like ; advertising content , including ads for the retail establishment and / or ads for related products or services which may be displayed on the menu display user interfaces in exchange for a service fee ; data related to display settings and / or layout settings for the menu display user interfaces ; images and other display content for the menu ; and so forth . the menu and content data store 170 may store data provided by the owner and manager , either via the menu configuration user interfaces described herein or via other processes ( e . g ., an initial setup process or routine may be implemented to create or generate initial or default menu content which may then be further edited by the owner or manager using the menu configuration user interfaces ). the menu and content data store 170 may store data provided by or accessed from a third party entity , such as a third party data source of menu content including food , drinks ( e . g ., a database of information regarding one or more craft beers , such as a database provided by taphunter or other services ). also shown in fig1 , a sample user computing device 162 may include a user interface module 164 which may be configured to execute some or all of the processes described herein . this may , for example , enable the user computing device 162 to provide the menu display and / or menu configuration features to the user of the device , even when the device may be not connected to the interactive menu display system 100 over the network 160 . this may be the case , for example , if the user computing device 162 does not have wireless access , may not be connected to a cellular network , and so forth . in some embodiments , the interactive menu display system 100 may be a web - based system that may be accessed by users using an ordinary web browser . the interactive menu display system 100 may be accessible by an owner , manager , server , or other employee of the retail establishment to perform the menu configuration functions described herein . in other embodiments , aspects of the interactive menu display system 100 may also be accessible by users not associated with the retail establishment ( e . g ., customers of the retail establishment ) who may be able to view a menu and optionally place orders ( e . g ., by placing an order with a server or by placing an order directly via a user computing device ), but may not have access to the menu configuration functions provided by the interactive menu display system . the user interface module 124 of the interactive menu display system 100 may be configured to , for example , generate one or more user interfaces , such as the user interfaces described herein ( e . g ., fig2 - 17 ), to provide the menu configuration features to the user of a computing device 162 . in one embodiment , some or all of the user interfaces and / or ui elements may be generated either by the interactive menu display system 100 and provided to the user computing device 162 , or they may be generated on the user computing device 162 via the user interface module 164 , or in some combination thereof . according to one example use case scenario , a retail establishment may have one or more display devices 166 , such as commercial televisions or video monitors , to enable display of a menu of items and information for the retail establishment . for example , one display device 166 may enable display of a food menu , another display device 166 may enable display of a drinks menu , and yet another display device 166 may enable display of notices , advertisements , or other information . of course , any combination may be possible ( e . g ., one display device 166 may display food and drinks , along with notices and advertising in any combination ) using one , two , three , or more display devices 166 . the display devices 166 may present one or more menu display user interfaces which are generated by the interactive menu display system 100 based at least in part on menu data accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . an owner or manager of a retail establishment may access the menu configuration user interfaces using a user computing device 162 , the user computing device 162 may be , for example , a smart phone or tablet available to the owner , manager , or other employees at the retail establishment , or the user computing device 162 may be located elsewhere in a location remote from the retail establishment ( e . g ., the owner may be able to access the menu configuration user interfaces from home or anywhere else ). fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 illustrate example user interfaces presenting various portions or aspects of a menu for a retail establishment , as used in one or more embodiments of the interactive menu display system . the sample user interfaces may be displayed , for example , on one or more display devices 166 , such as commercially available televisions or video monitors . however , in some embodiments , the sample user interfaces shown in fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 may also be displayed on any suitable user computer device , such as a cell / smart phone , tablet , portable / mobile computing device , desktop , laptop , or personal computer , and are not limited to the samples as described herein . in some embodiments the sample user interfaces may be displayed using a web browser ( e . g ., as a web page ), a mobile application , or a standalone application . the user interfaces include examples of only certain features that an interactive menu display system may provide . in other embodiments , additional features may be provided , and they may be provided using various different user interfaces and software code . depending on the embodiment , the user interfaces and functionality described with reference to fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 may be provided by software executing on the one or more display devices ; by software executing on an optional intermediary computing system in communication with the one or more display devices ; by an interactive menu display system located remotely that is in communication with the one or more display devices directly or indirectly via one or more networks ; and / or some combination of software executing on the one or more display devices , the optional intermediary computing system , and the interactive menu display system . in other embodiments , analogous interfaces may be presented using audio or other forms of communication . in an embodiment , the interfaces shown in fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 are configured to be interactive and respond to various user interactions . such user interactions may include clicks with a mouse , typing with a keyboard , touches and / or gestures on a touch screen , voice commands , physical gestures made within a proximity of a user interface , and / or the like . fig2 is an example menu display user interface (“ ui ”) 200 presenting a menu of items available at a retail establishment , in particular a sushi and yakitori restaurant . the example menu display ui 200 may be generated by the interactive menu display system 100 according to menu and content data accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . the menu display ui 200 may comprise or include one or more portions to present one or more respective menu items and / or submenus . the example menu display ui 200 of fig2 includes six portions arranged in two rows and three columns ; however , other configurations may be possible and customized by the owner or manager of the retail establishment , for example via the menu configuration user interfaces provided by the interactive menu display system 100 ( e . g ., fig8 ). thus , for example , the example menu display ui 200 may be configured or customized to present a menu in one portion ( e . g ., a portion which utilizes most of the display area ), two portions ( e . g ., one row by two columns , or two rows by four columns ), four portions ( e . g ., two rows by two columns , one row by four columns , or four rows by one column ), and so on in any other combination . as shown in fig2 , each respective portion of the menu display ui 200 may present a menu item , along with a description , a price , and / or an image for the menu item ; or , reach respective portion may present a submenu , such as the “ favorite rolls ” submenu or the “ sake ” drinks menu . each submenu may be configured in a similar manner as described herein with reference to configuring the one or more menu items to be presented in the menu display ui . each submenu may also be configured to use a pre - generated image or graphic which includes the relevant submenu items , such that the pre - generated image or graphic may be included in a respective portion of the menu . in some embodiments , certain portions of the menu may include content which may not entirely fit within the display area of the respective portion of the menu display ui . for example , a common scenario occurs when a drinks menu or submenu includes more available drinks than can concurrently be displayed in the corresponding portion of the menu display ( e . g ., the portion of the menu display may have sufficient display area to display up to ten available drink items at one time , but the entire drinks menu may include more than ten drinks ). in such cases the menu display ui may be generated to enable automatic scrolling , paging , and / or other transitional rotation of the content within the respective portion , thereby updating the menu display ui in real - time to replace displayed menu content with other menu content that is not concurrently displayed . this way the entire contents of the menu may be displayed over a period of time , enabling the customer to view the entire menu or submenu contents in a single menu display ui . in other embodiments , instead of automatic scrolling , menu content may be periodically rotated or switched to update the menu display ui to present the entire menu or submenu contents in timed segments . for example , a drinks menu or submenu may rotate through a display pattern of showing a first set of ten drinks , followed by a second set of ten drinks , and so on until all available drinks in the menu or submenu have been presented , at which point the display pattern may be repeated . the pattern may be configured to present each timed segment for a default or a user defined period of time ( e . g ., 3 seconds , 5 seconds , etc .). the example menu display ui 200 also includes a ticker ui element 202 for displaying a scrolling , paging , or otherwise automatically updating ticker of content . although illustrated at the bottom of the menu display ui 200 , the ticker ui element 202 may be presented in any position including across the top , the middle , on the left or right side of the ui . the ticker ui element 202 may be configured using for example the ticker configuration ui illustrated and described with reference to fig1 , 12 , and 13 herein . for example , the ticker ui element 202 may be configured to display a “ live ” or real - time data feed from social media websites and / or social media networks , including facebook , twitter , instagram , micro - blogs , and the like ; and / or to display one or more user - defined messages which may be presented via the ticker ui element 202 in a rotating pattern . in one embodiment , the menu display ui 200 is configured to update or refresh periodically in near real - time in order to display the most current menu content and configuration settings . in another embodiment , the menu display ui 200 is configured to update or refresh responsive to detection of or receipt of new or updated menu content and configuration settings . in either such embodiment , the menu content and configuration settings may be updated , for example , by the owner or manager of the retail establishment via the one or more menu configuration user interfaces described herein . in this way for example , the owner or manager may update the menu to add new items or to delete items no longer available , and the interactive menu display system 100 may generate and updated menu display ui 200 to be refreshed in near real - time . this way the owner or operator may be assured that the most current menu is displayed within the retail establishment based on “ up - to - minute ” changes to the menu or items available . one benefit to such an updated menu display is that it may prevent the customer from ordering an item that is no longer available , thus preventing the undesirable customer service outcome of having to inform the customer manually that an item she ordered is not available . fig3 is another example menu display user interface (“ ui ”) 300 presenting a menu of items available at a retail establishment , in particular a sushi and yakitori restaurant . the example menu display ui 300 may be generated by the interactive menu display system 100 according to menu and content data accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . menu display ui 300 includes an example of a banner ui element 302 which may be included with the menu content . the banner ui element may be configured using for example the banner configuration ui illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein . for example , the banner ui element 302 may be configured to display custom content such as notices or informational content regarding upcoming events ( e . g ., “ karaoke night ! . . . ”), special offers ( e . g ., “ enjoy $ 10 pitchers and $ 5 rolls ”), and other information ( e . g ., “ reservations recommended . . . ”). other types of custom content may also be included for display including , for example , advertisements or special offers from other retail establishments or businesses . for example , custom content may include an advertisement from a nearby retail establishment offering patrons a discount other special offer ( e . g ., “ show your receipt from this retail establishment and receive 10 % your next order at nearby retail establishment !”). as shown in fig3 , banner ui element 302 is displayed in the upper left corner and configured to overlay two portions of the underlying menu . however , banner ui element 302 may be configured for display in any number of ways , including for example overlaying the entire menu display , overlaying one or more respective portions of the menu display , aligned with the right edge or bottom edge of the menu display , and so on . further , in some embodiments the banner ui element 302 may be configured for display on a set interval ( e . g ., show or display for 5 seconds , hide or not display for 10 seconds , repeat ), such that the banner ui element 302 and corresponding custom content may only be displayed periodically . fig4 is example menu display user interface (“ ui ”) 400 presenting a menu of drinks available at a retail establishment . the example menu display ui 400 may be generated by the interactive menu display system 100 according to menu and content data accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . the menu display ui 400 may comprise or include one or more portions to present one or more respective drink categories and drink lists . the example menu display ui 400 of fig4 includes four portions arranged in two rows and two columns ; however , other configurations may be possible and customized by the owner or manager of the retail establishment , for example via the menu configuration user interfaces provided by the interactive menu display system 100 ( e . g ., fig8 or a similar user interface for configuration of a drinks menu ). in some embodiments , some the drink categories may include content which may not entirely fit within the display area of the respective portion of the menu display ui . for example , a brewery or bar often offers dozens or even hundreds of different beer brews which may not concurrently be displayed in the menu display , or may not concurrently be displayed in the menu display and remain legible or viewable by the customer . in such cases the menu display ui 400 may be generated to enable automatic scrolling , paging , other transitional change of the content within each respective portion , thereby updating the menu display ui in real - time to replace displayed available drinks with other menu content that is not concurrently displayed . this way the entire contents of the drinks menu may be displayed over a period of time , enabling the customer to view a legible or readable presentation of the entire drinks menu a single menu display ui . in other embodiments , instead of automatic scrolling , drinks menu content may be periodically rotated or switched to update the menu display ui to present the entire drinks menu or submenu contents in timed segments . for example , a drinks menu or submenu may rotate through a display pattern of showing a first set of ten drinks , followed by a second set of ten drinks , and so on until all available drinks in the menu or submenu have been presented , at which point the display pattern may be repeated . the pattern may be configured to present each timed segment for a default or a user defined period of time ( e . g ., 3 seconds , 5 seconds , etc .). in one embodiment , each respective drink category and corresponding portion of the menu display ui 400 may be configured to scroll or rotate content independently of each other , enabling concurrent display of multiple scrolling or rotating lists of drinks organized by the respective categories , which may be identified with names or titles ( e . g ., pilsners and pale ales , hoppy , wheat and belgian , malty and dark , of fig4 ). in some embodiments , the names or titles ( e . g ., pilsners and pale ales , hoppy , wheat and belgian , malty and dark , of fig4 ) can be displayed persistently during all or a portion of the scrolling or paging sequence . thus , the names of individual beverages such as “ 1500 pale ale ” and “ thin lizzy ” within the “ pilsners & amp ; pale ales ” category , can scroll or page with those and other beverage names , while the name of the category “ pilsners & amp ; pale ales ” is displayed persistently during such scrolling or paging , for example , at the top or other part of the portion of the menu display dedicated to the “ pilsners & amp ; pale ales ” category . in some embodiments , the portion of the menu display dedicated to the “ pilsners & amp ; pale ales ” category can be further subdivided into a scrolling / paging portion and a persistent portion , such that the category name “ pilsners & amp ; pale ales ” is displayed in the persistent portion and the beverage names are displayed in the scrolling / paging portion . similarly to the embodiment shown and described in fig3 , the menu display ui 400 may be configured to update or refresh periodically in near real - time in order to display the most current drink menu content and configuration . in another embodiment , the menu display ui 400 is configured to update or refresh responsive to detection of or receipt of new or updated menu content and configuration settings . in such embodiments , the menu content and configuration settings may be updated , for example , by the owner or manager of the retail establishment via the one or more menu configuration user interfaces described herein . in this way for example , the owner or manager may update the menu to add new drink items or to delete drink items no longer available ( e . g ., if a certain craft beer on tap has run out ), and the interactive menu display system 100 may generate and update menu display ui 200 to be refreshed in near real - time . this way the owner or operator may be assured that the most current menu is displayed within the retail establishment based on “ up - to - minute ” changes to the menu or items available . although not illustrated in fig4 , the menu display ui 400 may also be configured similarly to the menu display ui 300 of fig3 to enable display or presentation of a banner ui element . each of the features described with reference to fig3 may also be included in the menu display ui 400 of fig4 . fig5 is example menu display user interface (“ ui ”) 500 presenting a display of notices for a retail establishment . the example menu display ui 500 may be generated by the interactive menu display system 100 according to menu and content data accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . the menu display ui 500 may comprise or include one or more portions to present one or more respective notices , such as a listing of performers and related performance information and / or advertising . the example menu display ui 500 of fig5 includes four portions arranged in four rows and one column ; however , other configurations may be possible and customized by the owner or manager of the retail establishment , for example via the menu configuration user interfaces provided by the interactive menu display system 100 ( e . g ., fig8 or a similar user interface for configuration of a notice menu ). as shown in fig5 , the notice information display includes a listing of performers and related information , such as a performance time , a stage location , and a description . for example , in some establishments providing live entertainment , dancers , comedians or other types of entertainers may take the stage in a sequential order . some customers appreciate advance notice of the different performers that are scheduled to perform , and optionally statistical or personal information regarding each of those performers . optionally , the display system can also display the estimated time until each of the sequential performers will take the stage . similarly to the embodiments shown and described in fig3 and 4 , the menu display ui 500 may be configured to update or refresh periodically in near real - time in order to display the most notice content and configuration settings . thus , for example , the owner or manager may update the menu display to add new notice items or to delete notice items no longer needed or relevant ( e . g ., a performance schedule may be updated throughout the day and thus menu display information about scheduled performers may need to be updated accordingly ), and the interactive menu display system 100 may generate and update menu display ui 500 to be refreshed in near real - time . this way the owner or operator may be assured that the most current notice information is displayed within the retail establishment based on “ up - to - minute ” changes to the related information , such as performer replacements , scheduling changes , and the like . although not illustrated in fig5 , the menu display ui 500 may also be configured similarly to the menu display ui 300 of fig3 to enable display or presentation of a banner ui element . each of the features described with reference to fig3 may also be included in the menu display ui 500 of fig5 . fig6 - 17 illustrate example menu configuration user interfaces , as used in one or more embodiments of the interactive menu display system . the sample user interfaces may be displayed , for example , on a user computing device 162 via a web browser ( e . g ., as a web page ), a mobile application , or a standalone application . however , in some embodiments , the sample user interfaces shown in fig6 - 17 may also be displayed on any suitable computer device , such as a cell / smart phone , tablet , portable / mobile computing device , desktop , laptop , or personal computer , and are not limited to the samples as described herein . the user interfaces include examples of only certain features that an interactive menu display system may provide . in other embodiments , additional features may be provided , and they may be provided using various different user interfaces and software code . depending on the embodiment , the user interfaces and functionality described with reference to fig6 - 17 may be provided by software executing on the user computing device , by an interactive menu display system located remotely that is in communication with the computing device via one or more networks , and / or some combination of software executing on the computing device and the interactive menu display system . in other embodiments , analogous interfaces may be presented using audio or other forms of communication . in an embodiment , the interfaces shown in fig6 - 17 are configured to be interactive and respond to various user interactions . such user interactions may include clicks with a mouse , typing with a keyboard , touches and / or gestures on a touch screen , voice commands , physical gestures made within a proximity of a user interface , and / or the like . fig6 is an example menu display configuration ui 600 presenting a main menu of configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize food menu content and related display settings . the menu display configuration ui 600 includes a user - selectable option 602 to view configuration options for one or more displays or display types such as food , drink , and notices . in response to selection of one of the display options , the interactive menu display system 100 may generate or provide a different user interface for the respective selected display option . for example , selection of a “ drinks ” option may cause presentation of the menu display configuration ui 1100 illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein , whereas selection of a “ notice ” option may cause presentation of the menu display configuration ui 1200 illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein . the menu display configuration ui 600 may also include a user - selectable option 604 to toggle the view between the main menu configuration options as illustrated and a synchronization menu ( not illustrated ) by which the user can manually initiate synchronization of menu content and related display settings with one or more menu displays . fig6 provides several main menu options which the user may use to manage food menu content and display settings . selection of these main menu options will cause presentation of respective configuration uis . for example , a menu items option 606 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a menu item configuration user interface , such as the ui 700 of fig7 , may be presented . additionally , a background option 608 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a background configuration user interface , such as the ui 1300 of fig1 , may be presented ; a ticker option 610 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a ticker configuration user interface , such as the ui 1400 of fig1 , may be presented ; and / or a banner option 612 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a banner configuration user interface , such as the ui 1700 of fig1 , may be presented . fig7 is an example menu display configuration ui 700 presenting a menu of configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize menu item content and related display settings . fig7 provides several menu options which the user may use to configure menu item content and display settings . selection of these main menu options will cause presentation of respective configuration uis . for example , a point of sale interface option 702 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a point of sale configuration user interface , such as the ui 1000 of fig1 , may be presented ; an item content and style option 704 may be provided , and upon selection by the user an item content and style user interface , such as the ui 800 of fig8 , may be presented ; and / or an item defaults 706 may be provided , and upon selection by the user an item default configuration user interface , such as the ui 900 of fig9 , may be presented . fig8 is an example item content and style ui 800 presenting various configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to edit and customize menu item content and related display settings . menu item configuration options may include , for example , view navigation options such as a previous button 802 and a next button 804 to enable the user to quickly and easily navigate through multiple menu items . menu item configuration options may also include item creation and deletion options such as delete item button 806 and add before and / or add after button ( s ) 808 to enable the user to quickly add and remove items from the menu . for a particular menu item , menu item configuration options may include a title input element 810 , a description input element 812 , a price input element 816 , a horizontal alignment setting 818 with a left / center / right option 820 , and an image select option 822 which may include an associated dropdown list or menu of images available for selection . the dropdown list or menu of images available for selection may be generated , for example , based on a library or repository of images available for use with the display menu , which may be stored and / or accessed from the menu and content data store 170 . the item content and style configuration ui 800 may also present an image preview 826 which may be configured to update dynamically in response to the user &# 39 ; s selection of an image associated with the image select option 822 . the item content and style configuration ui 800 may also present , for one or more input elements ( such as the title input element 810 , the description input element 814 , and the price input element 816 ), an associated style option 812 which may , upon selection by the user , cause a popover style configuration user interface to be presented to enable the user to select one or more style options . the popover style configuration user interface may be similar to the example style configuration ui illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein . when the user has finished providing item and content configuration settings for the menu item configuration options , the user may choose to accept 828 the changes or cancel 830 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the item and content configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig9 is an example item default style settings user interface 900 presenting various configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to edit and customize menu item default display settings . item default style options may include , for example , options to configure default menu dimensions , including an option to specify whether a menu item grid 904 should be shown in the menu display , an option to specify a default number of rows 906 , and an option to specify a default number of columns 908 . additional item default style options 910 may include , for example , for each of title 912 , description 916 , and price 918 associated style options 914 . the associated style options 914 may , upon selection by the user , cause a popover style configuration user interface to be presented to enable the user to select one or more style options . the popover style configuration user interface may be similar to the example style configuration ui illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein . further item default style options 910 may include , a horizontal alignment setting 920 with a left / center / right option 922 to indicate a default alignment for menu items within respective portions of a menu display ui . when the user has finished providing item default configuration settings for the item default configuration options , the user may choose to accept 924 the changes or cancel 926 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the item default 14 configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example point of sale configuration user interface 1000 presenting various configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to manage interfacing with a point of sale (“ pos ”) system . the pos system may be installed at the retail establishment , and may be a separate system from the interactive menu display system . interfacing between the pos system and the interactive menu display system may provide several benefits , including the ability to synchronize menu and content data for menus associated with the retail establishment with data from the pos system , which may include for example menu data related to items for sale at the retail establishment . as shown in fig1 , point of sale options may include , for example , an option 1002 to sync menu items from a pos system . this feature may be beneficial because the owner or manager of the retail establishment may have existing menu content data stored in conjunction with a pos system , which may be used to initialize or update corresponding data for the retail establishment stored in the menu and content data store 170 . this would reduce or eliminate the need to manually re - enter data for the same menu items . in another embodiment another option may be provided to enable synchronization of menu items from the interactive menu display system 100 to the pos system . depending on the embodiment the retail establishment may wish to keep one or the other of these systems as a primary data source , with the other being a secondary data source , and then periodically sync menu items from the primary data source to the secondary data source . additional point of sale options may include an option to specify whether an interface connection 1004 to the pos system is “ on ” or “ off ” and to specify a category number 1006 associated with the pos system . when the user has finished providing point of sale interface configuration settings for the point of sale options , the user may choose to accept 1008 the changes or cancel 1010 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the point of sale interface configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example menu display configuration ui 1100 presenting a main menu of configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize drink menu content and related display settings . similar to the menu display ui 600 of fig6 , the menu display configuration ui 1100 includes a user - selectable option 1102 to view configuration options for one or more displays or display types such as food , drink , and notices . in response to selection of one of the display options , the interactive menu display system 100 may generate or provide a different user interface for the respective selected display option . fig1 provides several main menu options which the user may use to manage drink menu content and display settings . selection of these main menu options will cause presentation of respective configuration uis . for example , a categories option 1104 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a menu item configuration user interface , similar to the ui 700 of fig7 , may be presented . additionally , a background option 1106 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a background configuration user interface , such as the ui 1300 of fig1 , may be presented ; a ticker option 1108 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a ticker configuration user interface , such as the ui 1400 of fig1 , may be presented ; and / or a banner option 1110 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a banner configuration user interface , such as the ui 1700 of fig1 , may be presented . fig1 is an example menu display configuration ui 1200 presenting a main menu of configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize notice menu content and related display settings . similar to the menu display ui 600 of fig6 , the menu display configuration ui 1200 includes a user - selectable option 1202 to view configuration options for one or more displays or display types such as food , drink , and notices . in response to selection of one of the display options , the interactive menu display system 100 may generate or provide a different user interface for the respective selected display option . fig1 provides several main menu options which the user may use to manage notice menu content and display settings . selection of these main menu options will cause presentation of respective configuration uis . for example , a background option 1204 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a background configuration user interface , such as the ui 1300 of fig1 , may be presented ; a ticker option 1206 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a ticker configuration user interface , such as the ui 1400 of fig1 , may be presented ; and / or a banner option 1208 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a banner configuration user interface , such as the ui 1700 of fig1 , may be presented . fig1 is an example background configuration ui 1300 presenting configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize a background image for a menu display . background options may include , for example , an option to select a background image 1302 , which may further include display of a list of background images 1304 available for selection . the background configuration ui 1300 may also present an image preview 1306 which may be configured to update dynamically in response to the user &# 39 ; s selection of an image from the list of background images 1304 . when the user has finished providing background configuration settings for the background options , the user may choose to accept 1308 the changes or cancel 1310 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the background configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example menu display configuration ui 1500 presenting a menu of configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize ticker content and display style settings . fig1 provides several menu options which the user may use to configure ticker content and display style settings . selection of these menu options will cause presentation of respective configuration uis . for example , a ticker content option 1402 may be provided , and upon selection by the user a point of sale configuration user interface , such as the ui 1500 of fig1 , may be presented ; and / or a style option 1404 may be provided , and upon selection by the user an item content and style user interface , such as the ui 1600 of fig1 , may be presented . fig1 is an example ticker configuration ui 1500 presenting configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize ticker content for a menu display . ticker content options may include , for example , a ticker display option 1502 which the user may set to “ on ” or “ off ” to enable or disable display of the ticker in a corresponding menu display ui . another ticker option may include a ticker type option 1504 to enable the user to choose between using a content feed , which the user can provide using a social media feed url option 1506 , or using one or more standard ticker values , which the user can provide using one or more standard ticker values 1508 . when the user has finished providing ticker content configuration settings for the ticker options , the user may choose to accept 1510 the changes or cancel 1512 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the ticker configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example style configuration ui 1600 presenting configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize style settings for a menu display . the style configuration ui 1600 may be provided in a variety of contexts , including but limited to : enabling configuration of style settings for a ticker , enabling configuration of style settings for menu items , enabling configuration of style settings for drink items , and so on . style options may include , for example , a text color 1602 , a background color 1606 , and a font 1610 . additional style options not shown may include a font size , font styles such as bold , italics , and underline , alignment settings , and the like . the style configuration ui 1600 may also provide an indicator of the currently selected text color 1604 and / or an indicator of the currently selected background color 1608 . when the user has finished providing style configuration settings for the style options , the user may choose to accept 1612 the changes or cancel 1614 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the style configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example banner configuration ui 1700 presenting configuration options to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to customize banner content and style for a menu display . banner options may include , for example , a social media app option 1702 which the user may set to “ on ” or “ off ” to enable or disable content from a social media application , social network , or other social media website . for example , the social media content may be accessed from a social media data feed , such as a facebook feed , a twitter feed , an instagram feed , and so on . additional banner options may include options to configure a position of the banner relative to menu items 1704 , including an option to specify an upper left corner 1706 and a lower right corner 1708 to define the corner edge boundaries of the banner . further banner options may include options to configure display intervals 1710 for timed presentation of the banner , including an option to specify an on time period 1712 and an off time period 1714 . the banner configuration ui 1700 may also provide an option to select one or more banner images 1716 , which may be presented as a dropdown menu 1718 listing one or more banner images available for display . the listing of one or more banner images may be accessed , for example , from the menu and content data store 170 . in another embodiment , the banner configuration ui 1700 may also provide an option to add or create a new banner image . the user may want to utilize this feature to , for example , create a custom banner image from a photograph of a menu item ( e . g ., food or drink ) available at the retail establishment , or of a performer who performs at the retail establishment , and so on . for example , the user may be provided with options to choose an existing photo ( e . g ., from a photo library that may be stored locally on the user &# 39 ; s computing device ), or to take anew photo ( e . g ., using a camera or video capture device on the user &# 39 ; s computing device ). once a photo is selected , the user may be presented with one or more photo editing options including options to crop the photo , apply photo filters ( e . g ., such as a filter optimized or designed to improve the appearance or presentation of food items in photographs ), and / or apply other image processing to the photo ( e . g ., color manipulation , image / photo rotation , resizing and / or zooming , image lighting effects , etc .). the user interface may also provide the user with an option to add text to be displayed with the photo , such as a title and / or a price . the user interface may also present options for the user to edit styles associated with the text ( e . g ., font size , text color , font style , etc .) via a similar style setting ui as described in the present disclosure . once the user has finished uploading the photo and selecting text , font , and style settings , the user may name the banner and be able to save the banner for use throughout the menu display . for example , the newly created banner may be saved to the menu and content data store 170 and accessed for use later in managing banner display settings via the banner configuration ui 1700 . in another embodiment , the banner configuration ui 1700 may also provide an option for the user to apply any of the one or more photo editing options described above ( e . g ., crop the photo , apply photo filters , and / or apply other image processing to the photo ) to an image selected for the banner ( e . g ., to an image that is already previously uploaded and / or available for use in the menu display , such as an image stored in the menu and content data store 170 ). this way the user can customize banner images in the image repository before or at the time of upload , or after uploading , depending on the circumstances . for example , the user may wish to re - use a certain image multiple times to create various different types of custom banners , such as with different types of filters applied and / or with different custom text ( e . g ., different prices for different times of day , for special offers or events , and so on ). when the user has finished providing banner configuration settings for the banner options , the user may choose to accept 1720 the changes or cancel 1722 the changes . in response to the user accepting the changes , the user computing device may provide the banner configuration settings to the interactive menu display system 100 , which may in turn re - generate or update any of the menu display uis which may be affected by any updates . in response to the user cancelling the changes , the user may be returned to another menu configuration ui , depending on the embodiment . fig1 is an example administrator portal user interface (“ ui ”) 1800 to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to manage one or more menu settings related to a menu display , as used in an embodiment . for example , the portal ui 1800 may be provided in an embodiment to enable the owner or manager to manage a menu from a more traditional desktop or standalone application such as a web browser . among other user control elements , the portal ui 1800 may include a sync option 1802 to enable the owner / user to manually synchronize the current menu content and layout settings with any corresponding menu display user interfaces which may be presented , for example , on display devices 166 . the example portal ui 1800 includes , via a menu on the left portion of the ui , a presentation of a drinks library submenu 1804 , which lists several different types of drinks / beverages ( e . g ., on tap , in rotation , cask , cellar , reserve , bottles , permanent ) and corresponding quantity amounts indicating an amount on - hand or available in the library . the portal ui 1800 also includes a presentation of a stores submenu 1806 listing stores available for management ( e . g ., as shown here , el segundo and lax ). the portal ui 1800 also includes a presentation of an images submenu 1808 which lists two submenu options for the user to manage , for example , banners / banner images and backgrounds , which may be stored in the menu and content data store 170 . the example portal ui 1800 of fig1 includes , a presentation of a categories submenu 1810 , which lists several different categories of drinks / beverages ( e . g ., ipas , ambers & amp ; reds , stouts & amp ; porters , white & amp ; wheat , belgian style , and bottles ), and corresponding quantity amounts indicating an amount on - hand or available in the library . the portal ui 1800 also includes a presentation of a ticker messages submenu 1812 , which may be selected by the user to manage ( e . g ., add , edit , delete , etc .) ticker - related settings , such as those illustrated and described with reference to fig1 herein . the portal ui 1800 also includes a presentation of a menu style defaults submenu 1814 , which may be selected by the user to manage ( e . g ., add , edit , delete , etc .) style and / or item default settings , such as those illustrated and described with reference to fig9 and 16 herein . the example portal ui 1800 of fig1 also illustrates a number of options which may be available to the user , including an option to add 1816 a new item to the currently selected library or category item , such as to add a new drink to the currently selected and displayed list of drinks 1830 . the portal ui 1800 also includes an option to view data 1820 , which may cause presentation of additional data related to the currently displayed list 1830 ; an option to sync 1822 the currently displayed list 1830 , for example to update any corresponding menu display user interfaces which may be presented , for example , on display devices 166 ; an option to connect to a database (“ db ”) 1824 to initiate a database connection ; an option to access a sirv store 1832 , which may provide access to special or additional templates , apps , banners , and other content which may be used with the interactive menu display system 100 ; and / or an option to print a menu 1834 , which may for example initiate printing of the menu according to the current menu library , content , style settings , and so forth . also shown in the sample portal ui 1800 of fig1 , a current item display 1826 may be provided to present detailed information about a particular item selected in the list 1830 . detailed information might include , for example , a name of a beverage , a name of the source ( e . g ., a brewery ), and / or current stock / inventory levels either in total across all stores and / or on a per - store basis as shown . the portal ui 1800 may also present a search option 1828 to enable the user to search the entire menu and / or library , including any / all food items , drink items , notice items , banners / banner images , advertising , and any other related content that may be stored in association with the menu and / or the retail establishment . fig1 is an example administrator portal user interface (“ ui ”) 1900 to enable a user , such as an owner or operator of a retail establishment , to manage user and system settings related to an interactive menu display system , as used in an embodiment . among other elements , the administrator portal ui 1900 may include an administrators control panel 1902 , which may for example , present various site configuration settings which may be managed by an owner , a general manager , or other authorized user . the site configuration settings might include for example settings related to access and presentation of the portal uis 1800 and 1900 as provided by the interactive display menu system 100 . the administrator portal ui 1900 may also include a users control panel 1904 , which may for example , enable the user to add new users 1906 or edit existing users 1908 , including managing / setting access levels , restrictions , and / or viewing options . for example , the owner or manager may wish to add a new user when a new employee is hired and grant the new user / employee certain rights and privileges with respect to administration of the menu for the retail establishment . for example , newer employees may initially be granted only viewing privileges and not be able to add to or edit the menu ; or , employees under the age of 21 may be denied access or authorization to any configuration settings related to alcoholic beverages offered by the retail establishment ; and so on . the administrator portal ui 1900 may also include a view logs control panel 1910 , which may for example , enable the user to view access logs and other system information related to user activity . the view logs may present an option to select filter options 1912 , including for example different types of filters such as pages accessed , login frequency , change log frequency , and other similar administrative log metrics which may be of interest to the owner or manager of the retail establishment . fig2 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a process 2000 for providing an interactive menu display , as used in an embodiment . in various embodiments , fewer blocks or additional blocks may be included in the process , or various blocks may be performed in an order different from that shown in fig2 . in particular , the blocks in fig2 may be performed by a user computing device 162 , the interactive menu display system 100 , depending for example on which computing device / software service has access to the required menu content data , for example . at block 2005 of fig2 , the interactive menu display system 100 generates a menu display user interface ( ui ) including menu of items available at a retail establishment and / or related content such as notices , advertising , and the like . the menu display user interface may be , for example , any of the example display menu user interfaces illustrated and described with reference to fig2 - 5 herein . although the example described with reference to the process 2000 involves one menu display ui , in some embodiments more than one menu display ui may be generated in parallel . for example , in one embodiment a retail establishment may have several display devices to enable display of multiple menu display user interfaces , such as a food display menu , a drinks display menu , and a notice / information display menu , each of which may be generated by the interactive menu display system 100 . at block 2010 , the interactive menu display system 100 provides the generated menu display ui for display on a first electronic display device at the retail establishment . in one embodiment , the generated menu display ui is provided directly to the first electronic display device . in another embodiment , the generated menu display ui is provided to an intermediary system , such as another computing system at the retail establishment , which may in turn provide the generated menu display ui to the first electronic display device . at block 2015 , the interactive menu display system 100 may generate a menu display commander user interface to enable an owner or manager of the retail establishment to configure content and layout settings for the menu . the menu display commander user interface may be , for example , any of the example menu configuration user interfaces illustrated and described with reference to fig6 - 17 herein . in some embodiments , the menu configuration user interfaces are optimized for display on a portable computing device such as a smart phone or a tablet . at block 2020 , the interactive menu display system 100 provides the menu display commander user interface for display on a computing device distinct from the first electronic display device . for example , the computing device may be a user computing device , such as a smart phone or a tablet , accessible by the owner or manager of the retail establishment . at block 2025 , the interactive menu display system 100 receives from the computing device content and layout settings for the menu . the content and layout settings may include any of the configuration settings described and discussed herein , such as the configuration settings described and discussed with reference to fig6 - 17 . for example , in response to the user clicking on an “ accept ” button or navigating away from a particular menu configuration user interface , the computing device may collect configuration settings data from the menu configuration user interface and send the configuration settings data to the interactive menu display system 100 . at block 2030 , the interactive menu display system 100 updates the menu display ui based on the received content and layout settings . for example , if the user updated the menu dimensions and / or layout ( e . g ., the number and / or arrangement of rows and columns ), the menu display ui may be re - generated or updated to reflect the updated menu dimensions and / or layout . in another example , if the user removed an item from the menu ( e . g ., a beer on tap may have run out and is no longer available , or a limited supply food item may have run out and is no longer available , etc . ), the menu display ui may be re - generated or updated to remove the item from the menu display . at block 2035 , the interactive menu display system 100 provides the updated menu display ui for display on the first electronic display device at the retail establishment . in one embodiment interactive menu display system 100 provides the updated menu display ui in near - real time , such that changes or updates made by the owner or manager via the menu configuration ui are propagated to the first electronic display device for display in seconds or less . in one embodiment the first electronic display device replaces the menu display ui with the updated menu display ui immediately after the interactive menu display system 100 provides the updated menu display ui to ensure that the most “ current ” menu is displayed at any given time . once the process 2000 completes blocks 2025 to 2035 , the process may be repeated on recurring , continuing , and / or periodic basis so that changes to the menu configuration may be received or detected , and the appropriate menu display user interface ( s ) may be updated in a timely manner . fig2 is a logical flow diagram illustrating a process 2100 for generating menu display user interfaces based on configuration settings received via one or more menu configuration user interfaces provided by the interactive menu display system 100 , as used in an embodiment . at block 2105 , the interactive menu display system 100 , for example via the user interface module 124 , generates an interactive menu configuration user interface to enable an owner or manager of a retail establishment to manage a display menu for the retail establishment . the interactive menu configuration user interface may be , for example , any of the example configuration menu user interfaces illustrated and described with reference to fig6 - 17 herein . the interactive menu configuration ui may provide one or more configuration options which the owner or manager can use to edit display menu content ( e . g ., menu items such as food or drink , notices , advertising or banner content , etc .) and display settings ( e . g ., layout , colors , images , font styles , etc .). at block 2110 , the interactive menu display system 100 receives a selection of configuration settings for respective menu display configuration options . in one embodiment , the interactive menu display system 100 may receive configuration settings serially for respective menu display configuration options which are presented in respective menu configuration user interfaces . for example , in response to the user clicking on an “ accept ” button or navigating away from a respective menu configuration user interface , the interactive menu display system 100 may receive configuration settings data from the respective menu configuration user interface . in another embodiment , the interactive menu display system 100 may receive configuration settings in batches for respective menu display configuration options which are presented in several user interfaces . for example , the interactive menu display system 100 may receive configuration settings data from several of the respective menu configuration user interfaces in response to the user clicking on a “ sync ” button in order to synchronize updates to multiple configuration options across several of the respective menu configuration user interfaces . at block 2115 , the interactive menu display system 100 generates one or more menu display user interfaces based on the received configuration settings . the menu display user interfaces may then be provided to , for example , one or more display devices 166 to enable the display devices 166 to present the menu display at the retail establishment . examples of menu display user interfaces which may be generated and provided by the interactive menu display system 100 are illustrated and discussed with respect to fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 herein . once the process 2100 completes blocks 2105 to 2115 , the process may be repeated on recurring , continuing , and / or periodic basis so that changes to the menu configuration may be received or detected , and the corresponding menu display user interface ( s ) may be updated in a timely manner . fig2 is a block diagram of an example implementation of an interactive menu display system 100 in communication with a network 160 and various systems , such as user computing device ( s ) 162 ( e . g ., a smart phone , a tablet , a laptop , a personal computer , or any other computing device ), retail establishment system ( s ) 168 , display device ( s ) 166 , and menu content data source ( s ) 170 . the interactive menu display system 100 may be used to implement systems and methods described herein , including but not limited to the processes 2000 and 2100 of fig2 and 21 , respectively . the interactive menu display system 100 includes , for example , a personal computer that is ibm , macintosh , or linux / unix compatible or a server or workstation . in one embodiment , the interactive menu display system 100 comprises a server , a laptop computer , a smart phone , a personal digital assistant , a kiosk , or an media player , for example . in one embodiment , the exemplary interactive menu display system 100 includes one or more central processing unit (“ cpu ”) 150 , which may each include a conventional or proprietary microprocessor . the interactive menu display system 100 further includes one or more memory 130 , such as random access memory (“ ram ”) for temporary storage of information , one or more read only memory (“ rom ”) for permanent storage of information , and one or more mass storage device 120 , such as a hard drive , diskette , solid state drive , or optical media storage device . typically , the modules of the interactive menu display system 100 are connected to the computer using a standard based bus system 180 . in different embodiments , the standard based bus system could be implemented in peripheral component interconnect (“ pci ”), microchannel , small computer system interface (“ scsi ”), industrial standard architecture (“ isa ”) and extended isa (“ eisa ”) architectures , for example . in addition , the functionality provided for in the components and modules of interactive menu display system 100 may be combined into fewer components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules . the interactive menu display system 100 is generally controlled and coordinated by operating system software , such as windows xp , windows vista , windows 7 , windows 8 , windows server , unix , linux , sunos , solaris , ios , blackberry os , or other compatible operating systems . in macintosh systems , the operating system may be any available operating system , such as mac os x . in other embodiments , the interactive menu display system 100 may be controlled by a proprietary operating system . conventional operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution , perform memory management , provide file system , networking , i / o services , and provide a user interface , such as a graphical user interface (“ gui ”), among other things . the exemplary interactive menu display system 100 may include one or more commonly available input / output ( i / o ) devices and interfaces 110 , such as a keyboard , mouse , touchpad , and printer . in one embodiment , the i / o devices and interfaces 110 include one or more display devices , such as a monitor , that allows the visual presentation of data to a user . more particularly , a display device provides for the presentation of guis , application software data , and multimedia presentations , for example . the interactive menu display system 100 may also include one or more multimedia devices 140 , such as speakers , video cards , graphics accelerators , and microphones , for example . in the embodiment of fig2 , the i / o devices and interfaces 110 provide a communication interface to various external devices . in the embodiment of fig2 , the interactive menu display system 100 is electronically coupled to a network 160 , which comprises one or more of a lan , wan , and / or the internet , for example , via a wired , wireless , or combination of wired and wireless , communication link 115 . the network 160 communicates with various computing devices and / or other electronic devices via wired or wireless communication links . according to fig2 , in some embodiments information may be provided to the interactive menu display system 100 over the network 160 from one or more menu content data sources 170 . the menu content data source ( s ) 170 may include one or more internal and / or external data sources . in some embodiments , one or more of the databases or data sources may be implemented using a relational database , such as sybase , oracle , codebase and microsoft ® sql server as well as other types of databases such as , for example , a flat file database , an entity - relationship database , and object - oriented database , and / or a record - based database . the menu content data source ( s ) 170 may store , for example , data for the interactive menu display system , such as information or data about menu items available at a retail establishment including food and drinks ; notices including information about upcoming events , special offers for the retail establishment , information about performers and performance schedules , and the like ; advertising content , including ads for the retail establishment and / or ads for related products or services which may be displayed on the menu display user interfaces in exchange for a service fee ; data related to display settings and / or layout settings for the menu display user interfaces ; images and other display content for the menu ; and so forth . in the embodiment of fig2 , the interactive menu display system 100 includes a menu display configuration module 122 and a user interface module 124 that may be stored in the mass storage device 120 as executable software codes that are executed by the cpu 150 . these and other modules in the interactive menu display system 100 may include , by way of example , components , such as software components , object - oriented software components , class components and task components , processes , functions , attributes , procedures , subroutines , segments of program code , drivers , firmware , microcode , circuitry , data , databases , data structures , tables , arrays , and variables . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the interactive menu display system 100 is configured to execute the menu display configuration module 122 and / or the user interface module 124 to perform the various methods and / or processes for mobile sightings data analysis as described herein ( such as the processes described with respect to fig2 and 21 herein ). user interface module 124 may generate and render one or more visual user interfaces ( such as the user interfaces illustrated and described with respect to fig2 - 17 ). retail establishment systems ( s ) 168 may include a point of sale (“ pos ”) system . interfacing between the pos system and the interactive menu display system may provide several benefits , including the ability to synchronize menu and content data for menus associated with the retail establishment with data from the pos system , which may include for example menu data related to items for sale at the retail establishment . retail establishment systems ( s ) 168 may also include or be in communication with one or more display device ( s ) 166 to enable display of the menu display user interfaces described herein . in one embodiment , the interactive menu display system 100 may be in communication with the one or more display device ( s ) 166 , such that the menu display user interfaces may be provided directly from the interactive menu display system 100 to the display device ( s ). in another embodiment , the interactive menu display system 100 may be in communication with the retail establishment system ( s ) 168 , such that the menu display user interfaces may be provided indirectly from the interactive menu display system 100 to the display device ( s ) through the retail establishment system ( s ) 168 . embodiments can be implemented such that all functions illustrated herein are performed on a single device , while other embodiments can be implemented in a distributed environment in which the functions are collectively performed on two or more devices that are in communication with each other . moreover , while the computing system has been used to describe one embodiment of interactive menu display system 100 , it is recognized that the user systems may be implemented as computing systems as well . in general , the word “ module ,” as used herein , refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware , or to a collection of software instructions , possibly having entry and exit points , written in a programming language , such as , for example , java , lua , c or c ++. a software module may be compiled and linked into an executable program , installed in a dynamic link library , or may be written in an interpreted programming language such as , for example , basic , perl , or python . it will be appreciated that software modules may be callable from other modules or from themselves , and / or may be invoked in response to detected events or interrupts . software modules configured for execution on computing devices may be provided on a computer readable medium , such as a compact disc , digital video disc , flash drive , or any other tangible medium . such software code may be stored , partially or fully , on a memory device of the executing computing device , such as the interactive menu display system 100 , for execution by the computing device . software instructions may be embedded in firmware , such as an eprom . it will be further appreciated that hardware modules may be comprised of connected logic units , such as gates and flip - flops , and / or may be comprised of programmable units , such as programmable gate arrays or processors . the modules described herein are preferably implemented as software modules , but may be represented in hardware or firmware . generally , the modules described herein refer to logical modules that may be combined with other modules or divided into sub - modules despite their physical organization or storage . it is recognized that the term “ remote ” may include systems , data , objects , devices , components , or modules not stored locally , that are not accessible via the local bus . thus , remote data may include a system which is physically stored in the same room and connected to the computing system via a network . in other situations , a remote device may also be located in a separate geographic area , such as , for example , in a different location , country , and so forth . each of the processes , methods , and algorithms described in the preceding sections may be embodied in , and fully or partially automated by , code modules executed by one or more computer systems or computer processors comprising computer hardware . the code modules may be stored on any type of non - transitory computer - readable medium or computer storage device , such as hard drives , solid state memory , optical disc , and / or the like . the systems and modules may also be transmitted as generated data signals ( e . g ., as part of a carrier wave or other analog or digital propagated signal ) on a variety of computer - readable transmission mediums , including wireless - based and wired / cable - based mediums , and may take a variety of forms ( e . g ., as part of a single or multiplexed analog signal , or as multiple discrete digital packets or frames ). the processes and algorithms may be implemented partially or wholly in application - specific circuitry . the results of the disclosed processes and process steps may be stored , persistently or otherwise , in any type of non - transitory computer storage such as , e . g ., volatile or non - volatile storage . the various features and processes described above may be used independently of one another , or may be combined in various ways . all possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure . in addition , certain method or process blocks may be omitted in some implementations . the methods and processes described herein are also not limited to any particular sequence , and the blocks or states relating thereto can be performed in other sequences that are appropriate . for example , described blocks or states may be performed in an order other than that specifically disclosed , or multiple blocks or states may be combined in a single block or state . the example blocks or states may be performed in serial , in parallel , or in some other manner . blocks or states may be added to or removed from the disclosed example embodiments . the example systems and components described herein may be configured differently than described . for example , elements may be added to , removed from , or rearranged compared to the disclosed example embodiments . conditional language used herein , such as , among others , “ can ,” “ could ,” “ might ,” “ may ,” “ e . g .,” and the like , unless specifically stated otherwise , or otherwise understood within the context as used , is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include , while other embodiments do not include , certain features , elements and / or steps . thus , such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features , elements and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding , with or without author input or prompting , whether these features , elements and / or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment . the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” “ having ,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively , in an open - ended fashion , and do not exclude additional elements , features , acts , operations , and so forth . also , the term “ or ” is used in its inclusive sense ( and not in its exclusive sense ) so that when used , for example , to connect a list of elements , the term “ or ” means one , some , or all of the elements in the list . conjunctive language such as the phrase “ at least one of x , y and z ,” unless specifically stated otherwise , is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item , term , etc . may be either x , y or z . thus , such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of x , at least one of y and at least one of z to each be present . while certain example embodiments have been described , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure . thus , nothing in the foregoing description is intended to imply that any particular element , feature , characteristic , step , module , or block is necessary or indispensable . indeed , the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms ; furthermore , various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed herein . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of certain of the inventions disclosed herein . it should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments , the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples . all such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure . the foregoing description details certain embodiments . it will be appreciated , however , that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text , the systems and methods can be practiced in many ways . for example , a feature of one embodiment may be used with a feature in a different embodiment . as is also stated above , it should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the systems and methods should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re - defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the systems and methods with which that terminology is associated .	6
the present invention , an apparatus for cleaning carpets , drapes , wall coverings , and similar objects , is shown in overview in fig1 . cleaning tool head or wand 10 includes a rigid section 16 and handle 14 for manipulating an elongate nozzle 18 over the surface of the fabric . the nozzle 18 communicates internally by a flexible conduit or hose 12 with a vacuum source 20 . the vacuum source 20 may be a conventional vacuum cleaner , including a fan motor 24 and a housing 22 . the nozzle 18 also communicates , through cleaning liquid hose 53 , with a venturi 50 and pump 35 . on the other side of the venturi 50 and pump 35 is a pipe 31 communicating with cleaning liquid tank 30 . tank 30 preferably holds pure water for cleaning the fabric , but may alternatively hold a conventional cleaning liquid , such as a solution of water with detergent or a non - aqueous liquid . a suitable heating means 90 , for example a thermostat - controlled electric heater , may also be provided to heat the cleaning liquid in the tank 30 . the cleaning liquid pump 35 is disposed either between the venturi 50 and the tool 10 or , alternatively , between the venturi 50 and the tank 30 ; both positions are shown in fig1 which depicts two of the venturi 50 in various positions . the venturi position between the pump 35 and tool 10 is preferred to avoid cavitation . at the venturi 50 air from ozone delivery lines 61 and 65 is sucked into the cleaning liquid that passes from the pipe 31 into a cleaning liquid delivering hose 53 . ozonated air for the ozone delivery line 61 is made in an ozone generator 60 which is preferably of the corona discharge type . while the ozone generator 60 may instead be a uv - type ozone generator , such a uv ozone generator is not preferred because , as indicated above , it is not nearly as efficient as a corona discharge type ozone generator . air for the ozone generator 60 is supplied through an air line 76 and , optionally , an air compressor 70 . alternating voltage , needed to ozonize air within the ozone generator 60 , is supplied from a transformer 80 or other source of alternating voltage . in one embodiment of the present invention , an electrical device 82 may be used to generate high - frequency alternating current , which may then be sent to the transformer 80 for voltage increase or else applied directly to the generator 60 ( not shown ). ozone - bearing air leaves the generator through air line 76 . fig1 shows three - way selection valve 62 that can be used to direct the air selectively into one of the venturis 50 via air lines 65 or the tank 30 via an air line 63 . if desired , while the machine is resting , the two - way selection valve 62 can direct ozonated air from the generator 60 directly into the tank 30 via the air line 63 , whence it may bubble up through the cleaning liquid ; however , when the machine is actively being used , the selection valve should be rotated so that the ozonated air from the generator 60 will go directly to the pipe 31 as described above . it will be understood that the two - way selection valve 62 is not essential , i . e . it may be omitted along with the line 63 . the ozone generator 60 is conventional in design , including an inner cylindrical electrode and an outer cylindrical electrode . the air stream flows between the two electrodes where a high voltage field is created by alternating voltage impressed from the transformer 80 . the transformer 80 contains a primary winding connected to a line voltage and a secondary winding in which a voltage as high as several thousand volts is induced . this voltage is placed across the two electrodes to ozonize the air within . fig1 depicts a concentric - cylinder type of ozone generator 60 . a parallel flat plate arrangement is an alternative , conventional ozone generating configuration . the transformer 80 may be replaced by an electrical devise of conventional type which creates alternating currents at frequencies higher than line voltage . it will be understood that , while fig1 depicts two venturis 50 , placement of the ozone delivery line 65 and the venturi 50 ( or other ozonated air delivery means ) either solely downstream or solely upstream of the cleaning liquid pump 35 ( i . e . between the cleaning liquid pump 35 and the cleaning head tool 10 or between the tank 30 and the cleaning liquid pump 35 ) are alternative embodiments , which may be used alone in the present invention , although a single venturi is not illustrated . the operation of the invention is as follows : the tank 30 is filled with suitable cleaning liquid . the liquid is preferably water , because detergents can neutralize ozone . the vacuum cleaner 20 is activated and transformer 80 is energized with electricity . the air compressor 70 may optionally be activated also . pump 35 is also activated . it draws cleaning liquid from the tank 30 and forces it through the venturi 50 and onward to the cleaning liquid hose 53 and nozzle 18 . the venturi 50 contains a constricted throat region in which cleaning liquid is forced to flow more quickly , due to the narrower cross - sectional area in the throat . the high velocity of the cleaning liquid creates a partial vacuum which draws ozonized air through the ozone delivery line 65 and injects the air into the stream of cleaning liquid from pipe 31 . the air compressor 70 may optionally be used either alone or in conjunction with the venturi 50 to aid in injecting air into the cleaning liquid stream . air drawn into the air compressor 70 is forced through the air line 76 to the ozone generator 60 . the present invention , by injecting ozone - bearing air into water , moves the ozone into solution in the water and reduces the concentration in the air . pure ozone is 12 . 5 times more soluble in water than oxygen is ; the optimum concentration of ozone in air for solubility into water is 2 %. the ozone is thus removed from the air , where it can irritate persons who breath it , and put directly in contact with the fabric to be cleaned by the cleaning liquid . the cleaning liquid is then sucked up by the vacuum system before the ozone can dissolve back into the ambient air . various embodiments of the present invention may be assembled in different configurations . for example , the invention may be housed together in one enclosure or conveyance ( e . g ., a truck ), except for the hoses and cleaning head tool or wand that may be extended to the surface that is to be cleaned . for another example , the vacuum source and tank may be housed together but the ozone generator may be housed separately , as in the case of a portable or auxiliary ozone generator attached to a main unit or units that include the tank , vacuum source , or other parts of the invention . in the case of the later example , the ozonated air injection means might include : an intermediate coupling fitted between the cleaning head tool and the hoses ; a pipe fitting , valve , nozzle , or like device adapted to coupling with the liquid conduit ; an air injection needle for penetrating the liquid hose ; or any other interconnection means for coupling or injecting air into the fabric cleaning device , whether the injection is accomplished between the tank and the liquid conduit , the conduit and the cleaning head tool , directly into a hose , at a fitting , or any other way . thus , the present invention may be practiced with standard equipment consisting of cleaning apparatus , ozone generators , and auxiliary fittings or adapters for joining the generator to the cleaning apparatus . one embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig2 includes all the working parts within a housing 100 that is movable , by means of wheels 101 and a handle 114 , such that a nozzle 118 can be moved over a surface . an ozone generator 160 is mounted within the housing 100 . the housing 100 may include a tank or tanks 130 , and a rotary element 102 ( scrubbing brush , polisher , etc .) may optionally be mounted onto the housing 100 either permanently or removably . a hose connection 112 may optionally be provided for an auxiliary flexible vacuum hose ( not shown in fig2 ). a third embodiment of the present invention is depicted in fig3 . this embodiment is similar to that of fig2 but includes no internally - housed ozone generator . instead , an auxiliary portable ozone generator 160 &# 39 ; is connected to the housing 100 by means of a coupling 162 , which accepts the end of an ozonated air delivery hose 161 . in related embodiments ( not shown ) the generator 160 &# 39 ; could be demountably attached to the housing 100 , and the ozone connection made either by hose or pipe , or internally , as by a gasket and sealing surfaces on the generator 160 &# 39 ; and housing 100 . the foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments , without departing from the generic concepts , and , therefore , such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments . it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation .	0
the mixing capsule illustrated in fig1 comprises an outer capsule , generally designated 2 , adapted to receive one of the materials , schematically indicated as m1 , to be mixed ; and an inner capsule , generally designated 3 , adpated to receive the other material , schematically indicated as m2 , to be mixed . for purposes of example , the mixing capsule assembly illustrated in fig1 may be for preparing a dental amalgam ; in such case , material m2 within the inner capsule 3 is mercury which is to be mixed with a powder material m1 contained within the outer capsule 2 , this usually being done by vibrating the capsule assembly in a high - frequency vibrator , e . g . one operating at 3 , 000 cycles per minute ( 50 cycles per second ) for about five seconds . the outer capsule 2 is constituted of a main section 21 of cylindrical configuration closed at one end by an end wall 22 and open at the opposite end . a cap 23 is frictionally applied over the open end of section 21 to close it . the inner capsule 3 is of an overall length slightly less than one - half the length of the other capsule 2 . the inner capsule is also constituted of two sections , namely , an inner cyllndrical section 31 closed at one end by an end wall 32 formed with a central bore 33 , and open at the opposite end ; and an outer section 34 also closed at one end by an end wall 35 and open at the opposite end , which latter end is frictionally received over the outer face of the inner section 31 . the outer section 34 further includes a stem 36 integrally formed with end wall 35 an and extending axially of section 34 . the length of stem 36 is greater than the length of section 34 , so that the stem , when section 34 is assembled with section 31 , passes through bore 33 of section 31 and projects pa past the outer face of its end wall 32 . as shown in fig2 bore 33 in end wall 32 is of conical configuration , increasing in diameter from the outer end to the inner end . the outer tip 36a of stem 36 is of complementary conical configuration , also increasing in diameter from the outer end to a line 36b slightly inwardly of the inner face of end wall 32 in the illustrated assembled condition of the inner capsule 3 . the remaining portion 36c of stem 36 may also be tapered to provide a curved juncture 37 with end wall 35 . the juncture of end wall 35 with the outer cylindrical section 34 is preferably also curved , as shown at 38 . actually , both junctures 37 and 38 may be effected by a semicircular surface between stem 36 and the outer cylindrical wall of section 34 . the capsule assembly illustrated in fig1 and 2 is used in the following manner : first , the inner capsule 3 is opened by separating its two sections 31 and 34 , and the material m2 ( e . g ., mercury ) is introduced into section 34 whereupon section 31 is attached thereto by press - fitting stem 36 of section 34 through bore 33 of section 31 . this causes the opposite end of the inner capsule also to be closed by the engagement of the inner face of section 34 with the outer face of section 31 , as shown in fig2 . the outer capsule 2 is then opened by separating its cap 23 from its main section 22 . the inner capsule 3 is inserted with the outer capsule 2 , and also introduced within capsule 2 is the material m1 ( e . g ., powder ) to be mixed with the material m2 within the inner capsule 3 . cap 23 is then press - fitted over the open end of section 21 to close the outer capsule 2 . the outer capsule 2 , with the materials m1 and 122 within it and separated by the walls of the inner capsule 3 , may be shipped and stored with the assurance that the material m2 is sealed within the inner capsule 3 and cannot leak out to come into contact with the material m1 within the outer capsule 2 . when the illustrated capsule assembly is to be used , it is merely inserted into the usual vibrator which vibrates the capsule at about 3000 cycles per minute ( e . g ., 50 cycles per second ) parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer capsule 2 . during this operation , the inner capsule 3 is rapidly vibrated within the outer capsule 2 , alternatively impacting against end wall 22 of the outer capsule , and against cap 23 at the opposite end of the outer capsule . during the former impacts , the projecting end 36a of stem 36 impacts against the inner face of end wall 22 , thereby causing section 31 to move ( leftwardly in fig2 ) with respect to section 34 . thus , relative movement is effected between the conical end 36a of stem 36 , and the conical bore 33 in end wall 32 , thereby slightly separating the complementary surfaces of these two elements . material m2 ( e . g ., mercury ) within the inner capsule 3 is set into motion by these vibrations , and same is thus permitted to pass through this space from inside the inner capsule 3 into the outer capsule 2 . during the movements of the inner capsule 3 in the opposite direction , i . e ., wherein its end wall 35 impacts against the inner face of cap 23 , section 31 of the inner capsule will move towards section 34 , thereby restoring the seal between the conical end 36a of stem 36 and the conical bore 33 in end wall 32 . it will thus be seen that for each reciprocatory cycle of movement of the inner capsule 3 within the outer capsule 2 , the conical end 36a of stem 36 will move sufficiently with respect to conical bore 33 so as to permit some of the material m2 to pass from the interior of the inner capsule 3 into the interior of the outer capsule 2 , and to come into direct contact with material m1 in that capsule . as one example , particularly useful for preparing dental amalgams , the length of the outer capsule 2 was 31 mm . ; its inner diameter was 10 mm . ; the length of the inner capsule 3 , from the outer face of its conical stem 36a to the outer face of end wall 35 was 12 mm ., with stem 36a projecting about 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 mm . from the outer face of end wall 32 ; and the outer diameter of the inner capsule 3 , particularly of its outer section 34 , was 8 . 5 mm . in this example , the outer capsule 2 was made of polypropylene and the inner capsule 3 was made of a harder material , namely , a polycarbonate . material m2 included within the inner capsule was mercury , and material m1 included externally of the inner capsule but internally of the outer capsule 2 was a powder which , when mixed with mercury , produced a dental amalgam . it was found that after five seconds of vibration in a conventional vibrator operating at 3000 cycles per minute ( 50 cycles per second ), all the mercury m2 left the inner capsule 3 and became thoroughly mixed with the material m1 to produce the desired amalgam . it will be appreciated that the mixing capsule assembly illustrated in fig1 and 2 provides a number of important advantages . thus , after the capsule has been assembled with the two sections 31 , 34 of the inner capsule 3 friction - fitted to effect a tight seal with respect to the material m2 within it , a high degree of assurance is provided against leakage of any of the material m2 during the normal handling and storage of the capsule assembly . the illustrated constuction also provides a high degree of assurance that all the material m2 will leave the inner capsule to mix with the material m1 during the normal high - speed vibration of the assembly . further , the inner capsule 3 while and after dispensing its material m2 , serves as a pestle to effect a thorough mixing of the two materials . moreover , there is no chance of foreign matter entering the mixture , such as the remanents of the barrier or inner bag or foil as in some of the existing mixing capsules . still further , the capsules can be conveniently filled with the required materials and assembled ready for use . finally , the parts of the illustrated capsule assembly are few , simple , and susceptible to volume production at low cost . in the above - described fig1 - 2 embodiment , it will be seen that the contents of the inner capsule 3 penetrate only through one wall of the capsule during one - half cycles of each complete cycle of vibration . fig3 illustrates a construction of the inner capsule which permits some of its contents to penetrate through the two opposite sides of the capsule , some material during the strokes in one direction , and other material during the strokes in the other direction . thus , in the construction of the inner capsule illustrated in fig3 and therein designated 103 , there are also two sections 131 and 134 respectively , with section 131 including a conical bore 133 in its end wall 132 , and section 134 including a stem 136 having a conical end 136a received within conical bore 133 . however , in the construction illustrated in fig3 conical bore 133 is tapered in the opposite direction from that of fig2 namely , decreasing in diameter from the outer face of end wall 132 to its inner space . conical tip 136a of stem 136 is formed with a complementary surface also decreasing in diameter from its outer face to its inner face . further , conical tip 136a does not project completely through bore 133 , as in fig2 but rather is normally recessed within that bore when in its normal sealing position in that bore , as illustrated in fig3 . to facilitate assembling the outer conical portion 136a to the remainder of stem 136 , portion 136a may be constructed as a separate element and then assembled to stem 136 , as by a press - fit , threads , adhesive , or the like , after section 134 has been press - fitted into section 131 of the inner capsule 103 . in addition , the outer open end 131a of section 131 projects past the outer face of section 134 when the two sections are in their assembled condition , as illustrated in fig3 . in addition , the inner face of section 131 at its outer tip 131a is inwardly tapered , as shown at 131b , such that section 134 may be press - fitted into section 131 to provide a seal between face 131b and the outer face of section 134 . however , upon movement of section 134 away from bore 133 ( i . e ., rightwardly in fig3 ), a space is formed between the inner surface 131b of section 131 , and the outer surface of section 134 , to permit some of the material within the inner capsule to leave it . it will thus be seen that when the inner capsule 133 impacts against the end wall 22 of the outer capsule 2 in fig1 the conical portion 136a of stem 136 moves leftwardly within the conical bore 133 to provide a space for permitting some of the material within the inner capsule 103 to leave ; and when the open end 131a of the inner capsule 103 impacts against cap 23 of the outer capsule , the inner section 134 moves in the opposite direction , rightwardly in fig3 to close the passage between the conical porition 136a of stem 136 and the bore 133 , and to open the passageway between the inner face of section 131 and the outer face of section 134 . thus , in the construction of inner capsule illustrated in fig3 material ( m2 ) will be ejected out through the capsule during both of the half - cycles of vibration , and therefore will be dispensed at a faster rate than in the capsule illustrated in fig2 . apart from this , the capsule of fig3 provides all the other advantages as the capsule of fig2 including its function as a pestle during the mixing operation . while the invention has been described above with respect to capsule assembles for mixing one material within the outer capsule and a second material within the inner capsule , it will be appreciated that it could be used for mixing more than two materials , for example , by providing two ( or more ) inner capsules , each according to the construction of fig2 or 3 . this is shown in fig4 wherein a single outer capsule 202 encloses two inner capsules 203a , 203b , each of which capsules may include materials to be mixed , thereby effecting a mixing of three materials . it will also be appreciated that the materials to be mixed could be included only in the two ( or more ) inner capsules , and not in the outer capsule , thereby better assuring isolation of the materials until they are to be mixed . many other variations , modifications , and applications of the invention will be apparent .	0
aspects and embodiments are directed to providing efficient and reliable methods for identification of 3d printed parts based on weight . other aspects and embodiments are directed to systems that implement identification of 3d printed parts based on weight . efficiency and reliability may be achieved by providing embodiments that enable automatically selecting a subset of 3d models that may correspond to a 3d printed part , based on the weight of the 3d printed part . it is to be appreciated that embodiments of the methods and apparatuses discussed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings . the methods and apparatuses are capable of implementation in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting . in particular , acts , elements and features discussed in connection with any one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in any other embodiment . also , the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . any references to embodiments or elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodiments including a plurality of these elements , and any references in plural to any embodiment or element or act herein may also embrace embodiments including only a single element . the use herein of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” “ having ,” “ containing ,” “ involving ,” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . references to “ or ” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “ or ” may indicate any of a single , more than one , and all of the described terms . any references to front and back , left and right , top and bottom , upper and lower , and vertical and horizontal are intended for convenience of description , not to limit the present systems and methods or their components to any one positional or spatial orientation . referring to fig1 , there is illustrated one example of a process 100 for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts according to aspects disclosed herein . process 100 may be fully or partially implemented in a computer system . in one example , process 100 may be executed by a set of instructions that may be stored on a computer readable storage medium . process 100 may be implemented , for instance , in software , hardware , or combination thereof used by an operator of a manufacturing facility to efficiently identify 3d printed parts . at block 102 of process 100 in fig1 , a tray to be sorted is selected . tray sorting generally refers to identifying 3d printed parts in each tray after the parts are built in the tray . the tray may include one or more 3d printed parts built based on one or more 3d models . the one or more 3d printed parts in a tray may also correspond to one or more customer orders . in one example , the tray may be selected by a user or operator and the selection of the tray may be input to the computer system implementing weight - based identification . in some embodiments , selecting a tray at block 102 may include selecting or identifying a material and a density of the material used for 3d printing in that tray . in one embodiment , the computer system may be configured to automatically identify the material and associated density used for 3d printing in a selected tray , for example , by retrieving stored material and associated density corresponding to the selected tray . a list of 3d printing materials may be stored in the computer system . density may also be stored in the computer system as a material property for each 3d printing material . still referring to fig1 , at block 104 of process 100 , theoretical weights may be calculated for one or more 3d models . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the 3d models for which theoretical weights are calculated may include all the 3d models assigned to the tray selected at block 102 . a 3d model assigned to a tray may be used to build a corresponding 3d part in that tray . in one embodiment , selecting a tray at block 102 may result in selection of one or more 3d models assigned to the selected tray for use at block 104 . in one practical example , a group of 1000 3d models that are assigned to a single tray selected at block 102 may be selected for use at block 104 . however , the one or more 3d models used at block 104 may generally include any of the 3d models that were used to print 3d parts in any tray . a theoretical weight for a 3d model at block 104 may be calculated by multiplying the volume of the 3d model by the density of the material used to print the 3d model in the selected tray . in one example , the density of the material may be automatically identified upon selecting a tray at block 102 . in one embodiment , block 104 may be performed only once per selected tray . if the selected tray includes 3d parts made from different materials , block 104 may be performed for each 3d printed part based on the density of the material used to print that part . at block 106 of process 100 , a 3d printed part that was built in the selected tray may be weighed . in one example , the 3d printed part may be weighed by using a scale . the 3d printed part is weighed after cleaning the part to eliminate any residual weight . cleaning may be performed prior to selecting the tray at block 102 or prior to weighing the 3d part at block 106 . in other embodiments , if cleaning does not precede weight - based identification , the process of weight - based identification may compensate for an estimated weight of residue . in one embodiment , a 3d printed part from the selected tray may be weighed by a user or operator and the weight may be input to the computer system implementing weight - based identification . at block 108 , the weight of the 3d printed part may be compared to the theoretical weights calculated for one or more 3d models . in one embodiment , the comparison may include calculating , for each 3d model used at block 104 , a value representing a deviation of the theoretical weight of the 3d model from the weight of the 3d printed part provided at block 106 . in one example , the values may be absolute values . the comparison may further include checking , for each 3d model used at block 104 , whether a value representing a deviation of its theoretical weight from the weight of the 3d printed part is within a predetermined threshold value of deviation from the weight of the 3d printed part . at block 110 of process 100 , a subset of 3d models may be selected from one or more models used at block 104 . the number of 3d models in the subset may be less than the total number of 3d models used at block 104 . the number of 3d models in the subset , i . e . the size of the subset , may be predetermined . in one example , the size may be selected by a user of the weight - based identification process . the subset of 3d models is selected based on comparing , at block 108 , the weight of the 3d printed part with the theoretical weights of one or more 3d models . in one example , a 3d model may be selected for inclusion in the subset of 3d models if a value of deviation of its theoretical weight from the weight of the 3d printed part is within a predetermined threshold value of deviation . in one embodiment , selecting a subset of 3d models in at block 110 may further include sorting the 3d models within the subset . sorting the subset of 3d models may be included within block 110 or as a separate block of process 100 . in one example , the 3d models in the subset may be sorted based on values of deviation of their respective theoretical weights from the weight of the 3d printed part . for example , the subset may be sorted such that the first 3d model in the sorted subset has the smallest value or amount of deviation from the weight of the 3d printed part , thereby being the closest match to the 3d printed part based on weight . in a computer implementation of process 100 , the selected subset of 3d models may at least partially be output or presented to a user or operator . in one example , a first subset of 3d models may be presented to the user . upon receiving a request from the user for more 3d models that may match the 3d printed part , a next subset of 3d models may be presented to the user . the user may switch between viewing the different subsets and may select one or more 3d models for viewing . at block 112 of process 100 , the 3d model that corresponds to the 3d printed part is identified . block 112 may include comparing 3d models in the subset of block 110 to the 3d printed part . in one embodiment , the comparison may include visual comparison to identify the 3d model that matches the 3d printed part . in one example , the subset of 3d models at block 110 may only include a single 3d model , and at block 112 , the selected 3d model may be confirmed to match the 3d printed part . once the 3d model from which the 3d printed part has been printed is identified at block 112 , a label corresponding to the 3d printed part may be generated at block 114 . the label may include information identifying the 3d printed part . for example , the label may be an order card and may include customer order information , a barcode , the 3d model number that matches the 3d printed part and a code for the material used to print the part ( e . g ., as shown in fig5 and discussed further below ). the label may also include a storage bin number corresponding to the 3d printed part . generating the label may include printing the label and may also include affixing or adding the label to the 3d printed part or a packaging thereof . in some embodiments , process 100 may further include removing an identified 3d printed part from the tray and removing a 3d model corresponding to the identified 3d printed part from the set of one or more 3d models used in process 100 . removing 3d models from the set of one or more 3d models used for weight based identification of 3d printed parts in a tray may increase the efficiency of weight based identification over time . in some embodiments , process 100 may further include updating a status of the 3d printed part . for example , in a computer system implementation , the status of the 3d printed part may be updated to indicate that the part has been identified or to indicate that a label has been printed for the part . the 3d printed part may be routed to one or more locations using the label . for example , the 3d printed part may be routed from the manufacturing facility to a distribution center , where it may be collected along with any other 3d printed parts from the same customer order and shipped to the customer . fig2 illustrates a user interface 120 including a listing of trays in a computer system implementing weight - based identification of 3d printed parts according to aspects of the present disclosure . in one example , interface 120 may be in the form of a table , as shown in fig2 . the interface may include a listing of trays as shown in column 122 . column 124 lists a date of 3d printing corresponding to each tray . as shown , the listing of trays in column 122 may be sorted by dates of 3d printing in column 124 . in one example , the last tray emerging from the 3d printing process may be listed first . column 126 lists number of items corresponding to each tray . in one example , the number of items in a tray may correspond to the number of 3d printed parts built in that tray . in another example , the number of items may correspond to a sum of the quantity of production orders assigned to that tray , where a production order is a request to produce one or more copies of a 3d part from a single 3d model . column 128 of interface 120 lists a weight - based sorting feature available for trays that are not yet sorted . in one example , a weight - based sorting feature corresponding to a tray may be selected to launch a computer implemented method for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts in the corresponding tray . in another example , a tray may be selected from the listing of trays that are available for weight - based sorting . selecting a tray may launch another user interface for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts in the selected tray . fig3 illustrates a user interface 130 for weight - based sorting of a selected tray 132 . the tray 132 may be selected using the interface 120 in fig2 . interface 130 provides an input cell 134 to receive a value indicative of the weight of the 3d printed part . in one example , an operator may enter the weight of a 3d printed part . in another example , a system including the user interface 130 may be configured to obtain a weight of a 3d printed part . the user interface 130 may provide a button 136 configured to launch weight - based identification of the 3d printed part corresponding to the entered weight . in one embodiment , clicking on button 136 may result in performing process 100 at blocks 106 and 108 in fig1 . the weight entered in input cell 134 may be compared to one or more of theoretical weights calculated for one or more 3d models assigned to the selected tray 132 . in response to the comparison , a subset of 3d models having theoretical weights that are closest matches to the weight entered in input cell 134 may be selected . each 3d model in the selected subset may be displayed or output in a respective 3d model window 138 of the user interface 130 . in one example , the 3d model windows 138 may be thumbnails . each 3d model window 138 may include a zoom button 140 configured to launch the 3d model in a larger overlay window . each 3d model window 138 may also include a 3d model viewer button 142 configured to launch a 3d viewer application . the number of 3d model windows 138 displayed on the user interface 130 may be selected from a menu 144 including predetermined choices . in one example , the predetermined number of 3d models to be output may be chosen to be one of 6 , 24 and 60 3d models . however , any other number may be provided for selection in menu 144 . in the example shown in fig3 , 6 3d models are selected , thereby resulting in the display of the 6 3d model windows 138 . in one embodiment , the user interface 130 may be configured to receive as input any number representing the size of the subset of 3d models , wherein the number is less than the total number of 3d models assigned to the selected tray 132 . the user interface 130 may also include buttons 146 and 148 configured to switch between displaying a first subset and a second subset of 3d models selected based on the weight in input cell 134 . in one example , the selected subset of 3d models may be sorted such that the first subset of 3d models that are displayed in user interface 130 more closely match the weight in input cell 134 compared to the second subset of 3d models . a user may identify the 3d model that matches the 3d printed part having a weight entered in input cell 134 from a displayed subset of 3d model windows 138 in fig3 . once the 3d model corresponding to the 3d printed part is identified , the user may request generating a label for the part . fig4 shows one example of a user interface 150 for printing an order card for an identified 3d printed part . the order card may include identifying information for the part . the order card may be generated and displayed in an area 152 of the user interface 150 . the user interface 150 may also provide an interface 154 for updating the status of the 3d printed part . after identifying a 3d printed part , the number of parts left to be identified in a single tray may be reduced . in one example , the number of items corresponding to a tray , as shown in column 126 of fig2 , may be reduced as 3d printed parts are identified in that tray . fig5 illustrates one example of an order card printed as a label 156 . the label 156 includes a barcode 158 . in one example , the barcode corresponds to the 3d model that matches the 3d printed part . label 156 also includes a section 159 having information identifying the 3d printed part . the identifying information may include a customer order number , production order information , a material code corresponding to the material used to 3d print the part , and a 3d model number corresponding to the part . in other examples , the label may include other identifying data . fig6 is a flow chart illustrating a computer implemented process 160 of interacting with a user of a weight - based identification system having the user interfaces in fig3 , 4 and 5 . at block 162 , a list of trays to be sorted may be output , for example , by providing the user interface 120 and a listing of trays as shown in column 122 of fig2 . at block 164 , a selection of a tray may be received from a user . for example , the user may select a tray for weight - based sorting using the user interface 120 in fig2 . in response to selecting a tray , process 160 may include launching a user interface 130 as shown in fig3 , for weight - based sorting of the selected tray . at block 166 of process 160 , a weight of a 3d printed part built in the tray may be received . the weight may be received using , for example , the input cell 134 in fig3 . process 160 may include , at block 168 , outputting a subset of 3d models that are closest matches to the 3d printed part having the input weight . additional subsets of 3d printed parts may be output at block 170 . for example , buttons 146 and 148 of the user interface 130 in fig3 may be used to output additional subsets of 3d models and to switch among displaying the different subsets of 3d models . process 160 may include receiving a selection of a 3d model from a subset of 3d models at block 172 . for example , a 3d model displayed in a 3d model window 138 of user interface 130 may be selected . a 3d model may be selected for viewing . selecting a 3d model may include visually comparing the 3d model to the 3d printed part and identifying the 3d model corresponding to the part . at block 174 of process 160 , an order card may be generated for the identified part . for example , an order card may be generated using the interface 150 of fig5 . generating an order card may include printing the order card . process 160 may further include updating the status of the identified 3d printed part at block 176 . for example , interface 154 of fig4 may be used at block 176 . in some embodiments , process 160 may further include removing a 3d model corresponding to the identified 3d printed part from one or more 3d models used for weight based identification . embodiments of the processes disclosed herein , such as process 100 in fig1 and process 160 in fig6 may be implemented in a software system that supports the production process for 3d printing at a manufacturing facility . the software system may generally allow tracking of 3d printed parts through the production process and may support processes involved in handling 3d printed parts . for example , the software system may support handling of 3d model files , creating production plans and sending shipments of 3d printed parts to distribution centers . the user interfaces 120 , 130 and 150 may be provided to facilitate interaction with an operator of the manufacturing facility . processes described above are merely illustrative embodiments of systems for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts . such illustrative embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention , as any of numerous other implementations for performing the invention . none of the claims set forth below are intended to be limited to any particular implementation of a process of weight - based identification , unless such claim includes a limitation explicitly reciting a particular implementation . processes associated with various embodiments , acts thereof and various embodiments and variations of these methods and acts , individually or in combination , may be defined by computer - readable signals tangibly embodied on a computer - readable medium , for example , a non - volatile recording medium , an integrated circuit memory element , or a combination thereof . such signals may define instructions , for example , as part of one or more programs that , as a result of being executed by a computer , instruct the computer to perform one or more of the methods or acts described herein , and / or various embodiments , variations and combinations thereof . such instructions may be written in any of a plurality of programming languages , for example , java , visual basic , c , c #, or c ++, fortran , pascal , eiffel , basic , cobol , etc ., or any of a variety of combinations thereof . the computer - readable medium on which such instructions are stored may reside on one or more of the components of a general - purpose computer described above , and may be distributed across one or more of such components . the computer - readable medium may be transportable such that the instructions stored thereon can be loaded onto any computer system resource to implement the aspects of the present invention discussed herein . in addition , it should be appreciated that the instructions stored on the computer - readable medium , described above , are not limited to instructions embodied as part of an application program running on a host computer . rather , the instructions may be embodied as any type of computer code ( e . g ., software or microcode ) that can be employed to program a processor to implement the above - discussed aspects of the present invention . various embodiments according to the invention may be implemented on one or more computer systems . these computer systems may be , for example , general - purpose computers such as those based on intel pentium - type processor , motorola powerpc , sun ultrasparc , hewlett - packard pa - risc processors , or any other type of processor . it should be appreciated that one or more of any type computer system may be used to partially or fully automate weight - based identification of 3d printed parts according to various embodiments of the invention . further , the software design system may be located on a single computer or may be distributed among a plurality of computers attached by a communications network . the computer system may include specially - programmed , special - purpose hardware , for example , an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ). aspects of the invention may be implemented in software , hardware or firmware , or any combination thereof . further , such methods , acts , systems , system elements and components thereof may be implemented as part of the computer system described above or as an independent component . a computer system for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts may be a general - purpose computer system that is programmable using a high - level computer programming language . the computer system may be also implemented using specially programmed , special purpose hardware . in a computer system there may be a processor that is typically a commercially available processor such as the well - known pentium class processor available from the intel corporation . many other processors are available . such a processor usually executes an operating system which may be , for example , the windows nt , windows 2000 ( windows me ), windows xp , windows vista or windows 7 operating systems available from the microsoft corporation , mac os snow leopard , mac os snow lion operating systems available from apple computer , the solaris operating system available from sun microsystems , or unix available from various sources . many other operating systems may be used . the processor and operating system together define a computer platform for which application programs in high - level programming languages are written . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular computer system platform , processor , operating system , or network . also , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to a specific programming language or computer system . further , it should be appreciated that other appropriate programming languages and other appropriate computer systems could also be used . one or more portions of the computer system may be distributed across one or more computer systems coupled to a communications network . these computer systems also may be general - purpose computer systems . for example , various aspects of the invention may be distributed among one or more computer systems configured to provide a service ( e . g ., servers ) to one or more client computers , or to perform an overall task as part of a distributed system . for example , various aspects of the invention may be performed on a client - server system that includes components distributed among one or more server systems that perform various functions according to various embodiments of the invention . these components may be executable , intermediate ( e . g ., il ) or interpreted ( e . g ., java ) code which communicate over a communication network ( e . g ., the internet ) using a communication protocol ( e . g ., tcp / ip ). it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to executing on any particular system or group of systems . also , it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular distributed architecture , network , or communication protocol . various embodiments of the present invention may be programmed using an object - oriented programming language , such as smalltalk , java , c ++, ada , or c # ( c - sharp ). other object - oriented programming languages may also be used . alternatively , functional , scripting , and / or logical programming languages may be used . various aspects of the invention may be implemented in a non - programmed environment ( e . g ., documents created in html , xml or other format that , when viewed in a window of a browser program , render aspects of a graphical - user interface ( gui ) or perform other functions ). various aspects of the invention may be implemented as programmed or non - programmed elements , or any combination thereof . further , on each of the one or more systems that include one or more components of a system for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts , each of the components may reside in one or more locations on the system . for example , different portions of the components of a system for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts may reside in different areas of memory ( e . g ., ram , rom , disk , etc .) on the system . each of such one or more systems may include , among other components , a plurality of known components such as one or more processors , a memory system , a disk storage system , one or more network interfaces , and one or more busses or other internal communication links interconnecting the various components . systems and processes disclosed herein for weight - based identification of 3d printed parts , such as a system including user interfaces 120 , 130 and 150 in fig2 , 3 and 4 , may be implemented on a computer system described below in relation to fig7 and 8 . a system having user interfaces 120 , 130 and 150 in fig2 , 3 and 4 is merely an illustrative embodiment of the weight - based identification system . such an illustrative embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as any of numerous other implementations of the system , for example , are possible and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention . none of the claims set forth below are intended to be limited to any particular implementation of the system unless such claim includes a limitation explicitly reciting a particular implementation . various aspects of the invention may be implemented as specialized software executing in a general - purpose computer system 180 such as that shown in fig7 . the computer system 180 may include a processor 182 connected to one or more memory devices 184 , such as a disk drive , memory , or other device for storing data . memory 184 is typically used for storing programs and data during operation of the computer system 180 . components of computer system 180 may be coupled by an interconnection mechanism 186 , which may include one or more busses ( e . g ., between components that are integrated within a same machine ) and / or a network ( e . g ., between components that reside on separate discrete machines ). the interconnection mechanism 186 enables communications ( e . g ., data , instructions ) to be exchanged between system components of system 180 . computer system 180 also includes one or more input devices 188 , for example , a keyboard , mouse , trackball , microphone , touch screen , and one or more output devices 190 , for example , a printing device , display screen , and / or speaker . in addition , computer system 180 may contain one or more interfaces ( not shown ) that connect computer system 180 to a communication network ( in addition or as an alternative to the interconnection mechanism 186 . the storage system 192 , shown in greater detail in fig8 , typically includes a computer readable and writeable nonvolatile recording medium 194 in which signals are stored that define a program to be executed by the processor or information stored on or in the medium 194 to be processed by the program . the medium may , for example , be a disk or flash memory . typically , in operation , the processor causes data to be read from the nonvolatile recording medium 194 into another memory 196 that allows for faster access to the information by the processor than does the medium 194 . this memory 196 is typically a volatile , random access memory such as a dynamic random access memory ( dram ) or static memory ( sram ). it may be located in storage system 192 , as shown , or in memory system 184 , not shown . the processor 182 generally manipulates the data within the integrated circuit memory 184 , 196 and then copies the data to the medium 194 after processing is completed . a variety of mechanisms are known for managing data movement between the medium 194 and the integrated circuit memory element 184 , 196 , and the invention is not limited thereto . the invention is not limited to a particular memory system 184 or storage system 192 . although computer system 180 is shown by way of example as one type of computer system upon which various aspects of the invention may be practiced , it should be appreciated that aspects of the invention are not limited to being implemented on the computer system as shown in fig7 . various aspects of the invention may be practiced on one or more computers having a different architecture or components that that shown in fig7 . computer system 180 may be a general - purpose computer system that is programmable using a high - level computer programming language . computer system 180 may be also implemented using specially programmed , special purpose hardware . in computer system 180 , processor 182 is typically a commercially available processor such as the well - known pentium class processor available from the intel corporation . many other processors are available . such a processor usually executes an operating system which may be , for example , the windows nt , windows 2000 ( windows me ), windows xp , windows vista or windows 7 operating systems available from the microsoft corporation , mac os snow leopard , mac os snow lion operating systems available from apple computer , the solaris operating system available from sun microsystems , or unix available from various sources . many other operating systems may be used . the processor and operating system together define a computer platform for which application programs in high - level programming languages are written . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular computer system platform , processor , operating system , or network . also , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to a specific programming language or computer system . further , it should be appreciated that other appropriate programming languages and other appropriate computer systems could also be used . one or more portions of the computer system may be distributed across one or more computer systems ( not shown ) coupled to a communications network . these computer systems also may be general - purpose computer systems . for example , various aspects of the invention may be distributed among one or more computer systems configured to provide a service ( e . g ., servers ) to one or more client computers , or to perform an overall task as part of a distributed system . for example , various aspects of the invention may be performed on a client - server system that includes components distributed among one or more server systems that perform various functions according to various embodiments of the invention . these components may be executable , intermediate ( e . g ., il ) or interpreted ( e . g ., java ) code which communicate over a communication network ( e . g ., the internet ) using a communication protocol ( e . g ., tcp / ip ). it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to executing on any particular system or group of systems . also , it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular distributed architecture , network , or communication protocol . various embodiments of the present invention may be programmed using an object - oriented programming language , such as smalltalk , java , c ++, ada , or c # ( c - sharp ). other object - oriented programming languages may also be used . alternatively , functional , scripting , and / or logical programming languages may be used . various aspects of the invention may be implemented in a non - programmed environment ( e . g ., documents created in html , xml or other format that , when viewed in a window of a browser program , render aspects of a graphical - user interface ( gui ) or perform other functions ). various aspects of the invention may be implemented using various internet technologies such as , for example , the well - known common gateway interface ( cgi ) script , php hyper - text preprocessor ( php ), active server pages ( asp ), hypertext markup language ( html ), extensible markup language ( xml ), java , javascript , asynchronous javascript and xml ( ajax ), flash , and other programming methods . various aspects of the invention may be implemented as programmed or non - programmed elements , or any combination thereof . having described above several aspects of at least one embodiment , it is to be appreciated various alterations , modifications , and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art . such alterations , modifications , and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only , and the scope of the invention should be determined from proper construction of the appended claims , and their equivalents .	1
in a first embodiment , the present invention is a combination seating and storage unit 20 , as shown in fig1 . the unit 20 includes a storage container 22 having a front side 24 , a rear side 26 , a right side 28 and a left side 30 . the unit optionally includes a bottom or floor 32 . preferably , the storage container also includes a back 34 carrying a horizontal cushion 36 . additionally , the unit 20 includes a lid 40 . preferably , the storage container 22 is formed from roto - molded plastic . however , suitable storage units could be prepared from plywood , preferably marine plywood , aluminum , steel , or other well - known fabrication materials . the lid 40 is preferably formed of plywood , most preferably marine plywood , of a thickness sufficient to support a seated occupant . alternatively , other building materials such as aluminum , plastic , steel , or wood planking could be suitably employed . the lid 40 and the back 34 are preferably upholstered with well - known foam upholstery material covered with fabric , or most preferably vinyl . as shown in fig1 the lid 40 is connected to the storage container 22 such that when opened , the lid is oriented vertically and positioned immediately in front of the front side 24 of the storage container 22 . this positioning of the lid 40 facilitates excellent access to the interior of the storage container through an open top 38 of the storage container . in such an open position , the lid 40 is extremely stable for reasons which will be apparent from the following discussion . with reference to fig2 a double pivot hinge 50 connects the lid 40 to the storage container 22 . the double pivot hinge 50 includes a first bracket 52 , which in a preferred mode is integral with right side 28 at a location adjacent the open top 38 and the front side 24 ; in other words , near the upper position of a front corner of the container 22 . the bracket 52 carries a first pivot pin 54 . a second bracket 56 carries a second pivot pin 58 . the second bracket 56 is attached to the lid 40 generally adjacent to the midpoint between the front and rear edges of the lid 40 and most preferably slightly rearward of the midpoint of the lid 40 . first and second pivot pins 54 and 58 are each pivotally connected to a one - piece connecting arm 60 at a first end 62 and at a second end 64 , respectively . additionally , the second end 64 of the one - piece connecting arm 60 preferably includes a dogleg or bend 66 adjacent the second end 64 . the first and second ends 62 and 64 , respectively , are planar and are offset from one another so as to lie in parallel planes . the one - piece connecting arm 60 includes an integral offset portion 68 connecting the first and second ends . most preferably , the first end 62 has a roughly three - quarters of an inch offset to place the first end 62 in sliding contact with the bracket portion 52 of right side wall 28 . the second body 64 of the one - piece connecting arm 60 is therefore offset inward approximately three - quarters of an inch from the right side 28 . in a preferred embodiment , a mirror image of the double pivot hinge just explained is present at the left side 30 of the storage container 22 and at the left side of the one - piece lid 40 . most preferably , the connecting arm 60 on the right side and its equivalent member on the left side are rigidly linked together by connecting means comprising at least one rigid rod , tube or bar 70 which rigidly attaches to the connecting arms and holds them in a parallel relationship . the connecting means 70 thus prevents bending , twisting and binding of the double pivot hinge to assure dependable motion of the lid 40 as it is opened and closed from the storage container 22 . to close the lid 40 , the rearward portion of the lid 40 is pivoted rearwardly about pivot pin 58 until it reaches the open top 38 of storage container 22 . next , application of a downward force to the front edge of lid 40 causes the rearwardly edge to slide rearward into a pocket 72 which is generally defined by the lower edge of cushion 36 , the lower edge of back support 34 and the rear portion of the open top 38 of storage container 22 . the pocket 72 may be alternatively described as a front opening slot or groove at the rear of the open top 38 . as the front of the lid 40 is forced downward , the double pivot hinge 50 moves about pivot pins 54 and 58 to trap the rear edge of the lid 40 within the pocket 72 . ultimately , the configuration shown in fig4 is achieved in which the lid 40 is fully closed over the storage container 22 to provide seating over the storage container 22 . it will be evident that due to the capturing effect of pocket 72 , the rear edge of the lid 40 cannot rise until the front edge has been lifted and the lid begins to shift upward and forward . only under the most rigorous rough water conditions is any additional lockdown system required . such a lockdown system if required is provided at the front edge of the cushioned lid 40 . the usefulness of such a seating and storage system is not limited to rectangularly shaped storage containers but may also be used upon alternative shapes , such as a hexagonal corner unit , to provide both seating and storage in a corner of a vessel , such as a pontoon boat , as shown in fig5 . although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
fig1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in which metal hydride heat pump 10 is constructed of body 11 which is separated into three heat exchangers , high temperature heat exchanger 12 , mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 , and low temperature heat exchanger 16 . the heat exchangers are separated by transition regions 18 and 20 which are constructed of alternating layers of heat conducting bridges 22 and thermal insulating layers 24 . thus , insulating layers 24 prevent heat transfer between heat exchangers 12 , 14 , and 16 , but thermal bridges 22 transfer heat throughout the cross section of body 11 within each transition region 18 and 20 . thermal bridges 22 are preferably constructed of high thermal conductivity foamed metal , for instance copper . a group of six parallel channels 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , and 38 are built into body 11 and located in a circular pattern around axis 26 of body 11 . as a result of the construction of the transition regions , all the channel walls in each of the two transition regions are in thermal communication . each of the channels has an internal reciprocating container 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , and 50 within it ( see fig2 ), and each container is attached to and moved by one of the cables 52 , 54 , or 56 . the containers are moved in a controlled intermittent sequence . while it would be possible to move each container with a separate and independently operated cable , since operation of the invention requires that pairs of containers are moved together , in the preferred embodiment , two containers are attached to each of the cables . furthermore , since each container is moved in a reciprocating motion , cables 52 , 54 , and 56 are actually constructed as closed loops to allow convenient movement of each cable by a simple motor driven pulley . although cables 52 , 54 , and 56 are shown in fig1 as closed loops , their pulleys and motor drive have been omitted for clarity . fig2 is a partial cross section schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the circular pattern of channels of fig1 &# 34 ; unrolled &# 34 ; into a planar configuration to better describe the operation of the invention . it should therefore be understood that channel 28 at the top of fig2 and channel 38 at the bottom of fig2 are actually , as seen in fig1 adjacent to each other . containers 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , and 50 are all constructed to move easily within their respective channels , and as discussed earlier , the containers are attached to cable loops 52 , 54 , and 56 in pairs so that two selected containers move together in the same direction and for the same distance . each container is constructed with two hydride sections separated from each other , but with an interconnecting section which permits the interchange of gas between the hydride sections . thus , higher temperature hydride sections 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , and 68 all enclose a higher temperature hydride such as lani4 . 75al0 . 25hx , while lower temperature hydride sections 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 , 78 , and 80 all enclose a lower temperature hydride such as mmni4 . 15fe0 . 85hy . interconnecting sections 82 , 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 , and 92 mechanically separate the higher temperature hydride sections and the lower temperature hydride sections , but permit hydrogen to pass between them . the three sections of each container are dimensioned so that the higher and lower temperature hydride sections are separated by the same distance that separates heat exchangers 12 , 14 , and 16 , so that when a hydride container is aligned with a heat exchanger , the other hydride container to which it is attached is always aligned with another heat exchanger . the dimensions are also chosen so that when one hydride container is aligned with a transition region , the attached hydride container will be aligned with the other transition region of body 11 . the arrangement for moving the containers is shown more clearly in fig2 . each cable 52 , 54 , and 56 is attached to two containers and strung around four pulleys 94 , so that the moving forces applied to each container are aligned with the channel in which the container moves . power is applied to one pulley 94 of each cable by reversible motors 96 , and the motors are connected to and controlled by timing control 95 . metal hydride heat pump 10 is thereby powered by the three low power electric motors 96 and operates as a refrigerator in the manner described below , based upon the starting positions of the various components as shown in fig2 . fig3 which is discussed concurrently with fig2 is a graph representing the thermodynamic cycle of the following described refrigerator operation of the invention . in fig3 th , tm , and tl designate the temperatures determined by the high , medium , and low temperature heat exchangers respectively , and the mh and ml lines represent the temperature and pressure relationships of the higher and lower temperature metal hydrides , respectively . the vertical axis of the graph of fig3 represents the log of the pressure , the horizontal axis of the graph represents the inverse of the temperature reading , and the dashed arrows represent the movement of hydrogen gas between the hydride sections of the containers . in fig2 when heat is applied to high temperature heat exchanger 12 at a temperature of 150 to 170 degrees c ., the higher temperature metal hydride in high temperature hydride section 60 of container 42 heats up to the input temperature of heat exchanger 12 and decomposes to release hydrogen gas . the conditions determined by this action are depicted at point a on the mh line in fig3 . the hydrogen released in high temperature section 60 then flows through interconnecting section 84 into low temperature hydride section 72 where it is absorbed by the lower temperature metal hydride at near room temperature , 15 to 30 degrees c . this temperature is determined by a heat exchange fluid introduced at mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 . as the hydrogen gas reacts with the lower temperature hydride this action is represented by point b in fig3 which is on the ml line . after a period of time sufficient for the hydride reactions to stabilize , container 42 is moved to the right so that high temperature section 60 and low temperature section 72 move into transition regions 18 and 20 , respectively . the optimum time each container is within heat exchangers 12 , 14 , and 16 is 4 - 6 minutes , and the rest of the time the containers move between positions in 1 - 3 minute steps , but this timing will vary depending upon the device parameters . at the time of the movement of container 42 to the right , container 46 which is attached to the same cable 54 , moves to the left so that its high and low temperature metal hydride containers are in the same transition regions as the same sections of container 42 . thus , section 60 of container 42 which is at 150 - 170 degree c . transfers its heat to section 64 of container 46 , which had been in contact with heat exchanger 14 and is therefore at 15 - 30 degrees c . this is the effect which yields the higher efficiency for the invention , because without the heat transfer in the transition zone , the heat energy in section 60 would merely be disposed of by flowing out to much cooler heat exchanger 14 . instead , that heat energy in section 60 is used to raise the temperature of section 64 before it comes into contact with high temperature heat exchanger 12 so the heat energy is retained within the system , and reduces the amount of heat that section 64 will later require to be raised to its temperature for emitting hydrogen . the same type of heat conservation phenomenon also occurs between low temperature hydride section 72 of container 42 and low temperature hydride section 76 of container 46 , which are also in thermal communication at transition region 20 , but at lower temperatures . when the higher temperature metal hydride in section 60 cools upon exposure to the lower temperature of section 64 its pressure - temperature condition follows line mh to point d on fig3 . after a time delay sufficient to transfer most of the heat from hydride sections 60 and 72 of container 84 to hydride sections 64 and 76 of container 88 , container 84 is again moved to the right to align hydride section 60 with mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 and align hydride section 72 with low temperature heat exchanger 16 . this movement also moves container 88 to the left to align hydride section 64 with high temperature heat exchanger 12 and align hydride section 76 with mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 . at this point container 88 begins the cycle as described for container 84 by being heated at high temperature heat exchanger 14 . returning to the action of container 84 , as hydride section 60 containing the higher temperature hydride is in contact with mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 , and hydride section 72 containing the lower temperature hydride is in contact with low temperature heat exchanger 16 , their temperatures are lowered . the lowering of temperature is sufficient to cause the higher temperature hydride in section 60 to absorb hydrogen and lower the pressure , which causes the lower temperature hydride in section 72 to release hydrogen . this release of hydrogen from the lower temperature hydride cools it to 0 to - 15 degrees c . and absorbs heat from low temperature heat exchanger 16 . eventually , after sufficient cycles have occurred to attain stable operating conditions , low temperature heat exchanger 16 is cooled to the same low temperature . for the lower temperature hydride in section 72 , this cooling effect is shown in fig3 by line ml , and the end point is point c ., at which point the hydrogen gas is transferred to the higher temperature hydride ( point d ). after a time delay sufficient to have the lower temperature hydride in section 72 absorb most of the heat it is capable of absorbing , container 84 is moved to the left and into contact with the transition regions . at this point , since container 88 is moving in the opposite direction , and has also come into contact with the transition regions , container 84 begins to absorb heat from hotter container 88 and both hydrides simultaneously beginning changing their conditions , essentially beginning to move higher on their respective lines in fig3 and away from points c and d . after a delay , container 84 then returns to its starting point with high temperature hydride section 60 in contact with high temperature heat exchanger 12 . this , of course , occurs as container 88 moves to the far right of its travel and begins removing heat from the low temperature heat exchanger . of course , it is most desirable to maintain good thermal contact between each hydride section and the surface of the channel within which it moves . conventional high thermal conductivity lubricants are generally available to fulfill this requirement . it is also apparent that during startup of the system , thermal bridges 22 do not conduct heat at full capacity , because the temperatures of the various hydride sections have not yet reached levels to afford the maximum temperature differences required . if fact , during startup it is even practical to move the first containers through the cycle without stopping at the transition regions . essentially , the invention reaches its full capacity when each metal hydride in the structure has operated through a complete thermodynamic cycle . it should be appreciated that the preceding description of operation suggests that each pair of containers has only three positions , and in the middle position both containers of the interacting pair are in contact with the same thermal bridges of the transition regions so that the thermal bridges are transferring heat between the containers . however , transition regions can also be constructed as shown in fig2 in which they are approximately twice as long as the hydride sections . thermal bridges 22 actually divide the transition regions into multiple individual heat transfer zones , and these zones are shown in fig2 as zones 15 and 17 in transition region 18 and zones 19 and 21 in transition region 20 . this geometry provides the ability to provide two different positions within each transition region for hydride sections and is consistent with the use of multiple pairs of interacting containers . fig2 shows two additional pairs of interacting containers , 82 and 92 , and 86 and 90 . each of these pairs operate in exactly the same manner as containers 84 and 88 described above , but it is highly advantageous to time the motion of the three pairs of containers so that the hydride sections of two of the pairs of containers are always in the transition regions , but in different zones . thus , when , as described above and as shown in fig2 hydride section 60 is within high temperature heat exchanger 12 and hydride section 72 is within mid - temperature heat exchanger 14 , hydride sections 58 and 66 are within zone 17 and sections 62 and 68 , are within zone 15 in transition region 18 . also , hydride sections 70 and 78 are within zone 21 and sections 74 and 80 are within zone 19 in transition region 20 . furthermore , the next step in the sequence of motion as described above in regard to the operation of the invention , with the directions of motion as shown by arrows x , y , and z in fig2 will move each container one step in the series of positions . that will put containers 84 and 88 into the transition regions and will move containers 82 and 92 out of the transition regions , thus maintaining the same configuration in the transition regions . in each such step of the sequence there are always two oppositely moving hydride sections in each of the two zones of each transition region . therefore , the transition regions of the preferred embodiment which are twice the length of the hydride sections , along with three pairs of interconnected containers and each pair moving in sequence through a four step , timed path , result in there always being two hydride sections giving up heat and two hydride sections taking on heat in each transition region . furthermore , each of the heat providers and heat receivers in each transition region is actually in a different zone , so that there is little heat transfer between the two hotter hydride sections or between the two cooler hydride sections . this structure and timing arrangement furnishes a particular benefit . it provides the action which makes the invention analogous to a counter flow heat exchanger which is more efficient than , for instance , a regenerator . furthermore it assures that in each zone within a transition region each hotter hydride section is always matched by a cooler hydride section to accept the heat . this reduces the likelihood that heat will be lost to the surrounding environment . the operation of the invention as a superheater , that is , to raise the temperature , is similar to the operation described above , except that the energy source corresponds to the medium temperature , and the temperature being generated is the higher temperature . fig4 is a graph representing the thermodynamic cycle of the operation of the invention as a heater . in fig4 th , tm , and tl designate the temperatures determined by the high , medium , and low temperature heat exchangers respectively , and the mh and ml lines represent the temperature and pressure relationships of the higher and lower temperature metal hydrides , respectively . the vertical axis of the graph of fig4 represents the log of the pressure , the horizontal axis of the graph represents the inverse of the temperature reading , and the dashed arrows represent the movement of hydrogen gas between the hydride sections of the containers . in the fig4 heating cycle , absorption point e , desorption point f , absorption point g , and desorption point l occur in sequence . zrcrfe1 . 1hz and lani5hr can be used as the high and low temperature metal hydrides , and the temperatures are 110 to 130 degrees c . for the high temperature , 100 degrees c . for the medium temperature , and 15 to 25 degrees c . for the low temperature . in typical embodiments of the invention , the containers are 26 - 50 mm in diameter and 300 - 2000 mm long , and the maximum temperature difference across the radial direction for the containers and the body is 5 - 10 degrees c . with appropriate design , the temperature difference across the annular gap between the containers and the body is no more than 1 degree c . generally , the length of the transition regions , the geometry of the containers , and the timed motion of the containers is selected so that the number of oppositely moving metal hydride sections which are in contact with the thermal bridges is maximized at all times . thus , by exchanging heat between higher and lower temperature metal hydrides which are in their cooling and heating phases , and performing that heat exchange in the most efficient manner , as in a counter flow heat exchanger , the invention yields an efficiency close to the theoretical maximum for this type of thermal energy converter , and refrigeration equipment generating a cold temperature of - 20 to - 40 degrees c . becomes possible . it is to be understood that the form of this invention as shown is merely a preferred embodiment . various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of parts ; equivalent means may be substituted for those illustrated and described ; and certain features may be used independently from others without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . for example , a greater or lesser number of channels and containers may be incorporated within body 11 .	2
fig1 shows a perspective and exploded view that details the components of the inventive system 10 for keeping an implement 16 adjacent a person &# 39 ; s hand 20 . the system 10 will include a band 12 and a magnet 14 attached to the band 12 . the band 12 may comprise a metal that retains the magnet 14 by a magnetic attraction ; alternatively , the magnet 14 may be affixed to a surface of the band 12 by any known method , such as soldering , welding , or adhesive . alternatively , the band 12 and magnet 14 of the system 10 may comprise a single , unitary , monolithic structure , wherein the entire band is magnetized . still referring to fig1 , the system 10 will also include an implement 16 having a metallic portion 18 affixed to it . optionally , the system 10 will also include a magnet 13 that can attach to the metallic portion 18 . in preferred embodiments , the implement 16 is a rod - shaped , such as a writing instrument ( as shown ), or an awl , knife , pick , tire pressure gage , or the like . the implement may have a metallic portion 18 positioned in a generally central location of the implement 16 , so that the magnets 13 , 14 engage one another and hold the implement 16 in contact with the band 12 . of course , if the system 10 includes optional magnet 13 , it is important that the polarities of the magnets 13 , 14 be properly configured to attract one another rather than repel one another fig2 shows a perspective view of the system 10 shown in an assembled condition . the band 12 is preferably configured to be a finger ring ; however , the band may also be worn elsewhere on a wearer &# 39 ; s person , such about the wrist . the best mode anticipated for the inventive system , however , is for the band 12 to comprise a finger ring . still referring to fig2 , the system 10 includes an implement 16 ( such as a writing instrument ) and a metallic portion 18 positioned generally adjacent the central portion . the metallic portion 18 may be integral with the implement 16 , or it could be a sleeve that attaches to the implement 16 . in a preferred embodiment , the magnet 13 is adhered to the metallic portion 18 on the implement 16 , and the magnet 14 is adhered to the band 12 . as another option , the entire implement 16 may be metallic and therefore subject to magnetic attraction . in yet another option , the implement 16 may be entirely made of plastic , and the metallic portion 18 is limited to a magnet 13 embedded within or adhered to the implement . as shown in fig2 , however , the magnets 13 , 14 are positioned between the band 12 and the metallic portion 18 of the implement 16 ; preferably , the magnets 13 , 14 are each high - powered , disk - shaped magnets that will retain the implement so that it can rotate with an angular velocity w about axis l , which is generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the implement 16 . other shapes and configurations for the magnets , however , are certainly within the scope of the invention . fig3 and 3a show comparative perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the band 12 portion of the invention . in this embodiment , the band 12 includes a raised portion 15 that houses the magnet 14 . in this embodiment , the magnet 14 adheres to the band 12 by fitting tightly within a cooperatively formed vessel in the raised portion 15 of the band 12 . alternatively , the magnet 14 may be retained by the band 12 by any known adhesive . as evident in fig3 , the magnet 14 is embedded within the raised portion 14 such that its top surface may be generally coplanar and flush with the uppermost part of the raised portion 14 . fig3 a depicts the band 12 , as seen from a vantage point directly above the raised portion 15 of the band . as shown , the magnet 14 is a disk - shaped magnet that is embedded within a cylindrical vessel that is formed in the raised portion 15 . of course , other configurations are within the spirit of the invention . the embodiments shown in fig3 and 3a may comprise bands 12 made of any known material , even non - metallic material such as plastic , polymers , or marble . fig4 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the system 10 in combination with the band 12 depicted in fig3 and 3a . in this embodiment , a magnet 13 is affixed directly to the implement 16 ′ without the need for a band 18 or other metallic attachment . in this embodiment , the magnet 13 may be affixed to the implement 16 ′ by any known method , including an epoxy , an adhesive , or by means of a vessel within the implement 16 ′ that is cooperatively formed to receive and retain the magnet 13 . fig5 a and 5b show comparative views of the system 10 in combination with a wearer &# 39 ; s hand 20 . as shown in fig5 a , the implement 16 ( a writing instrument ) 16 bears a metallic portion 18 positioned at a generally central location on the implement so that it may be free to rotate at an angular speed w about an axis l through the magnet 14 ( see fig2 , 4 ). referring to fig5 , it is preferred that the magnets 13 , 14 have some vertical dimension , which enables the implement to be spaced from the wearer &# 39 ; s hand 20 , as this space will facilitate free rotation of the implement 16 . referring specifically to fig5 a , the band 12 comprises a finger ring worn on the wearer &# 39 ; s hand 20 . as aforementioned , however , the band 12 may take a larger form and be worn as a wrist band . when worn on the finger , however , the band 12 enables the implement 16 to turn in direction w about an axis that is generally orthogonal the implement 16 ( and the plane of the wearer &# 39 ; s hand 20 ). having described the invention in detail , it is to be understood that this description is for illustrative purposes only . the scope and breadth of the invention shall be limited only by patent claims .	0
fig1 a depicts an exemplary embodiment for an optical path op between two transmitters / receivers txrx , each of which is connected to test signal nodes ls 1 , ls 6 forming circuit points 1 and 6 . first coupling node occ 1 is connected to transmitter / receiver txrx at circuit point 1 . with regard to the depicted optical path , first node occ 1 , at its output facing away from circuit point 1 , has a test signal node ls 2 at circuit point 2 . a line path 2 - 3 is connected , which terminates at circuit point 3 in a test signal node ls 3 . connected to this is a second coupling node occ 2 , which makes possible a branching and has two connections to line points 4 and 7 , at which test signal nodes ls 4 and ls 7 are located . line point 4 , along with a distant line point 5 , forms a normal line path 4 - 5 , which at a test signal node ls 5 , ends in a subsequent fourth coupling node occ 4 . this coupling node has a further connection to a line point 10 having a test signal node ls 10 , at which an alternative line path 7 - 10 ends . in the alternative line path , in the depicted exemplary embodiment , a third coupling node occ 3 is connected , which is provided on both sides at line points 8 and 9 with test signal nodes ls 8 , ls 9 . the other end of fourth coupling node occ 4 is connected to transmitter / receiver txrx , terminating the optical path in test signal node ls 6 . fig1 b clarifies the optical line segments arising therefrom , 1 - 2 , 2 - 3 , 3 - 4 , 4 - 5 , 5 - 6 , 7 - 8 , 8 - 9 , 9 - 10 , the line segments between line points 7 and 10 forming an alternative line path for normal line path 4 - 5 . fig1 c makes clear that for monitoring this line configuration in the event of a functioning normal path 4 - 5 , only three test segments 1 - 3 , 3 - 6 , 7 - 10 are necessary , so that test signal nodes ls 2 , ls 4 , ls 5 , ls 8 , and ls 9 can be configured as transit nodes , which do not process a test signal but rather covey it further . the test signal segments are formed according to the following rules : at all sources and sinks s / d of useful signals , a test signal segment always begins and ends at the beginning and ending of all passive transmission paths , a test signal segment always begins / ends at the beginning / ending of a normal line path protected by an alternative line path , a test signal segment always begins / ends . the optical segment in the node at the beginning / ending of a test signal segment constitutes one unit along with the test signal segment of the corresponding active transmission path . all test signal nodes that are not required at the ending of a test signal segment are configured as transit nodes , i . e ., the test signal is only conveyed further . if the absence of a test signal ls is established on test segment 1 - 3 , then no alternative path is available , so that an alarm is transmitted to a central network control system ( telecommunication management network ). the user of the network control system reacts to the line failure . on the other hand , if the test signal on normal line path 3 - 6 fails , coupling nodes occ 2 and occ 4 are induced to switch over and the test signal nodes are reconfigured , so that now test signal nodes ls 4 and ls 5 are configured as inception nodes for testing the repair of test segment 4 - 5 , whereas test signal nodes ls 7 and ls 10 , heretofore active as inception nodes , can be configured as transit nodes . test segment 3 - 6 now forms the active alternative line path , whereas normal line path 4 - 5 is no longer used . fig2 a depicts another exemplary embodiment for an optical path op between two transmitters / receivers txrx having test signal nodes ls 1 ′, ls 6 ′ at line points 1 ′, 6 ′. a first coupling node occ 1 ′ forms a branching leading to two line points 2 ′, 7 ′ having corresponding test signal nodes ls 2 ′, ls 7 ′. a second coupling node occ 2 ′ is arranged as a crossing separating filler between normal line paths 1 ′- 4 ′, 3 ′- 6 ′ and alternative line paths 7 ′- 8 ′, 9 ′- 10 ′, and it has four connections to circuit points 3 ′, 4 ′, 8 ′, 9 ′ having test signal nodes ls 3 ′, ls 4 ′, ls 8 ′, ls 9 ′. a third coupling node occ 3 ′ brings together at line point 6 ′ the two line paths that arrive at line points 5 ′, 10 ′ having test signal nodes ls 5 ′, ls 10 ′. fig2 b schematically depicts optical line segments 1 ′- 2 ′, 2 ′- 3 ′, 3 ′- 4 ′, 4 ,- 5 ′, 5 ′- 6 ′, 7 ′- 8 ′, 9 ′- 10 ′, derived therefrom . fig2 c depicts the test segments of the arrangement according to fig2 a for the undisturbed case . from the above rules , it can be seen that a line segment can belong to a plurality of test segments , as is demonstrated also in fig2 c for line segment 3 ′- 4 ′. the test segments in fig2 c are line segments 1 ′- 4 ′, 3 ′- 6 ′, 7 ′- 8 ′, and 9 ′- 10 ′. the active transmission takes place on line segments 1 ′- 2 ′- 3 ′- 4 ′- 5 ′- 6 ′. line segments 7 ′- 8 ′ and 9 ′- 10 ′ represent initially passive alternative line paths . if a disturbance resulting from the failure of the test signal is established on normal line 1 ′- 4 ′, then a switchover is caused , which is depicted in fig3 d . segment 2 ′- 3 ′ is passively connected and the active transmission now takes place on alternative line path 7 ′- 8 ′ from circuit point 1 ′ to line point 4 ′. other alternative line path 9 ′- 10 ′, in this case , is not needed as an alternative line path , and is therefore not made active . the test segments now run from 1 ′ to 4 ′ via line points 7 ′ and 8 ′, on the one hand , and from 8 ′ via 4 ′, 5 ′ to line point 6 ′, on the other hand . in addition , passive paths 2 ′- 3 ′ and 9 ′- 10 ′ are tested for the preservation or reinstatement of functionality . from fig2 d , it clear that on the basis of the present invention , only a truly necessary alternative line path is actively connected and that this active connection is achieved through the depicted formation of test segments and the testing of test signals at the ends of the test segments . the comparison of fig2 c and 2d also makes it clear that , in the normal case , test signal nodes ( ls 7 ′, ls 8 ′), functioning as inception nodes , are connected as transit nodes , and that test signal node ls 2 ′, originally connected as a transit node , is connected as an inception node , if a new configuration is required , e . g ., in accordance with fig2 d , opposite fig2 c . for test signal nodes ls 3 ′, ls 4 ′, located on overlapping test segments , one configuration is possible as a transit node in one direction and as an inception node in the other direction . as a result of the present invention , it is assured that a switchover to an alternative line path only occurs if a switchover of that type can also be expedient . if , for example , in the configuration according to fig1 a , a disturbance is detected on line path 2 - 3 , then the entire optical path 1 - 6 is unusable . if , subsequently , yet another disturbance is detected on line path 4 - 5 , a switchover to alternative line path 7 - 10 would be completely pointless , because this switchover would not lead to a usable optical path 1 - 6 . in many configurations , alternative line path 7 - 10 is used entirely or partially for other purposes , for example , to carry out a communication having a lower priority or to share in the protection of another normal line path ( shared protection ). this secondary function of alternative line path 7 - 10 would have to be interrupted if the switchover from normal line path 4 - 5 to alternative line path 7 - 10 were undertaken , although as a result nothing would be achieved for the transmission on optical path 1 - 6 . to avoid unnecessary switchovers of this type by test signal nodes lsx , test signals of at least two types are transmitted , and according to an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention that is also represented in greater detail below , test signals of three types , namely , test signal nodes lsx are also furnished with test signal receivers , which include a test signal level detector , so that the absence of a test signal — of whatever type — is recognized as an individual state . test signal nodes lsx can therefore distinguish four states on the receiving side , namely , “ test signal not present ” and “ test signal received ,” specifically corresponding to the three possible types of received test signal . the test signals for the control of switchovers or of other protective measures are utilized according to the present invention on the basis of the rules elaborated below . in the error - free state , test signal ls - hot is transmitted on the entire optical path . if , within one line segment , for example , line segment 2 - 3 in fig1 a , a fault is recognized as a result of the fact that , for example , test signal node ls 2 is no longer receiving a test signal , for example , caused by a fiber interruption for the transmission direction from test signal node ls 3 to test signal node ls 2 , then the test signal node that is configured as illustrated in fig1 c as generally a transit node transmits an lols test signal in both directions . if the test signal failure on line segment 2 - 3 were to occur in the other transmission direction , i . e ., if it were detected by test signal node ls 3 which is configured as an inception node , then the latter would transmit the lols test signal only in the reverse direction , i . e ., in the direction of test signal nodes ls 2 and ls 1 . at the ends of line path 1 - 3 , i . e ., at test signal nodes ls 1 and ls 3 , a direct transition from test signal ls - hot to test signal lols is detected , so that at these locations a switchover to an alternative line path could be undertaken if an alternative line path of this type were available ( as is the case in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig2 a for normal line path 2 ′- 3 ′ through alternative line path 7 ′- 8 ′). on the basis of the disturbance arising in line path 2 - 3 in the exemplary embodiment depicted in fig1 a , on all other line paths 1 - 2 , 4 - 5 , 5 - 6 of the optical path ( in this situation , potential alternative line paths 7 - 8 , 9 - 10 are not connected and therefore do not belong to the present optical path 1 - 6 ), test signals of the second type ls - cold are transmitted . if the loss of the test signal were to be detected , for example , by test signal node 5 on the basis of a disturbance , it would not result in a switchover to alternative line path 7 - 10 because the switchover would only be effected if a transition from test signal ls - hot to test signal lols took place , which , however , cannot occur due to the transmission of test signal ls - cold . the transmission of test signal ls - cold , which , in this way , prevents a switchover to alternative line path or other protective measures , can also be controlled from outside , for example , by a coupling node computer , in order to avoid inadvisable switchover reactions in the event of a foreseeable short - term disturbance . this is advantageous , for example , if in an existing network configuration a new transmission path for useful signals ( for example , a new wavelength channel ) is constructed or an existing transmission path is dismantled , since , in this context , it is possible that short - term disturbances of existing transmission paths can occur . by supplying ls - cold test signals to the optical path , potentially existing alternative path circuits are “ frozen ,” until the new operating state is reliably established . as a result , “ chain reactions ,” as a result of switchovers arising one after the other , can also be avoided . in addition , for purposes of servicing , an existing network configuration can be “ frozen ,” without having to dismantle protective mechanisms configured , for example , by a central computer . fig3 schematically depicts the design of the test signal node for a bidirectional network , in which separated fiber - optic lines are provided for both transmission directions . test signal node lsx has two transit sides ( e , o ) for connected line segments . a test signal from side e is received by a test signal receiver ew . a test signal can be transmitted from a test signal transmitter sw to side e . correspondingly , for transit side o , a test signal receiver eo and a test signal transmitter so are provided . in the depicted exemplary embodiment , test signal node lsx also has four inputs from superordinate control systems . via an input sendw , a test signal to be transmitted by test signal transmitter sw can be input from outside . the same applies for an input sendo , which establishes from outside a test signal to be transmitted by test signal transmitter so . at a further input lstp , lscp , a configuration signal is input for test signal node lsx , through which it is established whether test signal node lsx is configured as a transit node ( lscp ) or as an inception node ( lstp ). if test signal node lsx is an end node of an optical path ( e . g ., ls 1 and ls 6 in fig1 a ), it is only used as an end node ( lsip ) for one side e or o . this configuration is controlled through an input lsip . the test signals received from test signal node lsx are output as test signal information via outputs empfw , empfo to a superordinate control system , for example , a coupling node computer , so that the coupling node computer can undertake evaluations for the purpose of the switchover to protective measures , the worse state of so and eo being transmitted on empfo and the worse state of sw and ew being transmitted on empfw . if test signal node lsx is in the configuration as a transit node ( lscp ), the received test signals are retransmitted unchanged ( ew = so ; eo = sw ). only if a test signal is not received , for example , at test signal receiver ew , is signal lols transmitted in both directions by test signal transmitters so , sw . if test signal node lsx is configured as an inception node ( lstp ), then in response to the failure of reception of a test signal , for example , at test signal receiver ew , it transmits signal lols only in the corresponding reverse direction ( sw ), regularly transmitting the signal ( ls - cold ) in the other direction , however , unless the transmission of a worse test signal ( lols ) is indicated by a test signal from the other direction . test signal node lsx , receiving signal lols transmitted by test signal transmitter sw , and configured as an inception node ( lscp ), at the end of the line path that is disturbed in the other transmission direction , regularly transmits signal ls - cold in the w direction in response to the reception of lols , so that all line paths not affected by the disturbance transmit signal ls - cold in the w transmission direction . test signal nodes lsx , which as inception nodes ( lstp ) receive a signal ls - cold , transmit signal ls - hot in the opposite direction , if non - corresponding test signal receiver ew simultaneously registers a loss of a test signal , so that corresponding test signal transmitter so transmits an ls - cold test signal . on the basis of the rule that , in the reverse direction , test signal transmitter so or sw fundamentally transmits a test signal of a higher order ( failure test signal lols ; lols ls → cold ; ls → cold ls → hot , assuming an end node ( lsip ) is present or ls - hot has been received on transmitter side ), a rapid and automatic reconnection of the normal line paths is permitted after the carrying out of a line repair . fig4 depicts a flow diagram for the generation of the test signals to be transmitted via test signal transmitters so , sw as a function of the test signals received by test signal transmitters ew , eo . for a transit node ( lscp ), it only remains to be tested whether one of test signal receivers ew or eo signals a test signal failure (“ off ”) or not . if a test signal failure is established , then signal lols is transmitted in both directions . if both test signal receivers ew , eo have received a test signal , then the received test signal is once again transmitted unchanged ( sw = eo ; so = ew ). if , on the other hand , test signal node lsx is an inception node ( lstp ; an end node ( lsip ) is a subcase of an inception node ( lstp )), then in response to an established test signal failure ( for example , ew = off ) signal lols ( sw = lols ) is transmitted in the opposite direction . the same applies if the test signal failure is established by other test signal receiver eo . in this case , test signal lols is transmitted by test signal transmitter so . if a test signal is received by test signal receiver ew , eo , and if this test signal is lols , then in accordance with the above rule , test signal ls - cold ( sw = cold or so = cold ) is transmitted in the opposite direction . if the received test signal is not lols , then it can only be ls - cold or ls - hot . if the input signal of the other side is ls - hot or if the test signal node is an end node ( lsip ), then test signal ls - hot is transmitted in the opposite direction , otherwise ls - cold . the bit patterns cited above as examples for test signals ls - hot and ls - cold have an advantage in that it is very difficult to confuse the two test signals . the control system for the protective measures may be set such that in state ls - hot only a small number of other bit patterns ( lols ) suffice to send an alarm to the control computer . in state ls - cold , an alarm is reported only after a much larger number of falsely received test signal bit patterns . in this manner , it can be avoided that , in state ls - cold , failures lasting briefly lead to an alarm in the central control system of the network . if the transmission capacity of the test signal channel is selected so as to be sufficiently large , e . g ., two mbit / s , then in addition to the test signals described here , other data for controlling and monitoring can also be transmitted independent of the test signals themselves . for the test signal concept according to the present invention , it is not important how many wavelengths are transmitted simultaneously over one optical fiber , for example , in wavelength division multiplexing , because each wavelength channel has assigned to it its own test signal . each wavelength can therefore be protected by its own alternative line path . the protective measures depicted , according to the present invention , are locally controlled , for example , by the coupling node computer , so that the central control system of the network and the operator do not participate in acute switchover measures .	7
unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . the following provides a description of a helical antenna array , and antenna elements thereof , in accordance with different embodiments of the invention . in general , the array will comprise a ground plane and an array of helical antenna elements , each one of which comprising a support structure and a conductor helically supported thereby defining respective element axes extending from said ground plane in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto . for example , different embodiments may comprise two , four or more helical antenna elements , which , depending on the embodiment and the application for which the array is intended , may be substantially identical elements , or structurally or operationally different elements . as will be appreciated by the person of skill in the art , different embodiments may be designed and used for different applications . for instance , and as introduced above , helical antenna arrays are commonly used for satellite communications , which may include but are not limited to ground and / or airborne satellite communications , such as described above in the context of aircraft communications . clearly , while some of the embodiments described below may be particularly amenable for use in aircraft communication systems , these embodiments are not intended to be limited as such , as the features of these embodiments , and the operational improvements and / or advantages provided thereby , may be equally applicable in other contexts where helical antenna arrays are commonly used , as will be appreciated by the person of ordinary skill in the art . for the purpose of the following description , however , the embodiments of the invention will be described within the context of aircraft communications , and particularly , wherein an antenna array is generally mounted for operation within the limited spatial confines of a radome or the like , as commonly found at the tail end of an aircraft , and wherein operation of the antenna array requires a certain level of spatial freedom in allowing the array to sweep a suitable scan area to provide suitable coverage . accordingly , in accordance with some embodiments , improvements in the performance of the antenna array are provided in comparison with traditional arrays having similar spatial dimensions or profiles , thereby providing a potential replacement for traditional arrays without imposing changes to existing spatial restrictions for such antennas . for instance , and in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the antenna array may incorporate one or more of the below - described modifications , which , alone or in different combinations , may increase the overall gain in the array , reduce dissipative losses in the array , mitigate mutual couplings between antenna elements , or correct the squinting effect commonly found in such arrays due to electromagnetic couplings between elements . in the context of a steerable antenna in aircraft communication systems , where a helix array may be subject to continuous reorientation by tilting the array and its beam so that it can be pointed in different directions , these modifications may , in accordance with different embodiments , allow for maintaining an overall sweeping volume of the antenna array while achieving higher gains . further , the antenna structure can generally be rotated about each of two orthogonal axes in order to synthesize volumetric coverage . in some embodiments , each axis passes through the centre of the antenna structure , thereby reducing the scan envelope of the array , i . e . the single envelope that contains the antenna assembly in all its various different scan orientations ; this scan envelope will thus fix the minimum size of the radome structure within which the antenna components can be housed . on an aircraft , there are generally many hard limitations relating to the available spaces within which the antenna can be installed ; therefore , achieving significant operational gains without significantly increasing the overall antenna structure can provide significant advantages in this field . as indicated above , however , the operational gains achieved by the embodiments of the invention herein described are equally applicable in other contexts where structural size limitations are not as strictly applicable . it will be appreciated that the examples provided below describe , in accordance with different embodiments of the invention , different features , which , alone or in combination , can allow for an improved helical antenna array performance . accordingly , the person of skill in the art will appreciate that while different features are combined in describing a same exemplary embodiment , these features may be equally considered alone or in different combinations to provide different desirable effects without departing from the general scope and nature of the present disclosure . referring now to fig1 to 4 , and in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention , a helical antenna array , generally referred to using the numeral 100 , will now be described . as shown in these figures , the array 100 generally comprises a ground plane 102 and four substantially identical antenna elements 104 , each one of which extending substantially perpendicularly from the ground plane and comprising a support structure 106 and a conductor 108 ( e . g . conductive wire ) helically supported thereby . it will be appreciated that while four antenna elements are depicted herein , different numbers of antenna elements may be considered herein without departing from the general scope and nature of the present disclosure . namely the four - element examples depicted herein are meant as exemplary only , as the features described herein may be equally applicable to other arrays comprising two , three , four or more antenna elements . with reference to fig1 to 4 , the antenna array 100 further comprises one or more conductive loading elements laterally displaced relative to respective axes thereof such that , in operation , these conductive loading elements increase the effective aperture of the array and / or effectively redress , at least in part , the directionality of the helical elements toward alignment with a nominal axis of the array by countering the electromagnetic coupling between antenna elements . therefore , while the support structures described above may independently provide some improvement in array performance , the provision of such laterally displaced conductive loading elements may further , or independently , allow for improvement in operational performance . for example , fig1 depicts the provision of respective substantially annular conductive loading plates 126 disposed ( e . g . printed ) on a non - conductive support plate adjoining adjacent antenna elements , each connected ( e . g . via respective ohmic connections ) to a respective helix winding . in this embodiment , each substantially annular loading plate is displaced laterally relative to its respective winding , and provides an aperture therein , each one of which contributing to the overall performance of the array . alternatively , a conductive loading plate having one or more apertures defined therein may be provided in substantial alignment with respective antenna element axes , wherein the provision of such apertures nonetheless serves to enhance the performance of the array . referring now to fig1 to 4 , the antenna array 100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , further comprises a number of additional features , which , alone or in combination , may allow for an improvement in array performance . for example , the ground plane 102 generally comprises a conductive sheet 130 or the like upon which the antenna elements 104 are mounted . as depicted in fig1 to 3 , the ground sheet 130 extends laterally to define the base of the array , and terminates along its edges in a raised lip 132 . the ground plane 102 may be shaped to define a notch 134 through which a suitable dielectric spar 136 may be introduced for cooperative coupling to an array mounting structure 138 provided on the ground plane 102 . the spar may allow for operative coupling of the array to a drive mechanism configured for rotating the array about an axis thereof . for example , the present embodiment allows for the array to rotate about a lateral axis located through a geometrical centerline of the array such that the rotation thereabout does not outwardly extend the sweeping envelope of the array . the present embodiment also allows for the array to longitudinally rotate about a perpendicular axis defined by a corresponding geometrical centerline of the array . the longitudinal rotation may be implemented through a rotation platform 140 upon which the spar 136 is mounted . accordingly , the combined mechanism allows for a reorientation of the antenna array 100 about orthogonal axes within a prescribed sweeping envelope substantially defined by the diameter of the base plane 102 and the diameter of the array at the terminal end of the helical antenna elements 104 . for this purpose , the outer edge of the ground plane may be appropriately shaped to allow for the rotation of the four - helix array without mechanical interference with the scanning mechanism . in another embodiment , one or more ground cups , rather than a single ground plane , may be used to provide , in some implementations , for greater efficiency and gain . in another embodiment , the spar 136 is manufactured of a dielectric material incorporating one or more air pockets as a means for reducing the amount of dielectric material within the array volume and thus reducing the potential impact that the spar may have on array performance . in another embodiment , the base plane 102 may further comprise a series of apertures defined therein , such as apertures 142 , wherein the dimension of these apertures allows one or more bands of electromagnetic field frequency to pass through the plane 102 with reduced attenuation comparing with a similar plane devoid of such apertures . with particular reference to fig3 , the antenna array 100 , and particularly the antenna elements 104 thereof , are generally energised by a micro strip power divider 143 , depicted herein as disposed on a printed circuit board 144 mounted to the underside of the base plane 102 , wherein the power divider 143 is itself energized by a coaxial feed 146 operatively coupled to drive circuitry provided within or via a mounting base of the array ( e . g . base 148 of fig1 ) and further incorporates a short circuited or open - circuited loading stub 150 for dispersion compensation . with reference to fig1 to 4 , the helix windings , depicted herein as helically wound conductive wires 108 , may further have electrically coupled thereto , respective conductive members attached along a section of these wires as a means of increasing capacitive loading , thereby facilitating impedance matching . for example , in this embodiment , one or more conductive plates 152 are provided toward the feeding ends of the helical windings . a person of ordinary skill in the art will nonetheless appreciate that further or alternative conductive members may be disposed about the helical windings to provide similar effects . still referring to fig1 to 4 , the nominal helix axes may further be rotated relative to each other such that the space between their respective feed points is increased for reduced coupling and increased array gain . it is apparent that the foregoing embodiments of the invention are exemplary and can be varied in many ways . such present or future variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	7
the invention discloses a test system and method with flexible extension and maintenance functions . through the disclosed test system 200 , different users ( such as programmers , test personnel , etc ) are allowed to perform operations of different functions through operating interfaces ( e . g . operating interface a 40 , operating interface b 50 , operating interface c 60 , etc ). such operations include the extension and maintenance of test programs through a development interface , the organization and design of the test procedure through an editing interface , and the test operation of different apparatuses ( e . g . apparatus a 10 , apparatus b 20 , apparatus c 30 , etc ) through an operating interface . in the following paragraphs , we use fig1 to explain the main structure and functional modules of the disclosed test system 200 . the test system 200 includes a test program database 210 , an extension and maintenance module 220 , an organizing and designing module 230 , a procedure execution module 240 , and a result display module 250 . ( 1 ) the test program database 210 stores test programs necessary for all kinds of apparatuses . all the test programs are filed according to the apparatuses they are testing and the testing contents . the storage locations and the association relations are stored in a procedure - program correspondence table in the procedure execution module 240 . ( 2 ) the extension and maintenance module 220 provide a development interface for the user to perform and / or operate new function development ( including creation , modification , and deletion ). the development interface provides a standard application program interface ( api ) and functions for the user to develop a desired test program satisfying all test operation standards . ( 3 ) the organizing and designing module 230 provides an editing interface for the user to perform editing on the test procedure ( similarly including creation , modification , and deletion ). the editing interface provides all executable test contents for the user to define different test contents and test procedures for different apparatuses through the drag - n - drop function . ( 4 ) the procedure execution module 240 is mainly used to store test procedures for all apparatuses . it also provides an operating interface for the user to selected a desired test procedure . in addition , the procedure execution module 240 also has a procedure - program correspondence table , which stores fields of procedure names , procedure function explanations , associated program names , and associated program locations . when a test procedure is running , the correspondence table is used to obtain the appropriate test program from the test program database 210 . in fact , the above - mentioned procedure execution module 240 allows the user to simultaneously perform many different test procedures on one apparatus . the implementation is performed through batch processing . therefore , the user can flexibly make adjustment on the test procedure . ( 5 ) the result display module 250 shows the test results for each apparatus for the user to clearly understand the status of each apparatus . the procedure of developing a test program is explained using fig2 . first , the user chooses the extension and maintenance function on the disclosed test system 200 through an operating interface ( e . g . operating interface a 40 , operating interface b 50 , and operating interface c 60 ) and the system generates and displays a development interface ( step 310 ). the user can then select whatever functions to be developed ( step 320 ). the selection menu includes : creating a program ( step 330 ), modifying a program ( step 340 ), and deleting a program ( step 350 ). if the user selects to create a program ( step 330 ), then the system generates a standard api and standard development items for the user to edit ( step 331 ). afterwards , the user can start to write the program ( step 332 ). if the user chooses to modify a program ( step 340 ), the system displays all test programs for the user to select and modify ( step 341 ). the user then selects a desired program to modify ( step 342 ). if the user selects to delete a program ( step 350 ), the system displays all test programs for the user to select delete ( step 351 ). the user then perform program deletion ( step 352 ). after the user completes any of the development items , the system performs the test program storage and update operation ( step 360 ). the system further prompts to ask the user whether he / she wants to continue with other development items ( step 370 ). if the user wants to continue , the system returns to step 320 ; otherwise , the extension and maintenance task is over and the procedure ends ( step 380 ). the procedure of editing a test program is explained using fig3 . first , the user chooses the organizing and designing function on the disclosed test system 200 through an operating interface ( e . g . operating interface a 40 , operating interface b 50 , and operating interface c 60 ) and the system generates and displays an editing interface ( step 410 ). the selection menu includes : creating a procedure ( step 430 ), modifying a procedure ( step 440 ), and deleting a procedure ( step 450 ). if the user selects to create a procedure ( step 430 ), then the system generates an editing interface and displays the contents of the procedure - program correspondence table ( step 431 ). afterwards , the user can start to edit the procedure ( step 432 ). if the user selects to modify a procedure ( step 440 ), the system displays all test procedures for the user to select and modify ( step 441 ). the user then modifies the contents in the procedure ( step 442 ). if the user selects to delete a procedure ( step 450 ), the system displays all test procedures for the user to select and delete ( step 451 ). the user then starts to delete the selected procedure ( step 452 ). after the user completes any of the editing items , the system performs the test program storage and update operation ( step 460 ). the system further prompts to ask the user whether he / she wants to continue with other editing items ( step 470 ). if the user wants to continue , the system returns to step 420 ; otherwise , the organizing and designing task is over and the procedure ends ( step 480 ). in addition to the flexible test program extension and maintenance and test procedure organization and design , the disclosed test system 200 further provides a method for performing test operations on apparatuses . with reference to fig4 the method is described as follows : first , the apparatuses to be tested ( e . g . apparatus a 10 , apparatus b 20 , apparatus c 30 , etc ) are connected to the test system 200 ( step 510 ). the user then uses the operating interface ( e . g . operating interface a 40 , operating interface b 50 , operating interface c 60 , etc ) generated by the system to select a test procedure to be performed ( step 520 ). accordingly , the procedure execution module 240 extracts the desired test program from the test program database 210 ( step 530 ). afterwards , the system runs in order according to the test procedure for each of the apparatuses ( step 540 ). once a test procedure is completed , the system , determines whether any unfinished test procedure exists to be performed ( step 550 ). if there are unfinished jobs , the system returns to step 530 to carry subsequent test procedures . after all test procedures are done , all test results are displayed for the user &# 39 ; s reference ( step 560 ). the apparatus test operation thus finishes ( step 570 ). [ 0026 ] fig5 is a schematic view of various operating interfaces generated when different functions are selected . we take the operating interface n 60 as an example . when the user selects to perform the apparatus test operation , the invention generates a use interface n 61 in the user operating interface n 60 . when the user selects to perform the test program extension and maintenance , the invention produces a development interface n 62 in the user operating interface n 60 . if the user selects to organize and design a test procedure , the system generates an editing interface n 63 in the user &# 39 ; s operating interface n 60 . through dedicated interfaces of different functions , the user can quickly accomplish a desired task without difficulty . the disclosed test system with flexible extension and maintenance and the method thereof utilize the design of independent structures . it does not only make the test operation more efficient , but also allows the user to easily accomplish a desired job through the associated specific interface . moreover , new test operations can be easily created using the invention to satisfy the needs of the enterprise .	6
as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale ; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . in general , a method and system constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention provides the ability to track staff , patients , or assets within a facility or tracking environment . this is accomplished through the use of badges or tags ( used interchangeably herein ) on the persons or objects needing to be tracked . to facilitate this , sensors ( usually one per room and spaced out in hallways ) and other communication links or repeaters are strategically located to provide communications to a gateway port ( usually ethernet ) into a house it system ( i . e . house data system ). infrared and rf are used between the badges and sensors for acquiring location information and rf is used exclusively by the badges back to the house it system . communication means other than ir and rf could also be used . referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 a illustrates a sample facility installation where the gateway can be located such that the tags and diagnostic communications of the sensors can be received directly by the gateway . sensors ( the ir receivers and rf transceivers ) are located in areas where location information is desired . link modules are not needed . fig1 b illustrates a sample larger facility installation where link modules are used to extend the rf coverage . the gateway to the house data system is located so that the distances to the furthest devices are minimized . sensors ( the ir receivers and rf transceivers ) are usually located one in each area to be identified . the link modules are placed in locations where they provide the necessary coverage to pick up tags and the relay the diagnostic signals of the sensors . fig2 a illustrates the rf and ir components of the rtls system for a smaller facility . they are shown identifying their ir and rf communications capabilities . tags have ir transmit and bidirectional rf capability and can communicate with sensors and a gateway . sensors have ir receive and bidirectional rf capability and can communicate with tags and a gateway . the gateway has bidirectional rf capability for communicating with tags and sensors along with a network interface which is typically ethernet to communicate with the house data system . fig2 b illustrates the rf and ir components of the rtls system for a larger facility and are shown identifying their ir and rf communications capabilities . tags have ir transmit and bidirectional rf capability and can communicate with sensors and links . link modules have bidirectional rf capability only and are capable of communicating with tags , sensors , and a gateway . sensors typically have ir receive and bidirectional rf capability . the gateway has bidirectional rf capability for communicating with links along with a network interface which is typically ethernet to communicate with the house data system . fig3 a illustrates , based on an event such as from a timer or switch closure , a tag which transmits a short ir packet consisting of a start bit and a few other bits to convey data such as mode and / or error checking compared to previous architectures where the serial number of the tag was embedded this packet length results in a length reduction typically greater than 10 to 1 . with current ir devices , the ir transmission length can be on the order of 4 - 8 milliseconds or less compared to systems where the data bits required to convey the serial number require a transmission length more on the order of 70 - 80 milliseconds or 10 % or less of what was required with the serial number embedded . this has a number of important benefits : 1 . significant reduction in battery drain since the power needed for the ir transmission consumption is a major determiner of battery life ; 2 . reduces the probability of collisions and retries to as little as one - tenth or less since shorter packets are less likely to collide ; 3 . makes possible support for longer serial numbers with lengths supported to 32 bits or more since the serial number is handled in the rf communication ( much higher rf data rate of 250 kbps ) and not in the ir ( 2 kbps data rate for ir ). while higher ir data rates are possible , this takes a toll on range and renders the location determination compromised . previous systems with embedded ir serial numbers had limitations typically set to 16 bits in the serial number to minimize the ir length but this shorter length results in only 65 , 536 unique serial numbers . consequently , rollovers ( duplication ) of serial numbers at a customer site compromises system integrity and makes for problems in the marketplace . in the small facility configuration , the tag acquires its location by sending a short ir message and receiving an rf transmission from a nearby sensor . if no response is received after a predetermined delay , the tag will retry . this process is continued on a predetermined schedule by a tag so that it is always up to date with the location id ( sensor serial number ) that it is nearest . on an independent schedule , the tag can pass on its location id to a gateway to communicate to the house data system its current location . previous designs required this to occur as part of the communication with the sensor . this architecture permits it to occur only as needed such as on location change which results in fewer rf transmissions reducing the likelihood of collisions and increasing battery life . fig3 b illustrates in a larger facility where rf range may be a problem . link modules may be employed to enable tags and sensors to communicate with the gateway at a much greater distance . the process of the tag in acquiring location information ( nearest sensor &# 39 ; s serial number ) is the same as with a smaller system but the link modules enable communication at a greater distance by repeating the tag communications to and from the gateway . the flow chart of fig4 demonstrates the process by which the tag acquires and validates its location id . the tag sends a short ir packet to the sensor ( s ). it expects an rf message back from the nearest sensor . a timeout is employed to prevent the tag from waiting an unreasonable amount of time and if no message is received the tag will , after a predetermined time delay , try again with another ir packet . when an rf packet from a sensor is received , the tag conditions its acceptance as a location by comparing with previous location ids . if the same location id is not received n times in a row , it will not accept the new location id . this validation process is desirable because the possibility exists that two tags in adjacent areas might coincide time - wise in communicating with different sensors and the sensor rf message that a tag receives could be from a sensor in a nearby area and not the one it sent its ir packet to . the validation process consists of receiving a location id from a sensor and doing this several times with varied programmable delays so that no two tags would be communicating successively with the same sensor to make it through the validation process . if a tag fails to communicate or validate with any sensor within a predetermined number of attempts , the location id will be set to a value such as zero to designate that no validated location information has been received by the tag . the validation process is the same whether or not link modules are used to extend communication with the gateway . fig5 a illustrates that in a smaller facility at predetermined time intervals the tag transmits an rf packet to the gateway . it looks for a return gateway rf packet and if not received within a predetermined amount of time it delays and retries the process . when it receives a gateway packet , it extracts its message or acknowledgment and acts on the message or goes to sleep if acknowledged . fig5 b illustrates that , similar to the smaller facility in a larger system , link modules are used to extend the range . in this case , the tag transmits an rf packet to a link module . the link module passes this on to the gateway and receives a return message . the tag waits for an acknowledgment or message and retries with the link module if it does not receive one . it acts on the message or goes to sleep if acknowledged . fig6 illustrates that , for extended range systems , the gateways and tags communicate by going through link modules which receive the tag messages and pass them on to the gateway and receive the gateway messages and pass them on to the tags . fig7 illustrates that if a switch on the tag is closed or certain other events happen on the tag , the tag will , after a predetermined delay , send a message to a link ( s ) or in the case of a smaller facility ( no links ) directly to a gateway . it will then wait for a return message or acknowledgment . if the exchange is not successful , it will retry after a predetermined delay until successful . fig8 illustrates a block diagram showing the major elements of a tag . the “ brains ” of the tag is a microprocessor which composes and sends the ir transmit packets and composes , sends and receives the rf packets . it also interacts with a motion detector ( to reduce tag functionality during inactivity for battery conservation and reduced ir / rf traffic ), switch ( es ), an rf transceiver , an ir transmitter , displays messages on an led or lcd , and provides power management . the following is a description of the approach that allows for minimizing the badge ir packet length while supporting long serial numbers . a badge containing an ir transmitter and an rf transceiver at programmable intervals sends a short infrared packet which is picked up by a nearby sensor which includes an ir receiver and an rf transceiver , among other things . this infrared packet consists of a unique bit pattern , some of which may be an error detection bit ( s ) such as parity , checksum or crc for the packet . one or more of the bits of the badge serial number may also be included in the packet to help reduce the chance of a misidentification and subsequent need for retry . an additional bit or more may be also employed to convey to the sensor a particular rf channel ( s ) to be used in responding or other mode controlling functionality . in its simplest form the ir packet is non - unique for all badges and in its more advanced form is unique to each badge . the sensor , upon receiving a badge ir transmission , responds by transmitting an rf packet in part consisting of the sensor serial number ( its id ). the exact time occurrence of this transmission from the sensor to the badge is not critical other than that it should occur within a reasonable period of time to preserve badge battery life since the receiver in the badge needs to be active until the rf transmission from the sensor has been received . if the rf transmission is not received within a reasonable interval , the badge will reinitiate the process . upon successful return of an rf transmission from the sensor , the badge extracts the sensor serial number and compares it with the last received sensor serial number . if it is the same , the badge accepts this sensor id as its current location . the badge is responsible to keep track of the sensor id as its location . any time a sensor id is received that is different from the previous , an additional exchange is desired for validation and it may be advantageous for the validation exchange to happen quicker than the normal period so as not to introduce any significant delay in the adoption of a new sensor location id . the maintenance of location information in the badge allows it to pass this information on through a link to the gateway and house system on its own schedule and with a process independent of the sensors . in the event of sensor rf transmissions being received by a badge from different locations simultaneously , there are several possibilities : the collision of the transmissions can cause neither to be received , in which case after a delay the badge retries . different badges would have different retry delays to avoid subsequent sensor rf collisions . the wrong transmission wins out . if a new location is indicated , a validation process would be performed before being accepted by the badge as a new location . different badges would have different validation retry delays to avoid subsequent sensor rf collisions . the right transmission wins out , in which case the process was successful and if its sensor id matches the previous one and the location is adopted . if it is different , it is recorded but not adopted until validated by a subsequent sequence . 1 . badge ir transmissions can be very short and only single sensor rf transmissions are needed for the badge to learn its location . 2 . the identification process is robust in that any badge change in location should go through a validation process . 3 . the badge communication only needs to be a single one - way ir transmission to the sensor . 4 . sensor communication only needs to be a one - way rf transmission to the badge . 5 . communication timing between the badge and sensor is not critical other than that it should occur within a reasonable time to not affect battery life . 6 . latency between the badge and house system is optimal since the sensor is not a part of that process . 7 . call functions from the badge and messaging to the badge , as well as prioritization of communications to and from the badge , do not involve the sensor and can be optimized independently . 8 . the amount of activity on the part of the sensor is minimal resulting in less sensor current drain making its operation on battery power practical . 9 . the fact that the sensor may have bidirectional rf capability allows diagnostic and supervisory functions between the system and sensors independent of the badges . there are a number of events that can be used to cause a badge to perform an infrared transmission to provide an update of a badge or tag location , some of which are : a specific ( and programmable ) timer function with the badge ; a user event such as a button press ; at least one embodiment of the present invention provides one or more of the following features : the short ir packet , besides helping with battery life on the packet itself , also helps with minimizing collisions in two additional ways : one , because of the reduced packet length ; and second , the frequency of occurrence of the ir packets can be reduced since the badges are aware of when they have successfully communicated with a sensor . in a one - way system where a badge never knows if it has been heard by a sensor , it therefore has to transmit on a more frequent basis . being able to optimize the fire rate based on success helps both on collisions and also on battery life independent of the packet length factor . this is provided to prevent misinterpretation of a location because of rf transmissions crisscrossing in a common area shared by two sensors when two badges in nearby areas happen to run in sync . in the architecture one may choose to validate two or more times ( up to some limit such as five ) before one accepts a new location . one can also accelerate the rate of retries during a validation sequence to reduce the impact of the retries on latency so the validation of location does not have to exact a toll on latency . the badges are aware when they fail to communicate with a sensor for some period of time and can convey that information ( the fact that they have not communicated with a sensor ) to a link and gateway to the house data system . because of the two - way rf communication capabilities that the sensors may possess , they can communicate with links on a periodic basis for diagnostic purposes to identify system problems at an early stage and improve system reliability . while exemplary embodiments are described above , it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention . rather , the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation , and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention .	6
in fig1 , an aircraft skin 10 supports a flow housing 12 that as shown , has a hollow strut 14 and a fore and aft facing flow tube 16 mounted onto the strut 14 . the flow tube 16 can have any desired cross - sectional shape , and is generally rectilinear or shaped like a flattened circle , and has an inlet end flow channel 18 through which freestream air low indicated by the arrow 20 is introduced . the flow through the flow tube 16 is controlled by having an outlet orifice 22 at the aft end of the flow tube . there is an opening 24 between the flow channel 18 and an aft branch flow channel 27 which opens to the hollow strut , which forms a branch flow channel 26 . liquid water is represented by the dashed lines 28 , and the flow housing 12 provides inertial separation of the liquid moisture so that little of the liquid water passes into the branch flow channel 26 . the branch flow channel 26 has an exhaust opening 30 at its rear or downstream side . this type of a flow housing is used in various temperature sensors , and for example is of the type shown in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 970 , 475 for a gas temperature probe . in the present invention , the flow housing 12 mounts temperature sensing probes for determining presence of icing conditions , and in this form of the invention , a probe indicated at 34 is mounted in the branch flow channel 27 of flow tube 16 , so that the freestream liquid moisture laden air impinges on the probe 34 . any liquid moisture impinging on the probe 34 will affect the power needed for heating or self - heating the probe , assuming it is desired to maintain the probe at constant temperature . a second temperature sensing probe 38 is mounted in the branch flow channel 26 , the flow in which branch channel is essentially free of liquid water , so the airflow across probe 38 is and remains substantially the same as dry , non - liquid water carrying air . since the detector must operate in icing environments the detector housing is provided with heaters 35 , preferably electrical , to prevent ice build - up . heaters 35 , for example , may be routed internally within the walls of the housing 12 or applied as a mat in a fashion similar to that currently done with many devices that must be ice protected such as temperature probes , pressure probes and antennae . to prevent deicing heat from significantly influencing the probes within the housing 12 , the flow tube , 16 , is provided with a number of small holes or perforations 36 , to bleed off the heated boundary layer that forms at the inside walls . this technique is currently used in some aircraft total temperature sensors for the same purpose . a baffle or heat shield 37 , is positioned in flow channel 26 , to further minimize the influence of deicing heaters located in the forward walls of strut 14 , or probe ( s ) located within flow channel 26 . an orifice , 39 , provides venting between the baffle 37 and the inner surface of the forward wall of the strut to prevent excessive temperature rise of the baffle wall . as shown in fig2 , where in the schematic diagram the resistances of probe 34 indicated as p 1 , and probe 38 , indicated as p 2 , are coupled into legs of a bridge circuit 40 . resistors r 1 , also indicated at 42 , and r 2 , also indicated at 43 , are coupled into the bridge and when the air in both of the branch flow channels 26 and 27 is essentially dry , and balanced to be substantially equal flow rates , the resistances of probes p 1 and p 2 ( 34 and 38 ) will react substantially the same and the bridge will remain balanced . this is indicated by the ratio p 1 / p 2 = r 1 / r 2 . the voltage source 46 , designated v supply , excites the bridge . the output of the bridge is across the opposite terminals from the input , and is designated v b in fig2 . this output signal is provided to an air data computer 50 . it should also be noted that bridge resistors r 1 and r 2 are selected to be substantially greater than the resistances of p 1 and p 2 to minimize heating of r 1 and r 2 . the computer 50 is provided with an air temperature signal from a temperature sensor or source indicated at 54 and this air temperature signal source can be a separate sensor mounted on the aircraft , or as will be explained in connection with fig3 and 4 , can be an additional probe mounted in the flow housing 12 . the sensor or source 54 provides freestream of ambient temperature . when moisture is such as that indicated by the lines 28 in flow channels 18 and 27 in fig1 , is present in the freestream air flow , the probe 34 ( p 1 ) will experience liquid moisture impingement , whereas little or no liquid moisture will impinge on probe 38 ( p 2 ). probes 34 and 38 are electrically self - heated to a temperature in the range of 50 degrees to 100 degrees c . above ambient . as an alternative to self - heating , separate heater elements integral with , or in close proximity to , the temperature sensing elements in the probes 34 and 38 can be used . the mass flow rate of flow stream in the branch channels 26 and 27 is controlled by regulating the size of outlets 22 and 30 , as well as the size of opening 24 so that the mass flow is substantially the same over each of the probes 34 and 38 . in a non - moisture situation , there will be more heat removed from each probe as the flow rate increases , but the amount of heat removed from each will be substantially the same . the bridge 40 will remain substantially balanced . thus , the output voltage designated v b is independent of the flow rate or air speed . if , however , there is liquid moisture present in the freestream airflow in branch channel 27 , the heat removed from the probe 34 ( p 1 ) is enhanced by evaporation and / or blow - off of warmed water since the probes are maintained at a temperature significantly above ambient . this results in a probe temperature change at probe 34 and a resistance change in the probe , and consequently an offset or change in output signal voltage v b . the offset in v b increases with increasing liquid water content at the same mass flow of air . there is sensitivity to frozen precipitation such as snow and ice crystals but this sensitivity will be relatively low , and will appear in the form of output voltage spikes that can be filtered by signal conditioning prior to providing the output signal to computer 50 , or filtering can be done in the computer 50 . the temperature measurement from the temperature sensor or signal source 54 is combined with the output of the bridge 40 , so that the computer provides an output that indicates icing conditions . icing conditions are indicated when the temperature t is slightly above freezing or less , and when a voltage output from the bridge circuit 40 , is caused by liquid moisture being present in branch channel 27 and impinging on probe 34 . in fig3 and 4 , an alternative form of the invention is shown . probes 34 ( p 1 ) and 38 ( p 2 ), are positioned the same as in fig1 , but an optional temperature sensing probe 60 is provided in the branch flow channel 26 . probe 60 preferably is positioned upstream of the probe 38 ( p 2 ) to avoid heating influences from the probe 38 , which as stated is held above ambient temperature . the resistance of probe 60 ( p 3 ) and a resistor 62 that is shown connected into an alternative bridge circuit 64 are chosen to be at least an order of magnitude greater than the resistances of probes 34 and 38 ( p 1 and p 2 ). this selection or resistances will significantly limit self - heating effects . the resistance element in probe p 3 is in the leg of a bridge circuit 64 that is shared by heated probes p 1 and p 2 , as shown in fig4 . this bridge arrangement affords two bridge voltage outputs , designated v 1 and v 2 in fig4 . the output v 1 indicates the change in resistance that occurs in moisture laden or water laden air in branch flow channel 27 , and v 2 is an output that is indicative of the resistance of the probe in the branch flow channel 26 , where moisture has been separated . the arrangement of fig3 and 4 reduces the dependency of determining mass flow rate , or making the mass flow rates equal over the probes 34 and 38 as shown in fig1 , because there is an independent measurement of heat loss from probes located in flow branch channels 27 and 26 . there is a known relationship between v 1 and v 2 as a function of dry airflow rate . furthermore , dry air mass flow rate can be discerned from voltage v 4 across the heated probe 38 in the dry air channel , 26 , and v 3 , the voltage drop across the temperature sensing probe 60 , also in dry air channel 26 . with moisture laden air in the channel 18 , the relationship between v 1 and v 2 will be different because of additional heat losses at probe 34 ( p 1 ) from evaporation and / or blow - off since the branch channel 27 carries the liquid moisture , while branch channel 26 carries air with little or no liquid moisture . therefore , if the voltage relationship between v 1 and v 2 changes , from the expected relationship with dry air in both branch flow channels , the presence of liquid moisture in branch flow channel 27 is indicated . voltage source v supply and voltage v 3 shown in fig4 , can be measured and provided to a computer 70 , to determine the ambient air temperature . temperature and moisture information is thus available to determine the presence of icing conditions as an output 72 from the computer 70 . the computer is provided with a set point signal so that when liquid moisture is sensed to be present and the measured air temperature is below the set point , icing conditions are indicated . it is to be noted that any type of inertial separation flow path can be utilized , and the structure shown herein is merely an example of the type that could be used . the change in direction of a flow can be caused by baffles , obstructions such as posts that cause diversion of particles , and various other shapes and forms of channels that have flow paths branching at a sufficient angle such that the heavier particles will continue in their flow direction under inertial forces and the branch path or bleed path will carry airflow that is substantially free of any liquid moisture particles . the ability to provide orifices or other flow controls such as the outlets 22 and 30 in fig1 for exhaust of fluids , is a way of ensuring that the mass flow rates in the separated channels are substantially the same , and yet inertial separation will keep the liquid particles moving in the same direction along in the straight flow path through branch channel 27 . in fig4 , the quantity r 1 / p 1 approximately equal to r 3 / p 3 and is approximately equal to r 2 / p 2 . also r 3 is substantially greater than r 1 , and r 1 is substantially equal to r 2 in order to have the bridge perform satisfactorily . in fig5 , a flow housing 80 is illustrated , and is of substantially the same form as the flow housing 12 and strut 14 , but in this instance , the flow tube 81 forms a flow channel directly from a flow inlet 84 and through a control orifice 86 at the outlet . a strut 88 is used for supporting the flow housing 80 relative to an aircraft skin 90 , and in this instance , the strut opening does not carry flow and is a hollow pipe that has no flow outlet for exiting air . the strut could be solid , in other words , in this form of the invention . a probe indicated at 92 and which can be represented as p 4 is a heated , or self - heated temperature sensitive probe that is deployed in the airstream , and there is no special ducting required . a flow housing for providing ducting is preferred particularly to control airflow over the probe , to minimize probe operating power and to protect the probe , although the probe can protrude directly into an airstream so long as the liquid water is not separated from the airstream in which the probe is mounted . in this form of icing conditions detector , the operation of the probe 92 is based upon the well known fact that power consumed by a heated body maintained at a constant temperature above ambient of the airstream is a function of the mass flow rate . it is desired to maintain the body , in this case the probe 92 , at a fixed temperature above ambient . power consumed in a dry environment will have a fixed relationship to the mass flow rate calculated from the air data information available from another source . probe 92 , which again is self - heated or with a separate heater that is shown schematically at 92 h in fig5 , is connected to a computer 96 with a controlled power source , and the computer provides power to the heater or the self heating resistor along a line 98 , and through a “ power consumed ” indicator 100 , which essentially is the power input to the probe 92 . the computer will measure the power that is drawn to maintain the temperature of the probe 92 . this power consumed signal provided along a line 102 back to the computer 96 and is maintained at a desired level . in order to provide the data or information necessary to determine the mass flow rate , a pitot ( total ) pressure input 104 , a total air temperature input 106 , and a static pressure input 108 can be used to calculate the mass flow rate , and provide the known parameters to the computer 96 for determining the power that would be consumed at the existing mass flow rate if the probe 92 is in dry air . then , using the actual power consumed from the indicator 100 , the computer provides an indication when moisture is present in the airflow . the amount of moisture can also be determined by empirical tests , or calculations that are related to the particular probe 92 , and what power this probe consumes or requires to maintain a selected temperature in airflow having liquid moisture conditions at different mass flow measurement rates . again , to assess icing conditions , a measurement of temperature from a temperature sensor 106 , providing a temperature parameter to a computer system is necessary . temperature sensing is well known in aircraft , and air data sensors . the effect of water vapor , that is , humidity , in the airflow will have little influence on performance of the detector of the present invention . the detectors are very sensitive , however , to the presence of water droplets , that is liquid water in the air . it is also recognized that the heat transfer capability of air is not only a function of mass flow rate , but also temperature . compensating for temperature , if necessary , can be done by suitable analytical techniques that would provide information to a control computer , or direct compensation in the circuitry by having temperature dependent circuit elements . the ability to provide these compensation techniques are presently done in existing mass flow measurement products . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the explanation about the humidifying module according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be carried out referring to the attached drawings . fig1 a is a perspective view of the humidifying module according to the first preferred embodiment of present invention . fig1 b is a partially enlarged view of part i of fig1 . fig1 c is a sectional view along the line a - a ′ in fig1 b . as shown in fig1 a through fig1 c , a humidifying module according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a housing la and a plumbing 2 . a hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b , which can achieve the moisture exchanging between the fluid passing inside and outside of the hollow fiber membrane , is installed within the housing 1 a in the condition that both end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 b are fixed . the plumbing 2 has an inlet 2 a for loading the fluid therein , and outlets 2 b for leading the fluid , which is led through the inlet 2 s , into the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b , in other words , outside of the hollow fiber membranes . the plumbing 2 is inserted into the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b , so that the total inserted length of the plumbing 2 may be shorter than the length in the longitudinal directions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b . the location where the plumbing 2 is inserted is about central portion with respect to the thickness direction of the plumbing 2 . the shape of the housing la is a circular cylinder hollow , both sides of which are opened , and a plurality of circular through holes sout are bored along the circumference thereof . the position , a plurality of circular through holes sout are bored , is the upstream side than the fixing part 1 c ′ wherein end part of the hollow fiber membranes are fixed by adhesion using the resins , and is the opposite side with respect to the inlet 2 a of the plumbing 2 . the plumbing 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape , and acts an inner flow passage . in other words , the plumbing 2 is a circular hollow pipe , into which a bottom bs is formed , and at the one end part of which an inlet 2 a for loading the fluid is formed . a plurality of circular through holes hout are bored at vicinity of the bottom bs along the circumference of the plumbing 2 . the plumbing 2 is arranged so that the total inserted length of the inlet 2 a , for example , the length from the fixing part 1 c to the outlet 2 b of plumbing 2 , may be shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b . by arranging the plumbing 2 with above described manner , the fluid loaded through the inlet 2 a comes to be supplied over the whole longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b as much as possible . a protrusion part 2 c having a circular cone shape is provided at the bottom bs of the plumbing 2 so that the tip part of the protrusion part 2 c may be opposite to the flow direction of the fluid loaded through the inlet 2 a . the position where a plurality of through holes hout are bored is established so that at least one through hole is provided at the downstream side with respect to the tip part of the protrusion part 2 c . to be more precise , the position x of the through hole , which is located at the most downstream side among a plurality of through holes hout , must be in the position between the tip part of the protrusion part 2 c and the bottom bs . these through holes hout are provided at vicinity of the bottom bs of the plumbing 2 along the circumference of the plumbing 2 . the shape of the through hole is not restricted to the above - described case as long as it can pass through the fluid . for example , a polygonal shape and an oval shape may be acceptable . a long hole prolonging along the circumferential direction may also be acceptable as a shape of the through hole . when the high humid gas , which is the fluid containing steam and condensed water therein , is loaded to the humidifying module 1 through the inlet 2 a of the plumbing 2 , the functions and the advantages as below can be brought out . ( 1 ) in the plumbing 2 , the route section of the high humid gas becomes small as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs side ) from the tip part of the protrusion part 2 c having a circular cone shape . thus , the flow rate of the high humid gas becomes high as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs side ). ( 2 ) in the present invention , since the protrusion part 2 c having a circular cone shape is provided , the collision area with humid gas becomes gradually wide as approaches to the downstream side . therefore , high humid gas passing through the plumbing 2 receives a shear force along the surface of the circular cone as approaches to the down stream side , and thus pushed toward the outer side ( toward the radius direction of the hollow fiber membrane ). that is , high humid gas is pushed toward the outer side more certainly than the conventional construction of the plumbing where the bottom of the plumbing is a plane shape and the fluid was received by the whole bottom part ( plane surface ). ( 3 ) as a result of the multiplier effect of these factors , high humid gas loaded through the inlet 2 a moves along the surface of the circular corn , and then smoothly passed through a plurality of through holes hout located at the outlet 2 b . therefore , the occurrence of the remained fluid at the outlet 2 b can be prevented even if the fluid containing steam and condensed water in the mixed condition is lead to the humidifying module 1 . the occurrence of the remained fluid can be prevented as this , the problems , such as the fracture of the plumbing caused by the freeze of remained fluid and the aggravation of the starting response of a fuel cell caused by the temperature dropping and freezing of the remained fluid can thus be prevented . the delay of the transient response can also be prevented . in the present invention , furthermore , since the same circular members are adopted , that is , the shape of the inner flow passage is a circular cylinder hollow shape and the shape of the protrusion part is a circular cone , a humidifying module with superior assembling efficiency can be obtained . since the fluid comes to be supplied over the whole hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b with sufficient fluid distribution toward the radius direction , furthermore , the usability of the hollow fiber membrane can be improved . ( 4 ) in the present invention , high humid gas , supplied to the hollow fiber membranes bundle 1 b through a plurality of through holes hout of outlet 2 b , streams the outside of the hollow fiber membranes installed in the housing 1 a . at this time , the low humid gas passing through the inside of each hollow fiber membrane of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 1 b is thus humidified , and then high humid gas after giving the moisture to the low humid gas is discharged through the through holes sout provided along the circumference of the housing 1 a . ( 5 ) on the other hand , low humid gas is loaded through the opening 1 din of the housing la so that it must be a countercurrent flow with respect to the flow direction of high humid gas passing through the outside of the hollow fiber membrane . low humid gas is humidified during passing through the inside of each hollow fiber membranes of the hollow fiber membranes bundle 1 b installed in the housing 1 a , and then exhausted through the opening 1 dout of housing 1 a . the explanation about another embodiment of the protrusion part disposed at the bottom of the plumbing in the humidifying module will be carried out with referring to fig2 and fig3 . in the following explanation , except for the shape of the protrusion part or the sectional shape of the plumbing , the composition of the humidifier is same as above - described . therefore , only the explanation about the construction and the function according to the principle part will be carried out as below . the explanation about the protrusion part of the present second embodiment provided at the bottom of the plumbing , through which the fluid is supplied to the humidifier , will be carried out . [ 0074 ] fig2 a is a sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the plumbing into which the protrusion part is disposed . fig2 b is a plan view of the protrusion part looked from the inlet direction of the plumbing . to be more precise , the sectional view along the line b - b ′ in fig2 a the protrusion part 3 d of the humidifier according to the second preferred embodiment , as shown in fig2 is disposed at the bottom bs 1 of the plumbing 3 having the rectangular shape in the sectional view . the protrusion part 3 d is formed by stacking the plates of the square pole so that the size of the square pole becomes small gradually as approaches to the upstream side . so called like a pyramid shape is figured . in the present embodiment , the route section may be small as the downstream side ( bottom bs 1 side ) of the plumbing 2 approaches . since this protrusion part 3 d is formed by stacking the plates of the square pole , the protrusion part having the suitable size depending on the sectional figure of the plumbing 3 can be easily manufactured . the formation manner of the protrusion part 3 d is not restricted to this manner , for example , the machined technique may be acceptable for forming the protrusion part 3 d from one square pole . when the high humid gas , which is the fluid containing steam and condensed water therein , is loaded to the humidifying module 1 through the inlet 3 a of the plumbing 3 , the functions and the advantages as bellow can be brought out . ( 1 ) in the plumbing 3 , the route section of the high humid gas becomes small as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs 1 side ) from the tip part of the protrusion part 3 d having a square stairway shape . thus , the flow rate of the high humid gas becomes high as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs 1 side ). ( 2 ) in the present invention , since the protrusion part 3 d having a square stairway shape is provided , the collision area with humid gas becomes gradually wide as approaches to the downstream side . therefore , high humid gas passing through the plumbing 3 receives shear force along the surface of the square stairway as approaches to the down stream side , and thus pushed toward the outer side ( toward the radius direction of the hollow fiber membrane ). that is , high humid gas is pushed toward the outer side more certainly than the conventional construction of the plumbing where the bottom of the plumbing is plane shape and the fluid was received by the whole bottom part ( plan surface ). ( 3 ) as a result of the multiplier effect of these factors , high humid gas loaded through the inlet 3 a moves along the surface of the protrusion part 3 d , and then smoothly passed through a plurality of through holes hout located at the outlet 3 b . therefore , the occurrence of the remained fluid at the outlet 3 b can be prevented even if the fluid , high humid gas , containing steam and condensed water in the mixed condition , is led to the humidifying module of the present second preferred embodiment . as this , since the occurrence of the remained fluid can be prevented , the problems , such as the fracture of the plumbing caused by the freeze of remained fluid and the aggravation of the starting response of a fuel cell by the temperature dropping and freezing of the remained fluid can be prevented . the delay of the transient response can also be prevented . the explanation about the protrusion part of the present third embodiment disposed at the bottom of the plumbing , through which the fluid is supplied to the humidifier , will be carried out . [ 0084 ] fig3 a is a sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the plumbing into which the protrusion part is disposed . fig3 b is a plan view of the protrusion part looked from the inlet direction of the plumbing . to be more precise , the sectional view along the line c - c ′ in fig3 a the protrusion part 4 d according to the third preferred embodiment , as shown in fig3 is disposed at the bottom bs 1 of the plumbing 4 . the protrusion part 4 d is formed by stacking the plates of the circular pole so that the size of the circular pole becomes small gradually as approaches to the upstream side . so called like a pyramid shape is figured . in the present embodiment , the route section becomes small as the downstream side ( bottom bs 1 side ) of the plumbing 4 approaches . since this protrusion part 4 d is formed by stacking the plates of the circular pole , the protrusion part having the suitable size depending on the sectional figure of the plumbing 4 can be easily manufactured . the formation manner of the protrusion part 4 d is not restricted to this manner , for example , the machined technique may be acceptable for forming the protrusion part 4 d from one circular pole . when the high humid gas , which is the fluid containing steam and condensed water therein , is loaded to the humidifying module through the inlet 4 a of the plumbing , the functions and the advantages as bellow can be brought out . ( 1 ) in the plumbing 4 , the route section of the high humid gas becomes small as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs 2 side ) from the tip part of the protrusion part 4 d having a circular stairway shape . thus , the flow rate of the high humid gas becomes high as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom bs 2 side ). ( 2 ) in the present invention , since the protrusion part 4 d having a circular stairway shape is provided , the collision area with humid gas becomes gradually wide as approaches to the downstream side . therefore , high humid gas passing through the plumbing 4 receives the shear force along the surface of the circular stairway as approaches to the down stream side , and thus pushed toward the outer side ( toward the radius direction of the hollow fiber membrane ). that is , high humid gas is pushed toward the outer side more certainly than the conventional construction of the plumbing where the bottom of the plumbing is plane shape and the fluid was received by the whole bottom part ( plan surface ). ( 3 ) as a result of the multiplier effect of these factors , high humid gas loaded through the inlet 4 a moves along the surface of the circular stairway , and then smoothly passed through a plurality of the through holes tout located at the outlet 4 b . therefore , the occurrence of the remained fluid at the outlet 4 b can be prevented even if the fluid containing steam and condensed water in the mixed condition is lead to the humidifying module of the present third preferred embodiment . as this , since the occurrence of the remained fluid can be prevented , the problems , such as the fracture of the plumbing caused by the freeze of remained fluid and the aggravation of the starting response of a fuel cell by the temperature dropping and freezing of the remained fluid can be prevented . the delay of the transient response can also be prevented . the explanation about one preferred embodiment of the humidification system , in which the humidifying module having a above described construction and function of the first preferred embodiment is applied as the humidifier , will be carried out with referring to the attached drawings . the explanation about the construction of the whole humidification system of the fuel cell according to the first preferred embodiment will be carried out with referring to fig4 as below . as show in fig4 a humidification system of the fuel cell according to the first preferred embodiment is consist of a fuel cell 10 , a humidifier 11 ′, 12 ′, and a supercharger ( s / c ) 14 . the fuel cell 10 generates a electric power by the reaction of hydrogen , which is contained in a fuel gas and supplied to the anode , with the oxygen , which is contained in the air and supplied to the cathode . the humidifier 11 ′ and 12 ′ humidifies the gasses before supplied to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell 10 , respectively , by performing the moisture exchange between the gasses before supplied to the fuel cell 10 and the discharged gas discharged from the cathode side of the fuel cell . the supercharger ( s / c ) 14 supplies the air , which is an oxidizing agent gas , to the cathode of the fuel cell 10 . here , the fuel cell 10 plays a role of the humidification system . the fuel cell 10 is the solid macromolecular adopting type fuel cell , and generates the electric power by the reaction of the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas with the oxygen contained in the air . 2 h + +( 1 / 2 ) o 2 + 2 e − → h 2 o ( 2 ) here , formula ( 1 ) shows a reaction in the anode . formula ( 2 ) shows a reaction in the cathode . formula ( 3 ) shows the reaction carried out in a whole fuel cell . as a result of the reaction in the fuel cell , water comes arises at the cathode . the water generated at the cathode is generally evaporated and then discharged from the fuel cell 10 along with the air not used in the reaction . in the fuel cell 10 of the solid macromolecular membrane type , furthermore , the solid macromolecular membrane is adopted as the electrolyte layer . this fuel cell 10 has a structure formed by stacking a plurality of single cells , which is composed of a pair of gas diffusion type electrodes , and a separator for separating the fuel gas and the air . in this single cell , the solid macromolecular membrane is sandwiched by the pair of gas diffusion type electrodes , which is also sandwiched by the separator from its outer side . the humidifier 11 and 12 ′ has the humidifying module 1 to which the bottomed plumbing 2 is provided as the inner passage . a protrusion part 2 c is disposed at the bottom bs of the plumbing 2 as shown in fig1 . the hollow fiber membrane adopted in the humidifier 11 ′ is an ion hydration type non - porosity film ( for example , product name : nafion film ), which penetrates only water . on the other hand , the hollow fiber membrane adopted in the humidifier 12 ′ is a capillary - condensation type of conventional use , and is the porous film , which also penetrates gas molecules other than water . in the humidifier 11 ′, which supplies the humid fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell 10 , since the non - porosity film is adopted , only the moisture is certainly moved to the anode side from the cathode side without passing the gasses while performing the moisture exchanging between the fuel gas ( containing hydrogen ) and the exhaust gas ( containing oxygen ) exhausted from the cathode . thus , the occurrence of the mixing of the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas can be prevented , an ejector 13 is one of the vacuum pump for circulating the fuel gas supplied to the anode , and principal part thereof is composed of the a nozzle , a diffuser , a suction room , etc . this ejector 13 has a simple structure and excels in the operationablity and the maintainability . since there are no movable portions , such as a rotatable or a slidable portion , also excels in the durability . moreover , there is also merit that suitable materials having the corrosion resistance can be chosen depending on the type of the absorbed gas . the supercharger ( s / c ) 14 , which is a mechanical supercharger , absorbs the air of atmospheric pressure and compress it and then supply it to the cathode of the fuel cell 10 . a lysholm type compressor can also be used instead of supercharger ( s / c ) 14 . the function of the humidification system of the fuel cell according to the first preferred embodiment will be explained as follows . the fuel gas , which is a low humid gas , fed to the ejector 13 is supplied to the humidifier 11 ′ after compressed by the ejector 13 . the fuel gas ( low humid gas ) supplied to the humidifier 11 ′ is humidified by the moisture exchanging with the exhaust gas ( high humid gas ) discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell 10 while passing through the inside of the humidifying module equipped in the humidifier 11 ′, and then supplied to the anode . the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas supplied to the anode of the fuel cell 10 reacts with the oxygen contained in the air supplied to the fuel cell 10 from the supercharger ( s / c ) 14 , and thus electric power is obtained . the fuel gas not used in the reaction is supplied to the post process ( for example , a catalytic combustor ) as an exhaust gas . some of the exhaust gas are absorbed by the ejector 13 , and then circulated to the fuel cell 10 for reusing as a fuel gas . in the super charger ( s / c ) 14 , on the other hand , the air in the atmosphere is absorbed and then led to the humidifier 12 ′ as a low humid gas . the air ( low humid gas ) led to the humidifier 12 ′ is humidified by the moisture exchanging with the exhaust gas ( high humid gas ) discharged from the humidifier 11 ′ while passing through the humidifying module , and then supplied to the cathode . the air , which is supplied to the cathode in the fuel cell 10 and not used in the reaction with the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas , is supplied to the humidifier 11 ′ as an exhaust gas . the exhaust gas supplied to the humidifier 11 ′ humidifies the fuel gas supplied from the ejector 13 by achieving the moisture exchanging , and then exhausted from the humidifier 11 ′. the exhaust gas discharged from the humidifier 11 ′ is supplied to the humidifier 12 ′, and humidifies the air supplied from the supercharger ( s / c ) 14 by the moisture exchanging . the exhaust gas after the moisture exchanging , is discharged from the humidifier 12 ′, and supplied to the post process , for example , a catalytic combustor . a second preferred embodiment of the humidification system , in which the humidifying module of the first preferred embodiment is adopted as the humidifier of the fuel cell will be explained as referring to the attached drawings . in the following explanation , the same components and the plumbing as explained in the first preferred embodiment is indicated using the same symbol as in the explanation of the first preferred embodiment . as shown in fig5 the differences in the construction of the humidification system between first and second preferred embodiment is the arrangement of the humidifier 11 and 12 . the humidifier 11 carries out the moisture exchanging between the fuel gas supplied to the anode and the exhaust gas discharged from the anode . the humidifier 12 carries out the moisture exchanging between the air supplied to the cathode and the exhaust gas discharged from the cathode . in the humidification system according to the second preferred embodiment , the porous membrane is used as the hollow fiber membrane adopted in the humidifier 11 and 12 . the construction of another components expect for the above - described is same as in the first preferred embodiment , thus the explanation about them are omitted here . the function of the humidification system of the fuel cell according to the second preferred embodiment will be explained with referring to fig5 . the fuel gas , which is a low humid gas , fed to the ejector 13 is supplied to the humidifier 11 by the ejector 13 . the fuel gas ( low humid gas ) supplied to the humidifier 11 is humidified by the moisture exchanging with the exhaust gas ( high humid gas ) discharged from the anode of the fuel cell 10 while passing through the humidifying module equipped in the humidifier 11 . the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell 10 and reacts with the oxygen contained in the air , which is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell 10 from the super charger ( s / c ) 14 , and thus electric power is obtained . the fuel gas not used in the reaction is again supplied to the humidifier 11 as an exhaust gas ( off gas ). the exhaust gas led to the humidifier 11 humidifies the fuel gas supplied to the humidifier 11 from the ejector 13 by giving the moisture , and then supplied to the post process , for example , a catalytic - combustor . some of the exhaust gas discharged from the humidifier 11 are absorbed by the ejector 13 , and then circulated to the anode of the fuel cell 10 as a fuel gas . in the super charger ( s / c ) 14 , on the other hand , the air in the atmosphere is absorbed and then led to the humidifier 12 as a low humid gas . the air ( low humid gas ) led to the humidifier 12 is humidified by the moisture exchanging with the exhaust gas ( high humid gas ) discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell 10 while passing through the humidifying module , and then supplied to the cathode . the air not used in the reaction with the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas is discharged from the fuel cell 10 and supplied to the humidifier 12 as an exhaust gas . the exhaust gas supplied to the humidifier 12 humidifies the fuel gas supplied from the super charger 14 by giving the moisture , and then supplied to the post process , for example , a catalytic combustor . the operation result of the humidification system of the fuel cell according to the first preferred embodiment will be explained with referring to fig6 through fig8 . fig6 is an explaining view showing the timewise change of the humidification amount from the startup to the stable operative condition . as can be seen from fig6 the total time required for achieving the stable operating condition after obtaining the constant humidification amount is shorter than the humidification system of the conventional fuel cell . [ 0127 ] fig7 is a comparative view of the total time required for achieving the stable operating condition after startup of the humidifying module between the present invention and the conventional manner . fig7 a is an explaining view showing the timewise change of the total time required for achieving the stable operating condition after the startup of the humidifying module of the conventional technique . fig7 b is an explanation view showing the timewise change of the total time required for achieving the stable operating condition after the startup of the humidifying module of the present invention . as can be seen from fig7 a and fig7 b , in the humidifying module of the present invention , the total time required for achieving the stable operating condition after startup is shorter than the conventional manner . that is , the humidifying module of the present invention surpasses in the responsibility . [ 0129 ] fig8 is an explanation view showing the relation between the humidification amount and the temperature of the gas loaded to the hollow fiber membrane bundle . as can be seen from fig8 total humidification amount becomes higher as the temperature of the gas loaded to the hollow fiber membrane bundle is higher . as decried above , since the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell is humidified using the humidifier of the first preferred embodiment , the occurrence of the remained water at the bottom of the plumbing can be prevented even if the fluid , steam and condensed water are contained therein , is passed through the inner flow passage . thus , the problems , such as the fracture of the plumbing caused by the freeze of remained water , and the cooling down of the high humid gas discharged from the fuel cell by the remained water , can be prevented . in the present invention , furthermore , the gas led to the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be adjusted to the desired temperature with short duration . therefore , the humidifying module of the humidification system with the superior startup responsibility and the output responsibility can be obtained . in the present invention of above described functions and construction , the advantages as below can be obtained . ( 1 ) the route section of the fluid becomes small as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom side ) from the tip part of the protrusion part . thus , the flow rate of the fluid becomes higher as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom side ). ( 2 ) the protrusion part is provided so that the collision area with fluid becomes gradually wide as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom side ). therefore , the fluid receives the shear force along the surface of the protrusion part as approaches to the down stream side . the fluid is thus pushed toward the outer side ( toward the radius direction of the inner flow passage ). that is , fluid is pushed toward the outer side more certainly than the inner flow passage of the conventional construction wherein the shape of bottom is plane shape and the fluid was received by the whole bottom ( plan surface ). ( 3 ) as a result of the multiplier effect of these factors , the fluid is smoothly passed through the outlet of the inner flow passage . thus , the occurrence of the remained fluid at the bottom can be prevented even if the fluid containing steam and condensed water in the mixed condition is led to the humidifying module . as this , in the humidifying module according to the present invention , the occurrence of the remained fluid can be prevented . the problems , such as the fracture of the plumbing caused by the freeze of remained water , and the cooling down of the high - temperature gas discharged from the fuel cell by the remained water , can thus be prevented . therefore , the humidifying module , which brings the efficient output responsibility and the startup responsibility to the fuel cell , even if it is adopted to the humidification of the gas supplied to the fuel cell . according to the present invention , furthermore , since the same circular members are adopted , that is , the shape of the inner flow passage is a cylinder shape and the shape of the protrusion part is a circular cone . thus , the humidifying module with superior workability can be obtained . since the fluid comes to be supplied over the whole hollow fiber membrane bundle with sufficient fluid distribution toward the radius direction , the usability of the hollow fiber membrane can be improved . in the present invention , the flow rate to the perpendicular direction of the fluid , in other wards , the rate of diffusion in the radial direction , is increased , because of arranging the through holes at the vicinity of the bottom part of the inner flow passage along the circumferential . thus , the fluid comes to be supplied over the whole hollow fiber membrane bundle with sufficient fluid distribution toward the radius direction , and then the usability of the hollow fiber membrane can be improved . in the present invention , at least one through hole is positioned at the downstream side than the tip part of the protrusion part . ( i ) in the plumbing , therefore , the route section of the fluid becomes small as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom side ) from the tip part of the protrusion part . thus , the flow rate of the high humid gas becomes high as approaches to the downstream side ( bottom side ). ( ii ) in the plumbing , therefore , the protrusion part is provided at the bottom of the inner flow passage so that the tip part of the protrusion part may be opposite to the flow direction of the fluid . thus , the collision area with humid gas becomes gradually wide as approaches to the downstream side . therefore , the fluid receives shear force along the surface of the protrusion part as the downstream side approaches , and is pushed toward the outer side . that is , fluid is pushed toward the outer side more certainly than the conventional construction of the plumbing where the bottom of the plumbing is plane shape and the fluid was received by the whole bottom part ( plane surface ). ( iii ) in the plumbing , as a result of the multiplier effect of these factors , when fluid is led to the inner flow passage , the fluid led therein is smoothly passed through the through hole , because at least one through hole is positioned at the downstream side than the tip part of the protrusion part . if the through hole is positioned at the upstream side than the tip part of the protrusion part , since the passing of the fluid is disturbed by the fluid rebounded from the bottom , such excellent effectiveness is not obtained .	1
the detailed explanation of the present invention is described as follows . the preferred embodiments are presented for purposes of illustrations and description , and not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the present invention . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of an illuminating apparatus 1 equipped with an ac - powered led light engine 10 designed to gear up from the bottom up and gear down from the top down the extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the illuminating apparatus 1 comprises a rectifier 100 coupled to an ac mains , an ac - powered led light engine 10 , and a shared current sense and modulation unit 16 , and is loaded up with a plurality of extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ). the ac - powered led light engine 10 is coupled between the rectifier 100 and the extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ), and has a normally closed current regulator 120 coupled to the rectifier 100 via its high - side terminal and used to regulate the highest led current level near the rectified sinusoidal input voltage peak , a plurality of normally closed bypass switches ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) each connected in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array except for the bottommost led sub - array g 4 and shuttling between three switch states : on , regulation , and off according to a corresponding current sense signal , and a switch controller module 14 having a plurality of switch controllers ( 140 , 142 , and 144 ), each having a first terminal , a second terminal , and a third terminal , coupled between the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 via its first terminal and a corresponding bypass switch via its third terminal as a feedback network and taking control of the three switch states . a plurality of resistors r 0 , r 4 , and r 8 , connected between the high - side terminal of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and the first terminals of the switch controllers ( 140 , 142 , and 144 ), in pairs with a plurality of resistors r 2 , r 6 , and r 10 , connected between the first and the second terminals of the switch controllers ( 140 , 142 , and 144 ), form a bank of voltage dividers to scale down the current sense signal . in one embodiment , the configuration of the normally closed bypass switches each can also connected in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array except for the topmost led sub - array . the rectifier 100 could be but will not be limited to a full - wave or a half - wave rectifier . each of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 could be but will not be limited to an enhancement - mode or a depletion - mode n - channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ( mosfet ) in collocation with an adequate switch controller . each of the switch controllers 140 , 142 , and 144 could be but will not be limited to a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt )- based , a shunt regulator ( sr )- based , or a photo coupler ( pc )- based gate - driving circuitry in control of the three switch states . the switch controllers 140 , 142 , and 144 , assumed for simplification , not for limitation , to have exactly the same reference voltage v ref used for comparison with scaled - down current sense signals , respectively rule over the three switch states of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 according to the sensed voltage across the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 . please cross - refer to fig1 and 3 . to simplify the description , the voltage divider consisting of resistors r 1 and r 2 in series would firstly be neglected , i . e . r 1 is replaced with an open circuit having a resistance of infinity and r 2 is replaced with a short circuit having a resistance of zero . during the first half of the period , the rectified sinusoidal input voltage goes up from zero to its peak . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) is still less than the forward voltage drop of the bottommost led sub - array g 4 ( 0 ≦ vi & lt ; v g4 ), no current flows into the circuit and this interval ( 0 ≦ t & lt ; t 0 ) is commonly called the dead time . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the extrinsic led sub - array g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 ( v g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 1 , flowing downstream through the normally closed current regulator 120 , the normally closed bypass switch s 1 , the normally closed bypass switch s 2 , the current - regulating bypass switch s 3 , and the current sense and modulation unit 16 , lights up the extrinsic led sub - array g 4 during the interval of ( t 0 ≦ t & lt ; t 1 ). the constant current i 1 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 3 via the switch controller 144 in accordance with the design formula i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref , r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = r ⁢ ⁢ 8 i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 v ref - 1 i ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 . if the constant current i 1 goes above its preset current level v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 , the switch controller 144 turns off the bypass switch s 3 for the constant current i 1 to go down to v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 . if the constant current i 1 goes below its preset current level v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 , the switch controller 144 turns on the bypass switch s 3 for the constant current i 1 to go up to v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 . that is to say , the switch controller 144 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × ⁢ r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 3 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - array g 4 at a constant current level i 1 preset with a scaled - down resistance of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 ( r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) , wherein r 16 stands for the resistance of the current sense and modulation unit 16 . the switch controllers 142 and 140 each detect a scaled - down , below - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 & lt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 & lt ; v ref = i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) , so the normally closed bypass switches s 1 and s 2 remain in their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 and g 2 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g2 + g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 2 lights up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 during the interval of ( t 1 ≦ t & lt ; t 2 ). the switch controller 144 detects a scaled - down , above - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 & gt ; v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 3 stays in its off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - array g 3 . the constant current i 2 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 2 via the switch controller 142 in accordance with the design formula i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref , r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = r ⁢ ⁢ 4 i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 v ref - 1 i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 . that is to say , the switch controller 142 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 2 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 at a constant current level i 2 preset with a scaled - down resistance of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 ⁢ ( r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 ) . the switch controller 140 detects a scaled - down , below - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 & lt ; v ref ) , so the normally closed bypass switch s 1 remains in its on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - array g 1 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 3 lights up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 during the interval of ( t 2 ≦ t & lt ; t 3 ). the constant current i 3 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 1 via the switch controller 140 in accordance with the design formula i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref , r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = r ⁢ ⁢ 0 i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 v ref - 1 i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 . that is to say , the switch controller 140 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 1 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 at a constant current level i 3 preset with a scaled - down resistance of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 ( r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) . the switch controllers 142 and 144 each detect a scaled - down , above - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 & gt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 & gt ; v ref = i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) , so the bypass switches s 2 and s 3 stay in their off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 and g 3 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the input voltage ( vi ) is high enough to forward - bias all of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi ), a constant current i 4 preset with an unshown current - sensing resistor in the normally closed current regulator 120 lights up all the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 in the vicinity of the peak of the rectified sinusoidal input voltage ( t 3 ≦ t & lt ; t 3 ′ ). the aforementioned constant current levels are ranked in the order of i ⁢ ⁢ 4 & gt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 & gt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 & gt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 for an active current regulator or bypass switch to deactivate its downstream bypass switches , calling for the resistance sequence of r 10 & gt ; r 6 & gt ; r 2 , assuming the resistance equalization of r 8 = r 4 = r 0 . in this way , the ac - powered led light engine 10 gears up each extrinsic led sub - array from the bottom up . during the second half of the period , the rectified sinusoidal input voltage goes down from its peak to zero . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 140 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 1 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 at the preset constant current level i 3 during the interval of ( t 3 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 2 ′ ). the switch controllers 142 and 144 each detect a scaled - down above - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ⁢ r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 & gt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 & gt ; v ref = i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) , so the bypass switches s 2 and s 3 stay in their off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 and g 3 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g2 + g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 144 detects a scaled - down , above - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 & gt ; v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 3 stays in its off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - array g 3 during the interval of ( t 2 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 1 ′ ). the switch controller 142 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 2 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 at the preset constant current level i 2 . the switch controller 140 detects a scaled - down , below - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 & lt ; v ref ) , so the normally closed bypass switch s 1 goes back to its on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - array g 1 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the extrinsic led sub - array g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 ( v g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 144 detects a scaled - down , at - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref ) , so the bypass switch s 3 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - array g 4 at the preset constant current level i 1 during the interval of ( t 1 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 0 ′ ). the switch controllers 140 and 142 each detect a scaled - down , below - reference current sense signal ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 & lt ; i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 & lt ; v ref = i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) , so the normally closed bypass switches s 1 and s 2 go back to their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 and g 2 . detecting a below - reference current sense signal via an unshown current - sensing resistor , the current regulator 120 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . in this way , the ac - powered led light engine 10 gears down each extrinsic led sub - array from the top down till all of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 go out . the number of the aforementioned constant current levels for the ac - powered led light engine 10 , translating to the number of the bypass switches and the switch controllers devised to draw a quasi - sinusoidal line current waveform from the ac sinusoidal line voltage source , could be arbitrarily chosen with a design tradeoff between performance and cost . fig2 illustrates a block diagram of an illuminating apparatus 2 equipped with an ac - powered led light engine 20 designed to gear up from the bottom up and gear down from the top down the extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the illuminating apparatus 2 comprises a rectifier 100 coupled to an ac mains , an ac - powered led light engine 20 , and a shared current sense and modulation unit 16 , and is loaded up with a plurality of extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ). the ac - powered led light engine 20 is coupled between the rectifier 100 and the extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ), and has a normally closed current regulator ( such as the current - regulating switch s 0 ) coupled to the rectifier 100 via its high - side terminal and used to regulate the highest led current level near the rectified sinusoidal input voltage peak , a plurality of normally closed bypass switches ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) each connected in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array except for the bottommost led sub - array g 4 and shuttling between the three switch states according to a corresponding current sense signal , and a switch controller module 15 having a plurality of switch controllers ( 150 , 152 , 154 , and 156 ) each coupled between the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and a corresponding current - regulating switch or bypass switch as a feedback network and taking control of the three switch states . a plurality of anti - clamping resistors rx 1 , rx 2 , and rx 3 , connected between the high - side terminal of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and the first terminals of the switch controllers ( 140 , 142 , and 144 ), would prevent the terminal voltage across the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 from being clamped at lower reference voltage levels so as not to miss out on higher current regulation levels . the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 as well as the switch controllers 150 , 152 , 154 , and 156 in fig2 could be identical to those in fig1 . the switch controllers 150 , 152 , 154 , and 156 , respectively ruling over the three switch states of the current - regulating switch s 0 as well as the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 in accordance with the sensed voltage across the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 , are assumed for simplification , not for limitation , to have exactly the same reference voltage v ref . the scaled - up reference voltages actually used for comparison with current sense signals are set up by means of connecting the first terminal of a lower switch controller to the second terminal of an upper switch controller via an optional zener diode ( zd 1 , zd 2 , and zd 3 ) to make non - integer multiples possible , and could be ranked in the following order : v 150a , ref = 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd3 & gt ; v 152a , ref = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & gt ; v 154a , ref = 2v ref + v zd3 & gt ; v 156a , ref = v ref , wherein v zd1 , v zd2 , and v zd3 are breakdown voltages of the optional zener diodes zd 1 , zd 2 , and zd 3 . please cross - refer to fig2 and 3 . during the first half of the period , the rectified sinusoidal input voltage goes up from zero to its peak . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) is still less than the forward voltage drop of the bottommost led sub - array g 4 ( 0 ≦ vi & lt ; v g4 ), no current flows into the circuit and this interval ( 0 ≦ t & lt ; t 0 ) is referred to as the dead time . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the extrinsic led sub - array g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 ( v g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 1 lights up the extrinsic led sub - array g 4 during the interval of ( t 0 ≦ t & lt ; t 1 ). the constant current i 1 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 3 via the switch controller 156 in accordance with the design formula i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × r ⁢ ⁢ 16 = v ref , i . e . ⁢ i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 . that is to say , the switch controller 156 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 1 × r 16 = v ref ), so the bypass switch s 3 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - array g 4 at a constant current level i 1 preset with the resistance r 16 of the shared current sense and modulation unit ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = v ref r ⁢ ⁢ 16 ) . the switch controllers 154 , 152 , and 150 each detect a below - reference current sense signal ( i 1 × r 16 = v ref & lt ; 2v ref + v zd3 & lt ; 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 as well as the normally closed bypass switches s 1 and s 2 remain in their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 and g 2 . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g2 + g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 2 lights up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 during the interval of ( t 1 ≦ t & lt ; t 2 ). the switch controller 156 detects an above - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 & gt ; v ref ), so the bypass switch s 3 stays in its off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - array g 3 . the constant current i 2 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 2 via the switch controller 154 in accordance with the design formula i 2 × r 16 = 2v ref + v zd3 , i . e . i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = 2 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v zd ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 . that is to say , the switch controller 154 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 = 2v ref + v zd3 ), so the bypass switch s 2 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 at a constant current level i 2 preset with two times the reference voltage 2v ref plus the optional v zd ⁢ ⁢ 3 ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = 2 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 ) . the switch controllers 150 and 152 each detect a below - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 = 2v ref + v zd3 & lt ; 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 and the normally closed bypass switch s 1 remain in their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - array g 1 . when the rising input voltage ( vi ) has been high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 but is still less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ), a constant current i 3 lights up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 during the interval of ( t 2 ≦ t & lt ; t 3 ). the constant current i 3 would be regulated by the bypass switch s 1 via the switch controller 152 in accordance with the design formula i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 , i . e . i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = 3 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 . that is to say , the switch controller 152 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the bypass switch s 1 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 at a constant current level i 3 preset with three times the reference voltage 3v ref plus the optional v zd2 and v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = 3 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 ) . the switch controllers 156 and 154 each detect an above - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & gt ; 2v ref + v zd3 & gt ; v ref ), so the bypass switches s 2 and s 3 stay in their off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 and g 3 . the switch controller 150 detects a below - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the input voltage ( vi ) is high enough to forward - bias all of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi ), a constant current i 4 lights up all the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 during the interval of ( t 3 ≦ t & lt ; t 3 ′ ). the constant current i 4 would be regulated by the current - regulating switch s 0 via the switch controller 150 in accordance with the design formula i 4 × r 16 = 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 , i . e . i ⁢ ⁢ 4 = 4 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 1 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 . that is to say , the switch controller 150 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 4 × r 16 = 4v ref ++ v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 at a constant current level i 4 preset with four times the reference voltage 4v ref plus the optional and v zd1 , v zd2 , and v zd3 ( i ⁢ ⁢ 4 = 4 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 1 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 3 r ⁢ ⁢ 16 ) . the switch controllers 152 , 154 , and 156 each detect an above - reference current sense signal ( i 4 × r 16 = 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 & gt ; 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & gt ; 2v ref + v zd3 & gt ; v ref ), so the bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 stay in their off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , and g 3 . in this way , the ac - powered led light engine 20 gears up each extrinsic led sub - array from the bottom up . during the second half of the period , the rectified sinusoidal input voltage goes down from its peak to zero . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g2 + g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g1 + g2 + g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 152 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the bypass switch s 1 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 at the preset constant current level i 3 during the interval of ( t 3 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 2 ′ ). the switch controllers 154 and 156 each detect an above - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & gt ; 2v ref + v zd3 & gt ; v ref ), so the bypass switches s 2 and s 3 stay in their off state to free up the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 and g 3 . the switch controller 150 detects a below - reference current sense signal ( i 3 × r 16 = 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 stays in its on state and acts like a normally closed switch . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the combined led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ( v g3 + g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g2 + g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 156 detects an above - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 & gt ; v ref ), so the bypass switch s 3 stays in its off state to free up the led sub - array g 3 during the interval of ( t 2 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 1 ′ ). the switch controller 154 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 = 2v ref + v zd3 ), so the bypass switch s 2 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 at the preset constant current level i 2 . the switch controllers 150 and 152 each detect a below - reference current sense signal ( i 2 × r 16 = 2v ref + v zd3 & lt ; 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 remains in its on state , and the normally closed bypass switch s 1 goes back to their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - array g 1 . when the falling input voltage ( vi ) is still high enough to forward - bias the led sub - array g 4 but has been less than the combined forward voltage drop of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 3 and g 4 ( v g4 ≦ vi & lt ; v g3 + g4 ), the switch controller 156 detects an at - reference current sense signal ( i 1 × r 16 = v ref ), so the bypass switch s 3 gets into its regulation state to regulate the led current flowing through the downstream led sub - array g 4 at the preset constant current level i 1 during the interval of ( t 1 ′ ≦ t & lt ; t 0 ′ ). the switch controllers 150 , 152 , and 154 each detect a below - reference current sense signal ( i 1 × r 16 = v ref & lt ; 2v ref + v zd3 & lt ; 3v ref + v zd2 + v zd3 & lt ; 4v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 + v zd3 ), so the current - regulating switch s 0 remains in its on state , and the normally closed bypass switches s 1 and s 2 go back to their on state to short out the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 and g 2 . in this way , the ac - powered led light engine 20 gears down each extrinsic led sub - array from the top down till all of the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 go out . the number of the aforementioned constant current levels for the ac - powered led light engine 20 , translating to the number of the bypass switches and the switch controllers devised to draw a quasi - sinusoidal line current waveform from the ac sinusoidal line voltage source , could be arbitrarily chosen with a design tradeoff between performance and cost . it is worth mentioning that the ac - powered led light engines 10 and 20 could proportionally dim up and down each extrinsic led sub - array by means of varying the resistance r 16 ( unshown ) of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 , keeping the quasi - sinusoidal line current waveform in good shape as well as maintaining almost the same high power factor ( pf ) and almost the same low total harmonic distortion ( thd ) throughout the entire dimming range . in this embodiment , the current - regulating switch s 0 controlled by the switch controller 150 can be replaced by the current regulator 120 shown in fig1 . similarly , the current - regulating switch s 0 controlled by the switch controller 150 can replace the current regulator 120 employed in other embodiments . the major difference between the current - regulating switch s 0 and the current regulator 120 would be : the highest current level i 4 regulated by the current - regulating switch s 0 , acting in concert with other bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 , would be in proportion to the lower current levels i 3 , i 2 , and i 1 , while the highest current level i 4 regulated by the current regulator 120 , standing alone for current regulation , would be out of proportion to the lower current levels i 3 , i 2 , and i 1 . fig4 illustrates an integrated circuit having the ac - powered led light engine 10 shown in fig1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as is shown in fig4 , the integrated circuit 12 has six pins a , b , c , d , e , and f , three bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 , as well as three switch controllers 140 , 142 , and 144 . the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 is placed outside the integrated circuit 12 to make the current levels programmable to circuit designers of the illuminating apparatus . the integrated circuit 12 has its pin a coupled to the low - side terminal of the current regulator 120 , the anode of the led sub - array g 1 , and the third terminal of the bypass switch s 1 , its pin b coupled to the output terminal of the voltage divider ( the node between the resistors r 1 and r 2 ), the low - side terminals of the resistors r 2 , r 6 , and r 10 , as well as the second terminals of the switch controllers 140 , 142 , and 144 , its pin c coupled to the second terminal of the bypass switch s 1 , the cathode of the led sub - array g 1 , and the anode of the led sub - array g 2 , its pin d coupled to the second terminal of the bypass switch s 2 , the third terminal of the bypass switch s 3 , the cathode of the led sub - array g 2 , and the anode of the led sub - array g 3 , its pin e coupled to the second terminal of the bypass switch s 3 , the cathode of the led sub - array g 3 , and the anode of the led sub - array g 4 , and its pin f coupled to the high - side terminals of the resistors r 0 , r 4 , and r 8 , the high - side terminal of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 , and the cathode of the led sub - array g 4 . in this embodiment , the integrated circuit 12 encapsulates the ac - powered led light engine 10 shown in fig1 . it goes without saying any type of the ac - powered led light engines based on the spirit and scope of the present invention can be encapsulated in the form of an integrated circuit to reduce the apparent parts count and enable a more compact circuit design . moreover , a plurality of resulting integrated circuits of the same type could be connected in series to extend the voltage rating or in parallel to extend the current rating , depending on practical requirements for given applications . fig5 gives an example of an illuminating apparatus 5 equipped with the an ac - powered led light engine 10 shown in fig1 , wherein the ac - powered led light engine 10 is coupled between the rectifier 100 and the extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ). the illuminating apparatus 5 comprises a rectifier 100 coupled to an ac mains , an ac - powered led light engine 10 , a plurality of extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ), and a shared current sense and modulation unit 16 . the ac - powered led light engine 10 comprises a normally closed current regulator 120 , a plurality of normally closed bypass switches ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) each connected in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array except for the bottommost led sub - array g 4 and shuttling between the three switch states according to a corresponding current sense signal , and a switch controller module 114 having a plurality of switch controllers b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 each coupled between the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and a corresponding bypass switch as a feedback network and taking control of the three switch states . each of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 is a depletion - mode n - channel mosfet in collocation with an adequate switch controller . each of the switch controllers is a bjt - based gate - driving circuit , comprising a corresponding gate - discharging resistor ( r 7 , r 9 , and r 11 ) for turning on a corresponding bypass switch ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) as well as a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ), a corresponding voltage - dividing resistor pair ( r 0 and r 2 , r 4 and r 6 , as well as r 8 and r 10 ), a corresponding voltage - dividing resistor ( r 1 , r 3 , and r 5 ), and a corresponding voltage - clamping zener diode ( z 1 , z 2 , and z 3 ) for turning off a corresponding bypass switch ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ), in control of the three switch states . in fig5 , the first part of the voltage - dividing resistor pair ( r 0 , r 4 , and r 8 ) is connected between the high - side terminal of the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and the bases of the voltage - comparing bjts ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ), while the second part of the voltage - dividing resistor pair ( r 2 , r 6 , and r 10 ) could be either connected between the bases of the voltage - comparing bjts ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ) and ground or between the bases and the emitters of the voltage - comparing bjts ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ), as is shown in fig1 . in this embodiment , the normally closed current regulator 120 comprises a current - regulating switch m 1 ( an enhancement - mode n - channel mosfet ), a gate - charging resistor ra , a voltage - comparing bjt b 0 , and a current - sensing resistor rb . the current - regulating switch m 1 has its drain coupled to the rectifier 100 ( the high - side terminal of the gate - charging resistor ra ), its gate coupled to the low - side terminal of the gate - charging resistor ra ( the collector of the voltage - comparing bjt b 0 ), and its source coupled to the high - side terminal of the current - sensing resistor rb ( the base of the voltage - comparing bjt b 0 ). it is crystal clear that a depletion - mode n - channel mosfet is essentially a normally closed switch . only the current - regulating switch m 1 needs to get initialized as a normally closed switch after the random power - on of the illuminating apparatus 5 . more specifically , in the initial state , m 1 &# 39 ; s intrinsic gate - source capacitor could rapidly be charged up to above its threshold voltage level via a corresponding gate - charging resistor ra so as to make its channel normally closed once the rectified sinusoidal input voltage could forward - bias the bottommost led sub - array g 4 . based on the comparison between an applied gate - source voltage v gs and a negative threshold voltage v th , a depletion - mode n - channel mosfet would operate in its on state ( v gs & gt ; v th ) due to discharging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding gate - discharging resistor when a corresponding below - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt off , in its regulation state ( v gs = v th ) due to discharging and charging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding gate - discharging resistor as well as a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt , a corresponding voltage - dividing resistor , and a corresponding voltage - clamping zener diode when a corresponding at - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt off and on , or in its off state ( v gs & lt ; v th ) due to charging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt , a corresponding voltage - dividing resistor , and a corresponding voltage - clamping zener diode when a corresponding above - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt on . as such , all of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 would shuttle between the three switch states except for the normally closed current - regulating switch m 1 excluding its off state from the three switch states . a voltage divider , comprising resistors r 1 and r 2 in series , adds a scaled - down sample of the rectified sinusoidal input voltage ( v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) to the emitters of the voltage - comparing bjts b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 so that scaled - down current sense signals would be compared with a sinusoidal - modulated reference voltage v ref + v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 rather than a fixed reference voltage v ref to further smooth a stepping current waveform into a more sinusoidal one for getting an even higher pf and an even lower thd . in this embodiment , a flicker - suppressing capacitor ( cg 1 , cg 2 , cg 3 , and cg 4 ), coupled in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array and functioning as an auxiliary supply of led current , and a corresponding charge - retaining diode ( d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , and d 4 ), coupled between a corresponding normally closed bypass switch and a corresponding flicker - suppressing capacitor to prevent capacitor charge from being consumed by other unintended circuit components instead of a corresponding led sub - array , are also incorporated to improve the flicker issue without any detriment to the high pf and low thd because each flicker - suppressing capacitor is merely charged up to a corresponding led sub - array forward voltage drop and would not set up an even higher voltage barrier for the rectified sinusoidal input voltage to get over . the aforementioned flicker - suppressing capacitors , applicable to any embodiment of the present invention , could be implemented with short - life electrolytic capacitors or , even better , an equivalent m × n matrix of non - electrolytic capacitors , such as ceramic capacitors , tantalum capacitors , or solid - state capacitors for a much longer lifespan , where the rows number m and the columns number n are associated with the voltage rating and the current rating , respectively . fig6 illustrates a schematic diagram of an illuminating apparatus 6 equipped with the ac - powered led light engine 30 . the illuminating apparatus 6 comprises a rectifier 100 coupled to an ac mains , an ac - powered led light engine 30 , a string of extrinsic led sub - arrays ( g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 ), as well as a shared current sense and modulation unit 16 for providing current sense signals . the ac - powered led light engine 30 comprises a normally closed current regulator 120 ′, a string of normally closed bypass switches ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) each connected in parallel with a corresponding led sub - array except for the bottommost led sub - array g 4 and shuttling between the three switch states according to a corresponding current sense signal , and a switch controller module 215 having a plurality of switch controllers ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ) each coupled between the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 and a corresponding bypass switch as a feedback network and taking control of the three switch states . each of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 is an enhancement - mode n - channel mosfet in collocation with an adequate switch controller . the gate - charging resistors ( ra , ra 1 , ra 2 , and ra 3 ) are used to charge the intrinsic gate - source capacitors of the current regulator 120 as well as the bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 up to above their threshold voltage so as to initialize them as normally closed switches after the random power - on of the illuminating apparatus 6 . understandable from that of fig5 , the initialization process of fig5 would not be repeated herein . each of the switch controllers is a bjt - based gate - driving circuit , comprising a corresponding gate - charging resistor ( ra 1 , ra 2 , and ra 3 ) for turning on a corresponding bypass switch ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) as well as a corresponding voltage - comparing device ( bjts b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 in conjunction with optional zener diodes zd 1 and zd 2 ), a corresponding anti - clamping resistor ( rx 1 , rx 2 , and rx 3 ), a corresponding current - limiting resistor ( rg 1 , rg 2 , and rg 3 ), and a corresponding gate - discharging diode ( dg 1 , dg 2 , and dg 3 ) for turning off a corresponding bypass switch ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ), in control of the three switch states . in this embodiment , the normally closed current regulator 120 ′ comprises a current - regulating switch m 1 ( an enhancement - mode n - channel mosfet ), a gate - charging resistor ra , a shunt regulator x , and a current - sensing resistor rx . obviously , a bjt b 0 and a shunt regulator x both used for voltage comparison in the present invention are interchangeable . based on the comparison between an applied gate - source voltage v gs and a positive threshold voltage v th , an enhancement - mode n - channel mosfet would operate in its on state ( v gs & gt ; v th ) due to charging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding gate - charging resistor when a corresponding below - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt off , in its regulation state ( v gs = v th ) due to charging and discharging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding gate - charging resistor as well as a corresponding voltage - comparing device , a corresponding anti - clamping resistor , a corresponding current - limiting resistor , and a corresponding gate - discharging diode when a corresponding at - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt off and on , or in its off state ( v gs & lt ; v th ) due to discharging of its intrinsic gate - source capacitor via a corresponding voltage - comparing device , a corresponding anti - clamping resistor , a corresponding current - limiting resistor , and a corresponding gate - discharging diode when a corresponding above - reference current sense signal turns a corresponding voltage - comparing bjt on . as such , all of the normally closed bypass switches s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 would shuttle between the three switch states except for the normally closed current - regulating switch m 1 excluding its off state from the three switch states . a voltage divider , comprising resistors r 1 and r 2 in series , adds a scaled - down sample of the rectified sinusoidal input voltage ( v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) to the emitter of the bottommost voltage - comparing bjt b 3 so that current sense signals would be compared with a sinusoidal - modulated reference voltage ( v ref + v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 , 2 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 , 3 ⁢ ⁢ v ref + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 1 + v z ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ 2 + v i × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) rather than a fixed reference voltage ( v ref , 2v ref + v zd2 , and 3v ref + v zd1 + v zd2 ) to further smooth a stepping current waveform into a more sinusoidal one for getting an even higher pf and an even lower thd . the flicker - suppressing capacitor ( cg 1 , cg 2 , cg 3 , and cg 4 ) and the corresponding charge - retaining diode ( d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , and d 4 ) are the same as those in fig5 , and therefore do not need any elaboration . fig7 illustrates a superordinate schematic diagram of all the disclosed illuminating apparatuses in collocation with pwm -, analog -, and rheostat - dimming schemes in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention . to simplify the description , the voltage divider comprising resistors r 1 and r 2 in series would again be overlooked and an led light engine 10 employing a bank of voltage dividers would simultaneously be assumed . when it comes to the pwm - dimming scheme , the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 would consist of a fixed resistor rc ( providing a current sense signal for switch controllers ), a fixed resistor rd ( superimposing a scaled - down analog - dimming signal on the current sense signal ), a voltage buffer ( preventing the extracted analog - dimming signal against loading effect ), and an rc low - pass filter ( extracting the average voltage from the inputted pwm - dimming signal ). equating the pwm - dimmed , scaled - down current sense signals and the reference voltage v ref would lead to the following equations : { [ i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × ( rc // rd ) + v ave × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref [ i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × ( rc // rd ) + v ave × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref [ i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × ( rc // rd ) + v ave × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref ⇒ { i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) × v ref - v ave × rc rd + rc ] i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 ) × v ref - v ave × rc rd + rc ] i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) × v ref - v ave × rc rd + rc ] , where v ave is the extracted average voltage of the inputted pwm - dimming signal in proportion to the pwm duty ratio . by adjusting the pwm duty ratio , the average current flowing through the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 to emit light could correspondingly be modulated because all the current levels i 1 , i 2 , and i 3 would decrease with an increased average voltage v ave , so the resulting light apparatus would be pwm - dimmable . when it comes to the analog - dimming scheme , the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 would retain the fixed resistor rc and the fixed resistor rd . the voltage buffer and the rc low - pass filter , both becoming unnecessary , could be removed . equating the analog - dimmed , scaled - down current sense signals and the reference voltage v ref would lead to the following equations : { [ i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × ( rc // rd ) + v analog × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref [ i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × ( rc // rd ) + v analog × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref [ i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × ( rc // rd ) + v analog × rc rd + rc ] × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref ⇒ { i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) × v ref - v analog × rc rd + rc ] i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 ) × v ref - v analog × rc rd + rc ] i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = 1 rc // rd × [ ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) × v ref - v analog × rc rd + rc ] , where v analog is the inputted analog - dimming signal level . by adjusting the analog - dimming signal level , the average current flowing through the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 to emit light could correspondingly be modulated because all the current levels i 1 , i 2 , and i 3 would decrease with an increased analog - dimming signal level v analog , so the resulting light apparatus would be analog - dimmable . when it comes to the rheostat - dimming scheme , the shared current sense and modulation unit 16 would merely take on a rheostat rc . the fixed resistor rd , the voltage buffer , and the rc low - pass filter , having nothing to do , could all be removed . equating the rheostat - dimmed , scaled - down current sense signals and the reference voltage v ref would lead to the following equations : { ( i ⁢ ⁢ 1 × rc ) ) × r ⁢ ⁢ 10 r ⁢ ⁢ 8 + r ⁢ ⁢ 10 = v ref ( i ⁢ ⁢ 2 × rc ) ) × r ⁢ ⁢ 6 r ⁢ ⁢ 4 + r ⁢ ⁢ 6 = v ref ( i ⁢ ⁢ 3 × rc ) ) × r ⁢ ⁢ 2 r ⁢ ⁢ 0 + r ⁢ ⁢ 2 = v ref ⇒ { i ⁢ ⁢ 1 = 1 r ⁢ ⁢ c × ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 8 r ⁢ ⁢ 10 ) × v ref i ⁢ ⁢ 2 = 1 r ⁢ ⁢ c × ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 4 r ⁢ ⁢ 6 ) × v ref i ⁢ ⁢ 3 = 1 r ⁢ ⁢ c × ( 1 + r ⁢ ⁢ 0 r ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) × v ref , where r 16 is the variable resistance . by adjusting the variable resistance rc , the average current flowing through the extrinsic led sub - arrays g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , and g 4 to emit light could correspondingly be modulated because all the current levels i 1 , i 2 , and i 3 would decrease with an increased variable resistance rc , so the resulting light apparatus would be rheostat - dimmable . not only can the aforementioned variable resistance come from a single rheostat acting as the one and only variable resistor in a narrow sense , but it can also result from a series , a parallel , or a mixed combination of a number of current - sensing resistors under the control of a bank of electronic or mechanic switches in a broad sense . to sum up , all the preferred embodiments of the present invention could gear up and down the number and current of excited led sub - arrays according to the voltage level of the rectified sinusoidal input voltage for obtaining a high pf and a low thd . if further equipped with the option of disclosed flicker - suppressing capacitors , the disclosed ac - powered led light engines could improve the flicker phenomenon while maintaining exactly the same high pf and exactly the same low thd without any deterioration . in addition to being triac - dimmable via legacy phase - cut dimmers , the disclosed ac - powered led light engines are also pwm -, analog -, and rheostat - dimmable , broadening the scope of dimming applications . while the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the present invention should not be limited to the disclosed particular forms , but to the contrary , should cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	7
indicated at 1 , 2 in the drawings are two sidepieces of the belt sander frame which are interconnected by a base 3 . directly above the base 3 , centrally and on the sidepieces 1 , 2 , there is rotatably supported a shaft 4 driven from a gear motor 5 mounted to the outside of the sidepiece 1 . keyed to the shaft 4 , close to the inward faces of the sidepieces 1 , 2 , are two sprocket wheels 6 ( in the drawings , only the one adjacent the sidepiece 2 being shown ) wherearound two respective chains 7 are trained with runs extending vertically upwards . the chains 7 form closed loops around sprocket idlers 8 mounted on the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 cantilever - fashion . attached to those runs of the chains 7 which confront the sander front side , and at the same level , are two respective shoes 9 which are guided in their vertical movement by guides 10 attached to the inward faces of the sidepieces . pivotally connected to the shoes , as by coaxial trunnions 11 , is the table or working deck 12 which may be rotated from the horizontal position shown in full lines to the upright position shown in dash lines in fig1 - 3 . carried rotatably beneath the table is a longitudinal rod 13 , the ends whereof extend outwards from the opposite ends of the table and carry two radial arms 14 secured thereto . the arms 14 are provided at the free ends thereof with fingers 15 which form extensions of the arms 14 and have notches 16 therein which are adapted to be engaged by trunnions 17 projecting from the shoes 9 and lying below the trunnions 11 . the rod 13 is provided , at the middle thereof , with a manually operated handle 18 which enables the rod , and hence the arms 14 , to be turned when the table 12 is to be shifted between the horizontal and vertical positions . expediently , the trunnions 17 would include angularly adjustable cams to permit the lay of the working deck 12 to be adjusted . fixedly mounted to the sidepieces 1 , 2 , close to the rear edges thereof , are pairs of vertically aligned bushings 19 , 20 which carry rods 21 , 22 rotatably journalled therein adapted to axially support guides 23 , 24 . each guide 23 , 24 comprises a bracket 25 having a cylindrical rail 26 attached to the top edge thereof . the guides 23 , 24 may be shifted , by rotation in the bushings 19 , 20 , from an operative position wherein they extend parallel to each other , ( as shown in fig1 ) to an inoperative position wherein they are in alignment with each other and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sander . along the guides 23 , 24 , in the operative position thereof , a carriage 27 is movable which comprises a beam 28 , the opposite ends whereof carry outwardly bent angle pieces 29 , 30 , positionable on the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 , when the carriage 27 is inoperative . journalled to the angle pieces 29 , 30 , cantilever - fashion in an inward direction , are pairs of peripherally grooved wheels 31 , 32 adapted to roll along the rails 26 of the guides 23 , 24 . the wheels 31 of each pair are interconnected by an axle 33 to ensure a proper movement of the carriage , i . e . to cause it to move in a constantly perpendicular attitude to the guides 23 , 24 . carried at the opposite ends of the carriage 27 , about parallel and horizontal axes , are training pulleys 34 , 35 for a sand belt 36 . the pulley 34 is driven by a motor 37 supported on the carriage 27 . the pulleys 34 , 35 have the same diameter , thereby the two sand belt runs will extend parallel to each other . the upper run moves over the beam 28 , and the lower run under the bottom edges of the guides 23 , 24 . the distance separating the beam 28 from the lower belt run is selected to allow the guides 23 , 24 therebetween . in order to prevent the lower run of the sand belt from interfering , as the carriage 27 is moved along the guides 23 , 24 , with the sidepieces 1 , 2 , forwardly open slots 38 , 39 are provided in the latter . engagement of the wheels 31 , 32 with the rails 26 is controlled by devices operative to control the raising of the guides 23 , 24 . each device comprises a lever 40 having a pivot pin 41 journalled in the sidepiece 1 , 2 . radially attached to the pin 41 is a short arm 42 biased by a spring 43 and carrying , at its free end , a roller 44 and a plate 45 in the shape of a semicircle adjacent the roller . by acting on the lever 40 , the arm 42 may be swung from a tilted position into a substantially vertical position . in the latter position of the arm , the rollers 44 will engage with the bottoms of the brackets 25 , thereby raising the latter and bringing the rails 26 to tangentially contact the rollers 31 , 32 of the carriage . the upward movement length is calculated to also elevate the angle pieces 29 , 30 off the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 whereon they rest when the carriage 27 is inoperative . in this position , any rotation of the guides 23 , 24 is inhibited , in the outward direction by abutment on the sidepieces 1 , 2 , and in the inward direction by the plates 45 acting as stops . on the arms 42 being turned into the tilted position shown in phantom lines in fig5 the carriage 27 is brought , by means of the angle pieces 29 , 30 , to bear on the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 , whilst the guides 23 , 24 are moved further down until the rails 26 are separated from the wheels 31 , 32 to a sufficient extent to permit the guides to be turned inwards . at the end of the downward movement of the guides 23 , 24 , as determined by detents 46 on the rods 22 abutting the bushings 20 , the plates 45 have assumed an orientation which permits the guides to be turned inwardly . in order to hold the abrasive surface of the lower run of the sand belt 36 in contact with the workpiece , a pressure member generally indicated at 47 mounted slidably on the carriage 27 , is arranged to act on the back side of the belt . more specifically , and as shown best in fig4 the pressure member includes a carriage 48 in the form of a u - like element having two plane parallel vertical walls 49 interconnected by a portion or bottom 50 . cantilevered to the outside of the walls 49 are pairs of rollers 51 , 52 mounted idly . each pair of rollers 51 , 52 are adapted to engage from above and below opposed wings 53 of the sectional member forming the beam 28 . within the carriage 48 and between the walls 49 , there extend upwards small posts 54 which are placed side - by - side in pairs and carry at the top respective rollers 55 , 56 . in between each pair of rollers 55 , 56 , there is inserted a rib 57 which is located inwards of the beam 28 and extends longitudinally in the centerplane thereof . thus , the pairs of rollers 51 , 52 will guide the carriage 48 in the horizontal plane , the pairs of rollers 55 , 56 guiding it in the vertical plane . formed at the middle of the portion 50 of the carrage 48 is a hole opening into an underlying tube 58 made vertically fast with it . the tube 58 accommodates slidably therein a spigot 59 the upper portion whereof extends between the walls 49 of the carriage . attached to the top of the spigot 59 is a washer 60 acting as a detent for a spring 61 fitted over the spigot 59 and disposed between the washer 60 and bottom 50 . rigidly fast with the bottom end of the spigot 59 is a rectangular plate 62 which supports a pad 63 elastically ( in a manner known per se and , accordingly , not detailedly described herein ). to prevent the plate 62 from turning relatively to the carriage 48 , a rod 64 is rigidly attached to the plate which extends parallel to the spigot 58 and extends upwards , slidably through a hole formed in the bottom 50 of the carriage 48 . the pad 63 is held pressed against the sand belt by means of a handle 65 having two bent arms 66 , 67 interconnected at one end by a handgrip 68 . the opposite ends of the arms 66 , 67 are journalled to a projection 69 of a sleeve 70 surrounding the tube 58 . the sleeve 70 is locked on the tube 58 by means of a screw extending through the sleeve 70 and having an operating knob 71 at its outward end . the bends of the arms 66 , 67 carry two idler rollers 72 which are held in tangential contact with the plate 62 by the weight of the handle 65 . in the operating condition , the sander is as shown in fig1 where the table 12 is held in a horizontal position by the arms 14 , while the guides 23 , 24 , being raised by the action of the arms 42 raise , in turn , the carriage 27 off the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 allowing it to be moved along the rails 26 . at this stage , one provides for holding the workpiece on the table 12 . the holding of the workpiece on the table may be achieved by means of clamps or one or more adjustable stops 12a ( which may substantially have a double ` t `- like cross - section ), which are moveable ( and can be locked in position ) in grooves 12b ( having a corresponding inverted ` t `- like cross - section ) extending longitudinally and laterally on the table 12 , as known per se , and as such , discussed no further herein . by operation of the gear motor 5 , the table 12 is brought to a desired elevation whereat the surface to sanded directly underlies the lower run of the sand belt . then , after energizing the motor 37 and by acting on the handle 65 , the carriage 27 is shifted along the guides 23 , 24 in a transverse direction to the direction of movement of the sand belt . simultaneously , by lowering the handle 65 , the sand belt 36 is brought into contact with the workpiece and the sanding passes are effected by sliding the carriage 48 along the beam 28 . of course , the operations may be performed by the operator in a different order from that described , and sanding can be controlled by applying a higher or lower pressure to the pad 63 through the handle 65 . it should be noted that the pad 63 is always held parallel to the working table 12 in the operative position thereof to ensure true sanding at all times . when the sander is not in use and its overall dimensions are to be reduced , the table 12 is first tilted into a vertical position . to this end , the table is first brought to a preset elevation to permit tilting without interfering with the sand belt 36 or base 3 . then , the table is raised at the front edge to disengage the cam trunnions 17 from the notches 16 of the arms 14 . thereafter , by operating the handle 18 , the arms 14 are turned downwards and the table is turned about the trunnions 11 as indicated by the arrow a into a position between the sidepieces 1 , 2 to eventually take the vertical attitude shown in phantom lines in fig1 - 3 . it should be noted that during this step the cam trunnions 17 are held peripherally in engagement with the upper edges of the arms 14 . thus , the knob 71 is exposed which , once loosened , enables the handle 65 to be turned into a position lying longitudinally beneath the beam 28 thereby avoiding that the same may protrude frontally out ( see arrow b ). at this point , the overall dimensions of the guides 23 , 24 are reduced . the carriage 27 is pushed toward the rear of the sander where specially provided detents , not shown in the drawings but easily appreciated , lock it at a position where the angle pieces 29 , 30 are located above the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 . now , by raising the handles 40 into the position indicated in phantom lines in fig5 the guides 23 , 24 are lowered . during this downward movement ( arrow c in fig1 ), the carriage 28 is first brought to bear onto the tops of the sidepieces 1 , 2 , and immediately afterwards , the rails 26 are separated from the wheels 31 , 32 of the carriage . the downward movement of the guides 23 , 24 is halted by the stops 46 abutting the bushings 20 . it now becomes possible , by swinging as indicated by the arrow d the guides 23 , 24 , to bring the latter into a position of mutual alignment beneath the beam 28 , thereby the transverse dimension of the sander practically becomes that established by the sidepieces 1 , 2 . a peculiar feature of the sander according to the invention is that the sander may be operated with the table 12 lying on a vertical plane . this enables sanding of the board edges , which would be otherwise impossible with conventional machines or would involve unusual engineering . with the table laid vertically , it is also possible to sand workpieces of a large size since the useful clearance under the sand belt , with the carriage shifted out of the frame , that is at the lower extremity of the guides 23 , 24 , is unaffected by the presence of the underlying table . the invention may be variously modified and altered without departing from the purview of the inventive concept . in particular , reduction of the guides 23 , 24 to within the overall dimensions of the frame may be implemented in various ways . fig6 shows an embodiment wherein the rails are attached with their portion 73 directly to the upper edges of the sidepieces 1 , 2 , and for the remainder 74 are attached to brackets 75 journalled at 76 about vertical axes to the front edges of the sidepieces . in the inoperative condition , the brackets 75 are turned into a horizontal plane from a cantilevered position , wherein the portions 73 , 74 of the rails are aligned together , to a position wherein the brackets 75 are close to the inward faces of the sidepieces 1 , 2 . the brackets 75 , instead of turning in a horizontal plane , may be journalled to the sidepieces along the horizontal pivot axis 77 , as shown in fig7 . in this case , the brackets 75 , with the sander inoperative , would be brought to bear on the front edges of the sidepieces . compared to the embodiment of fig1 - 5 , the embodiments of fig6 and 7 are simpler construction - wise because they require no lifting devices for the brackets and carriage , and on account of the bracket articulation also being made simpler . however , the need for breaking the rails results in a junction which may adversely affect the smooth movement of the carriage 27 . in a further embodiment , the guides 23 , 24 are provided with a telescopic construction , reducable over the edges of the sidepieces 1 , 2 .	1
fig1 b - 1c show a shaping part 10 in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and fig1 a shows a u - shaped rigid - resilient plastic part 11 , for example , with circular or rectangular cross section , which is integrated as a bend impression element in the shaping part 10 . the shaping part 10 is produced by overmolding the u - shaped plastic part 11 with a soft silicone in a suitable injection mold . during the overmolding , the end portions 10 b with widened inner diameter and also the central lumen 10 a are produced at the same time . inner and outer lateral layers of the shaping part 10 are thus produced in one injection molding process . fig2 c shows , as further exemplary embodiment , a second shaping part 20 , and fig2 b shows , as associated preliminary product or semi - finished product , an extruded silicone tube 20 ′ having a central first lumen 20 a and a second lumen 20 b , which is arranged in the wall and has a much smaller diameter . fig2 a shows a rigid - resilient plastic rod 21 with circular or rectangular cross section , which is introduced into the second lumen 20 b of the silicone tube 20 ′ of circular or semi - circular cross section and provides this , as bend impression element , on the whole with a u - shape . as can be seen in fig2 c , the shaping part 20 is lengthened at the ends by overmolding of the extruded plastic tube , wherein widened end portions 20 c of the central lumen 20 a are again formed . in its outer form , the shaping part 20 according to fig2 c is , fundamentally , no different from the shaping part 10 according to fig1 b - 1c ; the main difference lies in that fact that , in the case of the second shaping part 20 , the bend impression element is introduced into a second lumen of the original silicone tube , said lumen being continuous lengthwise , whereas the first shaping part 10 is placed in the injection mold and is only embedded in the wall of the part during the subsequent overmolding . the shaping pat 30 according to a third exemplary embodiment shown in fig3 d - 3e is also structured similarly in essence , the preliminary product 30 ′ of said shaping part stretched in a straight line being illustrated in fig3 a - 3c . here too , a silicone tube with a central lumen 30 a of large diameter and a second lumen 30 b , which is arranged in the wall and has a much smaller diameter , is used as preliminary product . as shown in fig3 b - 3c , a plastic strip 31 , that in its initial form is also stretched in a straight line , is introduced into the second lumen 30 b and is anchored once tensioned . here , a semi - circular lumen with a plastic strip ( rectangular cross section ) can also be used . during a subsequent annealing of the silicone tube , the plastic strip 31 fixed at both ends of the preliminary product 30 ′ contracts in such a way that it entrains the entire tube into a u - shape . in this state , the silicone tube is then provided with ends with widening portions 30 c of the central lumen 30 a , again by injection molding . as mentioned with the aforementioned embodiments , an additional silicone casing layer can also be placed over the entire tube . this is merely optional , however , and the ends can also contact the extruded tube bluntly . fig4 a - 4d each show preliminary stages 40 ′ of a further shaping part , which is not illustrated in the end state , but of which the end form corresponds essentially to the form of the first to third shaping part . here , however , the shaping part is not an extruded silicone tube , as in some of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments , but is a silicone injection molded part with end portions having widened central lumen 40 b , said end portions being integrally formed from the outset . a plastic strip 41 is inserted , as a bend impression element or a force - intensifying element , via corresponding access points 40 c on one side of the wall into a recess ( groove ) 40 d intended for this purpose and running lengthwise . this bend impression element 41 is largely plastically deformable and can be transferred from the stretched state shown in fig4 d into a u - shape of the central portion , wherein it impresses this shape on the entire shaping part . at the same time , it has sufficient resilience in the deformed state to meet the general requirements placed on the shaping part according to the invention , as explained in greater detail above . fig5 a - 5b show two configurations of electrode line arrangements that can be provided with shaping parts of the above - described type . fig5 a shows an electrode line arrangement 50 with an electrode line ( electrode ) 50 . 1 , which has a tip electrode 50 . 2 and a ring electrode 50 . 3 as electrode poles and is deformed so as to be v - shaped in the end portion by a shaping part 50 . 4 shrunk - fit on the line between the two electrode poles 50 . 2 , 50 . 3 . the electrode line arrangement 50 thus tenses between the opposite walls of a vessel , which in turn leads in a desirable manner to the fact that the electrode poles 50 . 2 and 50 . 3 have reliable wall contact and can thus reliably performed their stimulation and / or sensing task in a durable manner . fig5 b shows , as modification of this configuration , a further electrode line arrangement 50 ′, which comprises a three - pole electrode line 50 . 1 ′ with the electrode poles 50 . 2 ′, 50 . 3 ′ and 50 . 4 ′ and two shaping parts 50 . 5 ′, 50 . 6 ′. both shaping parts are each placed between the three electrode poles around the corresponding portions of the electrode 50 . 1 ′ and are tightly glued there to the electrode . it can be seen that the electrode line in this embodiment has assumed a form that is undulating on the whole in the end portion , wherein this form in turn has the desired result that all electrode poles 50 . 2 ′, 50 . 3 ′ and 50 . 4 ′ have reliable wall contact . the shaping parts are shrunk - fit on the electrode in a manner known per se . shaping parts made of silicone are swollen ( for example , with heptane ) prior to assembly , such that the parts can be slid over the coil into the desired position — heptane escapes little by little and the silicone contracts together again and is thus shrunk fit onto the coil . if plastic reinforcement parts are integrated in this silicone part , this method can be used only to a limited extent , since plastic does not swell and the two materials may detach from one another . a further possibility is the short - term widening of the inner diameter of the shaping part by compressed air . the ends are sealed , compressed air is filled in , and the part can be mounted and placed on or over larger diameters . in a further variant the part is mechanically widened , for example , by a number of wires of half - shells arranged internally . the part can thus also be mounted and placed here on or over larger diameters . in addition , the present invention can also be embodied in a multitude of modifications of the examples shown here and aspects of the present invention highlighted above . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations of the described examples and embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings of the disclosure . the disclosed examples and embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration only . other alternate embodiments may include some or all of the features disclosed herein . therefore , it is the intent to cover all such modifications and alternate embodiments as may come within the true scope of this invention , which is to be given the full breadth thereof . additionally , the disclosure of a range of values is a disclosure of every numerical value within that range .	0
a first step in this invention is acquiring the full analog value of the memory state ( e . g . the actual cell current , which in turn reflects the actual stored floating gate voltage vfg ). the following describes two alternative embodiments for rapidly sensing and converting , to digital form , data stored in a large number of physical cells ( e . g . a chunk of 256 cells ) simultaneously , each cell capable of storing a large number of multi - states ( e . g . four states or more ), and sensing capable of spanning a wide dynamic range . the basis underlying both of these embodiments is the analog property of the memory cell , wherein its current drive capability is in proportion to its stored floating gate charge ( voltage ). consequently , each memory state is characterized by its current drive capability ( in actuality a narrow range of current drives , including margin capability ). therefore sensing and discriminating the various states comes down to differentiating between the various drive level ranges . two exemplary embodiments are now described for achieving this differentiation . a first embodiment is described with reference to fig1 a and 1 b , and involves dynamic - type sensing , wherein the bit lines ( such as bit line 101 ) of the selected memory cells ( such as cell 102 ) are precharged ( e . g . to 2 . 5v ), and then the row ( e . g . word line 103 ) of the selected cells is turned on , preferably using a controlled ramp ( e . g . 5 usec rise time ) or a stepped staircase ( for example over 5 usec ), allowing the respective bit lines to discharge through the selected memory cells at rates proportional to their current driving capability . when the bit lines discharge to a predetermined voltage ( e . g . 1v ), they flip a corresponding sense amplifier ( e . g . sense amplifier 104 ), indicating sense achieved . the time taken to flip the sense amplifier from the start of sensing is an analog measure of the cell drive : the longer the time , the lower the drive ( i . e . cell is more programmed , having more negative charge on the floating gate as depicted in fig1 b ). table 1 is an example of sense amplifier trip time to cell current drive capability based on simulation using floating gate cell i - v data . in the example of table 1 , bit line 101 is precharged to 5v and tripped at 2 . 5v , load capacitance is 1 . 25 pf and control gate rate of increase is 1 . 25 v / usec , ramped to 7v in a staircase fashion . because of disturbs , it is undesirable to expose the memory cell drain to more than 2v . therefore the 5v precharge is , in one embodiment , applied to sense capacitor 105 isolated from the memory cell drain , and the drain is only allowed to charge to a lower voltage ( e . g . 1 . 5v ). with column segmentation this drain voltage lowering is , in one embodiment , done locally , using a segment select transistor to limit the voltage transferred from a global bit line to the local bit line , such as is described in copending u . s . pat . no . 5 , 315 , 541 assigned to sandisk corporation . in one embodiment , the trip times are converted en masse to a binary code using an a / d approach , as shown in fig2 . time is metered using clock 205 which increments master counter 204 which in the example shown here is an 8 bit counter . counter 204 drives lines 209 ( 8 lines in this example ) which feed into registers 201 - 1 through 201 - n via transfer gates 202 - 1 through 202 - n , respectively , with one register for each cell being sensed ( e . g . 256 , 8 - bit registers for a 256 bit memory chunk size ). at the start of sensing , counter 204 is initialized to zero , and then starts counting up , with the registers reflecting the count . at the point of a cell sensing ( i . e . at the sense amplifier trip time ), the corresponding sense amplifier flips , which isolates the corresponding register from counter 204 , thereby freezing the time ( and its associated binary code ) in that register . in this way , each register contains a binary representation of the analog storage level of the memory cell to the resolution of the a / d ( e . g . with 8 bits this gives resolution of approximately 1 part in 256 or about 0 . 4 %). to insure both adequate resolution and dynamic range , the clock frequency ( i . e . sampling rate ) must be properly chosen . if too fast it will not span the full range of times needed for a sense amplifier to flip for all possible stored memory cell data values before hitting the maximum count , while if too slow the result will be poor resolution and the risk of inability to discriminate between neighboring states . in order to provide some relationship with the memory cells &# 39 ; drive characteristics , in one embodiment the frequency of clock 205 is governed by a memory cell ( or group of memory cells ) set at an appropriate drive level . in this way , clock 205 tracks process variation and operating conditions ( e . g . voltage and temperature ), setting up the optimum clocking rate to span the cell &# 39 ; s dynamic range and associated memory states . although this embodiment is relatively simple and effective , it does have limitations by nature of its being dynamic . time constants associated with word line and / or bit line delays and their variations contribute both relative and absolute error . for example , if word line rc time constants are long relative to ramp ( or step interval ) times , then there can be significant differences in the times in which cells along the word or steering line ( or a single line serving as both the word line for selection and steering line for capacitive coupling ) experience a given word line steering drive voltage . the consequence of this is that cells at different positions along such lines will respond at different times . also , conversion from cell current drive to comparator trip time is not exactly linear , because the discharge rates and characteristics depend on the drive levels of the cell which will vary with the bit line bias level ( with conduction tending to decrease as bit line voltage levels drop , stretching out bit line discharge time ). also , the bit line capacitance can have a significant voltage dependence arising from junction cv characteristics . this nonlinearity in comparator trip time results in nonlinearity in time in the separation of states and margins in going from the lowest to the highest charged memory states ( whereas it is desirable to space the memory states evenly , charge - wise , to get maximum fit of states within the dynamic range and to have uniform margins ). a second exemplary embodiment removes these limitations by using a static sensing approach utilizing current comparators , as shown in the exemplary embodiment of fig3 . the fixed reference voltage , vref , of the embodiment of fig2 is replaced with a staircase reference current ( iref ) source 310 , which starts off at a minimum level , imin , and increments by _i with each count of clock 305 ( i . e . after n clock pulses iref = imin + n * _i ). for a given memory cell , when the reference current just exceeds the cell current , the associated one of current comparator sense amplifiers 104 - 1 through 104 - n will flip , freezing the corresponding count of counter 304 ( which increments in sync with staircase current generator 310 ) into the corresponding one of registers . in one embodiment , the scale factor for staircase current source 310 ( e . g . its maximum current ) is established using one or a population of floating gate memory cells ( e . g . erased strongly ) in order to provide optimum dynamic range with tracking of process and operating conditions ; i . e . the regulation of current source includes monitoring the characteristics of one or more floating gate cells dedicated for use in connection with this current source regulation . this second embodiment , while a bit more complex , offers better control , linearity and minimizes or eliminates sensitivity to dynamic effects . this includes eliminating the need for repetitive , controlled ramping of word lines in the case of dynamic sensing , simplifying many of the timing and associated control operations . once sensing is completed and data is frozen into all registers 301 - 1 through 301 - n , it is shifted out , for example , serially . a simple way to do this is to have the registers 301 - 1 through 301 - n tied together in shift register fashion . in the above example , the data stored in each register each comprises eight bits , requiring an eight line wide bus to shift the full data out of the memory chip ( for example to a memory controller , such as is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 430 , 859 assigned to sandisk corporation , for sending to requesting devices ) in one controller clock cycle , and thus requires eight output pads / pins . if data rate to the controller is less critical while keeping the number of pads / pins down is important , then the eight bits could be broken down , e . g . shifting out the four msb bits first followed by the four lsb bits through four pads in two controller clock cycles , or shifting out groups of two bits four times through two output pads in four controller clock cycles , etc . as previously stated , one goal of the present invention is to provide self - consistent , adaptive and tracking capability for sensing , capable of establishing both the data and the “ quality ” of the data ( i . e . the margins ). in accordance with certain embodiments of this invention , tracking cells are included within each of the sectors such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 172 , 338 assigned to sandisk corporation . these tracking cells are set at known states to reliably establish the optimum discrimination points for each of the various states . in certain embodiments , this is accomplished using as few as one cell per state . however , if better statistics are vital to establishing the optimum discrimination point , a small population of cells sufficient to establish such optimum points statistically is used . for example in one embodiment ten physical cells are used for each state , in which case for 4 - state encoding a total of 40 physical cells are used , as part of the overhead portion of the sector . as will be described below , data from these tracking cells will be the first information from the sector to be read into the controller , in order to establish the optimum discrimination points for the remainder of the sector data . however , in order to make these cells track the rest of the sectors in terms of data history and wear , they are not repeatedly erased and written into the same , fixed , pre - assigned states . this is because the amount of wear will be peculiar to that state and may not reflect the wear / history of the remainder of the sector . in one embodiment , managing wear , both in terms of insuring uniformity ( i . e . intra - sector wear leveling ) and in keeping such wear to a minimum , is handled by some method of continuous or periodic re - assignment of each of the logical states ( e . g . logical states l0 , l1 , l2 and l3 ) to a corresponding physical state ( e . g . physical states p 0 , p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 ), an example of which is shown in table 2 . these physical states p 0 to p 3 correspond to specific conduction levels of each memory cell ; e . g . p 0 is the highest conducting state , p 1 is the next highest conducting state , p 2 the next highest , and p 3 the least conductive state . a description of this concept applied to two state encoding and termed “ program / inverse program ” is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 270 , 979 assigned to sandisk corporation . re - assignment of states with subsequent writes ( in one embodiment with each subsequent write , and in alternative embodiments after a specific number of writes ) is done , for example , by rotation or on a random number basis . this guarantees that , on the average , over many cycles , only about half of the full possible charge is transported to the cells , and that the wear of each cell is virtually identical to all others within its sector . the embodiment utilizing a random number assignment between logical and physical states has the advantage that it eliminates the possibility of synchronization between the logical to physical data re - assignment algorithm and variable user data , which would defeat such wear leveling . all tracking cells for each given logical state are re - assigned to the same physical state , e . g . all ten cells of one tracking group assigned with the role of storing logical state l1 , are set to either p 0 , p 1 , p 2 or p 3 , for a particular write cycle , dictated by the scrambling algorithm . given that the tracking cells go through the same scrambling operation as the remainder of the sector , they not only reflect the wear of that sector , but also provide the translation means to convert back from physical to logical state . since each tracking group is given a constant pre - assigned logical state responsibility , when the controller deciphers the various tracking cells groups ( e . g . the four groups of ten cells each ) it will concurrently establish the translation for the sector . more resolution requires more time to sense ( more steps in the a / d ), more die area associated with the larger registers , more cost associated with shipping data out to the controller ( more parallelism dictates more pads and thus an area penalty or , with same number of pads , takes longer to shift out all the data , and thus a performance penalty ), and more cost associated with processing the data in the controller . inadequate resolution results in limited visibility in common mode population margin shifts ( e . g . due to trapping / detrapping effects ), resulting in larger error in establishing comparator points . this larger error must be included in the multi - state budget , forcing larger separation between states , and consequently fewer states , i . e . lower multi - state scalability . a reasonable resolution target is a / d resolutions equal to approximately 3 % of the state - to - state separation . this provides visibility into sufficiently small cell current shifts within a population to allow meaningful correction ( i . e . avoiding margin failure from tail bits within a population due to poorer resolution ), and does not impose such a high resolution that it becomes meaningless vis a vis the various noise and error terms associated with setting and measuring states . specific examples for state ranges and counter / a / d resolution are shown in fig4 a and 5 b for 4 - level and 8 - level multi - state encoding , respectively . the cell current / floating gate voltage relationship used in fig5 a and 5 b for read are representative of cell characteristics built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , using 0 . 5 micron based flash semiconductor fabrication technology available today , which for example has an i / v slope of approximately 20 uamps / volt with the zero current intercept ( projected threshold ) at 4 . 25v . in the example shown , the state - to - state separation for a four state cell is 30 uamps , the a / d resolution is 1 uamps and the dynamic range covered is 0 to 128 uamps . this gives about a 1 / 30 resolution of the state to state separation ( 3 . 3 %). a population of cells written into a given intermediate state is confined to a 10 uamp window , i . e . spanning ten steps of resolution . therefore 1 a / d step bit offers a 10 % resolution of the written population distribution , and any common mode shift of that magnitude , over time , can be corrected in 10 % resolution steps . therefore , for 4 - state a 7 bit a / d is suitable . the situation is similar for the eight state example of fig4 b , except state to state separation is 15 uamps , and a / d resolution is 0 . 5 uamps , covering the same 0 to 128 uamps dynamic range . this offers the same percentage of the population resolution , for which an eight bit a / d is suitable . the following describes the data flow and handling by the controller for each sector read operation . in order to support high speed , in one embodiment this operation is performed in hardware and / or firmware . for the purposes of the following discussion , the example of 4 - state encoding , with 7 bit sensing resolution ( providing 128 steps on the order of 1 uamp per step ) and ten tracking cells for each of the four states , is used . fig4 a depicts 4 - state encoding with each bit of resolution corresponding to approximately 1 uamp ( therefore about a 100 uamp full range ). in the embodiment depicted in fig4 a , 4 - states are shown , physical states p 0 , p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 . state p 0 is established by setting the cell to have a cell current under read conditions of 90 uamps or more ( e . g . by erasing the cell to that value ). when reading , state p 0 is detected when cell current is 85 uamps or more , thereby allowing a slightly relaxed tolerance for reading than writing . the programming levels for states p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 are also shown in fig4 a , as are the looser read current levels for each of those states . an appropriate guard band is placed between each state such that , for example , a cell current during read between 75 and 85 uamps is too ambiguous to be associated with either of adjacent states p 0 and p 1 . the operation of this embodiment will now be described with respect to the flowchart of fig5 and the diagram of fig6 . first , the reference tracking cells &# 39 ; data is shifted into the controller , one 8 bit set ( or byte ) for each cell . this data is then processed as illustrated in more detail in the flowchart of fig7 , starting with the first tracking cell group assigned to logical state l0 as described in table 2 . the function of these bits is to establish the optimum compare point for the l0 state by first establishing where the center of the population of tracking cells placed into the l0 state is . this can be accomplished on the ten cells per state population by continuously summing each successive data of the ten l0 cells , giving accumulation of those ten cells &# 39 ; data . it is desirable to maintain a max and min register concurrently , in order to minimize chance of error from an isolated , errant cell , either high or low . this is done by comparing each successive piece of data to the previously stored comparator data and at each compare operation storing the higher ( lower ) into the max ( min ) comparator . once data from all ten cells have shifted in , it is processed to establish the filter point , for example by subtracting the max and the min from the sum and dividing the result by 8 ( i . e . shifted to right three times ), giving the average storage level of the l0 assigned tracking cells . rounding to the nearest number is , in one embodiment , accomplished by shifting to the right three times but temporarily storing the third bit shifted and then summing this bit with the shifted value . this is then repeated for the l1 , l2 and l3 tracking cell population , at which point the system has determined the physical to logical conversion for each state . in one embodiment , this conversion is performed by ordering the l0 , l1 , l2 , and l3 states into descending order , and then matching this to the corresponding physical state assignment as shown in table 2 . for example , if l0 happens to correspond to physical state p 0 it will have the highest value of the four states , if l0 corresponds to physical state p 1 it will have the next highest value , and so forth , and likewise for states l1 , l2 , and l3 . if after ordering the order is l0 , l1 , l2 , l3 then state assignment # 1 of table 2 was used . on the other hand , if the order is l1 , l2 , l3 , l0 the assignment # 2 was used , and so forth per table 2 . in this embodiment , the optimum discrimination points between the four physical levels , p 0 , p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 are established by calculating the midpoints between p 0 and p 1 , p 1 and p 2 , and p 2 and p 3 . slightly better precision is achieved by postponing the division by 8 for the individual ten cell groups until after summing p 0 and p 1 , p 1 and p 2 , etc ., at which point the average of p 0 and p 1 is obtained by summing p 0 and p 1 and dividing by 16 ( shifting four to the right with provisions for rounding ) and similarly for p 1 and p 2 , and p 2 and p 3 , thereby establishing three compare values , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , respectively , which are shown in fig4 a as current points 80 , 50 , and 20 between states p 0 , p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 . this then gives the optimum compare or filter points for the rest of the sector &# 39 ; s data , which is now shifted in . as data is passed through , it is sifted through a set of comparators ( for example , as described later with reference to the flowcharts of fig5 and 7 ) set at those compare points to establish their state ; i . e . higher than c 1 , ( making it state p 0 ), between c 1 and c 2 ( making it p 1 ) between c 2 and c 3 ( making it state p 2 ) or lower than c 3 ( making it state p 3 ). these are then translated to their corresponding logical states , based on the specific logical to physical assignment used , as discussed above . in one embodiment , compare points c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , loaded into the comparators are adaptive in nature , established by the sector itself via the tracking cells . in this way the sensing tracks the properties of the population of cells within the sector , their operating voltage and temperature conditions , history and wear , and any common mode drift , as for example may arise from detrapping of gate oxide trapped charge , accumulated during write cycling . since such detrapping is also present in the tracking cells , they establish the optimum point for sensing , whatever the degree of detrapping , provided their conduction remains within the dynamic range of cell state sensing capability ( i . e . ability to still discriminate between the various states ), and the mechanism is truly common mode , with minimal dispersion . in one embodiment , this adaptive adjustment of the compare points is performed in a continuous , real time manner . in an alternative embodiment , the optimum compare points for the l0 state as well as the other states l1 - l3 are established periodically as part of a maintenance operation , and not in real time as actual data is being read , to reduce impact on system performance . this latter approach improves performance by eliminating the repetitive overhead time associated with processing the tracking cell data . in one embodiment , it is invoked on a predetermined read interval basis as part of a read / margins checkout , and / or invoked in the rare event of read marginality or failure . this gives the ability to recover data or restore margins through data rewrite using the most optimum read reference conditions via the tracking cells . in one embodiment , a sector is broken down as shown in fig6 , to include user data and overhead bytes . the overhead bytes include a plurality of reference tracking cells for monitoring the condition of one or more cells known to be programmed to each of the logical states in the multi - state memory . the overhead also includes , if desired , header information such as address information , ecc bits , bit and / or sector mapping related information , and counts of the number of writes to the sector . referring again to fig5 , as the rest of the sector &# 39 ; s data is read and processed using the compare points established based on the referenced tracking cells &# 39 ; characteristics , a decision is made as to whether the data is acceptable or not . if not , gross defect management is invoked , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 602 , 987 . on the other hand , if the data is acceptable , a decision is made as to whether the data is “ clean ”, i . e . of a sufficiently high quality that there no data margin or ecc related problems . if the answer is yes , the data is sent out to the host without further intervention ; conversely if the answer is no ( i . e . the data is not clean ), the necessary error correction or “ clean up ” step is invoked thereby not only sending the data out to the host but also insuring that the corrected data is clean upon subsequent reads . as described above , one feature derived from this invention is the ability to concurrently determine not only the data itself but also the “ quality ” of each data point , or its margin , with respect to the above described compare points . even when a bit of data is read correctly , if it gets too close to a compare point , it may become unreliable sometime in the future , giving erroneous readings due to noise sensitivity , additional margin shift , or change in operating conditions arising from power supply or temperature variation . therefore , the quality measurement achieved by this invention provides a failure look - ahead capability , something dealt with in prior art , using special read - under - margin operations . such prior art read - under - margin operations generally involve multiple pass reads , invoked under special conditions or circumstances , and requiring special circuitry ( which may include controlled changes to reference / sensing circuitry or special cell biasing operation ) to establish the needed margin differentials . often , the accuracy or resolution of such differential means is limited , forcing larger margins than absolutely required . in the case of multi - state , this would dictate wider memory threshold voltage windows per state , and consequently wider voltage separation between states , thereby resulting in fewer states available for a given cell &# 39 ; s dynamic voltage range , and consequent lower memory storage density per cell . however , with the novel approach of the present invention , the margin or “ quality ” of the data is a natural byproduct of each read operation , requiring no special modes or events to initiate it , and allowing the system to instantly react to any detection of marginal data . in essence , the capability of a “ look ahead data recovery ” is automatically included each read operation . however , instead of such margining operation being considered a very rare operation for a very rare event , in accordance with the present invention , the trade - off made in order to achieve high density multi - state is to allow a substantially higher incidence of such marginality , with such marginality being made manageable by providing a measure of this marginality as part of the standard read operation . in one embodiment , the specific way such marginality detection is implemented includes , around each of the compare values c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , an additional pair of values c 1 + del , c 1 - del , c 2 + del , etc ., shown in fig4 a as “ poor margin filter ”, and associated comparators ( not shown ). any data falling between the compare points c 1 , c 2 , c 3 and their associated +/− del points is tagged as marginal ( e . g . if state p 2 , which falls between compare values c 2 and c 3 , is detected to be between c 2 and c 2 - delta or c 3 + delta and c 3 , it is then tagged as marginal ). consequently , each piece of 4 - state data can have a three bit result , the first two bits , a and b , for the actual data and a third bit , q , for its marginality or “ quality ” ( e . g . 0 if ok and 1 if marginal ), as depicted in table 3 . in one embodiment , the quality of the data includes additional information , for example whether the sensed parameter ( e . g . cell current ) is too high or too low with respect to the center of that state &# 39 ; s population ( e . g . for state p 2 , if found between c 2 - delta and c 2 it is too high , whereas if between and c 3 and c 3 + delta it is too low ). this allows clean up reaction conditional on its direction of marginality . for example , if a memory cell &# 39 ; s marginality is a consequence of being shifted towards being too heavily programmed , the course of action is to re - erase and program that data as is part of a full sector data scrub operation . on the other hand , if a memory cell &# 39 ; s marginality is such that it is shifted towards being too heavily erased , recovery of proper margin for the state of the memory cell is accomplished by programming only that one memory cell slightly in order to regain its needed margin or “ quality ”. an example of the latter is the case of relaxation of trapped channel electrons ( which can accumulate after a large number of writes to a cell or a group of cells ) which causes cell margins to drift from a more to a less heavily programmed condition . in such a case , it is sufficient to add some programming operations to regain cell state margins ; no sector erase before programming is required . in one embodiment , a count is stored within each sector as part of the sector &# 39 ; s header whose function is to be incremented each time a corrective action associated with a read scrub takes place . once this count reaches a maximum allowed level , cmax , the corrective action invoked is to map out the marginal / failing bits , whereas prior to reaching this cmax value , data is rewritten without such mapping . this embodiment preserves the sector longer prior to the entire sector being retired from service , by avoiding nuisance marginalities resulting in excessive bit and sector mapping , while filtering out the truly bad bits which should be mapped out . once the cmax count is reached for a sector and the failing marginal bit is mapped out , the counter is reset to zero and the procedure is repeated . writing the multi - state data is now described with reference to the exemplary circuit diagram of fig8 and the associated flow chart of fig9 . with reference to fig8 , the components located within the dashed line indicate components which are replicated for each sector . following the data unconditional sector erase , data is written into that sector on a chunk by chunk basis . starting with the first chunk , the first intermediate state , state p 1 , is placed into the programmed state , which is initiated by using a short , low voltage vcg pulse ( for example approximately 4 usec at 2v control gate bias ) followed by a verify read against a reference current set at the level appropriate for state p 1 . for bits within the chunk targeted to receive this programming , but which become sufficiently programmed , an internal circuit locks out further programming of those bits , while targeted cells , still insufficiently programmed , experience the next programming pulse , which is of the same width as the first , but has incrementally higher vcg ( e . g . 200 mv higher ), again followed by verify . this sequence of programming with incrementally higher vcg followed be verify continues until all state p 1 cells targeted within the chunk are verified , or until a maximum vcg is reached ( in which case defect management is invoked ). then the next intermediate state , state p 2 , is written , in similar fashion to the first intermediate state p 1 , but using the reference current setting associated with that state , and starting with a vcg level appropriate for reliably programming that state in the shortest time . this procedure is repeated for each state until all states in the chunk are programmed and verified , and the whole process repeated on the remaining chunks on a chunk by chunk basis . an alternative embodiment , depicted in the flowchart of fig1 , provides an increase in speed . in this embodiment all states within a chunk of bits are programmed concurrently in a single vcg staircase progression as follows . the data to be written into the chunk is shifted into the corresponding registers ( e . g . register 43 of fig8 ), exactly mirroring the readout operation , and the corresponding bit rs latch 46 is set enabling its associated bit line driver . associated with each physical data state , p 0 , p 1 , p 2 , p 3 is its register count and corresponding current level . after each programming pulse the reference current staircase is invoked in analogous fashion to the read operation , with the master counter concurrently incremented . a comparator circuit associated with each register ( formed of transfer gate 41 and xor gate 42 ) compares the input data ( i . e . count ) stored in register 43 to that of master counter 44 . when a match occurs , the program lockout feature upon verify is enabled . actual lockout only occurs when the corresponding cell is sufficiently programmed to pass read verify with respect to the associated reference current setting , ( i . e . programmed into the associated physical state ). once verify is successful , nand gate 45 resets rs latch 46 , disabling its associated bit line driver 47 , and resulting in all subsequent programming of that cell being disabled for the remainder of the sector write operation . if verify fails , the cell will receive the next vcg incremented programming pulse followed again by the scanned current source / master counter verify procedure . unlike reading , which calls for use of the entire current staircase to resolve the state to full analog precision , the write / verify operation only needs to use those reference current settings and associated counts specific to the set of memory states , e . g . specific to states p 1 , p 2 , p 3 as predefined ( p 0 , being the erased state , is excluded and inhibited from programming from the outset ). this helps speed up the verify process by having three settings in the case of 4 - states , in place of 128 settings exemplified for the read operation of fig4 a , where 128 settings allows for quality determinations to be made . therefore , as illustrated in the example of fig1 , each verify consists of a three step staircase operation in which the first step consists of setting up ( e . g . rapidly incrementing up to ) the first reference current level associated with physical state p 1 , including concurrently setting up the master counter ( e . g . counting ) to the corresponding counter value , performing a read / sense operation , and locking out from further programming any cells which both match their register value to that of the master counter and are read as programmed ( with respect to the corresponding reference current setting ). each following step of the three step operation consists of setting up ( e . g . rapidly counting up to ) the next data current level and corresponding reference current setting and repeating the read / sense operation , identically to the first step , until all three steps are completed . note that it may not be necessary to have a full match of the 8 bits , only that a sufficient number of msb ( most significant , or of highest current weight bits ) match . this is most applicable when there are much fewer allowed states and corresponding cell current targets than resolution of the a / d . in this case , as long as the msb bits uniquely differentiate each of the various states ( e . g . there are a minimum of two msb bits for 4 state and 4 msb bits for 16 states ) only those msb bits are required for the exclusive or . this will save some area associated with exclusive or circuitry , but does restrict somewhat the current assignment flexibility for each state . this program / 3 - step verify procedure is repeated , with vcg incremented in each subsequent program step , until all cells in the chunk are verified or max vcg level is reached , as described previously . this entire operation is then repeated for all remaining chunks of the sector , at which point sector multi - state date writing is complete . a significant advantage of this novel approach is that it can be extended to a large number of multi - states ( e . g . 16 ) without substantially impacting write performance , other than that required for improved resolution ( e . g . more and smaller vcg steps , or lower drain programming voltage vpd , to slow down programming rate ), and the additional time needed to sense / verify each of the additional states . the latter , being a read operation , tends to be much faster than programming , and therefore should not substantially impact write performance . an alternative embodiment which speeds up the verify process is depicted in the diagram of fig1 . in place of the single adjustable reference current source , multiple current sources ( or parallel tap points of a master current source ) are used . in one embodiment , the number of current sources is ( n − 1 ), where n is the number of states , since a current point is not needed for the fully erased state . a data - in register of size k is used for each cell in the chunk , where 2 { circumflex over ( )} k = n . the information written into the data register by the controller at the start of write is used to select one of the n − 1 current levels during verify , dependent on the particular state . upon verify , all cells of the chunk are compared simultaneously to their corresponding particular reference target in a single verify operation , locking out further programming , on a cell by cell basis , if successful . this allows full verify to complete in one parallel operation , as opposed to the multi - step serial operation in the previously described embodiment , substantially improving verify speed . the cost is the requirement of the multi - current sources , counting and associated selection circuitry within each bit of the chunk . as in the multi - step embodiment , the requirement of data - in register can be served by a portion ( e . g . the msb portion ) of the existing readout register . the exclusive or used in the embodiment of fig8 is now replaced with straight decoding to select the appropriate current source . an additional feature of the adaptive multi - state discrimination sensing of the present invention is the ability to put bounds to extreme states , an upper bound for the highest state ( e . g . physical state p 0 ) and lower bound for the lowest state , assuming that this lowest state is not already in cutoff . when the extreme states ( as for example reflected within a subset of the tracking cells ) cross those bounds , the data is deemed to be outside the limits of safe detectability vis a vis available dynamic range , and sector data either needs to be refreshed ( rewritten ) or the sector mapped out , replacing it with a spare sector . however , this does not eliminate the need for maintaining a cumulative count of the number of write operations experienced ( referred to as “ hot count ”) per sector , since there is no warning at the time of writing that , once written , such excessive shift may occur . such warning is the function of a “ hot count ceiling ”; to put an upper bound to the amount of cumulative cell wear allowed , forewarning the possibility of excess trapped charge and associated margin loss due to its subsequent detrapping , termed relaxation . if such relaxation exceeds a critical value , the resulting common mode shift of all cells ( noting that some form of data state rotation is being used to keep wear on all cells within the sector uniform ) within the sector , typically from less conductive to more conductive levels , becomes sufficiently large to prevent discrimination between the highest two states ( fully erased state and state just below it ); i . e . drift exceeds dynamic range of the system . in order to avoid such failure , sectors cycled to such high trapping levels must be retired . the hot count is an indirect indicator of such trapping , since in addition to the number of cycles experienced , cumulative trapping is sensitive to other factors such as duty cycle of the write operation , time between writes , operating and non - operating temperature exposure , etc . ; i . e . history / details . when hot count is used as criteria for mapping out a sector , it must assume worst case conditions to insure no failure . however in practice , systems using such memories rarely , if ever , experience such worst case history exposure under actual application . therefore , mapping out of a sector based on cumulative hot count is often excessively premature for practical applications . an alternative embodiment uses a “ twin - cell ” trapping gauge included within each sector , whose function is to detect directly the amount of channel trapping shift which is responsible for the relaxation . this provides a direct measure of the amount of wear actually seen by cells in the sector , comprehending both cumulative write cycles or hot count and history of sector exposure . only when this cell &# 39 ; s shift reaches a critical value will the sector be retired , and no hot count information is required to make this decision . this allows much higher endurance capability in actual system use than can be safely provided via hot count because , unlike hot count which can only provide a general indication of cumulative wear ( since it cannot gauge wear directly , only exposure ), and therefore the hot count must be heavily guardbanded ( i . e . allowing minimum number of writes to accommodate worst case wear ), the twin cell &# 39 ; s direct measure of wear can minimize the amount of such endurance guardband . one embodiment of a twin - cell of the present invention is depicted in fig1 and , consists of a cell 600 having a single floating gate 601 but two separate sensing channels , one channel 602 being a read / write channel ( r / w ), the other channel 603 being a read - only ( ro ) channel . cell 600 is designed to match actual memory cells , e . g . by taking two adjacent memory cells and tying their floating gates together . programming of cell 600 is performed through the read / write channel by raising bit line bl 2 to a programming voltage ( for example about 7v ), and grounding bit line bl 1 , while bit line bl 0 is floated ( or grounded ). in this way , all the stress and trapping associated with hot electron programming is confined to the read / write channel 602 . using the a / d read of read / write channel 602 followed by a / d reading of read only channel 603 and finding the difference ( e . g . by subtracting ) gives a measure of channel trapping ( delta ). early in a sector &# 39 ; s life , with low cycling exposure , this delta is close to zero , while with progressive cycling the difference grows , with the read only channel 603 giving higher a / d counts ( appearing more erased ) compared to read / write channel 602 . the state set and used for useful comparison is , in one embodiment , a middle intermediate state , offering both the widest range and the average wear of a cell . when the delta exceeds a critical value ( e . g . 20 counts in example of fig5 a and 5 b , corresponding to a cell current shift of 20 uamps and 10 uamps for the four and eight state encoding , respectively ) the sector is at its limit with respect to wearout / relaxation or other potential read and reliability problems and is retired . in summary , key points described thus far in this specification for supporting high density multi - state are : 1 . parallel , full chunk , a / d conversion of multi - state data , with adequate resolution to provide analog measure of the encoded states ; 2 . master reference cell ( s ) whose prime function is to provide optimum dynamic range for comparator sensing ; 3 . logical to physical data scrambling to provide both intra - sector wear leveling and increased endurance capability of about twofold . 4 . intra - sector tracking cell groups , one for each state , included in each sector to provide optimum compare points for the various states , and able to adapt to any common mode shifts ( e . g . relaxation ). it also provides translation of data rotation . a ) to , on - the - fly , find midpoints of each tracking cell group , b ) with which to establish data state discrimination and marginality filter points , c ) through which sector data is passed , giving both the encoded memory state , and its quality ( marginality ), for each physical bit , d ) optionally , to decide what actions must be taken to clean up ( scrub ) marginal bit data based on the quality information ( e . g . do full sector erase and rewrite versus selective write , only ). 6 . optionally to include a small counter on each sector which is incremented each time a read scrub is encountered . when the count reaches maximum allowed , marginal bit ( s ) are mapped out rather than rewritten and counter is reset to 0 . this provides a filter for truly “ bad ” bits . 7 . same means are applied in reverse to write multi - state data back into a sector , using the same circuitry as used for read but operated in reverse , to provide self - consistent data encoding . in addition , two alternative embodiments for performing verification are taught : 7a . using a reference current staircase to sequentially scan through the range of states , conditionally terminating each cell as the current step corresponding to its target data is presented to the sensing circuit . 7b . using a full set of n − 1 reference currents of the n possible states to simultaneously verify and conditionally terminate all cells . 8 . twin - cell option can be included in each sector to provide deltavt shift level associated with cycling driven trapping and channel wearout , triggering sector retirement before detrapping shifts exceed read dynamic range or other potential read errors . this replaces hot count based sector retirement , greatly increasing usable endurance . an important goal for multi - state is achieving competitive speed to two - state devices , with respect to both write ( data programming ) and read . the reason that maintaining comparably high performance is difficult for multi - state , as compared to binary encoded data , originates from the considerably tighter margin requirements associated with multi - state encoding ( given a limited total memory window budget ), coupled with the fact that the information content per cell increases only logarithmically for a linearly increasing number of multi - state levels ( i . e . 2 n levels gives only n bits of information ). so along with margins , performance becomes a victim of the diminishing returns associated with increasing levels of multi - state . in the embodiment discussed above with reference to fig1 , write performance is heavily impacted by having to progressively and carefully go through each state , the progression requiring a sequential , multiple pulse / check methodology to carefully set the state , although in several embodiments verification speed can be increased , as discussed above . for example , to implement 4 - state : erase sets up physical state p 0 ; a first vcg staircase of up to 7 pulse / check steps sets up physical state p 1 ; followed by a second group of up to 6 pulse / check steps to set up physical state p 2 ; terminated with a last programming step to set up physical state p 3 ; giving a total of 14 pulses to write two bits of information , 7 pulses per bit , in place of the one pulse per bit for writing binary . projecting this to 8 level multi - state , the total number of pulses would be more than 30 , a further slowdown to more than ten pulses per bit . thus far , read performance has not been impacted for two reasons . the first is the feature of concurrent multi - state sensing using multi - leg cell current mirroring to n − 1 sense amps ( e . g . three sense amplifiers for 4 - state ). the second is the stream read feature appropriate for mass data storage , wherein , other than latency , the actual cell read time is hidden by the stream read implementation which simultaneously shifts out a large chunk ( e . g . 256 bits ) of previously read data while current data is being sensed . for more aggressively scaled multi - state implementations , both of the above features will become inadequate . with respect to the first , the use of static current sensing becomes increasingly unattractive , both because of increasing ir drops with physical scaling and increased memory window requirements while sensing margins decrease , and because of the higher power consumption associated with high value multiple current levels . a more attractive way to sense multi - states is via voltage margining , which requires only minimal cell current ( as for example using dynamic type sensing ), but dictates stepping through the range of control gate voltage margin levels spanning the states ( for n states , this means a minimum of n − 1 steps ), an example of which is given in the above referenced analog dynamic - type sensing embodiment . this impacts the stream read feature however , because now the time consumed in actually stepping through the various margin levels , followed by sensing , increases greatly . when combining this with progressive demand for higher - still data rates in mass storage , it will become increasingly difficult to exploit stream read to achieve enhanced performance . in addition , write performance can also be significantly impacted by internal read speed limitations , since read is an integral component in reliably setting the individual states ( via program / verify loops ), as well as for post write sector data checking . so with more aggressive use of multi - state for scaling , based on the above scenario , performance will continue to decline . the above referenced analog sensing embodiment improves performance by supporting a large degree of parallelism . greater parallelism is one way to retard the decline in performance associated with increasing numbers of cell states . however , the use of a virtual ground array ( imposing a separation between simultaneously addressable cells ) plus the constraint of a 512 byte sector size granularity , places a limit on how far parallelism can pushed . the embodiments of this invention described in the following section offer a solution to the above performance limitations , by substantially cutting down the number of discrete steps required for both programming and read , while preserving the desirable features associated with analog / voltage margin sensing taught by the present invention . given that a dominant controlling element allowing differentiation between the various multi - state levels is the control gate ( or equivalently termed steering gate ), the key to reducing the number of discrete steps used for both read and write is to simultaneously apply , to the full group ( chunk ) of cells , control gate voltage values associated with each cell &# 39 ; s particular data state requirements , on a cell by cell basis . in a row oriented sector , in order for the control gate to be individually adjustable for each cell , it cannot run in the row line direction , since it then becomes common to all cells which are to be simultaneously operated on . rather , it needs to run in the column ( bit line ) direction , which allows it to both be individually adjustable on a cell by cell basis , and individually responsive to the sensing result on the associated cell bit line . the basic elements of one embodiment of such a cell are shown in fig1 . since control gate 71 runs parallel to bit lines 72 - 1 and 72 - 2 , control gate 71 cannot also serve as the select line ( which is the usual case in eprom and flash memories ), since unique cell selection along a bit line dictates that the select line run perpendicular to the bit line . this forces the select line to run in a different layer , which in one embodiment is a poly 3 line with the control ( steering gate ) being a poly 2 line and the floating gate built from poly 1 . specific exemplary embodiments of cell structures suitable for use in conjunction with this aspect of the present invention are described later . a cell as in fig1 is read using the control gate in an a to d type binary search , as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , and the flowchart of fig1 . each sensing circuit consists of sense amplifier ( sa ) comparator 81 , having one input lead which receives an input signal from memory cell 99 via bit line 82 - 2 , and another input lead receiving an input signal from a global reference circuit ( not shown ) which provides reference signal iref . the output of comparator 81 is used to update a corresponding n - bit control gate register element ( cgre ) 83 , the number of bits governed by required sensing resolution ( e . g . if a 1 in 64 resolution is desired , a six bit register is used ). the value stored in cgre 83 is then used to provide the next control gate read vcg voltage , via the corresponding next step processor ( nsp ) 84 , in a successive approximation scheme . following is an example of the read operation flow , as depicted in the flowchart of fig1 . cgre 83 is a 6 - bit binary register element , with a corresponding dynamic range on the control gate ( via nsp 84 ) of 0v to 7 . 875v in 125 mv steps . read starts with the binary value 100000 ( nold ) loaded into the cgre , giving the midpoint vcg of 4v . the output from sense amp 81 is then fed back into control gate register 83 , via conditional element 89 , according to the relation : in this way , if cell current is higher than iref , the next vcg will be lower , reducing the cell current . along with this next vcg , the next nnew = nold and the next dn = dn / 2 are generated by next step processor 84 . this binary search continues five more times ( for a total of 6 passes ), wherein the last cgre 83 value becomes the digital equivalent of the floating gate memory state . if the memory cell uses an 8 - level ( three logical bits / cell ) multi - state encoding , this gives three bits of resolution between states for state - to - state discrimination , guardbanding , margining , etc . data can then be processed in ways similar to those described in the afore - referenced analog sensing embodiment , the difference here being the rapid binary search methodology ( as opposed to one - step - at - a - time sequential search ), which for 1 in 64 bit resolution represents a 10 × performance improvement ( six steps in place of a possible total of around 64 steps ). in one embodiment , sensing is extended to a full chunk of bits ( e . g . 128 bits per chunk ), wherein each sensing circuit contains its own corresponding sa , cgre , and nsp elements , as is depicted in the embodiment of fig1 , in which the operation of each sensing circuit is conditional on its corresponding memory cell . in this way , the strength of the binary search approach is exploited to recover most of the lost read performance . for example , comparing the above example to a two - state read , assuming that each individual step of the binary search takes a comparable amount of time as that of the two - state sensing , then the total time expended in the multi - state read is equal to 6 binary reads . for 8 - state encoding , three bits of information are extracted , resulting in a read time per logical bit of only twice that of binary state reading . given that margin information is concurrently available as well ( as described above ), this offers an excellent level of read performance , consistent with a stream read implementation . in certain embodiments , the same elements used for reading are also applied to accelerate multi - state programming , again optimized to the targeted memory state on a cell by cell basis , as illustrated in the example of fig1 . here , the cgre x 83 is initialized with the optimum safe starting value for the particular state ( this may come from a set of updatable parameters stored within the sector ). in memory cells whose magnitude of programming ( e . g . programming vt ) increases with increasing vcg , this optimum safe starting point is the highest value of vcg allowable that will not cause the memory cell to program excessively , overshooting its targeted state ( i . e . overshooting its allowed state range ). starting at lower values than this optimum value , while safe , costs more programming time , because the earlier programming pulses do not provide a sufficient magnitude of programming towards the targeted state , thereby decreasing write speed . in one embodiment , a different relationship of vcg with cgre from that of read is used to satisfy dynamic range for programming ( e . g . by adding constant voltage kprog as indicated in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 ). following each programming pulse , a verify operation is performed . in the class of cells described above , if programming margin target is not achieved , the cgre value is incremented by 1 , with a corresponding incremental voltage increase on vcg via nsp element 191 for the next programming step , whereas if margin is reached , further programming on that bit is locked out , by disabling further application of programming voltage on its associated bit line and optionally eliminating application of vcg as well . in one embodiment , this operation is performed simultaneously on all bits within the chunk , each bit starting at its optimal vcg , conditional on its corresponding to - be - programmed data . in this way , programming is completed in about six steps , relatively independent to the level of multi - state ( e . g . 4 , to 8 , or 16 level multi - state cells are , in accordance with this embodiment , programmable in a comparable number of pulses ), in place of the more than 30 programming steps indicated earlier for a fully sequential 8 - level multi - state programming embodiment . this not only represents a 5 × write speed improvement , but given that three bits are being encoded , this gives an effective number of programming / verify passes of two passes per bit , only twice that of binary encoding . since performance of a full write operation includes additional time overhead above and beyond program / verify , this smaller difference in program speed may translate , in practice , to only a minor reduction in overall write speed as compared to binary encoded writing . cell verify can also be made state specific , using the same cgre / nsp engine described above with reference to fig1 , by loading the targeted verify voltage ( i . e . that value corresponding to the to - be - programmed data ) into its associate cgre . in this embodiment , unlike the read operation , for which vcg is changed during the read binary search flow , during the verify operation the state specific vcg verify voltage is kept fixed during the full program / verify flow ( i . e . nsp for verify remains unchanged ). in this way , all cells within a chunk are verified simultaneously , with further programming locked out , on a cell by cell basis , as each cell passes the verify operation . this data conditional , high performance verify embodiment complements the above described high performance , data conditional programming embodiment , offering a highly parallel , fast speed methodology for setting a many level multi - state memory . in one embodiment , in order to better exploit this capability , two different cgre / nsp circuits are used , as illustrated in fig1 . cgre / nsp circuit 91 is used to support programming , and cgre / nsp 92 is used for verify , allowing these two circuits to be multiplexed at high speed onto the control gate when changing between programming and verify operations . although using the individual , cell by cell vcg supply as in this embodiment , offers an excellent approach to supporting a high level of multi - state at high speed , it puts the burden on quickly providing all these vcg voltages . in one embodiment , all the possible voltage steps are generated and available simultaneously on a bus of voltage feed lines . in this embodiment , each cgre value is used to decode which one of these feed lines to connect to its corresponding control gate . this embodiment is attractive when there aren &# 39 ; t too many vgc levels to manage . since in principal only seven compare points are needed for discriminating 8 states ( and only 15 compare points are needed for discriminating 16 states ), this will often be suitable . however , this limits the high speed flexibility to dynamically tune the sense points and determine margins . if the need for attaining such full resolution is very rare ( as for example when ecc indicates a memory state failure or a marginality problem ), an alternative , hybrid embodiment is provided which only demands such capability rarely ( e . g . on the rare ecc flag ). on those rare occasions , those compare points are incrementally shifted to fully resolve the margins , albeit via a more time consuming procedure , because now voltage values will need to be provided which are not included in the limited set of supply levels ( e . g . 7 to 15 levels ) concurrently available . this would dictate temporarily generating new voltage levels , not concurrently available , consuming more time , and potentially breaking up the concurrent parallel chunk operation into operations on individual bits or small groups of bits to feed these specialized voltage levels . in the case where a large number of vcg voltage possibilities and / or all vcg voltage possibilities are required ( i . e . full real - time margining capabilities for full dynamic range flexibility ), one alternative embodiment , similar to the embodiment of fig1 , expands the cgre x 83 and nsp 191 elements to include sample - and - hold circuitry for each sensing circuit , the complement of which are fed by a common , single staircase voltage source . the voltage delivered by each nsp is conditional on its corresponding stored cgre value . care must be taken in such an embodiment to ensure that the dynamic nature of sample and hold circuitry with its potential for drift , and the time requirements for scanning / sampling the full dynamic voltage range , do not cause programming voltage vpg error . the benefit of this embodiment is that it incurs less area and power penalties . it is desired to simultaneously process each of the cgre data , based on the associated sense amplifier result and the previously stored value ( as well as the step in progress in the case of read ), conditional on the operation in progress . this is most complex for read , involving the manipulation for successive approximation ( basically providing up / down counting function , conditional on sensed result and current iteration step ). for programming and verify its requirements are simpler , complexity coming primarily in initializing each of the cgres to the corresponding data values ; once initialized , nothing further is required for the verify , requiring only incrementing by one for each successive programming / verify step in the case of programming . notwithstanding these complexities , required circuit areas and complexity of circuits should not differ substantially from approaches which use multiple sense amplifiers . the prior art approach uses multiple sense amplifiers ( e . g . requiring up to seven sense amplifiers for 8 - level multi - state ). in accordance with this embodiment , the multiple sensing circuits and associated current mirrors and reference legs are now replaced by one sense amplifier circuit , a couple of registers with associated decoder functions , sample and hold circuits , and some glue logic . the other major element of complexity is that of shifting out and processing the large body of data stored in the chunk - wide cgre register . one embodiment used is similar in this regard to that described in the above - referenced analog sensing embodiment . firstly , independent of other considerations , a memory cell must be competitive with respect to physically small size and scalability . beyond that , however , based on the cell requirements described above for a row selectable but column steerable element , as represented in the example of fig1 , the choices are limited . furthermore , in order to realize such a cell / array in minimal area , it must incorporate virtual ground architecture , and this is not just because of the approximately 50 % additional area associated with using the conventional ½ contact per cell array . the joint requirement of bit line and steering line running in the same direction , with the bit line having to physically run above yet periodically dropping below the steering line to contact diffusion , dictates that they run side by side rather than be stacked . whereas this occurs naturally in the virtual ground array , wherein active transistors are laterally displaced from the bit lines , in the conventionally contacted cell array the active transistors , while displaced from the bit line contacts themselves , do lie directly below the bit line conductor . for this reason , select / steering functions in such arrays are generally row oriented , eliminating the conflict . to do otherwise further increases cell area . one memory cell which meets all the above requirements is the virtual ground , split gate cell having column oriented poly 2 steering gates and row oriented poly 3 select gates . for reference purposes this will be referred to as cell embodiment 1 . such a cell can be programmed using either conventional drain side programming , or source side programming , depending on whether the poly 3 select transistor is strongly turned on or throttled down , respectively . erase is also row oriented , using poly 3 as the erase line , thereby achieving the row oriented sector . the source side programming version of this is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 313 , 421 , assigned to sandisk corporation . for reference purposes , this version will be referred to as cell embodiment 1 a . another suitable cell is the dual floating gate variant of cell embodiment 1 a , such as is described in copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 607 , 951 filed feb . 28 , 1996 and assigned to sandisk corporation , which offers a true cross - point cell ( 4 * lambda 2 per physical bit ). for reference purposes this version will be referred to as cell embodiment 2 . however , because of the series nature of the tri - gate structure ( the two floating gate channels being in series ), it is constrained to using source side programming , and will be more limited in how many levels of multi - state are realizable . nevertheless its inherently smaller cell size , self - alignment features and consequent scalability make it equally attractive to the simpler but somewhat larger cell embodiment 1 a . because of the requirement within each cell to have both bit line and steering line ( control gate ) running parallel to each other ( for convenience , their direction henceforth defined as vertical ), this raises the question of bussing / pitch requirements . to achieve a physically minimal cell , this dictates that the lateral extent ( horizontal width ) of the cell must be close to minimum feature pitch ( i . e . about 2 * lambda ), forcing the above two lines to fit in that pitch . at the cell level this is not a problem , since the steering line and bit lines tend to run side by side , and more importantly they are on different layers ( poly 3 and bn +, respectively ) eliminating proximity / overlay constraints . however , going from the local to the global interconnect level is a challenge . for ultra high density flash memory , one way to interface long bit line columns to the memory cell array is via column segmentation . this approach uses the continuous ( vertically ) running metal lines as global bit lines , which drop down periodically to local diffusions serving memory sub - arrays or “ segments ” ( e . g . 16 sectors ) via segment select switching transistors . in this way array segments are isolated from one another , eliminating the large cumulative parasitics of leakage current and capacitance , and providing column associated defect and repetitive disturb confinement . this also provides opportunity for relaxing the pitch requirement of the global bit lines from one per cell to one per two cells , depending on the segment selection approach used ( e . g . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 315 , 541 assigned to sandisk corporation ). with respect to the steering line , first consider the cell / array using cell embodiment 1 , which requires one steering line per column of cells . one possibility is to have this be a continuous global line , i . e . running continuously ( vertically ) through the entire memory array . running through the memory cell sub - array portion poses no obstacles , readily fitting within the existing pitch . however , it may run into obstacles when trying to cross the segment select portions , which bound those sub - arrays . other issues with this approach are the associated large rc time constants ( impacting speed of charging and discharging a long , resistive line ), and the increased array exposure to repetitive disturb . for those reasons , segmentation is also desirable for the steering function . consequently , given that at most one metal line can be run in the pitch of one cell , both global metal bit lines and global steering lines can be shared between pairs of cells . such sharing in the case of a global metal bit line is described in the above referenced u . s . pat . no . 5 , 315 , 541 . it uses a staggered , interlaced segmentation architecture with a transfer network driven by four decode lines per segment pair , thereby allowing each metal bit line to run in the pitch of two cells . similar sharing can also be achieved for the steering lines , an example of which is shown in fig1 ( and this is only one of many possible configurations ). in this embodiment , there are four steering transfer lines driving the transfer matrix , with one global steering line per two cell columns within the segment . when cells are selected , the steering transfer network connects the corresponding local steering lines to unique global steering lines ( e . g . sk connected via sdti 4 )). each selected global steering line is connected in turn by the chunk select ( i . e . column or y - select ) circuitry to the cgre circuitry . those steering lines which are not currently active may be floated or held at ground . if grounded , this raises the possibility of having a subset of the local steering lines , associated with a subset of cells which are not being operated on currently , to be held at ground through appropriate enabling of other sdt lines . an example , referring to fig1 : let sk be the selected global steering line , and sdti 4 be the selected transfer selected line . if it is not desirable to have steering potential applied to unselected cells on the selected row , sdti 3 should be held at ground . however , both sdti 1 and sdti 2 can be turned on allowing the neighboring cells on either side of the selected cell to have grounded steering lines . the reason that it may be undesirable to have unselected cells on selected rows receive high steering potential comes primarily during programming , when channels are conducting . even here however , the bias conditions on unselected cells are interchanged vis a vis source and drain , and see lower drain to source potentials , eliminating parasitic programming . given this , in another embodiment , the four sdt select lines per segment are replaced with a single sdt line , simplifying decoding , and potentially reducing layout area ( although because of narrow cell pitch , area reduction is primarily governed by select transistor and vertical interconnect related dictates ). having floating local steering lines ( e . g . in all the unselected segments ) does raise issues . it is undesirable that any of these lines drift to or are left at such a high potential that they can promote disturbs . however , with properly designed transfer transistors , which remain solidly cut off when unselected , diffusion leakage will maintain floating steering plates at ground ( i . e . at substrate potential ). in addition , by making sure that all actively driven steering lines are fully discharged before isolating them , this will insure that all steering lines are close to ground at all times except when actually selected / driven . in addition to disturbs , large voltages on control gates of unselected cells results in the potential of introducing excessive adjacent cell leakage , impacting proper multi - state setting and sensing . however , this is not an issue for the above - mentioned cell embodiment 1 implementation when voltage sensing is used , by virtue of their poly 3 select function being independent of the sensing related steering function . this allows the select transistor to be throttled down , ( i . e . biased to a minimal turn - on level such as ≦ 5 μamps ), with the state - determining conduction occurring when the control gate reaches or exceeds the floating gate transistor &# 39 ; s turn - on ( or margin ) voltage . this select transistor limited current strategy guarantees that , independent of how strongly conducting the floating gate channel may be , parasitic adjacent cell leakage problems are completely eliminated . the same strategy can be applied to the dual floating gate cell embodiment 2 , as illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , the unit memory cell , consisting of two floating gate elements and taking up the pitch of 4 * lambda , has associated with it a single bit line diffusion ( the other bounding bit line diffusion being associated with the neighboring cell ). therefore , global metal bit lines are naturally reduced to one line per 4 * lambda . this also facilitates laying out the segment transistor matrix ( e . g . non - interlaced , fully confined segmentation via a one - to - one segment transistor to local bn + network ), and requires only one segment select line per array segment . the steering transfer matrix is driven by two transfer lines per segment , coupled with global ( metal ) steering lines laid out in the pitch of one line per 4 * lambda . when a transfer line is enabled , it turns on the steering selection transistors for both of the control gates within a cell , for each alternate cell . each of these two control gates within each of the selected cells are driven by a unique global steering line , which , as in the above described cell embodiment 1 case , are driven , in turn , by the segment select and cgre circuitry . also , as in the cell embodiment 1 case , the issue of floating local steering lines exists , with similar resolution . with either cell embodiment , in order to fully capitalize on speed , it is important to make the chunk size as large as possible , maximizing parallelism . because of the low cell read and programming currents inherent to both cell embodiment 1 and 1 a approaches , peak power is not an issue , nor is adjacent cell leakage , which becomes insignificant . consequently , the number of floating gates per chunk which can be simultaneously operated on is limited only by segment decode restrictions . with the segmentation approach described , this allows every fourth floating gate to be addressed and operated on , simultaneously , in both cell variants . in the case of cell embodiment 1 , every fourth diffusion is brought to drain potential , and there are three cells under reversed d / s bias conditions between the drain and the next driven ground . once the first set of cells is completed operation proceeds to the neighboring set . after the fourth such repetition , the full row is completed . in the dual floating gate embodiment 2 case , wherein every other cell is selected , the biasing approach is different . two adjacent diffusions are driven to drain potential followed by two adjacent diffusions driven to ground , with that pattern repeated over and over . in this way global d / s bias is applied in mirrored fashion to every other of the selected cells , resulting in floating gate of odd selected cells being the opposite of the even selected cells . appropriate biases are placed on the global steering lines to satisfy the operation of the targeted floating gates . once done , the bias conditions for both global bit / gnd lines and targeted / untargeted floating gate steering lines are correspondingly interchanged to act on the other floating gate in the selected cells . once finished , similar operation is repeated to the alternate set of cells , completing full row programming in 4 passes . to give an idea of the power of this approach , in a physical row of 1500 floating gate elements , encoded in 8 - state ( three bits per cell ), 375 physical bits or 1125 logical bits are being operated on at one time . assuming it takes nine pulses to complete programming , this gives a programming rate of 125 logical bits or about 16 bytes per programming pulse , plus similar gains in performance achievable for read . existing two - state based flash products , by way of comparison , program around 32 bytes per programming pulse , putting the multi - state approach potentially within a factor of two in write speed . as described above in this portion of this specification , the cell - by - cell column oriented steering approach , realizable in the two source side injection cell embodiments ( standard and dual floating gate embodiments ), increases the performance of high level multi - state significantly , improving both its write and read speed . it achieves this by applying , in parallel , custom steering conditions needed for the particular state of each cell . this offers substantial reduction in the number of individual programming steps needed for write , and permits powerful binary search methodology for read , without having to carry out full sequential search operations . improved performance is further bolstered through increased chunk size , made possible here via the low current source - side injection mechanism , which allows every fourth floating gate element to be operated on , thereby increasing chunk size . although specific examples of array and segmentation architectures have been described , there are a wide variety of alternate options possible which offer similar capabilities . when combining the above concepts with those previously proposed a to d type sensing approaches , which support the greatest density of multi - state or “ logical scaling ” within a cell , this offers a powerful approach to achieving cost reduced , performance competitive mass storage memories , appropriate to the gigabit density generation of products . for example , by achieving effective programming and read rates of about 50 % that of two - state operation , this bridges the gap between multi - state and two - state performance substantially , so much so that when the remaining overhead is included ( i . e . those portions not directly related to chunk read or programming / verify steps ), performance differences from those of two - state can become , for all practical purposes , a non - issue . combining this with the 8 to 16 multi - level ( 3 to 4 bits ) per cell capability , translates to realizing competitively performing ultra - high density mass storage at a fraction of the cost per megabyte ( from one half to one third ), of equivalent binary encoded memory . the independent , bit line oriented steering feature described earlier is , in certain embodiments , exploited to significantly tighten an initially wide erased cell population distribution . in a mass storage memory based on the memory cell / array implementations shown in fig1 and 20 , all cells in a sector or group of sectors are erased simultaneously , by applying a sufficiently high positive bias on the poly 3 erase electrode relative to the poly 2 steering potential . this results in electron tunneling from the poly 1 floating gates to the poly 3 erase anode ( s ), as is described in the aforementioned copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 607 , 951 . an important feature in this embodiment is the capacitive coupling of the combined channel / drain component . it is designed to have a relatively low coupling to the floating gate as compared to the steering element , thereby having only weak impact with respect to the various cell operations , including erase . for example , if the channel potential during erase is the same as that of poly 2 ( e . g . both at ground ), the channel will provide only a slight assist to the steering gate in the erasing operation , resulting in a slightly stronger erase , while if its potential is more positive than that of the steering gate ( e . g . the steering gate bias is lowered negatively , for example to about − 7v , during erase , with the poly 3 erase level lowered the same amount , while the channel potential remains at ground ), it will contribute slightly less to erase . nevertheless , once the poly 3 is raised to the erasing potential , the main contributor to erasing a cell is the steering element and its potential . this strong dependence on steering gate potential provides a direct means for controlling the degree of erase on each cell , individually , in the column oriented steering embodiment . operation is as follows . at the start of the erase operation , all steering lines are biased at their erase enabling potential ( e . g . − 7v ), and a selected row to be erased ( generally this would be one row of a group of rows targeted for erase ) is pulsed to a sufficiently positive potential ( e . g . 5v ) to start the cell erasing process ( removing a portion of the electrons from some or all of the floating gates ), but which is insufficient to erase any of the cells within that row to the required full erase margin . once pulsing is completed , the row is biased into a read - at - erase - margins condition , and each cell is checked to see whether it has erased to that margin or not . for any cells which have so erased ( as will occur after subsequent erase pulses ), their corresponding steering lines will thereafter be biased into a non - erase - enabling or “ lock - out ” condition ( e . g . at 0v ) for all subsequent erase pulsing to that row during the remainder of that erasing session . this feature can be accomplished by flipping latches associated with each of the bit / steering line columns . if one or more cells are still not sufficiently erased , the erase pulse is repeated , preferably at an incrementally higher poly 3 voltage ( e . g . 0 . 5v higher , although increasing time is used in an alternative embodiment ), again followed by the read - at - erase - margins operation . this pulse / checking loop is repeated as necessary until all cells become sufficiently erased ( or until some other condition such as maximum voltage , pulses , etc . kicks in , at which time defect management options are invoked ), terminating the erase operation to that row . this procedure is then repeated on all the other rows targeted for erase , one row at a time , until all rows / sectors so targeted are erased . in this way all cells in a sector or group of sectors are both sufficiently erased , and confined to a targeted , tight erase distribution . this capability reduces wear under repeated write cycling , thereby increasing endurance . it is especially useful in speeding up multi - state programming operations following erase , since now time does not have to be expended in bringing heavily overerased cells up to that sufficiently erased condition . the drawback of this embodiment is that erasing becomes much more time consuming , replacing potentially one single erase pulse applied to all rows ( or sectors ) simultaneously , with a series of erase pulse / check operations on a row by row basis , since now only a single row can be erased at a time . this approach is most practical when the time associated with erase is hidden , eliminating its impact on write performance . today there are a number of ways in which mass storage systems eliminate erase related performance loss , including erase ahead approaches and dynamic address mapping via ram translation tables . in such systems , a tight erase distribution at the start of write can measurably increase write performance , especially with respect to multi - state . the above discussion assumes that each steering line is uniquely associated with one cell . however , because of layout pitch constraints , especially when implemented in a segmented steering architecture , several cells may share one global steering signal , examples of which are shown in fig1 and 20 , where each pair of cells are associated with one global steering line via steering drive segment transfer select transistors . following are two embodiments utilizing such sharing . one embodiment allows the sharing to take place in each erase operation , erasing all cells in one row simultaneously , as described above . in this case , however , erase lock - out on a group of cells ( or floating gate transistors in the case of dual floating gate cells ) sharing a common steering line can only be invoked when all cells in that group have achieved the required erased state margin . this will result in a fraction of the cells becoming overerased as they wait for the weakest cell in each group to achieve sufficient erasure . for example , if each sharing group consists of four cells , in general three cells will become overerased . fig2 models the impact of this sharing approach on a population of 5000 cells , the erase voltages of which follow a normal distribution with a one - sigma of 0 . 7v . in the case of two - cell sharing , 50 % of the cells will have minimal overerase , and the remainder will follow a normal distribution with a one - sigma of about 1v . comparing this to the original distribution ( i . e . without any lockout ) shows that with lock - out much fewer cells are subjected to overerasure , at any level of overerase ( i . e . they are further up the sigma tail ), and the worst case overerase voltage is about 1 . 3v lower than the original distribution &# 39 ; s worst case overerase of about 4 . 7v . the situation is similar in the case of four - cell sharing , with slightly increased levels of overerase to those of two - cell sharing . a second embodiment takes advantage of the segment level selection capability , thereby completely avoiding the sharing limitation . referring specifically to the previously described embodiments , wherein one global steering line is shared by two local steering lines ( e . g . fig1 and 20 ), the present embodiment exploits the segment steering line addressing capability to only drive one of the two local steering lines in each cell pair ( or half the row &# 39 ; s worth of cells ) during each erase operation . the unaddressed cells &# 39 ; local steering lines are precharged and floated at the non - erase - enabling voltage condition ( e . g . 0v ). once the addressed half row &# 39 ; s worth of cells are taken through their erase / verify / lockout operations to completion , the steering address is shifted to the other , previously unaddressed cell group half , which are then erased to completion , while the first group of cells are maintained in the non - erase - enabling condition . although this approach doubles the total erase time compared to using a single erase pulse for the entire row , it will have no impact to write performance in erase - hidden implementations , while it does maintain the desirably tight erase distribution . in an alternative embodiment , the above controlled overerase methodology is used to write the multi - state data , with the hot electron programming mechanism relegated to the data unconditional preset operation . while optimum write bias conditions and disturb prevention would depend on specific cell and tunneling characteristics , such a tunneling based write approach is made possible by the fundamental cell array architecture , consisting of the independently controllable column steering feature , plus the bit - by - bit lock - out capability of the above disclosed memory concept relating to fig1 and 20 . a variety of alternative embodiments of this invention have been taught , which provide improved performance and cost efficiency for multi - state memory devices and systems . the invention now being fully described , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims . all publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference .	6
a detailed explanation will be given of an embodiment of the invention in reference to the drawings as follows . a magnetic tape cassette case 10 according to a first embodiment shown in fig1 is capable of accommodating magnetic tape cassettes having at least two kinds of sizes . the accommodating case 10 is capable of accommodating a dlt cassette 80 constituting a large cassette shown by bold lines in the drawing and an lto cassette 90 constituting a small cassette shown by two - dotted chain lines in the drawing . a height dimension of the lto cassette 90 is smaller than that of the dlt cassette 80 . further , the lto cassette 90 is smaller than the dlt cassette 80 in a dimension thereof in a direction of inserting the cassette . the dlt cassette 80 and the lto cassette 90 are formed with recessed portions at the same position when reference faces are constituted by predetermined faces . in this case , recessed portions 80 a and 90 a are formed at the same position of side faces thereof when reference faces thereof are constituted by bottom faces and rear end faces of the cassettes in inserting the cassettes . the recessed portions 80 a and 90 a are inserted with positioning means of a hardware apparatus or the like . the accommodating case 10 is provided with a accommodating portion 11 having an opening 12 capable of bringing in and out the magnetic tape cassettes 80 and 90 and a lid portion 15 connected to the accommodating portion 11 foldably by way of a connecting portion 20 . the accommodating portion 11 is provided with a bottom wall 11 a substantially in a rectangular shape ( substantially in a square shape ), a pair of side walls 11 b and 11 c erected at sides of the bottom wall 11 a opposed to each other and an end wall 11 d erected at a side of the bottom wall 11 a and extended in a direction orthogonal to the side walls 11 b and 11 c . a first locking portion 11 e is provided at aside of the bottom wall 11 a opposed to the side provided with the end wall 11 d . at an inner face of the side wall 11 c on one side , there is provided a positioning projected portion 13 to be fitted to the recessed portion 80 a of the dlt cassette 80 and the recessed portion 90 a of the lto cassette 90 . further , at an inner face of the end wall 11 d , there is provided an auxiliary positioning projected portion 14 which is brought into a recessed portion ( not illustrated ) provided at a front end face of the dlt cassette 80 in the direction of inserting the cassette and is brought into contact with a front end face of the lto cassette 90 in the direction of inserting the cassette . the lid portion 15 is provided with a ceiling wall 15 a having a shape and an area the same as those of the bottom wall 11 a of the accommodating portion 11 . a side of the ceiling wall 15 a is connected to a front end ( upper end ) of the end wall lid of the accommodating portion 11 via the connecting portion 20 . there is provided an end wall , not illustrated , at a side of the ceiling wall 15 a opposed to the side connected to the connecting portion 20 . the end wall is provided with a second locking portion ( not illustrated ) in correspondence with the first locking portion 11 e of the accommodating portion 11 . there are provided side walls 15 b and 15 c at a pair of sides of the ceiling wall 15 a extended in - directions orthogonal to the end wall . further , there is no restriction in modes of the first locking portion lie of the accommodating portion 11 and the second locking portion of the lid portion 15 but there can be exemplified a constitution in which recesses and projections thereof are engaged with each other , a constitution of using a piece of velcro ™ or the like . it is preferable to constitute the first locking portion lie and the second locking portion such that the accommodating portion 11 and the lid portion 15 are capable of being provided with a plurality of engaging portions . for example , there can be constructed a constitution in which at least one of the first locking portion 11 e and the second locking portion is provided with two or more of projected portions and recessed portions . in this case , the connecting portion 20 is formed in a shape of a long strip constituting a long side by a side thereof along an upper end side of end wall 11 d of the accommodating portion 11 . the connecting portion 20 functions as a thin - walled hinge foldable at a plurality of positions thereof . for example , as shown by fig2 there can be formed two pieces of folding lines 20 a and 20 b extended in directions along the long side . when the dlt cassette 80 is contained in the accommodating case 10 having the above - described constitution , the positioning projected portion 13 of the accommodating portion 11 is fitted to the recessed portion 80 a of the dlt cassette 80 to thereby prevent the dlt cassette from playing at inside of the case . meanwhile , the auxiliary positioning projected portion 14 of the accommodating portion 11 is not brought into contact with the surface of the dlt cassette 80 . when the lid portion 15 is folded to the accommodating portion 11 , a folding line is constituted at a portion of the connecting portion 20 on the side of the lid portion 15 . that is , the lid portion 15 is folded by using the folding line 20 a on the side of the lid portion 15 in the folding lines 20 a and 20 b shown in fig2 . then , the ceiling wall 10 a of the lid portion 15 is brought into contact with a ceiling face of the dlt cassette 80 . in this way , by sandwiching the dlt cassette 80 by the ceiling wall 15 a and the bottom wall 11 a , the dlt cassette 80 is restricted from being moved in a height direction ( z direction ) at inside of the case . the dlt cassette 80 is restricted from moving at inside of the case in x - y plane by the positioning projected portion 13 , the side walls 11 b and 11 c and the end wall 11 d of the accommodating portion 11 . meanwhile , when the lto cassette 90 is contained in 10 the accommodating case 10 , the positioning projected portion 13 of the accommodating portion 11 is fitted to the recessed portion 90 a of the cassette 90 and the auxiliary positioning projected portion 14 of the accommodating portion 11 is brought into contact with a surface of the lto cassette 90 to thereby prevent the lto cassette from playing at inside of the case . further , when the lid portion 15 is folded to the accommodating portion 11 , a folding line is constituted at a portion of the connecting portion 20 on the side of the accommodating portion 11 . that is , the lid portion 15 is folded by using the folding line 20 b on the side of the accommodating portion 11 in the folding lines 20 a and 20 b shown in fig2 . then , the ceiling wall 15 a of the lid portion 15 is brought into contact with the ceiling face of the lto cassette 90 . in this way , the lto cassette 90 is sandwiched by the ceiling wall 15 a and the bottom wall 11 a to thereby restrict the lto cassette 90 from moving in the height direction ( z direction ) at inside of the case . the lto cassette 90 is restricted from moving at inside of the case in x - y plane by the positioning projected portion 13 , the side walls 11 b and lic and the auxiliary positioning projected portion 14 of the accommodating portion 11 . according to a accommodating case 30 of a second embodiment shown in fig3 there is provided an expandable and contractable support piece at an inner face of a ceiling wall 35 a . when the dlt cassette is contained at inside of the accommodating case 30 , the ceiling face of the dlt cassette is supported by the support piece 36 in a state of being pressed to contract . when the lto cassette is contained at inside of the accommodating case 30 , the ceiling face of the lto cassette is supported by the support piece 36 in a state of being expanded . a mode of the support piece 36 is not restricted but there can be exemplified a mode comprising an elastic member , or a mode using an expandable and contractable member of a spring or the like . a leaf spring or the like can also be used . further , the invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments but can be modified or changed pertinently . for example , there can be constructed a constitution capable of accommodating three kinds or more of magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes . further , the invention is applicable also to a accommodating case of a magnetic cassette pivotably holding a pair of tape reels at inside of a cassette case . while there has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art - that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the present invention , and it is aimed , therefore , to cover in the appended claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . as has been explained above , according to a magnetic tape cassette case for accommodating a magnetic tape cassette of the invention , there can be provided the accommodating case for a magnetic tape capable of accommodating the magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes without play .	6
although this invention is applicable to numerous and various types of digital video compression standards , it has been found particularly useful in the environment of the mpeg - 2 standard . therefore , without limiting the applicability of the invention to the mpeg - 2 standard , the invention will be described in such environment . furthermore , while the present invention has been found particularly useful in the environment of video data , and described in such environment , this invention can also be applied to various other types of data , such as but not limited to audio data . in mpeg video decoding , data buffering occurs to maintain a transmission bit rate and a video display rate . pictures vary greatly in the amount of data used to encode them . because of that , the decoding buffer constantly fluctuates with respect to how much data it contains ( buffer fullness ). fig1 shows an example of the fluctuating buffer fullness over time graph with data coming in at a constant bit rate and the buffer read is assumed to be instantaneous . this buffer fullness of the decoding buffer must be carefully monitored to avoid buffer overruns or under runs , because of the adverse impact on video display . to be certain that a given video sequence that is being encoded will not violate the buffer fullness , encoders create a “ virtual buffer ” by employing mathematical equations to determine how much data is entering and leaving a buffer at a given encode rate and at a given buffer size . using an initial buffer fullness , which is the amount of data in the buffer at some starting point , the buffer fullness is continually measured at the completion of each encoded picture . the calculation is made by taking the difference between the initial buffer fullness and the accumulation of the difference of the pictures &# 39 ; actual bit usage and the average of bits per picture , assuming a constant picture target . this calculation is represented as follows n is any number between 0 . 1 and 1 . 0 , e . g ., 0 . 8 , the buffer size is given by the mpeg standard , and e = e +( bits used − ba ) where e is initialized to 0 at start of the encode sequence and is accumulated for the entire video sequence , and ba is average bits per picture . in a video splice , the amount of data that must be used to encode new pictures to be spliced is determined by the state of the virtual buffer at the beginning of the splice ( the start buffer fullness ), and at the end of the splice ( the end buffer fullness ). the spliced pictures must fit into the free number of bits in the buffer precisely . to begin the splice , the users garner the start and end buffer fullness statistics . if encoding of the whole stream is performed concurrently , then the statistics are available from the first pass encode of the video stream . if on the other hand , the encoding of the stream was completed without saving of start and end buffer fullness statistics , then these statistics can be attained by running the encoded stream through a stream analyzer . as is shown in box 10 of fig2 these two parameters , along with the number of new pictures to be encoded and then inserted or spliced into the stream , are passed to the encoder in the second pass encode of the video stream . the encoder translates the buffer fullness and the picture numbers into average picture bits , fig2 box 20 , by converting the change in the number of free bits in the buffer at the start and at the end of splicing and dividing by the number of pictures to splice . these calculations are given by formulas : the change in the average bits per picture based on picture splice is ba  ( new ) = ba + ( end   bf - start   bf ) number of pictures to encode where bf is buffer fullness , ba is the average bits per picture given constant picture target , and ba ( new ) is the change in ba based on pictures to splice . ba is calculated by ba = bit rate ( mbits / sec ) frame rate ( pictures / sec ) as shown in fig2 box 30 , a precise bit allocation for each new picture is calculated by the encoder based on the picture type , group of pictures ( gop ), and other encoding parameters used in bit rate control . in typical ipb encoding , i picture targets are 2 to 5 times larger than p picture targets and 4 to 10 times b picture targets . picture target calculations are based on ba , picture type , and other picture parameters such as picture condition and motion relative to other pictures . to precisely attain these new picture targets fig2 box 40 , the present invention divides the picture by the number of macro blocks in the picture and the number of blocks in the macro block . the picture target is now subdivided into macro block targets target   ( mb ) = picture target number of macro blocks the target is further reduced to block targets used to precisely control the number of bits used to encode a picture by target   ( blk ) = target  ( mb ) number of blocks this result is fed into an apparatus , which guarantees the picture target will not be overrun . such apparatus is described in a related patent disclosure “ a precise bit control apparatus with look - ahead for mpeg encoding ” by john murdock , et al , the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein . in fig2 box 50 a determination is made whether a target bit size is reached . in the event the target is slightly under run ( it will always be less than or equal to the target , never greater than the target ), as shown in box 60 , padding with zeroes ensures precise target attainment . the formula used is a decision box 70 determines whether there are any more pictures to encode . if there are no more pictures the process terminates with box 90 . however , if there are still more pictures to encode , the process of this invention continuously loops to box 30 to calculate a precise bit allocation for each new picture while there are pictures to be encoded . this newly encoded stream may now be seamlessly spliced into the original stream , occupying the location in the encoded stream of the portion which it replaces at the precise size given by users &# 39 ; input specification .	7
a communication apparatus may include at a final stage of a band control circuit thereof a frame editing circuit that attaches or deletes user identification information , such as a vlan tag , to or from a frame . the band control circuit controls a transmission rate of a frame . in such a case , a problem described below may be likely to occur . since an amount of data of a frame that has undergone a transmission rate control process varies , it is difficult to correctly control a transmission rate of a frame to be transmitted from the communication apparatus . if a communication apparatus includes a frame editing circuit at a front stage of the band control circuit , a problem described below may be likely to occur . types of frames and applications supported by the communication apparatus have been diversified . for example , the frames include asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ) cell , lan frame , ip frame , mpls frame , and provider backbone bridge ( pbb ) frame . layer structure and process content of the frames , and an amount of and structure of data that are to be attached or deleted are different from frame type to frame type . for example , the vlan tag in the lan frame is 4 bytes per tag . the pbb frame has 16 bytes . in order to encapsulate a mac frame of a provider in a mac frame of a client , the pbb frame includes a destination mac address ( 6 bytes ), a transmission source mac address ( 6 bytes ), and the vlan tag ( 4 bytes ). each time a frame is received , the band control circuit checks an upper limit rate set for the destination , and an amount of data that are transmitted up until the present point of time . the band control circuit immediately determines that the upper limit rate is not exceeded if the frame is transmitted . the band control circuit then determines whether to transmit the frame . a complex operation is to be performed by the band control circuit . along with an increase in a traffic amount of packet communications , a demand for faster processing speed is mounting on the band control circuit . under these situations , the band control circuit tends to be a costly circuit . in view of these problems , the band control circuit is implemented in a switch circuit rather than being implemented in each of network if circuits . the switch circuit is a common portion of the communication apparatus and functions as a common circuit having greater versatility without paying particular attention to difference in frame type . this arrangement is effective in terms of costs and operability of the communication apparatus . it is expected that new network applications will be developed from now on . a type of a frame to be processed in a network and an editing process on each frame may respond to such new network applications , and a new function is to be added easily to the communication apparatus . considering the situation , an option described below is more advantageous in terms of costs and operability . more specifically , a new switching circuit having no band control circuit may be developed at low costs first , and later a band control circuit may be additionally implemented in accordance with a frame type and an application to be supported by the apparatus . furthermore , development of an integrated circuit having greater versatility including a high - speed switching circuit and a band control circuit is contemplated for the communication apparatus . in such a case , the integrated circuit may be preferably developed as a general circuit that functions without paying any particular attention to a difference in frame type . it is expected from the overview described above that more communication apparatuses include a frame editing circuit responsive to a frame type arranged at a final stage of a band control circuit that controls a rate of a transmission frame . embodiments of precisely controlling a transmission rate are described below with reference to the drawings . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating a communication apparatus of a first embodiment . fig5 a through 5c illustrate a reception control table , a transmission control table , and a band control table , respectively . fig6 illustrates a format of an in - apparatus frame transferred between an interface ( if ) card and a switching card . the communication apparatus of fig4 transmits and receives a lan frame with a vlan tag . the communication apparatus includes if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and a switching card 50 . the communication apparatus also includes a control card ( illustrated in fig2 but not illustrated in fig4 ), and the control card is connected to a control terminal external to the communication apparatus . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 are identical to each other in structure , and a port of each card is gigabit ethernet ( registered trademark ) interface and has a data rate of transmission and reception frames of 1 gbps maximum . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 are detachable cards . alternatively , the f cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 may be a unitary body integrated with a mother board of the communication apparatus . a vlan frame received at a network port of the if card 20 is terminated at a physical / media access control ( phy / mac ) circuit 21 , and then supplied to a reception control circuit 22 . the reception control circuit 22 references the reception control table 23 by a reception port number and a vlan id ( hereinafter referred to as vid ) of a reception frame as an index . the reception control table 23 of fig5 a stores , by a transmission source port number and a vid as an index , v bit , m bit , frame id ( fid ), correction value , destination if card number , and destination port number . the v bit indicates whether the vid is valid or invalid . if v = 0 , the vid is invalid , and if v = 1 , the vid is valid . the m bit indicates whether to multicast a received frame . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is one , the m bit is equal to 0 and indicates a unicast transfer . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is plural , the m bit is equal to 1 , and indicates a static multicast transfer with point to multi points . if the m bit is equal to 2 , the m bit indicates a multicast transfer of multi points to multi points , which is performed in domain service that is performed through mac address learning . fid is an identifier of a frame to be processed by the communication apparatus , i . e ., fid is a frame identifier . fid is used only within the communication apparatus . the correction value is used for band control , and a unit of the correction value is bit , for example . if the v bit ( valid bit ) of the reception control table 23 is 0 , the reception control circuit 22 discards the received frame for an invalid vid . if the v bit = 1 , the reception control circuit 22 retrieves the frame for a valid vid , and then transfers the retrieved frame to the switching card 50 . the reception control circuit 22 then stores , in an in - apparatus frame header , the m bit , fid , the correction value , the destination if card number , and the destination port number in the reception control table 23 excluding the v bit . fig6 illustrates a format of an in - apparatus frame transferred between the if card and the switching card . the reception control circuit 22 stores the if card number and the port number of the if card having received a lan frame at a transmission source if card number and a transmission source port number in the in - apparatus frame header , respectively . the if card having received the lan frame attaches to the lan frame the in - apparatus frame header to form an in - apparatus frame . the in - apparatus frame is transferred to an if card on a transmitter side via the switching card 50 . the if card on the transmitter side deletes the in - apparatus frame header from the in - apparatus frame , and the lan frame is then output via a port to a network . if the in - apparatus frame received by the switching card 50 has an in - apparatus frame header having m = 0 , the switching circuit 51 determines that the in - apparatus frame is to be unicast transferred . the in - apparatus frame is transferred to a destination card number of the in - apparatus frame header . the band control circuit 52 then performs a band control process on each of combinations of destination if card number and destination port number . if a set transmission rate is exceeded , the band control circuit 52 discards the in - apparatus frame without transferring the in - apparatus frame to the if card . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission rate . the band control circuit 52 periodically references the band control table 53 , and checks the upper limit value of the transmission rate on each of the combinations of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number . the upper limit of the transmission rate is preset on the band control table 53 illustrated in fig5 c with the combination of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number serving as an index . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process using a token packet method . for example , in 100 mbps , tokens of 100 mbits ( for example , 1 token = 1 bit ) a second are periodically supplied , and accumulated on a token packet . when a frame is received , and then transmitted , an amount of data of the transmission frame ( bit number ) is subtracted from the token packet . if a subtraction operation results in 0 or less in the token packet , the amount of data is not subtracted from the tokens and the frame is discarded . in this way , the transmission frame is controlled not to exceed an upper limit value of 100 mbps . tokens are not accumulated in the token packet limitlessly , but a maximum cumulative amount is typically set on the token packet . when the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission frame , the band control circuit 52 adds a correction value stored in the in - apparatus frame header to the bit amount of the reception frame . a transmission control circuit 24 in each if card having received the in - apparatus frame from the switching card 50 references a transmission control table 25 by the destination port number and fid in the in - apparatus frame header as an index . on each of combinations of the destination port number and fid , an edit code for frame editing and vlan tag information for addition setting are preset on the transmission control table 25 of fig5 b . for example , edit code = 0 means that nothing is to be done , edit code = 1 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be added , edit code = 2 means that two stacks of vlan tags are to be added , edit code = 3 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be deleted , and edit code = 4 means two stacks of vlan tags are to be deleted . a frame editing circuit 26 performs a frame editing process including adding a vlan tag or deleting a vlan tag in accordance with information of the transmission control table 25 . the lan frame processed by the frame editing circuit 26 is supplied to the transmission control circuit 24 , then is transferred , via phy / mac circuit 21 , to a port having a destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header . according to the embodiment , the vlan tag is an identifier of the frame . alternatively , the vlan tag may be substituted for by one of other identifiers including an mac address , an ip address , and an mpls label . as illustrated in fig4 , a lan frame of vid = 3 received at port # 1 of the if card 20 is transferred to port # 1 of the if card 30 via the switching card 50 . vid = 5 is attached anew to the transmission frame , and is thus transmitted as a two - tag stacked vlan frame . the reception control table 23 of the if card 20 includes items of contents of fig5 a . the transmission control table 25 of the if card 30 includes items of contents of fig5 b . the band control table 53 of the switching card 50 includes items of contents of fig5 c . as illustrated in fig5 a , 0 is set to the m bit in the reception control table 23 with respect to the frame to be unicast transferred . a common id (= 50 ) used in the unicast transfer is set to fid . with the above setting , the frame editing circuit 26 in the if card 30 attaches anew a vlan tag with vid = 5 to a lan frame of vid = 3 received at port # 1 of the if card 20 , thereby increasing an amount of data of the frame by 32 bits . when the band control circuit 52 in the switching card 50 performs the band control process , 32 bits corresponding to the vlan tag are added to the amount of data of the frame in accordance with the correction value attached to the in - apparatus frame header by the if card 20 . for this reason , the rate of the transmission frame output via port # 1 of the if card 30 does not exceed 100 mbps . if the frame editing circuit 26 is present at a stage subsequent to the band control circuit 52 , the in - apparatus frame with the band control correction value in the in - apparatus frame header is transferred . in this way , the band control circuit 52 performs correction control in view of an increase or decrease in the data amount caused by a subsequent frame editing circuit . the band control circuit 52 may perform the band control process precisely on the lan frame transmitted from the communication apparatus . furthermore , the in - apparatus frame header including fid used only within the communication apparatus is attached to the received frame . the switching circuit 51 and the band control circuit 52 in the switching card 50 may thus be developed as a common portion having greater versatility without paying particular attention to frame type difference , such as the lan frame ( with or without vlan tag ), ip frame , and mpls frame . a dedicated if card may be developed to process a frame of a different frame type , or of a different layer structure . fig7 is a block diagram of a communication apparatus of a second embodiment . fig8 a through 8e illustrate a reception control table , a transmission control table , a band control table , and a copy control table . in the second embodiment , a band correction control process is performed for multicast transfer in the communication apparatus . the if card 20 , the if card 30 , and the if card 40 in the second embodiment are identical in configuration to the counterparts in the first embodiment . not that the switching card 50 includes a frame copy control circuit 54 and a copy control table 55 in addition to the switching circuit 51 , the band control circuit 52 , and the band control table 53 . the communication apparatus of fig7 transmits and receives a lan frame with a vlan tag . the communication apparatus includes the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 . the communication apparatus also includes a control card ( not illustrated ) that is the same as the control card of fig2 , and is connected to a control terminal external to the communication apparatus . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 are identical to each other in structure , and a port of each card is gigabit ethernet ( registered trademark ) interface and has a data rate of transmission and reception frames of 1 gbps maximum . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 are detachable cards . alternatively the f cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 may be a unitary body integrated with a mother board of the communication apparatus . a vlan frame received at a network port of the if card 20 is terminated at the physical / media access control ( phy / mac ) circuit 21 , and then supplied to the reception control circuit 22 . the reception control circuit 22 references the reception control table 23 by a reception port number and a vid of a reception frame as an index . the reception control table 23 of fig8 a stores , by a transmission source port number and a vid as an index , v bit , m bit , fid , correction value , destination if card number , and destination port number . the v bit indicates whether the vid is valid or invalid . if v = 0 , the vid is invalid , and if v = 1 , the vid is valid . the m bit indicates whether to multicast a received frame . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is one , the m bit is equal to 0 and indicates a unicast transfer . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is plural , the m bit is equal to 1 , and indicates a static multicast transfer with point to multi points . if the m bit is equal to 2 , the m bit indicates a multicast transfer of multi points to multi points , which is performed in domain service that is performed through mac address learning . fid is an identifier of a frame to be processed by the communication apparatus , i . e ., fid is a frame identifier . fid is used only within the communication apparatus . if the m bit is 1 , the correction value , the destination if card number , and the destination port number remain unused . if the v bit ( valid bit ) of the reception control table 23 is 0 , the reception control circuit 22 discards the received frame for an invalid vid . if the v bit = 1 , the reception control circuit 22 retrieves the frame for a valid vid , and then transfers the retrieved frame to the switching card 50 . the reception control circuit 22 then stores , in an in - apparatus frame header , the m bit , and fid in the reception control table 23 excluding the v bit . fig6 illustrates a format of an in - apparatus frame transferred between the if card and the switching card . the reception control circuit 22 stores the if card number and the port number of the if card having received a lan frame at a transmission source if card number and a transmission source port number in the in - apparatus frame header , respectively . the if card having received the lan frame attaches to the lan frame the in - apparatus frame header to form an in - apparatus frame . the in - apparatus frame is transferred to an if card on a transmitter side via the switching card 50 . the if card on the transmitter side deletes the in - apparatus frame header from the in - apparatus frame , and the lan frame is then output via a port to the network . if the in - apparatus frame received by the switching card 50 has an in - apparatus frame header having m = 1 , the switching circuit 51 determines that the in - apparatus frame is to be multicast transferred . the in - apparatus frame is copied under the control of the frame copy control circuit 54 as described below , and the resulting copy is transferred . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on each of combinations of destination if card number and destination port number . if a set transmission rate is exceeded , the band control circuit 52 discards the in - apparatus frame without transferring the in - apparatus frame to the if card . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission rate . the band control circuit 52 periodically references the band control table 53 , and checks the upper limit value of the transmission rate on each of the combinations of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number . the upper limit of the transmission rate is preset on the band control table 53 illustrated in fig8 d with the combination of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number serving as an index . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process using a token packet method . for example , in 100 mbps , tokens of 100 mbits ( for example , 1 token = 1 bit ) a second are periodically supplied , and accumulated on a token packet . when a frame is received , and then transmitted , an amount of data of the transmission frame ( bit number ) is subtracted from the token packet . if a subtraction operation results in 0 or less in the token packet , the amount of data is not subtracted from the tokens and the frame is discarded . in this way , the transmission frame is controlled not to exceed an upper limit value of 100 mbps . tokens are not accumulated in the token packet limitlessly , but a maximum cumulative amount is typically set on the token packet . when the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission frame , the band control circuit 52 sums not only the bit amount of the reception frame but also a correction value stored in the in - apparatus frame header . the transmission control circuit 24 in each if card having received the in - apparatus frame from the switching card 50 references the transmission control table 25 by the destination port number and fid in the in - apparatus frame header as an index . on each of combinations of the destination port number and fid , an edit code for frame editing and vlan tag information for addition setting are preset on the transmission control table 25 of fig8 b and 8c . for example , edit code = 0 means that nothing is to be done , edit code = 1 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be added , edit code = 2 means that two stacks of vlan tags are to be added , edit code = 3 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be deleted , and edit code = 4 means two stacks of vlan tags are to be deleted . the frame editing circuit 26 performs a frame editing process including adding a vlan tag or deleting a vlan tag in accordance with information of the transmission control table 25 . the lan frame processed by the frame editing circuit 26 is supplied to the phy / mac circuit 21 . the lan frame processed by the frame editing circuit 26 is supplied to the transmission control circuit 24 , then is transferred , via phy / mac circuit 21 , to a port having a destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header . if the m bit in the in - apparatus frame header is “ 1 ” when the in - apparatus frame is received , the switching circuit 51 in the switching card 50 determines that the frame is to be multicast , and starts up the frame copy control circuit 54 . the frame copy control circuit 54 references the copy control table 55 by the if card number and the port number as an index . the copy control table 55 of fig8 e includes a setting field for each port of each if card . set in each field are the presence or absence of a frame copy , and a band control correction value for a frame subsequent to copying . in an x / y format in each setting field , x represents the presence or absence of the frame copy , and the value 0 represents the absence of the frame copy , and the value 1 represents the presence of the frame copy . if the value 1 is set in x , the destination card number and the destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header in the in - apparatus frame subsequent to copying are updated to the card number and the port number in the copy control table 55 . y represents the band control correction value to the in - apparatus frame subsequent to copying . as illustrated in fig7 , a lan frame with vid = 6 received at port # 1 of the if card 20 is multicast in the communication apparatus , thus transferred to port # 1 of the if card 30 and port # 1 of the if card 40 . a tag with vid = 7 is newly added to the frame transmitted to port # 1 of the if card 30 . a tag vid = 6 is deleted from the frame transmitted to port # 1 of the if card 40 . as illustrated in the reception control table 23 of fig8 a , “ 1 ” is set to the m bit in the multicast transfer frame . a common id (= 60 ) used in the same multicast transfer is set to fid . a status “ unused ” is set to the destination if card and the destination port number because no destination is decided yet at this point of time . also , since no destination is decided yet , the status “ unused ” is set to the band control correction value . the transmission control table 25 of the if card 30 includes items of contents of fig8 b . the transmission control table 25 of the if card 40 includes items of contents of fig8 c . the band control table 53 of the switching card 50 includes items of contents of fig8 d . the copy control table 55 of the switching card 50 includes items of contents of fig8 e . the band control table 53 indicates different settings of the transmission rate , i . e ., a transmission rate of 100 mbps for destination port # 1 of a destination card # 2 , and a transmission rate of 200 mbps for destination port # 1 of a destination card # 3 . in this case , the frame copy control circuit 54 references the copy control table 55 by fid of the in - apparatus frame header as an index . the copy control table 55 includes information that is used to copy the in - apparatus frame with fid = 60 . in the copy control table 55 of fig8 e , port # 1 of the if card 30 (# 2 ) and port # 1 of the if card 40 (# 3 ) are set as output destinations . the frame copy control circuit 54 performs the copy process . in the copy process , the destination if card number , the destination port number , and the band control correction value of the copy control table 55 are set in the in - apparatus frame header of the copied in - apparatus frame . subsequent to frame copying , a 32 bit value corresponding to an added vlan tag with vid = 7 is added to the amount of frame data of the in - apparatus frame addressed to port # 1 of the if card 30 . the band control circuit 52 then performs the band control process so that the transmission rate does not exceed 100 mbps . a 32 bit value corresponding to a deleted vlan tag with vid = 6 is subtracted from the amount of frame data of the frame addressed to port # 1 of the if card 40 . the band control circuit 52 thus performs the band control process so that the transmission rate does not exceed 200 mbps . according to the second embodiment , to multicast a frame within the communication apparatus , the frame is copied , a band control correction value is added to the copied frame as an in - apparatus frame , and the in - apparatus frame is then multicast transferred . precise band control is thus performed on the lan frame transmitted from each port of the communication apparatus . fig9 is a block diagram of a communication apparatus of a third embodiment . fig1 a through 10d illustrate a band control table and a transmission control table . fig1 a through 11d illustrate a band control table , a copy control table , and a mac control table . fig1 illustrates a format of an in - apparatus frame transferred between the if card and the switching card . a bridge apparatus learns a transmission source mac address of a lan frame together with the transmission source card number and the transmission source port number into a mac table . when the lan frame having the mac address as a destination mac address is received , the bridge apparatus determines a destination of the received lan frame from content learned from the mac table . since the bridge apparatus determines the destination by learning the content in the mac table , it is difficult to set the band control correction value in the table beforehand as in the first and second embodiments . in the third embodiment , band correction control is preformed on a multi - point service where the mac address is learned ( i . e ., in a multicast transfer of multi points to multi points ). the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 in the third embodiment are identical in structure to the counterparts in the first embodiment , but note that the switching card 50 includes a mac table control circuit 56 and a mac table 57 in addition to the switching circuit 51 , the band control circuit 52 , the band control table 53 , the frame copy control circuit 54 , and the copy control table 55 . the communication apparatus of fig9 transmits and receives a lan frame with a vlan tag . the communication apparatus includes the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 . the communication apparatus also includes a control card ( not illustrated ) that is the same as the control card of fig2 , and is connected to a control terminal external to the communication apparatus . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 are identical to each other in structure , and a port of each card is gigabit ethernet ( registered trademark ) interface and has a data rate of transmission and reception frames of 1 gbps maximum . the if cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 are detachable cards . alternatively the f cards 20 , 30 , and 40 , and the switching card 50 may be a unitary body integrated with a mother board of the communication apparatus . a vlan frame received at a network port of the if card 20 is terminated at the physical / media access control ( phy / mac ) circuit 21 , and then supplied to the reception control circuit 22 . the reception control circuit 22 references the reception control table 23 by a reception port number and a vid of a reception frame as an index . the reception control table 23 of fig1 a stores , by a transmission source port number and a vid as an index , v bit , m bit , fid , correction value , destination if card number , and destination port number . the v bit indicates whether the vid is valid or invalid . if v = 0 , the vid is invalid , and if v = 1 , the vid is valid . the m bit indicates whether to multicast a received frame . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is one , the m bit is equal to 0 and indicates a unicast transfer . if the number of transmission destinations of the received frame is plural , the m bit is equal to 1 , and indicates a static multicast transfer with point to multi points . if the m bit is equal to 2 , the m bit indicates a multicast transfer of multi points to multi points , which is performed in domain service that is performed through mac address learning . fid is an identifier of a frame to be processed by the communication apparatus , i . e ., fid is a frame identifier . fid is used only within the communication apparatus . the learning correction value is used for learning band control , and a unit of the learning correction value is bit , for example . if the m bit is 2 , the correction value , the destination if card number , and the destination port number remain unused . if the v bit ( valid bit ) of the reception control table 23 is 0 , the reception control circuit 22 discards the received frame for an invalid vid . if the v bit = 1 , the reception control circuit 22 retrieves the frame for a valid vid , and then transfers the retrieved frame to the switching card 50 . the reception control circuit 22 then stores , in an in - apparatus frame header , the m bit , fid , and learning correction value in the reception control table 23 excluding the v bit . fig1 illustrates a format of an in - apparatus frame transferred between the if card and the switching card . the reception control circuit 22 stores the if card number and the port number of the if card having received a lan frame at a transmission source if card number and a transmission source port number in the in - apparatus frame header , respectively . the reception control circuit 22 further stores a learning band control correction value at the learning correction value of the in - apparatus frame header . the if card having received the lan frame attaches to the lan frame the in - apparatus frame header to form an in - apparatus frame . the in - apparatus frame is transferred to an if card on a transmitter side via the switching card 50 . the if card on the transmitter side deletes the in - apparatus frame header from the in - apparatus frame , and the lan frame is then output via a port to the network . if the in - apparatus frame received by the switching card 50 has an in - apparatus frame header having m = 2 , the switching circuit 51 determines that the in - apparatus frame is to be multicast transferred . the in - apparatus frame is copied under the control of the frame copy control circuit 54 as described below , and the resulting copy is transferred . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on each of combinations of destination if card number and destination port number . if a set transmission rate is exceeded , the band control circuit 52 discards the in - apparatus frame without transferring the in - apparatus frame to the if card . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission rate . the band control circuit 52 periodically references the band control table 53 , and checks the upper limit value of the transmission rate on each of the combinations of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number . the upper limit of the transmission rate is preset on the band control table 53 illustrated in fig1 a with the combination of transmission source if card number and transmission source port number serving as an index . the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process using a token packet method . for example , in 100 mbps , tokens of 100 mbits ( for example , 1 token = 1 bit ) a second are periodically supplied , and accumulated on a token packet . when a frame is received , and then transmitted , an amount of data of the transmission frame ( bit number ) is subtracted from the token packet . if a subtraction operation results in 0 or less in the token packet , the amount of data is not subtracted from the tokens and the frame is discarded . in this way , the transmission frame is controlled not to exceed an upper limit value of 100 mbps . tokens are not accumulated in the token packet limitlessly , but a maximum cumulative amount is typically set on the token packet . when the band control circuit 52 performs the band control process on the transmission frame , the band control circuit 52 sums not only the bit amount of the reception frame but also a correction value stored in the in - apparatus frame header . the transmission control circuit 24 in each if card having received the in - apparatus frame from the switching card 50 references the transmission control table 25 by the destination port number and fid in the in - apparatus frame header as an index . on each of combinations of the destination port number and fid , an edit code for frame editing and vlan tag information for addition setting are preset on the transmission control table 25 of fig1 b , 10 c and 10 d . for example , edit code = 0 means that nothing is to be done , edit code = 1 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be added , edit code = 2 means that two stacks of vlan tags are to be added , edit code = 3 means that a single stack of vlan tag is to be deleted , and edit code = 4 means two stacks of vlan tags are to be deleted . the frame editing circuit 26 performs a frame editing process including adding a vlan tag or deleting a vlan tag in accordance with information of the transmission control table 25 . the lan frame processed by the frame editing circuit 26 is supplied to the transmission control circuit 24 , then is transferred , via phy / mac circuit 21 , to a port having a destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header . if the m bit in the in - apparatus frame header is “ 1 ” when the in - apparatus frame is received , the switching circuit 51 in the switching card 50 determines that the frame is to be multicast , and starts up the frame copy control circuit 54 . the frame copy control circuit 54 references the copy control table 55 by the if card number and the port number as an index . the copy control table 55 of fig1 b includes a setting field for each port of each if card . set in each field are the presence or absence of a frame copy , and a band control correction value for a frame subsequent to copying . in an x / y format in each setting field , x represents the presence or absence of the frame copy , and the value 0 represents the absence of the frame copy , and the value 1 represents the presence of the frame copy . if the value 1 is set in x , the destination card number and the destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header in the in - apparatus frame subsequent to copying are updated to the card number and the port number in the copy control table 55 . y represents the band control correction value to the in - apparatus frame subsequent to copying . as illustrated in fig9 , a lan frame having a destination mac address ( labeled da ) # a , a transmission source mac address ( labeled sa ) # b , and vid = 8 is received via port # 1 of the if card 20 , and port # 1 of the if card 30 and port # 1 of the if card 40 are flooded with the lan frame . a vlan tag with vid = 9 is newly added to a frame to be transmitted via port # 1 of the if card 30 . a vlan tag with vid = 8 is deleted from a frame to be transmitted via port # 1 of the if card 40 , and the frame is thus transmitted without vlan tag . the transmission source mac address # b is learned from the mac table 57 of the switching card 50 . as illustrated in fig1 a , m = 2 is set in the reception control table 23 with respect to a multi point service lan frame as a mac address learning target . the m bit equal to 2 indicates a service , such as the multi point service , where the mac address learning is to be performed . a learning correction value is set in the reception control table 23 . a common id (= 70 ), which is used in the same multi point server , is set for fid . the learning correction value is a correction value that is applied when a frame having that vid is output from a reception port . the learning correction value is newly additionally set to the in - apparatus frame header as illustrated in fig1 . the vlan tag is deleted from the multi point service frame when the multi point service frame is received , and a frame without vlan tag is then transferred within the communication apparatus . a frame format of the multi point service frame having a plurality of input points is consistently used in the communication apparatus so that the band control process of the switching card 50 and the frame editing process of the transmitter side if card are thus facilitated . when the frame with vid = 8 is received , the vlan tag of the frame is deleted by the if card 20 . when the if card 20 receives an in - apparatus frame with fid = 70 from the switching card 50 , and then transfers the in - apparatus frame to port # 1 thereof , vid = 8 is attached to the in - apparatus frame . as illustrated in the reception control table 23 of fig1 a , + 32 is set for the learning correction value . when the switching card 50 receives a frame with m = 2 , the mac table control circuit 56 references the mac table 57 by the transmission source mac address of the received frame as an index . the mac table 57 of fig1 c and 11d stores a learning flag g , if card number , if port number , and learning correction value by the mac address as an index . the learning flag g = 0 indicates an unlearned state , and the port serves as a target of flooding . the learning flag g = 1 indicates a learned state . the if card number and port number learned are stored for the destination if card number and the destination port number in the in - apparatus frame header . this in - apparatus frame is transmitted to the if card of the destination if card number . in the embodiment , the switching card 50 receives the in - apparatus from the if card 20 , and then determines whether the transmission source mac address # b has been learned . at this point of time , however , the mac address # b has not been learned , and the if card number , the if port number , and the learning correction value in the mac table 57 are invalid as illustrated in fig1 c . since the switching circuit 51 floods ports of if cards with the received frame , the frame copy control circuit 54 references the copy control table 55 by fid in the in - apparatus frame header as an index . information used to copy a frame with fid = 70 is stored in the copy control table 55 . three ports , i . e ., port # 1 of the if card 20 (# 1 ), port # 1 of the if card 30 (# 2 ), and port # 1 of the if card 40 (# 3 ), are set as output destinations in the copy control table 55 of fig1 b . the frame copy control circuit 54 performs the copy process . in the copy process , the destination id card number , the destination port number , and the band control correction value of the copy control table 55 are set in the in - apparatus frame header of the copied in - apparatus frame . the frame copy control circuit 54 compares “ the destination card number and the destination port number ” with “ the transmission source card number and the transmission source port number .” if the two pairs of numbers match , the frame copy control circuit 54 does not perform the copy process . this arrangement controls a retransmission of the received frame to the transmission source port . the band control circuit 52 and the band control table 53 perform the band correction control process on the copied lan frame intended for the if card 30 and the if card 40 in accordance with the correction value set in the copy control table 55 . an accurate transmission rate is thus assured . concurrently , the mac table control circuit 56 learns the transmission source mac address # b of the frame into the mac table 57 . the transmission source card number , the transmission source port number , and the learning correction value in the in - apparatus frame header are learned together into the mac table 57 . the mac table 57 includes contents of fig1 d . the mac table control circuit 56 performs an aging process on the mac table 57 periodically . the aging process is an update process on which the data corresponding to the transmission source mac address is deleted in the case that the frame with the transmission source mac address has not been received at intervals of an aging time . after the mac address # b is learned , a lan frame with two stacks of vlan tags with vid = 9 and vid = 8 having the destination mac address # b may be received via port # 1 of the if card 30 . the two stacks of vlan tags with vid = 9 and vid = 8 are deleted from the frame , and a resulting frame without vlan tag is transferred to the switching card 50 . the switching card 50 reads the mac table 57 by the mac address # b as an index . since the mac address # b has been learned , contents of fig1 d written on the mac table 57 are read . the in - apparatus frame of fig1 d is transferred to port # 1 of the if card 20 (# 1 ) without being flooded . the learning correction value (=+ 32 ) of fig1 d is set for the band control correction value or the learning correction value in the in - apparatus frame header of the frame , and is then supplied to the band control circuit 52 as a band control correction value . the band control circuit 52 performs the band correction by adding + 32 as the learning correction value of the mac table 57 of fig1 d to the amount of data of the frame . even if a lan frame with a vlan tag with vid = 8 attached thereto is output via port # 1 of the if card 20 , an accurate transmission rate is assured . even in the multi point service where the mac address is to be learned , a correction value that accounts for a predicted format of a frame to be transmitted is set beforehand as learning information , and is learned in conjunction with the learning of the mac address . an accurate transmission rate is thus assured through the band correction control . when a lan frame of fig3 a and 3b is transferred over a transmission line , a minimum inter - frame gap of 20 bytes takes place between frames . a user or an operator , who operates a network , may wish to account for the gap in band calculation . in such a case , a correction value to be set in each table of fig9 may include a gap of + 20 bytes . in the first through third embodiments , the control card in the communication apparatus automatically calculates the correction value in accordance with setting content as to whether the vlan tag is attached or deleted , and then sets the resulting correction value . in the fourth embodiment , the user or the network operator sets any correction value . more specifically , from the control terminal 14 connected to the control card as illustrated in fig2 , the operator inputs any correction value for each of the if card number , the port number , and the vid using a usable command . the control card then sets the band control correction value in the reception control table 23 , the copy control table 55 , and the mac table 57 . any correction value may be set from outside the communication apparatus , and the band control appropriate for the network specifications is thus performed . the communication apparatus including the frame editing circuit arranged at the final stage of the band control circuit performs an accurate transmission rate control to each of the frame transferred , and may provide improved performance and reliability . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
“ channel rate ” is the bit rate of a particular stream , channel , etc ., for example , a single television transmission , a file transfer , a database transaction . “ link rate ” is the bit rate which a network device ( host , router , switch ) can or must sustain over an individual link ( pair of wires , coaxial cable , optical fiber ). this rate is an upper bound on the channel rate . it also has a major influence on the cost of interface hardware and of network protocol hardware and software . “ aggregate rate ” is the maximum total network capacity , expressed as a sum of the link rates for the maximum number of links that may be transmitting simultaneously . for networks implemented as buses or rings or using single frequency wireless broadcasting , the link rate is identical to the aggregate rate . conversely , conventional telephone switching systems provide aggregate rates much higher than the rate of any link . referring now to the figures , fig1 shows a data communications network according to one embodiment of the invention . a first local area network ( lan ) 100 is illustrated , including a host computer or processor 10 which is connected by a wired communications link 11 to a number of stationary access points or base stations 12 , 13 . other base stations 14 can be coupled to the host computer 10 through the base stations 12 , 13 or by an rf link . each one of the base stations 12 , 13 , 14 is coupled by an rf link to a number of remote mobile units 15 . in one embodiment , the remote mobile units 15 are hand - held , battery - operated data terminals or voice communication handsets such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 029 , 183 ; and u . s . ser . no . 08 / 794 , 782 , filed feb . 3 , 1997 , and u . s . ser . no . 09 / 008 , 710 , filed jan . 16 , 1998 , all assigned to the assignee of the instant application and incorporated herein by reference . various other types of remote terminals may be advantageously employed in a system having features of the invention . these remote terminals ordinarily would include data entry facilities such as a magnetic card reader or the like , as well as a display ( or printer ) for indicating to a user information detected , transmitted and / or received by the terminal . in this embodiment used as an illustrative example , there may be from one up to sixty - four of the base stations ( three stations being shown in fig1 ) and up to several hundred of the remote units . of course , the network may be expanded by merely changing the size of address fields and the like in the digital system , as will appear , but a limiting factor is the rf traffic and attendant delays in waiting for a quiet channel . the first lan 100 may be coupled to additional lans 200 , 300 , 400 etc . through controllers such as bridges 50 , 60 , etc . or routers 55 , 65 , 75 , 85 , 95 , 45 , etc . this communications network as seen in fig1 would ordinarily be used in a manufacturing facility , office building complex , warehouse , retail establishment , or like commercial facility or combination of these facilities , where the data - gathering terminals would be used for inventory control in stockroom or receiving / shipping facilities , at checkout ( point of sale ) counters , for reading forms or invoices of the like , for personnel security checking at gates or other checkpoints , at time clocks , for manufacturing or process flow control , and many other such uses . the mobile units 15 may advantageously be hand - held , laser scanning bar - code reader data terminals , or bar - code readers of the ccd or wand type , and may be portable or stationary , rather than hand - held . the mobile units 15 may also be voice communication handsets , pagers , still image or video cameras , or any combination of the foregoing . other types of data gathering devices may be utilized as terminals and use the features of the invention , such as temperature , pressure , or other environmental measuring devices , event counters , voice or sound activated devices , intrusion detectors , etc . more specifically , fig1 illustrates a distributed computing environment or physical layer with clients and servers interconnected through a network link , although additional clients and servers as well as other types of nodes , may be distributed along the network link as well . as used in this specification , the term “ client ” will generally denote a user of some type . the term “ server ” includes any device directed for controlling and coordinating shared usage of a network resource , such as a storage disk or printer . the next osi layer , the data link layer , is directed to the transmission of data streams that enable communication among the nodes at the physical layer , and is commonly referred to as medium access . bits of information are typically arranged in logical units known as frames or envelopes . these envelopes define the protocol which the physical nodes use to intercommunicate . ethernet as defined in ieee standard 802 . 3 , token ring as defined in ieee standard 802 . 5 , and fiber distributed data interface ( fddi ) are examples of popular frame / physical protocols used in networking systems . typically , the envelopes are divided into segments including a header , a trailer , and a data segment . the header includes information such as the physical address of the destination node , which enables any given node to direct a communication to another specified node number . the trailer usually provides some type of parity or other data integrity check to ensure proper data transmission . finally , the data segment includes the information embedded and passed down from the higher osi layers . the network layer builds on the data link layer and is directed to the routing of information packets among the physical nodes . fig2 shows a block diagram of a typical ofdm transceiver known in the prior art . in a transmitter path , binary input data is first encoded using a convolutional encoder 101 . the coding rate is ½ or 24 mbit / s at a quadrature amplitude modulation ( qam ) of 16 bits , or is ¾ or 36 mbit / s at 16 qam . the coding rate is ⅔ or 48 mbit / s at 64 qam , or is ¾ at 54 mbit / s at 64 qam . the coded output data is interleaved at interleaver 102 to get the benefit of time and frequency diversity . after interleaving , the binary data is mapped on qam symbols at a mapper 103 . these qam symbols are then converted from serial to parallel at converter 104 with a block length equal to the number of subcarriers . as previously noted , an ofdm symbol has 48 data subcarriers and 4 carrier pilot subcarriers . for each block of data , the inverse fast fourier transform ( ifft ) 105 is calculated with a size that is larger than the number of subcarriers to make an output spectrum with low enough out - of - band radiation . the ifft output is converted from parallel to serial at converter 106 after which the final ofdm symbol is formed at circuit 107 by adding a cyclic extension and a windowing function . the cyclic extension should be at least two times the expected delay spread in order to reduce intersymbol interference to an acceptable level . the digital data is then applied to a digital to analog converter ( dac ) 108 , and then to an rf transmitter 109 . in the receiver path , a signal is received by rf receiver 110 , and converted into digital data by an analog to digital converter ( adc ) 111 . timing and frequency synchronization is performed at circuit 112 to recover the ofdm signal , and the cyclic extensions are then removed at circuit 113 . a serial to parallel conversion is made at converter 114 , with the block length equal to the number of subcarriers . for each block of data , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) is calculated at calculator 115 . the fft output is converted from parallel to serial at converter 116 after which the qam symbols are demapped at demapper 117 . the interleaving process is reversed at deinterleaver 118 , and the qam symbols are decoded at decoder 119 into the binary output data . fig3 a shows a packet structure of a frame in an ieee 802 . 11a system . a ppdu frame consists of a plcp preamble and signal and data fields as shown . the receiver uses the preamble to acquire the incoming ofdm signal and synchronize a demodulator in the receiver . a plcp header contains information about the psdu from the sending ofdm phy . the plcp preamble and the signal field are always transmitted at 6 mbps , binary phase shift keying ( bpsk )- ofdm modulated using a convolutional encoding rate r = ½ . the plcp preamble field is used to acquire the incoming signal and train and synchronize the receiver . the plcp preamble is depicted in fig5 a and includes ten short symbols ( 1 - 10 ) as defined above , a medium symbol ( ½ ) as defined above , and two long symbols ( 1 , 2 ) as defined above . to repeat , if the duration of each short symbol is 0 . 8 μs , then the medium symbol has a duration of 1 . 6 μs , and each long symbol has a duration of 3 . 2 μs . according to the prior art , the short symbols are used to train the receiver &# 39 ; s automatic gain control ( agc ) and obtain a coarse estimate of the carrier frequency and the channel . the long symbols are used to fine - tune the frequency and channel estimates . twelve subcarriers are used for the short symbols and fifty two subcarriers for the long symbols . the training of an ofdm receiver is typically accomplished over several of the short symbols and typically not less than the duration of two short symbols . the plcp preamble is bpsk - ofdm modulated at 6 mbps . the signal field is a 24 - bit field which contains information about the rate and length of the psdu . the signal field is convolutional encoded rate ½ , bpsk - ofdm modulated . in the field , there are four bits ( r 1 - r 4 ) used to encode the rate , twelve bits are defined for the length , one reserved bit , a parity bit , and six “ 0 ” tail bits . the mandatory data rates for ieee 802 . 11a - compliant systems are 6 mbps , 12 mbps , and 24 mbps . the length field is an unassigned 12 - bit integer that indicates the number of octets in the psdu . the data field contains a 16 bit service field , the psdu , six tail bits , and pad bits . a total of six tail bits containing 0s are appended to the ppdu to ensure that the convolutional encoder is brought back to zero state . the determination of the number of bits in the data field , the number of tail bits , the number of ofdm symbols , and the number of pad bits is defined in the ieee 802 . 11a standard . the data portion of the packet is transmitted at the data rate indicated in the signal field . all the bits transmitted by the ofdm signal in the data field are scrambled using a frame - synchronous 127 - bit sequence generator . scrambling is used to randomize the service , psdu , pad bit , and data patterns , which may contain long strips of binary 1s or 0s . the tail bits are not scrambled . the scrambling polynomial for the ofdm phy is : s ( x )= x − 7 + x − 4 + 1 . the initial state of the scrambler is randomly chosen . prior to scrambling the ppdu frame , the seven least significant bits of the service field are reset to 0 in order to estimate the initial state of the scrambler in the receiver . all information contained in the service , psdu , tail , and pad fields are encoded using a convolutional encoding rate of r = ½ , ⅔ or ¾ corresponding to the desired data rate . convolutional encoding is generated using the following polynomials ; g 0 = 133 8 and g 1 = 171 8 of rate r = ½ . puncture codes are used for the higher data rates . industry standard algorithms , such as the viterbi algorithm , are recommended for decoding . fig3 b shows the ofdm symbol structure . here t is the fft duration and t g is the guard time . each ofdm symbol is windowed by a raised cosine window to reduce the out - of - band radiation . the purpose of the guard time and the cyclic prefix is to prevent both intersymbol interference ( isi ) and intercarrier interference ( ici ). to illustrate this , three subcarriers are depicted in more detail in fig3 c . an ofdm receiver uses only a part of this signal to calculate the fft . in the fft interval , every subcarrier has exactly an integer number of cycles , which ensures orthogonality . for each multipath component , there will be an integer number of cycles within the fft interval , as long as the multipath delay does not exceed the guard time . hence , there is no interference between symbols or between subcarriers . thanks to the guard time and cyclic prefix , the wideband multipath fading is experienced in ofdm as a set of narrowband fading subcarriers without isi or ici . the effect of narrowband fading is that the received subcarriers have different amplitudes , and some may be almost lost in deep fades . in order to become insensitive to such deep fades , forward error correcting coding is used . by proper coding and interleaving across the subcarriers , the ofdm link performance is dependent on the average received power , rather that the worst case lowest power in deep fades . turning to fig4 an arrangement according to the present invention seeks to improve the timing synchronization as performed in block 112 in the prior art ofdm transceiver depicted in fig2 . as will be explained below , this invention achieves timing synchronization over the course of one short symbol in the preamble of a received ofdm signal , thus allowing such functions as , for example , antenna selection , to be performed reliably before the preamble has passed . an incoming ofdm signal is input to an analog - to - digital converter ( a / d ) 201 which is sampled at a frequency f a of 40 million samples per second ( msps ). the sampled signal is applied to an automatic gain controller ( agc ) 202 which supplies iterative feedback to an rf circuit for gain control , and is also applied to an i / q sequencer 202 ′ for non - coherently converting the real intermediate a / d frequency samples into i and q signals having baseband and other frequency components . the i and q signals are passed through low pass filters ( lpf ) 203 , 204 for removing unwanted frequencies and forming a continuous baseband output signal of baseband i / q channels at a 20 mhz rate . filtering at a sampling rate of 40 msps shortens the impulse response . a decimater ( d ) 205 reduces the sampling rate in half to 20 msps by removing every other sample . a buffering circuit 206 holds the short , medium and long symbols of the preamble of the ofdm received signal . the buffer output is applied to a first multiplier 208 to which the gain of an agc circuit 207 is applied . the output of the first multiplier 208 is applied to a second multiplier 209 to which the output of a frequency synchronizer 210 is applied . the output of the second multiplier 209 is applied to a fast fourier transform ( fft ) circuit 211 which performs a fast fourier transform on the incoming signal at 16 or 64 complex point processing at a burst processing rate of 40 mhz . the output of the fft circuit 211 is applied to a third multiplier 212 to which the output of a summer 213 is applied . the output of the third multiplier 212 is applied to a constellation processing circuit 214 operative for performing logical processing of { fraction ( 12 / 52 )} of the subcarriers of the short and long symbols . one output of the constellation processing circuit 214 is applied to a discriminator ( dsl ) 215 of short and long symbols , the output of the discriminator being fed back to the fft circuit 211 to switch between short and long symbols . another output of the constellation processing circuit 214 is applied to a timing synchronizer circuit 216 in accordance with this invention which acquires the ofdm boundaries of the short and long symbols and provides a fractional bin timing pulse for output to the summer 213 , and another output of circuit 214 is fed to the input of the frequency synchronizer 210 . still another output of the constellation processing circuit 214 is applied to an error compensation circuit 217 having a first output to an antenna selection circuit 218 , a second output to the agc circuit 207 for providing iterative feedback to the fft circuit 211 through the multiplier 208 , and a third output to a channel estimation circuit 219 operative for looking at the channel in use and assigning a bin weight for application to the summer 213 . the timing synchronizer 216 of this invention has another output connected to the buffer 206 for adjusting the timing prior to reaching the fft circuit 211 . this is an integer sample timing correction . the final timing adjustment is provided after the fft circuit 211 at the multiplier 212 . this is a fractional sample timing correction . the transformation of a signal x ( i ) for i = 0 , . . . n − 1 x   ( k ) = ∑ i = 0 n - 1   x   ( i )   exp   ( - j   ik   2   π  /  n )   for   k = 0 , …   n - 1 which takes n discrete samples of the signal x ( i ) to n samples x ( k ) is called the discrete fourier transform ( dft ). the heterodyne principle is that a shift in time of the signal x ( k + m ) is equivalent to a complex exponential multiplication of the transform hence , a time delay is derived at the output of the fft circuit 211 when multiplied by the complex exponential . the time delayed signal represented by the short symbols in the ofdm preamble can be used to estimate the time delay as a common phase rotation . this time estimate represents both the integer sample timing correction and the fractional sample timing correction . hence , without a prior knowledge of frequency or timing , signal samples are buffered and applied to , for example , a 16 point fft . an average differential angle is computed according to the following equation : ( i + 1  j · q ) = 1 10 [ ∑ f = 1 f = 5   smask   ( f ) · smask   ( f + 1 ) · fft16 f · fft16 f + 1 _ + ∑ f = 10 f = 14   smask   ( f ) · smask   ( f + 1 ) · fft16 f · fft16 f + 1 _ where smask ( f ) is a masking function of the bits of the short symbols which provides sign information to map all points to the same quadrant , and where each pair of points ( f , f + 1 ) is equally spaced apart . each pairwise combination of the product of one fft for one point and of the conjugate fft for the other point in a respective pair is a bin , and is summed for points 1 - 5 and 10 - 14 . points 6 - 9 represent noise and are not summed . the arctangent of the average differential angle is calculated , and then scaled , in this case , by multiplying by the factor { fraction ( 16 / 360 )} in order to obtain the timing estimate . the integer part represents whole sample offsets or coarse timing , while the fractional part represents fine tuning . more specifically , in contrast to the prior art in which at least the durations of at least two short symbols were used to obtain timing synchronization information , this invention proposes to use only the duration of one short symbol by subjecting the one short symbol to the fourier transform processing of the fft circuit 211 and by calculating the time delay or spread between a sample point and a reference point to determine the phase error . reference is now made to fig5 b which schematically depicts the processing flow during receipt of the preamble of the ofdm signal depicted in fig5 a . during the first short symbol , automatic gain control is performed by the agc 202 of fig4 . during the second short symbol , buffering is performed by the buffer circuit 206 . during the third short symbol , the fourier transform circuit 211 , the constellation processing circuit 214 and the synchronizing circuits 210 , 216 perform their respective functions . this is sufficient time for an antenna to be selected by the selection circuit 218 . the remaining short symbols represent a safety margin to repeat any of the foregoing functions , or to perform new ones . in accordance with this invention , the receiver has two antennas a and b , and it is desired to choose between them . hence , as shown in fig5 b , the second antenna b can be processed during short symbols 3 , 4 and 5 with an overlap during short symbol 3 . the selection between antennas a and b occurs during short symbol 6 . this leaves short symbols 7 - 10 as a safety margin to repeat any of the foregoing functions , or to perform new ones . again , this is accomplished because only the duration of one short symbol is needed to achieve timing synchronization . for completeness , fig5 b depicts that , during the medium symbol , the discrimination between short and long symbols is performed by the dsl circuit 215 . the two long symbols are used to refine timing , frequency and channel estimates . the faster timing synchronization of this invention can be used for other functions different from antenna selection . for example , higher order constellation processing could be performed by circuit 214 , or a longer range could be acquired for the antenna , or the signal to noise ratio generated by the error compensation circuit 217 could be increased . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in timing synchronization in ofdm communications receivers , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and , therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims . what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims .	7
fig1 is a diagram of a multimedia playback system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the system 100 shown in fig1 comprises a demultiplexer ( demux ) 110 , for receiving a data stream and splitting the stream into audio data and video data . the demux 110 is coupled to an audio decoding block 120 having at least fast forward or slow forward functionality . the demux 110 is further coupled to a video decoding block 130 having at least fast forward or slow forward functionality . the demux 110 , the audio decoding block 120 , and the video decoding block 130 are coupled to a decision block 140 . the audio data and video data respectively contain audio playback time information , called the audio presentation time stamp ( a - pts ) and video playback time information , called the video presentation time stamp ( v - pts ). the decision block 140 compares both the a - pts and the v - pts with a determined value of the system 100 , and utilizes the comparison result to set an audio adjustment signal for setting the audio encoding block 120 and a video adjustment signal for setting the video encoding block 130 . the adjustment signals are for instructing the video decoding block 130 and / or the audio decoding block 120 to perform fast forward or slow forward operation . please note that , in the following embodiments , both the audio encoding block 120 and the video decoding block 130 have slow forward and fast forward functionality . this is not a limitation of the present invention , however , and it is possible that each block has various combinations of fast forward and slow forward functionality . the various possible embodiments are detailed below : 1 ) audio decoding block has fast forward and slow forward functionality , and video decoding block only has fast forward functionality . 2 ) audio decoding block has fast forward and slow forward functionality , and video decoding block only has slow forward functionality . 3 ) video decoding block has fast forward and slow forward functionality , and audio decoding block only has fast forward functionality . 4 ) video decoding block has fast forward and slow forward functionality , and audio decoding block only has slow forward functionality . 5 ) audio decoding block only has fast forward functionality , and video decoding block only has fast forward functionality . 6 ) audio decoding block only has slow forward functionality , and video decoding block only has slow forward functionality . in fig1 the determined value of the system 100 is obtained by utilizing a program clock reference ( pcr ). the decision block 140 further comprises an audio decision block 150 and a video decision block 160 . the audio decision block 150 and the video decision block 160 both obtain the pcr directly and the audio decision block 150 utilizes an audio clock in the audio decoding block 120 to clock the pcr . in this embodiment , the pcr of bit 41 ˜ bit 9 is utilized for correction of the system time clock ( stc ). the audio decision block 150 then compares the pcr with the a - pts and determines if a relation between the two values is greater than a determined value . if the inequality is true , the audio decision block 150 will calculate an adjustment signal and output it to the audio decoding block 120 . the audio decision block 150 also utilizes the sampled pcr and the audio clock to create a new reference source clock stc - e for determining the video adjustment signal . an exemplary new reference source clock stc - e is calculated from the following equation when the stc rate is 90 khz : stc - e = pcr sampled ⁡ ( bit ⁢ ⁢ 41 ∼ bit ⁢ ⁢ 9 ) + rate stc f s × delta audio ⁢ ⁢ output where stc - e represents the determined value , rate stc represents the stc rate , f s represents an audio output sampling frequency , and delta audio output represents the number of audio samples sent after pcr sampled . the video decision block 160 then compares the v - pts with the stc - e for obtaining a video adjustment signal that is then output to the video decoding block 130 . once the audio decoding block 120 and the video decoding block 130 receive the adjustment signals they will respectively decode audio and video streams by fast forwarding or slow forwarding according to the adjustment signals . the audio decision block 150 and video decision block 160 then output an audio adjust complete and a video adjust complete signal to report to the decision block 140 . fig2 is a diagram of a system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the system 200 comprises a system time clock ( stc ) 270 . the pcr , or a system clock reference ( scr ) is clocked by the stc 270 , thereby updating the stc 270 . the audio decision block 250 then compares the updated stc with the a - pts and the video decision block 260 compares the updated stc with the v - pts to determine if a relation between the stc and the pts is above a certain determined threshold , wherein the threshold can be related to input buffer size or output buffer size of the audio decoding block 220 and video decoding block 230 respectively . if this inequality is found to be true , the decision block 240 will utilize the pts and the stc to determine adjustment signals , for selectively fast forwarding or slow forwarding the audio stream and / or the video stream . once the audio decoding block 220 and the video decoding block 230 have respectively adjusted the audio stream and the video stream , they each send a recognition signal to the decision block 240 . an exemplary audio adjustment signal is determined by the following equation when the decoding rate is 48 khz and the frequency of the stc is 90 khz : audio ⁢ ⁢ adjustment ⁢ ⁢ factor = ( stc - pts audio ) × freq decode rate stc × n , where pts audio represents the audio playback time information , freq decode represents the audio decoding sampling frequency , rate stc represents the stc rate , and n represents a least sample number for fast forward or slow forward operations . the audio adjustment signal can also be determined by the following equation : audio ⁢ ⁢ adjustment ⁢ ⁢ factor = ( stc - pts audio ) × freq decode rate stc × n f , where pts audio represents the audio playback time information , freq decode represents the decoding frequency , rate stc represents the stc rate , and n f represents samples decoded of one frame . an exemplary video adjustment signal is determined by the following equation when the video decoding rate is 30 frames per second : video ⁢ ⁢ adjustment ⁢ ⁢ factor = ( stc - pts video ) × rate decode rate stc × n v , where pts video represents the video playback time information , rate decode represents the video decoding frame rate , rate stc represents the stc rate , and n v represents a least frame number for fast forward or slow forward operations . an advantage of some embodiments of the present invention is that the decoding blocks can separately fast forward or slow forward the data according to the adjustment factor . therefore , if the sync error is significantly large , rather than fast forwarding one data stream and creating a noticeable ‘ jump ’ in transmission , one data stream can be fast forwarded and one data stream can be slow forwarded , to make the effect less significant . a further advantage of some embodiments of the present invention is that either decoding block ( i . e . the audio decoding block or the video decoding block ) can perform the fast forward / slow forward processes , thereby having greater flexibility . fig3 is a diagram of a third embodiment of the system 300 according to the present invention . in fig3 , the desired decision block is only implemented by an audio decision block 350 for adjusting the audio stream . the adjusted audio stream is then utilized to calibrate the video stream by updating a - stc ( audio system time clock ) based on a - pts ( audio presentation time stamp ), and providing the a - stc to the video decoding block 330 as reference . in a situation where the audio stream lags the video stream by a significant amount , the audio decision block 350 can determine to fast forward the audio stream by half the number of frames the audio stream lags by , and then utilize the audio stream timing to slow forward the video stream by the remaining half of the frames . in this way , a large sync error can be made less noticeable to the user . please note that the principle involved in this embodiment is the same as in the above two embodiments . the difference is that the audio decision block 350 only controls the audio stream timing directly , and the audio decoding block 320 then controls the video stream timing . the utilization of the audio decoding block 320 to calibrate the video decoding block 330 is merely one embodiment of the present invention , and is not a limitation . in fig3 , the demux 310 extracts program clock reference ( pcr ), which is sent to the audio decision block 350 , an audio stream sent to the audio decoding block 320 , and a video stream sent to the video decoding block 330 . the audio decoding block 320 receives the a - pts and sends it to the audio decision block 350 . the audio decision block 350 receives the pcr , compares the a - pts with the pcr and utilizes the comparison result to send an adjustment signal to the audio decoding block 320 . the adjustment signal is then utilized to update an audio system time clock ( a - stc ), which is in turn utilized for calibrating the video decoding block 330 . the equation for updating the audio system time clock 370 used by the update unit 370 is the same as that utilized in the embodiment shown in fig2 . fig4 is a diagram of system 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is largely similar to the embodiment in fig3 , except in this embodiment the decision block is only implemented by a video decision block 460 for adjusting the video stream , and the adjusted video stream is then utilized to calibrate the audio stream . in this embodiment the pcr and a video - sync clock and the pcr is then utilized to update a video system time clock ( v - stc ), which is utilized to calibrate the audio stream . an exemplary equation for updating the v - stc performed in the update unit 470 is as follows : as the operation of this embodiment can be clearly understood by referring to fig4 together with the description of the third embodiment , further detail is omitted for brevity . the slow forward and fast forward operations will now be described in more detail . an advantage of the present invention is that it utilizes the existing fast and slow forward functions of a standard player to achieve the audio / video synchronization goal . this therefore negates the need for complicated circuitry or execution codes . fig5 is a diagram of a first embodiment of the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 . the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 comprises : an input buffer 520 ; an output buffer 540 ; an audio buffer scheduler 510 ; a decoding block 530 ; and an output module 550 . the audio adjustment signal and the a - pts are sent to the audio buffer scheduler 510 . the audio buffer scheduler 510 sets a pointer to indicate which blocks of the input buffer 520 should be sent to the decoding block 530 . the decoding block 530 further receives a - pts information from the audio buffer scheduler . if the audio data precedes the video data , a slow forward operation needs to occur . in this case , the pointer is latched at a certain block , and no more blocks are sent to the decoding block 530 until instructed by the audio buffer scheduler 510 . if the audio data lags the video data , a fast forward operation needs to occur . in this case , the pointer is moved ahead a certain number of blocks , and the currently indicated block is sent to the decoding block 530 . the blocks in between will not be sent to the decoding block 530 . in this way , data can be fast forwarded or slow forwarded . the decoding block 530 sends a decoding complete signal to the audio buffer scheduler 510 after each frame of audio data is decoded . decoded frames are then sent to the output buffer 540 , and then to the output module 550 for being output as the decoded audio signal . the decoding block 530 also sends a - pts information to the output module 550 . the output module 550 optionally passes an audio output clock along with the a - pts to the audio decision block . fig6 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 . the second embodiment comprises the same components as the first embodiment ; however , in this embodiment , the audio buffer scheduler 610 sets a pointer to indicate which blocks in the output buffer 640 should be sent to the output module 650 . all blocks in the input buffer 620 are sent to the decoding block 630 , decoded and sent to the output buffer 640 . the output buffer 640 receives a signal from the audio buffer scheduler 610 . if the audio data precedes the video data , a slow forward operation needs to be performed . in this case , the pointer is latched at a certain block , and only released after an instruction by the audio buffer scheduler 610 . at this point , blocks buffered in the output buffer 640 are sent to the output module 650 . if the audio data lags the video data , a fast forward operation needs to be performed . the pointer is moved forward a certain number of blocks , and the block currently indicated by the pointer will be sent to the output module 650 . the previous blocks will not be sent to the output module 650 . please refer to fig7 and fig4 . fig7 is a diagram of a third embodiment of the audio decoding block . please note that this embodiment corresponds to the audio decoding block 420 of the system 400 detailed in fig4 . the a - pts is sent to the audio buffer scheduler 710 , which sets a pointer for determining which blocks in the input buffer 720 will be sent to the decoding block 730 . the decoding block 730 decodes the blocks and sends them to the output buffer 740 . the audio buffer scheduler 710 sets a second pointer for determining which blocks in the output buffer 740 will be sent to the output module 750 . the output module receives v - stc from the update unit 470 shown in fig4 , and sends an adjusted a - pts ( the a - pts corresponding to the current audio output ) to the audio buffer scheduler 710 . fig8 is a diagram of a first embodiment of the video decoding block please note that this embodiment corresponds to the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 . the operation of the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 is the same as the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 shown in fig6 . the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 comprises : an input buffer 820 ; an output buffer 840 ; a video buffer scheduler 810 ; a decoding block 830 ; and an output module 850 . the video buffer scheduler 810 sets a pointer for determining which blocks in the output buffer 840 will be sent to the output module 850 . the operation of the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 is the same as the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 shown in fig6 , and further description is therefore omitted for brevity . please refer to fig9 and fig3 . fig9 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the video decoding block , corresponding to the video decoding block 330 shown in fig3 . the video decoding block 330 in fig9 comprises the same components as the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 in fig8 , except that , in fig9 , the video buffer scheduler 910 sets a first pointer for indicating which blocks in the input buffer 920 will be sent to the decoding block 930 , and sets a second pointer for determining which blocks in the output buffer 940 will be sent to the output module 950 . the output module receives a - stc from the update unit 370 shown in fig3 , and utilizes the a - stc to send an adjusted v - pts ( the v - pts corresponding to the current video output ) to the video buffer scheduler 910 . please refer to fig1 . fig1 is a diagram of a third embodiment of the video decoding block , corresponding to the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 . the operation of the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 is the same as the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 shown in fig5 . the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 comprises : an input buffer 1020 ; an output buffer 1040 ; a video buffer scheduler 1010 ; a decoding block 1030 ; and an output module 1050 . the video buffer scheduler 1010 sets a pointer for determining which blocks in the input buffer 1020 will be sent to the decoding block 1030 . the operation of the video decoding block 130 , 230 , 430 is the same as the audio decoding block 120 , 220 , 320 shown in fig5 , and further description is therefore omitted for brevity . it is an advantage of the system that the video stream and audio stream can be separately adjusted to achieve synchronization of the data streams . it is a further advantage that the video stream and audio stream can be adjusted simultaneously in order to achieve the smoothest synchronization . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims .	7
referring first to fig1 , an embodiment of a vaporizing device 10 is shown , consistent with an embodiment of the present application . devices according to the present application may include a tank 30 and a power component 50 , e . g ., battery component . the tank 30 may be configured to fit within a slot 54 of the power component 50 such that at least a portion of the tank 30 is adjacent to the power component 50 ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). the power component 50 may have a generally ergonomic shape for fitting in the palm of a user &# 39 ; s hand ( see , e . g ., fig2 ). the vaporizing device 10 may have dimensions that allow a user to carry the device in a pocket of a piece of clothing . fig3 a , 3b , and 4 - 6 show different views of an exemplary vaporizing device 20 according to the present disclosure , which may be substantially similar to the vaporizing devices 10 shown fig1 and / or 2 . as shown , the tank 30 may fit into a slot 54 of the power component 50 in an upright position . the dimensions and shape of the slot 54 may generally correspond to the dimensions of the tank 30 , e . g ., both the slot 54 and the tank 30 may be generally cylindrical in shape . when the tank 30 is secured in the slot 54 , the power component 50 may provide power to an atomizer of the tank 30 to generate vapor . the mouthpiece 32 of the tank 30 may extend above the top surface 58 of the power component 50 for access by a user . while fig1 and 3a - 3b each show the portion of the tank 30 within the respective slots 54 as entirely surrounded , in some embodiments the slot 54 of the power component 50 may only partially surround the tank 30 , e . g ., wherein the slot 54 has an opening along the side , such as a slit extending along the entire length or part of the length of the slot 54 . at least a portion of the tank 30 may be at least partially or completely transparent to allow the user to view the liquid contents therein . in some embodiments , the slot 54 may be configured to allow a user to monitor the level of liquid in the tank 30 . for example , the portion of the frame 52 that defines the top of the slot 54 may have a curved or tapered surface 56 , such that the top of the slot 54 may be tapered to expose all or a portion of the length of the tank 30 ( e . g ., exposing all or a portion of a reservoir inside the tank , wherein the reservoir contains the liquid to be vaporized ). in some embodiments , as shown in fig8 , for example , a portion of the tank 30 from the mouthpiece 32 to a middle or lower area 36 of the tank 30 may be visible when the tank 30 is disposed in the slot 54 . the portion of the frame 52 that defines the slot 54 additionally or alternatively may be at least partially or completely transparent so that all or most of the tank 30 can be viewed . the tank 30 may be secured to ( e . g ., locked into ) and electrically connected to the power component 50 by any suitable connection ( s ). for example , the power component 50 may include threads complementary to threads of the tank 30 for connecting the tank 30 to a battery or other power source within the power component 50 . in some embodiments , the tank 30 may include a 510 threaded portion , a ce - 4 type of threaded connection , or a ce - 5 type of threaded connection , and the power component may include complementary threaded portions or types of threaded portions . in some embodiments , a bottom surface of the tank 30 may include a threaded portion that screws into the slot 54 of the power component 50 . for example , the slot 54 of the power component 50 may have a closed bottom to limit displacement of the tank 30 in the slot 54 . the wall 62 at the closed bottom of the slot 54 may include an electrical connector 64 to couple with a connector of the tank 30 , e . g ., for supplying power from the battery to the tank 30 ( e . g ., to the atomizer of the tank ). fig4 shows a top view of the power component of fig3 a and 3b , wherein the bottom wall 62 of the slot includes a standard 510 threaded connector 64 for receiving a tank 30 with a complementary 510 threaded portion . in other embodiments , a side of the tank 30 may have threads complementary to threads in an adjacent surface of the power component 50 . for example , the power component 50 may have a threaded portion along a side surface thereof . tanks suitable for the present disclosure include prefilled tanks and refillable tanks . exemplary tanks may be about 13 mm or about 14 mm in diameter . in some embodiments , the vaporizer device 10 or 20 may include an adapter fixedly or detachably coupled to a surface of the slot 54 for connecting the tank 30 to the power component 50 . the power component 50 may include a battery 76 ( as shown , for example , in fig6 ), e . g ., a rechargeable battery . in some embodiments , for example , the power component 50 may include a lithium - ion battery , e . g ., a 1100 mah or 2200 mah li - ion battery . fig6 shows an exploded view of the power component 50 of fig3 a and 3b , including a frame 52 , a battery / battery cell 76 ( hereinafter battery 76 ), and a cover or shroud 78 ( hereinafter shroud 78 ). the battery 76 may be removable or non - removable . for example , the battery 76 may be fixedly attached to the frame 52 such that the battery 76 may not be removed from the power component 50 . in some embodiments , the frame 52 may completely surround the battery 76 , e . g ., such that a user may not be able to access the battery 76 . the frame 52 may contain various electronic components of the device , such as e . g ., microprocessors , leds , sensors , etc . the shroud 78 also may be removable or non - removable . for example , the shroud 78 may be fixedly attached to the battery 76 and / or frame 52 . in some embodiments , the shroud 78 may be removable , e . g ., allowing a user to exchange shrouds 78 of different colors or designs ( see , e . g ., fig1 and discussion below ). in some embodiments , the battery 76 may provide a voltage ranging from about 1 . 5 v to about 5 . 0 v , such as about 3 . 7 v . in some embodiments , the battery 76 may have a 3 . 7 v output that may be increased to 4 . 2 v , e . g ., with a booster circuit , providing 13 . 6 w . the vaporizer device 10 or 20 may be configured to power an atomizer in the tank 30 down to about 1 . 0ω . the power component 50 may include a power button , e . g ., for activating the battery . for example , the frame 52 may include a power button operably coupled to the battery 76 , such that pressing the power button causes the battery 76 to supply voltage for vaporizing liquid in the tank 30 , e . g ., via a heating element in an atomizer of the tank 30 . additionally or alternatively , the power component 50 may be configured such that pressing one or more portions of the shroud 78 radially inward activates the battery 76 ( e . g ., similar to clicking a computer mouse ). thus , for example , a user may squeeze one or both sides of the shroud 78 while holding the vaporizing device 10 or 20 in his / her hand in order to generate vapor . in some embodiments , the power component 50 may include a port 80 for connection to an external power supply for recharging the battery 76 . for example , the power component 50 may include a usb or micro - usb charging port 80 , e . g ., as shown in fig5 . the port 80 may have any suitable location along the power component 50 , such as , e . g ., the bottom surface 68 , the top surface 58 , the side surface ( opposite the slot 54 for receiving the tank 30 ), the front surface , or the back surface . fig5 shows a bottom view of the power component 50 of fig3 a and 3b , wherein a base portion 66 of the power component 50 , below the slot 54 for the tank 30 , includes a micro - usb connector 82 . a micro - usb cable 84 may be connected to the connector 82 , as shown in fig9 . the power component 50 may include multiple charging ports 80 . vaporizing devices 10 or 20 according to the present disclosure may be configured to stably sit on a desktop or other generally flat surface . in some embodiments , the power component 50 may include one or more leds , e . g ., as indicator lights . when the battery power is at or above a threshold level , the led ( s ) may be one color ( e . g ., white ), and when the battery power drops below the threshold , the led ( s ) may change to a different color ( e . g ., red ). the leds may be lit when the vaporizing device 10 or 20 is activated or may only be lit when the power component 50 is connected to a power supply ( e . g ., via a usb or micro - usb cord ). additionally or alternatively , the leds may be configured to flash . for example , the leds may briefly or continuously flash when the vaporizing device 10 or 20 is turned on or off . the base portion 66 of the power component 50 may be at least partially transparent to a user to see light from leds within ( see , e . g ., fig7 c , 7d , 7e and 9 ). the power component 50 and / or tank 30 may be made of any suitable materials or combination of materials , including , but not limited to , glass , metal , plastics and other polymers and thermopolymers . as mentioned above , in some embodiments , the power component 50 may include a cover or shroud 78 , which may be removable / replaceable from the power component 50 ( as shown in fig1 ). for example , the shroud 78 may be configured to snap onto the power component 50 ( e . g ., snap onto a frame 52 or housing of the power component 50 ), and may be removed by pulling the shroud 78 away from the power component 50 . any other suitable connections for securing the shroud 78 to the power component 50 may be used . the shroud 78 may allow for the power component 50 to have different colors and / or designs , according to the user &# 39 ; s preferences . fig7 a - 7e and 8 - 12 illustrate additional features and characteristics encompassed by the present disclosure . fig7 a and 7c , for example , shows exemplary dimensions of a power component 50 ( 75 mm + 38 mm + 20 mm ). the power component 50 may have any other suitable dimensions . referring to fig1 a and 10b , a comparison of a wand - like vape pen 100 to a vaporizing device 20 of the present disclosure is shown , e . g ., illustrating that embodiments of the present disclosure may have relatively more compact dimensions . the following provides some exemplary features of power components 50 and vaporizing devices 10 or 20 according to the present disclosure . power components 50 and vaporizing devices 10 or 20 according to the present disclosure may include at least one , some , or all of the features listed below . it is understood that additional embodiments and combinations of features are encompassed by the disclosure herein . compact size , fits in the palm of your hand and is easily pocketable — no more wands micro - usb charging port — port is on the side so the unit can be recharged in the upright position 3 . 7 v output — could be increased to 4 . 2 v ( with booster circuit ) providing 13 . 6 w when used with a prefilled tank ( pft ) ( 13 tpm ) replaceable cover — different colors are available ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). the foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the relevant art to practice the various embodiments described herein . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the relevant art , and generic principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments . thus , the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown and described herein , but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims . all structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the claims . moreover , nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims .	7
referring to fig1 , a process proposed here is described for creating a mems device having a trench and including electrical elements in the side walls of the trench . subsequently , with reference to fig2 and 3 it is described how this technique can be used to produce a mems device which is an embodiment of the present invention , simply by producing a trench of a different shape which defines a laterally movable element . fig1 is composed of rows ( a ) to ( d ). in each row of the figure , the right part is a top view of a wafer and includes a dashed line . the left part of the row is a cross - sectional view along the corresponding line . the bottom part of fig1 is a key indicating the meaning of the shading used in the figure . the starting point of the method is a ( 100 ) n - type wafer 1 . as shown in fig1 ( a ), short bar - shaped trenches 3 are formed in the wafer 1 using a drie process . the trenches 3 should be slightly deeper than the in - plane structure to be formed . the high aspect - ratio trenches 3 are partially refilled with lpcvd ( low pressure chemical vapor deposition ) polysilicon 5 . then , the poly silicon is thermally oxidized . by volume expansion of the oxidized poly silicon , the trenches are fully refilled and insulated by the sio 2 . this is the stage shown in fig1 ( a ). thermal oxidation is performed and then patterning is performed at the backside of the wafer ( the bottom as shown in representations on the left of fig1 ). then , anisotropic wet etching is performed at the backside until the bottom of sio 2 - refilled trench 3 is exposed . subsequently the wafer is oxidized and patterned at its top side , and p + is selectively doped in regions 7 ( e . g . by ion implantation or pre - deposition ) and then is driven into the top surface ( e . g . by a high temperature process which causes an oxidation on the surface ). then contact holes 9 are opened through the oxide generated in the drive - in process , as shown in fig1 ( b ). using photo - resist as a mask , structural trenches 11 are drie formed in the mems structure . the sio 2 layer at the backside provides the etching stop for the trench etching . the trenches 11 cut across the ends of the sio 2 - refilled trenches 3 and the p + patterns 7 . the device is then placed in a boron rich atmosphere and , under high temperature conditions , boron diffuses into the sidewalls , to form piezoresistors and capacitive electrodes 13 , as shown in fig1 ( c ). since the trenches 11 cuts the ends of the sio 2 - refilled trenches and the p + patterns , adjacent piezoresistors and capacitive electrodes 13 on the sidewall are electrically isolated by a combination of the insulated - trenches 5 and the boron - diffusion - formed p - n junctions along the sidewall . electrical transfer from the sidewall to wafer surface is achieved via the intersection between the regions 7 and 13 . subsequently , aluminium interconnects 15 are formed by deposition followed by a lift - off technique , and the sio 2 layer at the backside is stripped by plasma etching to release the mems structure . the completed structure is shown in fig1 ( d ). we now turn to a use of the method described above for the creation of a mems device which is the embodiment of the invention . the embodiment is shown in perspective view in fig2 , and is an integrated in - plane cantilever with piezoresistive sensing and capacitive actuating elements integrated on trench - sidewalls . the embodiment is formed from a substrate 20 through which a trench 22 is formed to define a cantilever 21 surrounded by a frame 23 . the upper surface of the substrate is thus partitioned into the upper surface of the cantilever 21 and the upper surface of the frame 23 . the mems device is mirror symmetric about the length direction of the cantilever 21 , but in fig2 a nearside portion of the frame 23 is treated as transparent to explain the structure more clearly . the cantilever is free to vibrate in the direction marked in fig2 as the “ lateral moving direction ”, which is within the plane of the upper surface of the cantilever 21 . some portions 25 of the upper surface of the substrate 20 have been doped with p + dopant ( i . e . boron ). during the formation process ( as described above ) some of the doping atoms diffuse into the lateral surfaces of the cantilever 21 and of the cantilever base , where they produce a piezoresistor layer 27 for differential sensing . furthermore , diffusion of the dopant into the trench walls of the frame 23 produces electrostatic actuating plates 29 on the inwardly facing lateral surfaces of the frame for actuation of the cantilever 21 . before the formation of the trench 22 , sio 2 elements 28 were formed within the substrate extending transverse to the surface ( and corresponding to the sio 2 bodies 5 of fig1 ). in the completed mems device of fig2 the piezoresistor layer 27 intersects with some of these sio 2 elements 28 , and is thus divided into separate piezoresistor sensors 25 . similarly , the electrostatic actuation plates intersect with others of the sio 2 elements 28 and are divided into individual actuation electrodes 29 . lateral deflection of the cantilever 21 can be electro - statically driven by the electrodes 29 and measured by the piezorestive sensors 27 on the side walls . this kind of structure with both sensing and actuating functions can be used straightforwardly in many mems applications such as inertial sensors and resonators , etc . the process steps to produce the mems device of fig2 are described as follows with reference to fig3 . items present in both fig2 and 3 are labelled by the same reference numerals . ( 1 ): the starting material for the fabrication process is a 4 - inch ( 100 ) wafer with n - type substrate 20 doped at a level in the range 1 to 5 ω · cm . first , deep trenches 30 perpendicular to the substrate are etched by induction coupled plasma ( icp ) drie ( with alcatel 601e etching system ). the etching depth is 50 μm - deep and 3 . 5 μm - wide . after drie , the by - product polymer compound generated during the drie is stripped by a cleaning sequence as follows : the wafer is wet cleaned with ekc265 solution at 70 ° c . for 30 minutes . then an oxygen - plasma etch of 10 minutes is used for dry cleaning . after the wafer 20 is cleaned , a 300 nm - thick layer of silicon dioxide 31 is thermally grown on it . then the trenches 30 are partly refilled with conformal poly - silicon 33 by lpcvd . the deposition is processed under 630 ° c . for the thickness of 850 nm . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . ( 2 ): the trenches 30 are fully refilled and sio 2 - insulated by volume expansion due to oxidization of the poly - silicon 33 . to reduce thermal stress , the oxidation temperature is set as 950 - 1000 ° c . the insulated trench 30 is fully refilled without void throughout the trench cross - section to create sio 2 bodies 28 . during the poly silicon oxidation , a thick sio 2 layer is also formed on both sides of the wafer . after patterning at the backside , tmah anisotropical etching from the backside thins down the substrate under the cantilever regions until the bottom of the insulated trenches 30 is reached . for a 400 μm - thick wafer , the backside etching is about 350 μm in depth . the sio 2 layer covering the front wafer surface can protect the front side from the backside etching . then , the frontside sio 2 is stripped by buffered hf except for the areas of the insulated trenches 30 . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( c ) and 3 ( d ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . ( 3 ): a 300 nm - thick sio 2 layer is thermally grown on both sides of the wafer . after patterning at the front side , a region 25 of the front of the wafer is heavily doped with boron . as described above with reference to fig2 , the p + regions 25 provide electrical transference from the wafer surface to the sidewalls of the trenches produced later in the fabrication process . either an implantation or a diffusion process can be used for this p + doping . during drive - in , a new layer of sio 2 grows over the doping regions 25 . the heavy doping level is set at a sheet resistance of about 20 ωcm . during the heavy doping , the backside is protected by the existing sio 2 layer 37 . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( e ) and 3 ( f ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . ( 4 ): contact - holes 38 are opened in the sio 2 layer for the latter aluminum interconnection . then , 5 . 5 μm - wide trenches 22 are produced using an icp process with photo - resist 39 as the mask . this produces the & lt ; 110 & gt ;- oriented cantilever 21 . the trench etching is stopped automatically at the backside sio 2 - layer 37 . these structural trenches 22 are cut across the surface p + areas 25 with the p + cross - sections exposed at the sidewall - surface for later electric transference . the structural trenches 22 also cut cross the previously formed sio 2 - trenches 30 . the oxide 28 filled in the insulated trenches 30 should be partially exposed outside of the trench - sidewalls so as to ensure electric isolation on the trench sidewall . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( g ) and 3 ( h ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . ( 5 ): the surface cleaning process used in step ( 1 ) is used again for stripping the deposited compound residues generated in the icp process . boron diffusion for the trench sidewalls is performed by placing the device in a boron - rich atmosphere at a predetermined temperature . the wafer surface and backside are protected from diffusion by the existing sio 2 layers 35 , 37 with the exception of the contact holes 38 . the diffusion at the contact holes 38 has little influence as the p + areas are already heavily doped . after boron diffusion on the sidewalls , both piezoresistors 27 and self - testing electrodes 29 are formed on the trench - sidewalls and electrically isolated by the combination of the sio 2 - insulation elements 28 as well as p - n junctions along the sidewalls formed by the boron - diffusion . the electric transference from trench sidewall to wafer surface is simultaneously completed via the overlaps between the sidewall diffusion regions 27 , 29 and the surface p + doping regions 25 . during the drive - in phase of the sidewall diffusion , nitrogen is first introduced and switched to oxygen at the last minutes in order to grow a thin sio 2 layer on the sidewall for surface passivation and protection of the sidewall piezoresistors . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( i ) and 3 ( j ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . ( 6 ): reactive ion etching ( rie ) is used to remove the thin oxide layer in the contact holes 38 while the relatively thick oxide layer at other areas remains . then aluminum is sputtered onto the structure and patterned with a photoresist lift - off technique to provide interconnections 40 . after aluminum sintering , the cantilever 21 is freed by rie stripping the sio 2 layer 37 from the backside of the wafer . the structure at this time is shown in fig3 ( k ) and 3 ( l ), which show respectively cross - sections along the lines a - a ′ and b - b ′ in fig2 . fig4 shows sem images of a device fabricated as described above . the lower resolution image fig4 ( c ) shows the overall cantilever structure . fig4 ( d ) shows the cantilever base area , and in particular two sio 2 isolation bodies 28 near the base of the cantilever . fig4 ( a ) shows the tip of the cantilever , and fig4 ( b ) shows an intermediate region along the cantilever . both views fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ) show further sio 2 isolation bodies 28 . we now turn to experiments characterising the devices pictured in fig4 . firstly , the electrical characteristics of the fabricated devices are evaluated . a negative electrical potential is supplied to the aluminium contacts of the piezo - resistive elements 27 relative to the substrate . as shown in fig5 , the measured linear i - v property of the sidewall piezoresistor elements 27 indicates ohmic contact of the sidewall - to - surface electric transference . the sheet resistivity is about 200ω . the electrical isolation provided by the sio 2 - refilled trenches and the sidewall - diffused p - n junction is also evaluated . a potential difference is applied to two adjacent electrodes 29 , and the current between them is measured . the result is plotted on fig5 , which shows that the breakdown voltage is higher than 50v . such an electrical isolation is good enough for most mems operations . additionally , the electromechanical performance of the fabricated cantilever is characterized . firstly , a static measurement is performed in which a dc voltage is applied to electrostatically actuate the cantilever beam 21 and the piezoresistive response of the piezoresistors 27 is recorded and plotted in fig7 ( a ). as shown in fig7 ( a ), the measured piezoresistive output rises in proportion to the square of the actuating voltage , which agrees well with analytical predictions . secondly , a dynamic test is performed , in which a differential ac voltage signal of 15 ± 10 cos ωt ( v ) is applied to the electrodes 29 , and thus used to drive the cantilever beam . the measured piezoresistive response is plotted in fig7 ( b ), and shows a 3 . 2 mv peak output at a resonant frequency of 96 . 6 khz . these results also match well with analytical predictions ( shown in the dotted line ). the main method steps of the embodiment discussed above in relation to fig3 are summarized in the flow diagram of fig8 . note that the embodiments described above employ both piezoresistive sensor elements and actuator elements . however , the invention is not limited in this respect , and alternative useful devices may be formed in which only one of these two types of elements is formed . an advantage of using both is that it makes possible a self - calibration in which the sensor elements detect a motion caused by the actuator elements , so that the properties of the device can be measured . although only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in detail , many variations are possible within the scope of the invention , as will be clear to a skilled reader . for example , whereas the cantilever 21 of fig2 is arranged for motion in a single direction , in other embodiments the movable portion of the device may be arranged for motion in 2 directions in the plane of the substrate ( e . g . by an appropriate shaping of the trench 22 , and provision of the piezoresistors and actuating electrodes at locations along the trench which respectively sense and produce these two motions ) and / or for motion also in a direction out of the plane of the substrate ( e . g . using motion sensors and / or actuating elements on the surface of the substrate ). in this case , the cantilever may be formed with a more complex configuration , e . g . comprising a comb , beam and / or plate . devices in which the movable portion can be moved in 2 or 3 directions are useful , for example , for multi - axis sensing applications . the design of movable portions which are capable of such motion are known in the literature , and these designs may readily be combined with the techniques disclosed herein for formation of the sensor elements and actuator elements . g . kovacs , n . maluf , k . e . petersen , “ bulk micromachining of silicon ,” proceedings of the ieee , vol . 86 , no . 8 , pp . 1536 - 1551 , 1998 . b . diem , m . t . delaye , f . michel , s . renard , and g . delapoerre , “ soi ( simox ) as a substrate for surface micromachining of single crystalline silicon sensors and actuators ,” in tech . dig . transducers &# 39 ; 93 , yokohama , japan , 1993 , pp . 233 - 236 . k . a . shaw , z . l . zhang , and n . c . macdonald , “ scream i : a single mask , single - crystal silicon , reactive ion etching process for microelectromechanical structures ,” sens . actuators a , 40 , pp . 63 - 70 , 1994 . n . c . macdonald , “ scream microelectromechanical systems ,” microelectronic engineering , 32 , pp . 49 - 73 , 1996 . u . sridhar , h . lau , l . liu , “ trench oxide isolated single crystal silicon micromachined accelerometer ,” in tech . dig . ieee iedm - 1998 , san francisco , calif ., 1998 , pp . 475 - 478 . s . lee , s . park , dong - il cho , y . oh , “ surface / bulk micromachining ( sbm ) process and deep trench oxide isolation method for mems ,” tech . dig . ieee iedm - 1999 , washington d . c ., 1999 , p . 701 - 704 . s . park , j . kim , d . kwak , h . ko , w . carr , j . buss , dong - il cho , “ a new isolation method for single crystal silicon mems and its application to z - axis microgyroscope ,” tech . dig . ieee iedm - 2003 , washington d . c ., 2003 , p . 969 - 972 . j . dong , x . li , y . wang , d . lu , and s . ahat , “ silicon micromachined high - shock accelerometers with a curved - surface - application structure for over - range stop protection and free - mode - resonance depression ,” j . micromech . microeng ., vol . 12 , pp . 742 - 746 , 2002 . a . partridge , j . reynolds , b . w . chui , e . chow , a . fitzgerald , l . zhang , n . maluf , t . kenny , “ a high - performance planar piezoresistive accelerometer ,” j . microelectromech . syst ., vol . 9 , pp . 58 - 66 , 2000 .	1
in the present invention the amino acids are identified by the conventional three - letter abbreviations as indicated below : ______________________________________ alanine ala arginine arg asparagine asn aspartic acid asp cysteine cys glutamic acid glu glycine gly histidine his leucine leu lysine lys methionine met ornithine orn phenylalanine phe proline pro serine ser threonine thr tryptophane trp tyrosine tyr d - tyrosine tyr valine val______________________________________ the present invention relates to highly sensitive fluorescent probes which allow for rapid and precise characterization of neurotensin receptor binding properties on whole cells . the fluorescent compounds of the present invention have the following general formula : ## str3 ## r is a polypeptide moiety which consists essentially of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of : ## str4 ## in accordance with the present invention , each of the amino acid residues identified at positions 1 to 8 may be substituted by lys or orn . further , the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide moiety in accordance with the present invention may be lengthened at the n - or c - terminal as long as the neurotensin - like biological activity is preserved . in accordance with the present invention , the expression neurotensin - like biological activity is intended to mean that the polypeptide induces biological effects similar to those of neurotensin and / or binds with high affinity and selectivity to the neurotensin receptor . r 1 is a fluorophore moiety selected from the group consisting of fluorescein , such as fluorescein isothiocyanate , 5 - carboxy - fluorescein , 6 - carboxy - fluorescein , rhodamine , such as tetramethyl rhodamine isiothiocyanate , blue fluorescent , such as bodipy ™, and texas red . in accordance with the present invention , other fluorophores may be used where neurotensin - like biological activity is preserved . in accordance with the present invention , the fluorophores may be linked to the polypeptide moiety at position ranging from 1 to 8 via a thiocarbamyl bond , where x is sulfur , or a peptide bond , where x is oxygen . the preferred compound in accordance with the present invention is n - fluoresceyl thiocarbamyl - glu 1 ! neurotensin ( n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt ) as shown in fig1 . although there have been previous attempts at conjugating peptides with fluorescein , n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt is the first example of a successful conjugation of fluorescein with the tridecapeptide neurotensin . the salient features of one compound of the present invention are : ( 2 ) the purification of the conjugated compound to approximately 99 % purity allowing for optimal detection sensitivity ; ( 3 ) the similarity of its pharmacological properties with those of the native peptide ; and ( 4 ) the fact that it is 100 % non - toxic and has a demonstrated shelf life of at least one year . the fluorescent peptide compounds of the present invention offer a new , inexpensive and highly sensitive tool for biochemical , pharmacological and anatomical studies of the neurotensin receptor in both brain and peripheral tissues . the present fluorescent probes offer several advantages over the use of radioactive compounds . the compounds of the present invention do not have any of the common drawbacks of radioactive molecules such as short half - life , high cost and slow detection yield ( which may imply weeks of photographic exposure ). further , they compensate for two major shortcomings of current neurotensin radioactive probes : their low specific activity ( which admittedly is higher with iodinated than tritiated ligands , but also entails greater biohazards ) and the fact that they essentially provide static information ( i . e . information that is not applicable to studying living processes in real time ). in addition to providing a non - radioactive approach to the characterization of neurotensin receptors , the fluorescent compounds of the present invention may be used for a number of additional applications unsuited to radioactive probes . these include the following : ( 1 ) these fluorescent compounds may be readily applied to the isolation of neurotensin - receptor expressing cells , using flow cytometric cell - sorting methods . similarly , receptor binding studies may be carried out on whole cells by flow cytometry . ( 2 ) the fluorescent compounds of the present invention may be used for real time visualization of physiological processes ( receptor aggregation , capping and internalization ) using confocal laser microscopy on brain slices or in cell culture preparation . the same technique may be used for distinguishing cell surface with respect to intracellular components . ( 3 ) confocal microscopic visualization of the bound fluorescent compounds may be combined with that of other cell markers ( e . g . biocytin ™, lucifer ™ yellow ) for identification of neurotensin receptors on electro - physiologically recorded cells . it may also be conjugated to the immunocytochemical characterization of the cells and / or compartments harboring the labeled receptors , using appropriate fluorescent - tagged antibodies . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt is prepared according to the following procedure . glu 1 ! nt was synthesized by solid phase technique using a scheme based on t - boc chemistry / acid labile amino acid protecting groups . after deprotection of the last n - amino group , acylation was performed by fluorescein isothiocyanate ( fitc , sigma , 6 - fold excess ) in anhydrous dimethylformamide ( dmf ) containing 5 % n , n - diisopropylethylamine ( diea ) for 2 hours at room temperature with stirring . completion of the coupling was ascertained by a ninhydrin colorimetric test . the acyl - peptide - resin intermediate was then extensively washed with dmf and dried in vacuo . it was submitted to hydrogen fluoride cleavage to deprotect amino acid side chains and to cleave the fluorescein thiocarbamyl ( ftc ) peptide from the resin . the ftc - peptide was solubilized in trifluoroacetic acid ( tfa ) and subjected to rotary evaporation in vacuo . it was then purified by preparative high pressure liquid chromatography ( hplc ) on a parsil 10 ods - 3 whatman ™ column ( 10 - um particle size ; 2 . 2 cm × 50 cm ), using a binary solvent system consisting of 0 . 01 % aqueous tfa , ph 2 , 9 and acetonitrile ( ch 3 cn )- 0 . 01 % tfa and an appropriate gradient . elution of the peptide was monitored at 214 nm . collected fractions were readily screened by analytical hplc using both uv and fluorescence detection ( excitation , 338 nm ; emission , 425 nm ), pooled accordingly , evaporated in vacuo to remove ch 3 cn and lyophilized twice . the purified n - ftc glu 1 ! nt was analyzed for homogeneity by analytical hplc on a u bondapak ™ c 18 column ( 10 - um particle ; 0 . 39 cm × 15 cm ) using appropriate linear gradients of 0 . 01 % aqueous tfa , ph 2 . 9 and 0 . 01 % tfa - ch 3 cn and 0 . 01m ammonium acetate and ch 3 cn ( fig3 where the position of glu 1 ! nt and its fluorescent analog ftc glu 1 ! nt are indicated on the profiles ). its amino acid composition was assessed by quantitative amino acid analysis after acidic hydrolysis in vacuo ( 6n hcl , 110 ° c ., 18 h ) and carboxypeptidase y ( cpy ) digestion ( 6 u / 0 . 3 umole , 37 ° c ., 48 h ). the site of attachment of the fluoresceyl derivative molecule to the neurotensin n - terminus was identified as nα - glu 1 . the structure of the fluorescent peptide was confirmed by mass spectral analysis . the degree of homogeneity was determined by u . v . and fluorescence detection to 99 %. the modification of semi - protected neurotensin with fitc yielded a selective incorporation of one mole fitc / mole unprotected peptide . n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt was evaluated to be pure as indicated by a single elution peak from reverse - phase hplc allowing for optimal detection sensitivity ( fig2 ). the molecular weight of n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt is 2080 . the coumpound is freely soluble in distilled water or aqueous buffer , and is stable if protected from light and maintained at 4 ° c . finally , ftc - nt is 100 % non - toxic . the binding of monoiodo 125 i - tyr 3 - neurotensin was performed on purified brain membranes from adult male mice as described previously ( sadoul j . l . et al ., biochem . and biophys . res . comm ., 1984 , 120 ( 1 ): 206 - 213 ). briefly , membranes were incubated with 0 . 1 nm of radiolabeled peptide in the presence of varying concentrations of n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt in 50 mm tris hcl ph 7 . 5 containing 0 . 2 % bovine serum albumin and 1 mm 1 , 10 - phenanthroline . the reaction was carried out for 20 minutes at 22 ° c . and stopped by the addition of 2 ml ice - cold buffer . membranes were then subjected to immediate filtration over gelman ™- filters ( millipore ™) under vacuum using a millipore ™ filtration apparatus . they were then thoroughly washed and their radioactivity content was measured in a gamma counter . the data were expressed as the percentage of specific binding of the radioligand in the absence of competitor . ic 50 values were obtained graphically and then corrected for the occupancy by the labeled ligand to obtain k i values . the k i values presented are the geometric mean anti - log of averaged log ( k i ) values !± sem . the data were analyzed on an ibm / xt microcomputer using ebda / ligang programs . as can be seen in fig4 the fluorescent analogue completely displaces specific 125 i - tyr 3 - neurotensin binding in a dose dependent manner . scatchard analysis of the data indicates that the binding is virtually the same as that of native neurotensin with an ic 50 of 0 . 55 nm and a pseudo - hill coefficient of approximately 1 . in vitro labeling of neurotensin receptors on rat brain tissue sections rats were sacrificed by decapitation , the brains were rapidly removed , blocked in the coronal plane and frozen at - 40 ° c . 25 μm - thick frozen sections of the substantia nigra were cut on a cryostat and incubated with 10 - 4 - 10 - 6 m fluoro - neurotensin diluted in binding buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ). the incubations were performed at 4 ° c . in the dark for 60 minutes to allow for equilibration , after which the sections were rapidly rinsed in phosphate - buffered - saline ( 4 × 60 seconds each ), dipped in double - distilled water , and air dried under a cool stream of air . the distribution of the fluorescent labeling was examined under a leica diaplan ™ microscope using a high pressure 100 - w mercury lamp and the appropriate dichroic filter combinations for excitation / emission of fluorescein ( 485 / 520 nm ). controls for these experiments included : ( 1 ) examination of sections incubated in the absence of the fluorescent ligand to determine background autofluorescence , and in the presence of a 1000 - fold excess of unlabeled ligand for the determination of the non - specific binding ; and ( 2 ) examination of regions of the nervous system known to be devoid of neurotensin receptors . the anatomical distribution of specifically bound fluorescent ligand in the ventral midbrain tegmentum is illustrated in fig5 . in the substantia nigra pars compacta the label is seen to be selectively accumulated over nerve cell bodies and proximal dendrites . the labeled neurons are ovoid and fusiform in shape with their long axis oriented parallel to the dorsal surface of the pars reticulata . in the latter , the label is mainly confined to a few scattered perikaria , however several labeled processes are seen to radiate from the cells in the pars compacta . in the ventral tegmental area , the labeling is intense and associated with both nerve cell bodies and surrounding neuropil . in the parabrachial pigmentous division , the labeling is interrupted by areas devoid of label corresponding to the trans - tegmental fiber bundles . the fluorescent labeling was no longer apparent in sections incubated with an excess of unlabeled neurotensin . no autofluorescence was observed except a few orange spots in some cells , typical of lipofuscin aggregates . hybridomas cells ( sn6 ) were produced by the fusion of embryonic septal cells with murine neuroblastoma and generously provided by hammond et al . ( science , december 1986 , 234 : 1237 - 1240 ). sn cells were grown in petri dishes ( 100 mm 2 ) in dubelcco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium ( dmem ) containing 44 mm nahco 3 and 10 % fetal calf serum ( gibco brl ) in a humidified atmosphere of 90 % air , 10 % co 2 at 37 ° c . for flow cytometry , the cells ( 1 × 10 6 cell / 0 . 1 ml ) were washed in pbs and incubated with various concentrations of fluoro - neurotensin in hepes - tris - buffer , ph 7 . 4 , in the presence ( non - specific ) or the absence ( total binding ) of a 100 - fold excess of unlabeled neurotensin . after incubation at 40 ° c . or 20 ° c . for 1 hour , the cells were washed and analyzed with a becton - dickinson ™ facscan flow cytometer and consort 30 software . flow cytometric histograms of n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt binding to sn6 cholinergic hybrid cells are illustrated in fig6 . the majority ( 97 . 4 %) of the cells displayed specific fluoro - neurotensin binding at both 4 ° c . and 20 ° c . saturation of the binding was both time and temperature dependent . maximal binding densities were higher at 4 ° c . than at 20 ° c ., presumably reflecting a down regulation of cell surface receptors subsequent to internalization . confocal microscopic visualization of neurotensin binding sites on cholinergic hybrid cells . sn6 cholinergic hybrid cells were incubated with n - ftc - glu 1 ! nt , under the same conditions as above and the distribution of bound fluorescent molecules was analyzed by confocal microscopy . confocal imaging was performed with a leica ™ confocal laser scanning microscope configured with a leica diaplan ™ inverted microscope ( equipped with a 40 × npl oil immersion fluotar objective of 1 . 30 numerical aperture ), an argon ion laser ( 488 nm ) with an output power of 2 - 50 mw , and a vme bus with an mc 68020 / 68881 ™ computer system integrated to an optical disc for image storage . all image generating and processing operations were performed on a leica ™ confocal laser microscope software . optical scanning images ( 512 × 512 pixels ) of cultured cells were made at 0 . 1 μm intervals for a total of 26 sections per scanning sequence . from this data volume , a single composite image of each cell was generated using extended focus image construction . confocal laser microscopic examination of cells incubated with fluoro - neurotensin at 4 ° c . showed prominent staining of the cell borders , suggesting confinement of the label to the cell membrane . upon warming of these cells up to 37 ° c . for 10 minutes , the surface fluorescence intensity diminished and multiple small , bright fluorescent particles appeared in the cytoplasm . after 30 min at 37 ° c ., these fluorescent endosome - like elements accumulated and formed a perinuclear ring as illustrated in fig2 . while the invention has been described with particular reference to the illustrated embodiment , it will be understood that numerous modifications thereto will appear to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the above description and accompanying drawings should be taken as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting sense .	2
the embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings . fig2 a , 2 b and 2 c are sectional views of an ic substrate formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 a , a first conductor layer is formed to be a grounding conductor layer ( 23 ) on a substrate ( 22 ). the first conductor layer is formed on a lower surface ( 22 b ) of the substrate and extends through the substrate to its upper surface ( 22 a ). one or more terminals ( 27 ) are formed on the upper surface of the substrate . as shown in fig2 b , one or more variable resistance material layers ( 24 ) are formed to overlay the terminals of the grounding conductor layer ( 23 ) so as to form connection with the grounding conductor layer . in addition , a plurality of second conductor layers ( 21 ) are formed to be upper electrodes . the second conductor layers overlay on the variable resistance material layers ( 24 ) so as to form connection with each of the variable resistance material layers . fig2 c is a sectional view of an ic chip ( 20 ) disposed on the substrate . a chip ( 20 ) is connected with the upper electrodes ( 21 ) by soldering , and a protection layer ( 25 ) is added to the chip to prevent from dust and moisture . fig2 d is a top view of the invention in fig2 a . fig2 e is a top view of the invention in fig2 b . fig3 shows another embodiment of connecting an ic chip with the upper electrodes by wire bonding . a first conductor layer is formed to be a grounding conductor layer ( 33 ) on a substrate ( 32 ). the first conductor layer is formed on a lower surface ( 32 b ) of the substrate and extends through the substrate to its upper surface ( 32 a ). one or more terminals are formed on the upper surface of the substrate , one or more variable resistance material layers ( 34 ) are formed to overlay the terminals of the grounding conductor layer ( 33 ) so as to form connection with the grounding conductor layer . in addition , a plurality of second conductor layers ( 31 ) formed to be upper electrodes . the second conductor layers overlay on the variable resistance material layers ( 34 ) so as to form connection with each of the variable resistance material layers . a chip ( 30 ) is connected with the upper electrodes ( 31 ) wire bonding ( 38 ) and a protection layer ( 35 ) is added to the chip ( 30 ) to prevent from dust and moisture . fig4 is a sectional view of an ic substrate with over voltage protection functions according to another embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , one or more variable resistance material layers ( 44 ) are formed on a substrate . the variable resistance material layers are disposed on the lower surface ( 42 b ) of the substrate . a grounding conductor layer ( 43 ) is formed to be a grounding terminal . the grounding terminal is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate and extends to overlay on each of the variable resistance material layers . a plurality of conductor layers ( 41 ) are formed to be electrodes . the conductor layers are disposed on the upper surface ( 42 a ) of the substrate , and extend through the substrate to its lower surface so as to form connection with each of the variable resistance material layers . a chip ( 40 ) is connected with the conductor layers ( 41 ) by soldering at ( 48 ). fig5 is a sectional view of an ic substrate with over voltage protection functions according to further another embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 , a grounding conductor layer ( 53 ) is formed on a substrate to be a grounding terminal . the grounding terminal is disposed on the lower surface ( 52 b ) of the substrate . one or more variable resistance material layers ( 54 ) are disposed through the substrate and are connected with the grounding conductor layer . a plurality of conductor layers ( 51 ) are formed to be electrode terminals . each of the conductor layers are disposed on the upper surface ( 52 a ) of the substrate , and overlays each of the variable resistance material layers and is connected with them . when a surge pulse occurs , the energy of the surge pulse will enter the electrode terminals ( 51 ) to propagate to the grounding terminal ( 53 ) through the variable resistance material layers ( 54 ). because the nature of the variable resistance materials and its structure , the energy of the surge pulse will be released evenly to the grounding lines and thus , the ic device ( 50 ) will not be damaged and the object to protect the ic device is achieved . fig6 a and 6 b are top views of a multi - layer ic substrate formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig6 a , one or more grounding conductor layers ( 83 ) are formed on a first substrate ( 821 ) to be grounding terminals , which extend to a upper surface ( 821 a ) of the first substrate and is disposed on the lower surface ( 821 b ) of the first substrate , thereby forming one or more terminals ( 87 ) on the upper surface of the first substrate . one or more variable resistance material layer ( 84 ) are formed on the first substrate ( 821 ) and overlay the terminals of grounding conductor layers ( 83 ) appeared on the substrate and are connected with each of the grounding conductor layers . a plurality of first conductor layers ( 811 ) are formed on the upper surface of the first substrate ( 821 ). each of the conductor layers ( 811 ) is disposed on the substrate and overlays on each of the variable resistance material layers ( 84 ), so as to form an electrical connection with each of the variable resistance material layers . the plurality of first conductor layers ( 811 ) extend through the first substrate ( 821 ), and terminals ( 87 ) of the first conductor layer ( 811 ) appear on the upper and lower surfaces of the first substrate ( 821 ). as shown in fig6 b , a plurality of second conductor layers ( 812 ) are formed on a second substrate ( 822 ) to be electrode terminals . the plurality of second conductor layers extend through the second substrate ( 822 ), and terminals ( 87 ) of the second conductor layer appear on the upper surface ( 822 a ) of the second substrate ( 822 ). the second substrate ( 822 ) is disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate ( 821 ), wherein the first conductor layers ( 811 ) are electrically connected with the second conductor layers ( 812 ). in fig6 b , an ic chip ( 80 ) is disposed on the second substrate ( 822 ), and is connected with the second conductor layers by soldering at ( 88 ). a protection layer ( 85 ) is added to the second substrate . fig7 a , 7 b and 7 c are sectional views of forming a multi - layer ic substrate formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig7 a , a plurality of first conductor layers ( 611 ) are formed on a first substrate ( 621 ). each of the first conductor layers ( 611 ) is disposed through the first substrate , and terminals of the conductor layer appear on the upper surface ( 621 a ) and lower surface ( 621 b ) of the first substrate ( 621 ). a plurality of second conductor layers ( 612 ) are formed on a second substrate ( 622 ). each of the second conductor layers ( 612 ) is disposed through the second substrate ( 622 ), and terminals of the conductor layer ( 612 ) appear on the upper surface ( 622 a ) and lower surface ( 622 b ) of the second substrate ( 622 ). holes are formed in the second substrate ( 622 ) and filled with one or more variable resistance material layers ( 64 ). the variable resistance material layer ( 64 ) is disposed through the second substrate ( 622 ). terminals of the variable resistance material layers appear on the upper surface of the second substrate . a grounding conductor layer ( 63 ) is formed on the second substrate ( 622 ) to be a grounding terminal , which is disposed on the lower surface of the second substrate . a plurality of third conductor layers ( 613 ) are formed on a third substrate ( 623 ) to be electrode terminals . the plurality of third conductor layers are disposed through the third substrate and on the upper ( 623 a ) and lower surfaces ( 623 b ) of the third substrate . as shown in fig7 b , the second substrate ( 622 ) overlays the first substrate ( 621 ). the lower portion of the variable resistance material layers ( 64 ) is connected with the grounding conductor layer ( 63 ). the terminals ( 612 ) of the second conductor layer on the lower surface of the second substrate are connected with the terminals ( 611 ) of the first conductor layer on the upper surface of the first substrate ( 621 ). the third substrate ( 623 ) overlays the second substrate ( 622 ). the third conductor layer ( 613 ) is connected with the variable resistance material layer ( 64 ) and the terminals ( 612 ) on the upper surface of the second conductor layer ( 612 ), respectively . as shown in fig7 c , an ic chip ( 60 ) is disposed on the third substrate ( 623 ). the chip ( 60 ) is connected with the upper electrodes by soldering . a protection layer ( 65 ) is added to prevent from dust and moisture . please note that the variable resistance material layers can be made of non - linear resistance materials . fig8 a , 8 b , 8 c , 8 d and 8 e are sectional views of a ball grid array ( bga ) ic package formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig8 f is a top view of a bga ic package formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig8 a , a plurality of grounding conductor layers ( 731 a , 731 b , 731 c ) are formed on a bga ic package to be grounding terminals . each of the terminals is disposed on the surface of the bga ic package . as shown in fig8 b and 8 f , one or more variable resistance material layers ( 74 ) are formed on the plurality of grounding conductor layers ( 731 a , 731 b ). each of the variable resistance material layers is disposed on the terminals of the grounding conductor layers ( 731 a , 731 b ) and is connected with each of the grounding conductor layers . as shown in fig8 c , a plurality of variable resistance material layers ( 74 ) are connected with electrode terminals ( 71 ) and grounding conductor layers ( 731 a , 731 b ). as shown in fig8 d , a second protective layer ( 76 ) is disposed on the electrode terminals and the variable resistance materials layers . fig8 e is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention after solders are added on the electrode terminals and the grounding conductor layers . fig9 a and 9 b are sectional views of the ic substrate with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig9 a , a plurality of grounding conductor layers ( 93 ) are formed on a substrate ( 92 ). one or more variable resistance material layers ( 94 ) are formed on the plurality of grounding conductor layers ( 93 ). each of the variable resistance material layers is disposed on the grounding conductor layers ( 93 ) and is connected with each of the grounding conductor layers . a plurality of variable resistance materials layers ( 94 ) are connected with electrode terminals ( 91 ) and the grounding conductor layers ( 93 ). a protection layer ( 95 ) is formed as a chamber by the upper half and the bottom half . the substrate ( 92 ) is disposed in the bottom half of the protection layer ( 95 ). a plurality of electrodes ( 96 ) are disposed on the sidewalls of the bottom half of the protection layer . the plurality of electrodes ( 96 ) are connected with the electrode terminals ( 91 ) by wire bonding ( 99 ). as shown in fig9 b , a chip ( 90 ) is disposed over the substrate and is connected with the electrode terminals . the upper half of the protection layer is connected with the bottom half of the protection layer to form the ic substrate . fig1 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d , 10 e and 10 f are sectional views of an ic substrate formed with over voltage protection functions according to an embodiment of the present invention . according to an embodiment of the present invention , a method for forming an ic substrate with over voltage protection functions comprises the following steps . as shown in fig1 a and 10 b , one or more desired holes are formed in the substrate ( 102 ) by laser or punching . as shown in fig1 c , the holes are filled variable resistance material layers ( 104 ). as shown in fig1 d , a lower electrode ( 103 ) is formed on the substrate . the lower electrode ( 103 ) overlays each of the variable resistance material layers ( 104 ) and is connected with the variable resistance material layers ( 104 ). as shown in fig1 e , a plurality of upper electrodes ( 101 ) are formed on the upper surface ( 102 a ) of the substrate ( 102 ). said upper electrodes ( 101 ) overlay each of the variable resistance material layers ( 104 ) and are connected with the variable resistance material layers ( 104 ). said upper electrodes and lower electrodes are formed by printing or metal foil pressing . fig1 f is a sectional view of an ic chip ( 100 ) disposed on the substrate ( 102 ). although the invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments , the disclosure is not intended to limit the invention . the invention still can be modified or varied by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention which is determined by the claims below .	7
major elements of the invention are indicated in the drawings by numerals as follows : referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views and more particularly to fig1 wherein the system and method of the present invention are illustrated . a dehydrated hydrocarbon fluid mixture gas stream inlet which contains high levels of carbon dioxide flows by way of inlet gas stream 14 and enters an inlet cross heat exchanger 16 for conditioning . the resulting cooled inlet stream 18 enters a reboiler cross heater 20 for further conditioning , producing a conditioned inlet stream 22 . stream 22 may be further cooled using a chiller . if the pressure of conditioned inlet stream 22 exceeds the critical pressure , either a joule - thomson expander or a turbo - expander can be used to reduce the pressure of conditioned inlet stream 22 . the energy from the expander can be used for compression or for generating electricity . upon completion of the cooling process and pressure reduction processes , the hydrocarbon fluid mixture gas stream is properly conditioned for distillation separation . a distillation separation system that produces a high yield of liquid co 2 is preferred . the primary reason for selecting distillation for the bulk removal of co 2 is its ability to remove the co 2 as a liquid . conditioned inlet stream 22 is distilled in distillation column 24 producing a liquefied co 2 bottom product stream 26 and a distillation overhead stream 28 ( containing significant amounts of co 2 ). the distillation overhead stream 28 is combined with permeate stream 30 from the membrane unit 48 producing combined condenser inlet stream 32 . this stream 32 is cooled by primary condenser 34 producing a primary condenser outlet stream 36 . this stream 36 enters a primary reflux drum 38 producing a hydrocarbon vapor stream 40 and a primary reflux liquid stream 42 . this liquid stream 42 flows back to distillation column 24 by gravity or is pumped by primary reflux pump 44 to enter a top tray of distillation column 24 as reflux . the hydrocarbon vapor stream 40 is sent to membrane unit 48 for further co 2 removal . hydrocarbon vapor stream 40 enters permeate cross heat exchange 5 q and is warmed prior to entering membrane unit 48 . the membrane unit may be a single stage or multiple stages depending on the application , in addition , the permeate pressure of the membrane stages can be different to optimize compressing the permeate gas . membrane separation produces a hydrocarbon product stream 52 and permeate stream 54 . for this example , permeate stream 54 is compressed in a compressor 56 producing a compressed permeate stream 58 . this stream 58 is divided into first and second permeate cross heat exchanger feed streams 60 and 62 . these streams are cooled by permeate cross heat exchanger 50 and hydrocarbon product cross heat exchanger 66 producing permeate cross heat exchanger outlet stream 64 and hydrocarbon product cross heat exchanger outlet stream 68 that combine to form permeate stream 30 . permeate stream 30 is then combined with distillation overhead stream 28 from the distillation column overhead to form combined condenser inlet stream 32 . permeate stream 54 could also be removed for disposal or for further processing instead of being utilized for reflux enhancement . the co 2 bottom product stream 26 may be pumped to an elevated pressure using pump 70 into stream 72 . thermal energy from the pumped co 2 bottom product stream 72 is then recovered using reboiler cross heater 20 to cool inlet stream 18 . the reboiler separator inlet stream 76 enters a reboiler / separator 74 . the vapor from reboiler / separator 74 , stream 78 , is returned to the bottom of distillation column 24 . the liquid from reboiler / separator 74 , stream 80 , is split into a primary co 2 refrigerant stream 82 for chilling , with the balance , stream 84 remaining as a co 2 liquid product stream . primary co 2 refrigerant stream 82 is reduced in pressure with a primary refrigerant pressure reduction device 86 producing primary condensed refrigerant inlet stream 88 . this stream 88 enters primary condenser 34 providing cooling sufficient to produce the required reflux liquid stream 42 . primary condenser refrigerant outlet stream 90 leaving primary condenser 34 enters inlet cross heat exhange 16 as an economizer to cool the inlet gas . the co 2 gas stream leaving inlet cross heat exchange 16 as a gas stream 92 can be compressed to combine with liquid co 2 product stream 84 or can be used as a co 2 gas product stream . for a typical application with an inlet gas of 58 % co 2 at 610 psia , the process , as shown in fig1 , produces a hydrocarbon product containing 10 % co 2 at 565 psia and recovers 89 . 9 % of the hydrocarbon in the inlet gas stream . the co 2 gas product stream contains 92 . 8 % co 2 and recovers 89 . 1 % of the co 2 at 200 psia . the co 2 liquid product stream contains 92 . 8 % co 2 and recovers 3 . 7 % of the co 2 at 610 psia . this gives a total recovery of co 2 for this example of 92 . 8 %. a significant demand for energy in any co 2 removal process producing gaseous co 2 is compression of the co 2 . co 2 compression can be the limiting factor for projects requiring co 2 at elevated pressures such as enhanced oil recovery , or re - injection of the co 2 to eliminate venting to the atmosphere . the compression requirements for this process are less than that for traditional distillation processes , since the co 2 product streams are produced at a relatively high pressure , and no external refrigeration is required . referring now to fig2 , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts , a dehydrated hydrocarbon fluid mixture inlet gas stream 14 that contains carbon dioxide enters inlet cross heat exchanger 16 for cooling . the resulting cooled inlet stream 18 enters a reboiler cross heater 20 for further cooling , producing conditioned inlet stream 22 which may be further cooled using a chiller . if the pressure of conditioned inlet stream 22 exceeds the critical pressure , either a joule - thomson expander or a turbo expander can be used to reduce the pressure thereof energy from an expander can be used for compression of the permeate gas or for generating electricity . upon completion of the cooling process and pressure reduction process , the hydrocarbon fluid mixture is properly conditioned for distillation separation . a distillation separation system that produces a high yield of liquid co 2 is preferred . the primary reason for selecting distillation for the bulk removal of co 2 is its ability to remove the co 2 as a liquid . conditioned inlet stream 22 is then distilled in distillation column 24 producing a co 2 bottom product stream 26 and a distillation overhead stream 28 , which contains significant amounts of co 2 . the distillation overhead stream 28 is cooled by primary condenser 34 producing primary condenser outlet stream 36 that enters primary reflux drum 38 producing a hydrocarbon vapor stream 40 and a primary reflux liquid stream 42 . this primary reflux liquid stream 42 is combined with secondary reflux liquid stream 104 from the secondary reflux drum 96 . the combined reflux liquid stream 106 flows to a top tray of distillation column 24 as a reflux . hydrocarbon vapor stream 40 from primary reflux drum 38 is combined with secondary hydrocarbon vapor stream 118 and enters permeate cross heat exchanger 50 and is warmed prior to entering membrane unit 48 . the membrane unit 48 may be single stage or multiple stages depending on the application . in addition , the permeate pressure of the membrane stages can be different to optimize compressing the permeate gas . separation in membrane unit 48 produces a hydrocarbon product stream 52 and a permeate stream 54 . stream 54 is then compressed in compressor 56 producing compressed permeate stream 58 that is cooled by heat exchangers 50 and 66 producing permeate stream 30 . the permeate stream 30 is then partially condensed using secondary condenser 98 producing secondary condenser outlet stream 102 . secondary reflux drum 96 produces secondary hydrocarbon vapor stream 118 and secondary reflux liquid stream 104 . vapor stream 118 is combined with vapor stream 40 from primary reflux drum 38 . the combined stream is feed to membrane unit 48 . secondary reflux liquid stream 104 is combined with pumped primary reflux liquid stream from primary reflux drum 38 to provide the combined reflux liquid stream 106 that feeds onto an upper tray in distillation column 24 . the liquefied co 2 bottom product stream 26 may be pumped to an elevated pressure using pump 70 . thermal energy from the pumped bottom product stream 72 is then recovered using heat exchanger 20 to cool inlet stream 18 . the high concentration reboiler separator inlet stream 76 leaving heat exchanger 20 enters reboiler / separator 74 . the vapor from reboiler / separator 74 , stream 78 is returned to the bottom of distillation column 24 . liquid from reboiled / separator 74 is split into secondary co 2 refrigerant stream 108 and reboiler separation liquid stream 80 . stream 108 is reduced in pressure with a secondary refrigerant pressure reduction device 110 providing secondary condenser refrigerant stream 112 that enters secondary condenser 98 providing cooling sufficient to produce the required reflux stream 104 that is fed to distillation column 24 . the secondary refrigerant outlet stream 114 leaving secondary condenser 98 is combined with primary refrigerant outlet stream 90 and enters inlet cross heat exchange 16 as an economizer to cool the inlet gas to the process . co 2 gas leaving heat exchange 16 as product 92 can be compressed to combine with liquid co 2 stream 84 or retained as a co 2 gas product stream . for a typical application with an inlet gas of 58 % co 2 at 610 psia , the process as shown in the drawing produces a hydrocarbon gas product containing 10 % co 2 at 565 psia and recovers 91 % of the methane in the inlet . the co 2 product gas stream contains 92 . 8 % co 2 and recovers 88 . 2 % of the co 2 at 200 psia . the co 2 liquid product stream contains 92 . 8 % co 2 and recovers 4 . 6 % of the co 2 at 610 psia . this gives a total recovery of co 2 for this example of 92 . 8 %. a significant demand for energy in any co 2 removal process producing gaseous co 2 is compression of the co 2 . co 2 compression can be the limiting factor for projects requiring the co 2 at elevated pressure such as enhanced oil recovery , or re - injection of the co 2 to eliminate venting to the atmosphere . the compression requirements for this process are less than that for a traditional distillation process since the co 2 product streams are produced at a relatively high pressure and no external refrigeration is required . while the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components of the equipment and systems used in the invention , as well as the steps and sequence thereof , of practicing the methods of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure . it is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification , but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims , including the full range of equivalency to which each element or step thereof is entitled .	8
fig1 provides a perspective view of one configuration of a battery power supply unit 20 forming a part of a first configuration of an illumination device or system . this illumination device or system will occasionally be referred to in the following description as the nano - lux system . the nano - lux system has two configurations ; one of these configurations is a single headlight configuration , while the other configuration is a double or dual headlight configuration . the power supply unit 20 , as illustrated , includes a cylindrical aluminum tube 22 ( the nano - tube assembly ), forming a lightweight and attractive outer skin , that is open at both ends , a battery jack holder 24 secured to a first of the tube ends , and an end cap 26 secured to a second of the tube ends located opposite the first end . the holder 24 may be connected by threads to the first tube end for easy removal and replacement , and the end cap 26 may also be connected by threads to the second tube end . the jack holder 24 or the end cap 26 could be bonded , glued , or otherwise secured to its respective tube end rather than connected by threads . snap fit connections or other connection types are also useable . the cross sectional view provided by fig2 also shows the holder 24 and the end cap 26 at opposite ends of the tube 22 . fig2 further illustrates a battery tube 28 received within the outer aluminum tube 22 . to facilitate assembly , the battery tube can be constructed from multiple tube parts , such as the parts 28 a , 28 b shown . the battery tube 28 and other power supply unit parts , as illustrated , are designed and dimensioned to receive four serially arranged aa batteries 30 , although other configurations are possible . in its assembled condition , the power supply unit 20 has a printed circuit board ( pcb ) plate 32 interposed between a radially inwardly projecting shoulder 34 of the battery jack holder 24 and the adjacent first tube end . a brass connect ring ( not indicated ) is also located at the first tube end . the pcb plate 32 supports a jack pcb 36 as well as a jack 40 , provided in a socket adapted to receive a mating plug ( not shown in fig2 ) of a wire or cable . this wire or cable may lead to an appropriate tail light ( or the headlight , if desired ), enabling power to be supplied to the tail light ( or the headlight ) by the unit 20 . preferably , a rubber plug 38 encloses the socket when the wire or cable is not used in order to prevent contamination of the socket by dirt , water , and so on . in the configuration shown , the end cap 26 supports a pcb 42 by which the batteries 30 are connected to a harness cord exiting the end cap 26 , as will be described below . an electrical conductor such as the harness cord 166 shown in fig1 may be used as an interconnecting element . in one preferred configuration , the battery jack holder 24 , the end cap 26 , the battery tube 28 , and the pcb plate 32 are formed of a common thermoplastic material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( abs ). the pcbs 36 and 42 may be of a woven glass and epoxy prepreg type , such as fr4 d / s . the headlight assembly 50 shown in perspective in fig3 includes an aluminum case 52 with spaces or channels within which a decorative insert 54 and a light holder 56 can be fixed by snap connections , screws , or the like . the case 52 , the insert 54 , and the light holder 56 are secured by the screws , the snaps , or other connections to a cylindrical headlight housing 57 . various conventional components are received within the housing 57 . these components are best seen in the cross sectional view provided by fig4 , and include a jack 58 , which may be brass , an abs jack holder 60 , a brass / nickel connect pin 62 , an abs pin cover 64 , an aluminum screw element 66 , an abs lens holder 68 , a clear lens 72 , a light emitting diode or similar light source 74 , an aluminum radiator 76 , and a fr4 d / s pcb 77 . another clear lens 70 is located at a front end of the headlight assembly 50 . a first lens housing 140 , within which the lens 70 is mounted , is threadedly received within a forward end of the cylindrical housing 57 . a second lens housing 142 , within which a wide angle lens 150 ( fig3 ) is mountable , for example , is threadedly receivable within the forward end of the first lens housing 140 . for reasons that will become apparent , the second lens housing 142 will also be referred to below as a “ clear filter ” housing . by way of the threaded connection between the clear filter housing 142 and the first lens housing 140 , the interchangeable wide angle lens 150 , which converts the narrow beam of light traveling from the light source 74 through the clear lenses 70 and 72 into a wide angle beam , can be mounted in position at the forward end of the headlight assembly 50 . a receptacle 144 is located at a rearward end of the cylindrical headlight housing 57 in order to receive the jack connector of a harness extending , for example , between the jack 40 of the power supply unit 20 and the jack 58 of the headlight assembly 50 . also visible in fig4 are certain other components , such as a bicycle grip or holder 78 , having an appropriate contour , a bicycle housing element 80 , and a mounting bracket 82 , which are all secured together and which cooperate in a manner to be described to mount and retain the headlight assembly 50 in position on bicycle handlebars or other tubular components . additional description of these elements is presented below . with minimal modification to the grip holder 78 , the headlight assembly could also be mounted on a handlebar stem . the mounting bracket 82 defines a recurved , hook - shaped protrusion 90 at one end , as illustrated in fig6 - 8 . to secure the mounting bracket 82 to the bicycle housing element 80 , the protrusion 90 is hooked around a flange 92 projecting from a front end of the housing element 80 , pivoted into position , and secured by an appropriate fastener , such as a screw ( not shown ) receivable in a bore 94 extending through the mounting bracket 82 and the housing element 90 and into the grip or holder 78 . a set screw or positioning pin 96 can facilitate alignment of the bracket 82 and the housing element 80 . as shown in fig3 and 5 , the light holder 56 defines oppositely extending flanges 84 at its forward portion . these flanges are slidable into and out of grooves 86 defined in the mounting bracket 82 . the grooves 86 are visible , for example , in fig7 and 8 . once the flanges 84 are inserted into the grooves 86 , the headlight assembly 50 as a whole can be moved rearward relative to the mounting bracket 82 until a back edge 85 of one of the flanges 84 engages with a cam 100 defined on a release pin 102 , which is movable transversely in appropriate holes or recesses 104 provided in the mounting bracket 82 . lateral edges of an upstanding central portion 106 defined on the mounting bracket 82 serve to guide movement of the headlight assembly 50 by engagement with inner surfaces of the flanges 84 . after engagement between the appropriate flange 84 and the cam 100 , the headlight assembly 50 is retained in position , inter alia , by frictional engagement between the flanges 84 and the grooves 86 . the release pin 102 assists a user in disengaging the headlight assembly 50 from the mounting bracket 82 . the cam 100 is shaped so that transverse movement of the release pin 102 in an appropriate direction , by being pressed or pulled by a user , at least partially ejects the flanges 84 from the grooves 86 to provide at least partial disengagement of the assembly 50 and bracket 82 . full disengagement may then be completed manually . a mounting strap 110 is clamped or otherwise retained between adjacent surfaces of the bicycle housing element 80 and the grip or holder 78 . the mounting strap 110 is formed of an appropriate elastic material , and , in a conventional manner , can be wrapped around a bicycle handlebar or other tubular component to secure the grip or holder 78 in position . the mounting strap 110 includes a forward strap portion 112 with teeth 114 defined thereon and a rearward strap portion 116 terminating in a knob assembly 120 . the knob assembly 120 includes a central knob mount 124 defined at or secured to the end of the rearward strap portion 116 , a rotatable knob 126 , and a locket 128 by which the rotatable knob 126 is secured but permitted to rotate relative to the central knob mount 124 . when wrapping the strap 110 around the bicycle handlebar , a user inserts an end 122 of the forward strap portion 112 into a slot 125 extending through the knob assembly 120 . threads 130 defined on a circumferential interior of the knob 126 are receivable in the spaces defined between the teeth 114 on the strap portion 116 so that , by rotation of the knob 126 , the mounting strap 110 can be tightened around or released from the bicycle handlebar or other tubular element . fig1 illustrates the headlight assembly 50 along with the wide angle lens 150 , forming a clear “ filter ” or “ filter element ,” and various color filters or filter elements 152 , 154 , 156 , and 158 , which are interchangeable or useable in combination with the wide angle lens 150 for use in different environments and under different weather conditions . by way of example , the filter 152 may be green , the filter 154 may be blue , the filter 156 may be yellow , and the filter 158 may be red . each of the filters includes a housing 160 having essentially the same construction as that of the clear filter housing 142 . any of the filter housings is threadedly receivable within the forward end of the first lens housing 140 ( fig4 ) in the same way as the second lens housing 142 . the wide angle lens and various filters can also be attached in series to combine the effects . for example , the clear filter housing 142 can be connected to the first lens housing 140 as shown in fig4 , and the housing 160 of another filter , such as the green filter 152 , can be connected , by cooperating threads , to the forward end of the clear filter housing 142 . of course , it is also possible to reverse this order , so that an appropriate filter housing 160 is directly connected to the first lens housing 140 , and the clear filter housing 142 is connected to the filter housing 160 . the wide angle lens and / or the filters may alternatively be retained in place frictionally or in other appropriate ways , such as by threads or by snap connections , on the appropriate outer circumferential surface . fig1 shows a harness , generally designated 164 , that is designed to extend between the end cap 26 of the power supply unit 20 and the jack 58 of the headlight assembly 50 . although other configurations are conceivable , the harness illustrated includes a first cord 166 exiting the end cap 26 secured to the cylindrical tube 22 of the power supply unit , a second cord 168 detachable from the first cord and extending from a connection with the first cord 166 to a junction 170 , a third cord 172 extending from the junction 170 to a jack connector 174 receivable within the receptacle 144 of the headlight housing 57 so as to electrically interconnect the harness and the power supply unit to the jack 58 , and a fourth cord 176 extending from the junction 170 to a remote control 178 operable by a user . approximate dimensions of the harness 164 are 50 cm total for cords 166 and 168 , 9 . 5 cm for cord 176 , and 17 cm for cord 172 . for a single headlight configuration such as the headlight assembly 50 , a three watt solid state emitter , with high / low intensity , is utilized . the emitter is built as a plug and play module for easy replacement , and the assembly 50 is configured as a miniature headlight structure with minimum diameter and length . an aluminum casing is utilized for high - efficiency heat dissipation , and , although variations are possible , it is contemplated that the interchangeable lenses would include four colored filters , namely yellow , ac red , blue , and green , and one wide angle lens that converts a narrow beam to a wide beam as described above . operation of the remote control 178 , in the single headlight configuration , is off → high → off → low → off . this operation can provide the high / low intensity with an improved , more visual distinction . the quick release bicycle mount preferably has a swivel angle of ± 15 degrees , and the tilt angle is based on the mounting angle . a red led indicator on the remote control unit may be used to signal low battery power . the power supply unit 20 ( the nano - tube assembly ), again , uses four aa batteries , arranged serially . as described below , the power supply unit 20 is intended for installation on a bicycle frame beside s water bottle by way of a quick release bracket that shares the water bottle braze - ons . fig1 shows a dual headlight assembly 180 useable in place of the single headlight assembly 50 described previously and constituting part of a second nano - lux system configuration . the dual headlight assembly 180 ( the nano - pack assembly ) is configured as a pair of single headlight assemblies , each similar to the assembly 50 , mounted together in a unitary housing 182 that is provided with a jack similar to the jack 58 of the assembly 50 . in one preferred configuration , the dual headlight assembly 180 includes a three watt solid state emitter in the left headlight and a one watt solid state emitter in right headlight . all emitters are built as a plug - and - play module for easy replacement . as in the single headlight assembly described previously , the headlight assembly 180 has a miniature structure with minimum diameter and length , the casing is aluminum for high efficiency heat dissipation , and , for each of the pair of headlights , interchangeable lenses , including a multiplicity of colored filters , such as yellow , ac red , blue , and green , and a clear filter , or wide angle lens , that converts a narrow beam to a wide beam , are provided . operation of the remote control is off → right → left → dual → off , and the left headlight is a three watt high beam , while the right headlight is a one watt low beam . when either the single headlight assembly 50 or the dual headlight assembly 180 is to be mounted on a helmet , a one - to - one power cord with an extended length can be used . the headlights in the dual light assembly can have different filters attached to the low and high beam lights . for example , the left , high beam headlight could have a red filter mounted to it , while the right , lower beam headlight could have a clear filter , i . e . a wide angle lens , mounted to it . as described , the power supply unit 20 preferably utilizes four aa batteries , arranged serially . the unit 20 is preferably part of a standard package of components including the single headlight assembly 50 , but is also compatible with the dual headlight assembly 180 . referring to fig1 , in its preferred configuration , the power supply unit 20 is installed on a bicycle frame , beside a water bottle 184 , with a quick release bracket that shares the same water bottle braze - ons , such as a bracket including clips ( such as c - clips ) or clasps 186 . velcro connection elements could additionally or alternatively be used . the jack 40 of the power supply unit 20 ( fig2 ), again , defines a socket adapted to receive a mating plug ( not shown ) of a wire or cable leading to an appropriate tail light . fig1 shows an alternative power supply unit 200 mounted in an alternative position on a bicycle . the power supply unit 200 preferably uses four c batteries , is part of a standard package of components including the dual headlight assembly 180 , and is also compatible with the single headlight assembly 50 . the unit 200 is preferably installed under the bicycle saddle 202 and makes use of a conventional quick release bracket and configuration of a saddlebag . a bracket including clips , such as c - clips , or clasps , for example , could be used . again , velcro connection elements could additionally or alternatively be used . the unit 200 , otherwise , could be contained in a pouch that is securable to the seat post 204 or the top tube of the bicycle frame , for example . fig1 shows a harness , generally designated 206 , that is designed to extend between a jack of the power supply unit 200 and either the jack 58 of the headlight assembly 50 or the analogous jack ( not shown ) of the dual headlight assembly 180 . the harness illustrated in fig1 includes a first cord 210 exiting an end cap 208 of the power supply unit 200 , a second cord 212 detachable from the first cord and extending from a connection with the first gord 210 to a junction 214 , a third cord 216 extending from the junction 214 to a jack connector 218 , receivable either within the receptacle 144 of the headlight housing 57 or within a corresponding receptacle of a housing of the unit 200 , so as to electrically interconnect the harness and the power supply unit to the appropriate headlight assembly jack , and a fourth cord 220 extending from the junction 214 to a remote control 222 operable by a user . approximate dimensions of the harness 206 are 50 cm total for cords 210 and 212 , 9 . 5 cm for cord 220 , and 17 cm for cord 216 . an additional cord 224 , attachable to a rear jack of the power supply unit 200 , is illustrated in fig1 . such an additional cord 224 can be used to interconnect the unit 200 to an appropriate tail light , enabling power to be supplied to the tail light . the various filters as described serve to provide a new cosmetic for both single and dual headlight configurations . as noted , the nano lux series or system includes a first model , which is the single headlight system described , and a second model , which is the dual headlight system described . each headlight can accommodate interchangeable color filters for different weather and environments , as well as an interchangeable wide - angle lens to convert a narrow beam to a wide - angle beam . each configuration described utilizes a miniature headlight structure for an already crowded handlebar that is lightweight , permitting installation on a helmet as well as at locations such as on handlebars . in the dual headlight configuration , a pitched dual beam is provided , with the left and right headlights pitched 5 ° for better road coverage . in a preferred configuration , again , the left headlight is a high beam light with a three watt solid state emitter , and the right headlight is a low beam light with a one watt solid state emitter . the power supply unit 20 ( the nano - tube configuration ), again , is one of a number of standard parts for the single headlight arrangement , but it is to be recognized that the unit 20 is also compatible with the dual headlight arrangement . the unit 20 has a diameter of approximately 15 mm , uses four standard aa batteries as described , and , again , is preferably installed beside the water bottle with a quick release bracket that shares the water bottle braze - ons . the alternative power supply unit 200 ( the nano - pack configuration ) is one of a number of standard parts for the dual headlight arrangement , but the unit 200 is also compatible with the single headlight arrangement . as described , the nano - pack power supply unit 200 uses four standard c - cell batteries . certain functions and features of the single headlight configuration that are to be particularly noted will be reiterated here . the single headlight configuration includes a three watt solid state emitter , with high / low intensity . the emitter is built as a plug and play module for easy replacement , and the headlight has a miniature structure , with minimum diameter and length . an aluminum casing is used in order to provide high - efficiency heat dissipation . the interchangeable lenses include four colored filters , namely yellow , ac red , blue , and green . a wide angle lens that converts a narrow beam to a wide beam is also provided . the off → high → off → low → off sequence by which the remote control 178 is operated assists in providing the high / low intensity with more visual distinction . the quick release bicycle mount provided by the bicycle grip or holder 78 , the bicycle housing element 80 , and the mounting bracket 82 has a tilt or swivel angle of approximately ± 15 degrees based , of course , on the mounting angle . a red led indicator on the remote control unit may be used to signal low battery power . the power supply unit 20 is installed beside the water bottle , by way of clips , for example , that form a quick release bracket sharing water bottle braze - ons . a rear socket defined in the power supply unit 20 permits a tail light power supply . in its preferred configuration , the quick release headlight bike mount has a ± 15 degree swivel angle , as does the quick release helmet mount . in its preferred configuration , the quick release bracket for the nano - tube has two long bolts and one velcro element . in one preferred configuration , the left headlight of the double headlight arrangement is a three watt high beam , while the right headlight is a one watt low beam . the swivel angle of the quick release bicycle mount is ± 15 degrees , and the tilt angle is based on the mounting angle , with the low beam is pitched − 5 degrees with respect to the high beam . two interchangeable filters sets , each having four colors , namely yellow , ac red , blue , and green , are provided for the double headlight arrangement . two interchangeable wide - angled lenses are also provided , and a quick - release battery bracket , which is the same as that for the saddle bag , is installed under the saddle . the foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting . since modifications to the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof .	1
referring now to fig1 - 3 , a heat exchanger is shown generally at 10 as comprising structural support members 12 , and a plurality of tube circuits 14 . structural supports 12 are usually comprised of galvanized steel or stainless steel , while heat exchanger tubes 14 can be comprised of galvanized steel , stainless steel , or other suitable materials such as copper . ends of heat exchanger tubes 18 are seen to extend through openings 20 in second header section 16 . header section 16 itself is usually comprised of galvanized steel , but can be comprised of stainless steel or other suitable materials such as copper . tubing ends 18 are seen to extend through openings 20 in second header section 16 . second header 16 itself is seen to be comprised of an elongated , generally half cylindrical shaped structure . second header section 16 includes top edge 22 and bottom edge 24 , which extend the length of second header section 16 . further , second header section 16 is seen to have a concave side 26 and a convex side 28 . further , as shown in fig1 , first header section 29 is seen to be assembled against second header section 16 . first header section 29 is similar to second header section 16 , except that it usually does not have openings to receive heat exchanger tubes therein . in all other respects , first header section 29 is similar in shape and material to second header section 16 . in assembling heat exchanger 10 , heat exchanger tubes 14 are spaced and placed within structural supports 12 . the ends 18 of heat exchanger tubes 14 are then placed through openings in second header section 16 . a continuous weld is them formed around the section of tubing end 18 that directly passes through and is adjacent opening 20 . in this manner , by forming the welding of concave side 26 of second header section 16 , a continuous weldment is formed about tubing end 18 to ensure a complete and watertight weld . from an access point of view , it is seen to be difficult to perform welding about the tubing end 18 at convex side 28 of second header section 16 , but it is possible to perform welding at certain of tubing end of convex side 28 . however , it is seen to be preferable to perform welding from an access point of view and a continuity point of view from concave side 26 of second header section 16 . in the last step of assembling heat exchanger 10 , first header section 29 is placed such that its top and bottom edges contact , respectively , top edge 22 and bottom edge 24 of second header edge 16 . then appropriate welding is performed along the junction of such edges again to produce a watertight seal between first header section 29 and second header section 16 . referring now to fig4 - 6 , a heat exchanger is shown generally at 30 as comprising structural support members 32 , and a plurality of tube circuits 34 . structural supports 32 are usually comprised of galvanized steel or stainless steel , while heat exchanger tubes 34 can be comprised of galvanized steel , stainless steel , or other suitable materials such as copper . ends of heat exchanger tubes 38 are seen to extend through openings 40 in first heat and second header section 36 . header section 36 itself is usually comprised of galvanized steel , but can be comprised of stainless steel or other suitable materials such as copper . tubing ends 38 are seen to extend through openings 40 in second header section 36 . second header section 36 itself is seen to be comprised of an elongated , generally half cylindrical shaped structure . second header section 36 includes top edge 42 and bottom edge 44 , which extend the length of second header section 36 . further , second header section 36 is seen to have a concave side 46 and a convex side 48 . further , as shown in fig4 , first header section 49 is seen to be assembled against second header section 36 . first header section 49 is similar to second header section 36 , except that it usually does not have openings to receive heat exchanger tubes therein . in all other respects , first header section 49 is similar in shape and material to second header section 36 . in assembling heat exchanger 30 , heat exchanger tubes 34 are spaced and placed within structural supports 32 . the ends 38 of heat exchanger tubes 34 are then placed through openings 40 in second header section 36 . a continuous weld is them formed around the section of tubing end 38 that directly passes through and is adjacent opening 40 . in this manner , by forming the welding of concave side 46 of second header section 36 , a continuous weldment is formed about tubing end 38 to ensure a complete and watertight weld . from an access point of view , it is seen to be difficult to perform welding about the tubing end 38 at convex side 48 of second header section 36 , but it is possible to perform welding at certain of tubing end of convex side 48 . however , it is seen to be preferable to perform welding from an access point of view and a continuity point of view from concave side 46 of second header section 36 . in the last step of assembling heat exchanger 30 , first header section 49 is placed such that its top and bottom edge contact , respectively , top edge 42 and bottom edge 44 of second header edge 36 . then appropriate welding is performed along the junction of such edges again to produce a watertight seal between first header section 49 and second header section 36 .	5
the present invention concerns a disk braking system 10 having active pad retraction functionality intended and configured to address the afore - mentioned concerns of the prior art , including brake drag , and pad / rotor corrosion . the inventive system 10 may be of the type used in automotive applications that feature a caliper 12 , opposite first and second brake pads 14 , a hydraulic drive 16 drivenly coupled to the caliper 12 and pads 14 , and a rotor ( or “ disk ”) 18 intermediately disposed between and selectively engagable by the pads 14 . preferred embodiments described and illustrated herein present an inventive caliper 12 ; however , it is appreciated that the present invention encompasses the use of active material actuation to effect brake pad retraction in general , such that the active material actuation may be performed or embodied by any component of the braking system 10 . the invention may be utilized with other types of braking systems that benefit from active brake retraction ; and as such , is not limited to the configurations and uses described herein . the system 10 utilizes active material actuation , and thereby includes an active material element 20 that is configured to drive retraction when activated or deactivated . the term “ active material ” shall be afforded its ordinary meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , and includes any material or composite that exhibits a reversible change in a fundamental ( e . g ., chemical or intrinsic physical ) property , when exposed to an external signal source . suitable active materials for use with the present invention include but are not limited to the class of active materials known as shape memory materials . exemplary shape memory materials include shape memory alloys ( sma ), electroactive polymers ( eap ), ferromagnetic smas , electrorheological ( er ) and magnetorheological ( mr ) elastomers , dielectric elastomers , piezoelectric polymers , piezoelectric ceramics , various combinations of the foregoing materials , and the like . depending on the particular active material , the activation signal can take the form of , without limitation , an electric current , an electric field ( voltage ), a temperature change , and the like . more particularly , shape memory alloys ( sma &# 39 ; s ) generally refer to a group of metallic materials that demonstrate the ability to return to some previously defined shape or size when subjected to an appropriate thermal stimulus . shape memory alloys are capable of undergoing phase transitions in which their yield strength , stiffness , dimension and / or shape are altered as a function of temperature . the term “ yield strength ” refers to the stress at which a material exhibits a specified deviation from proportionality of stress and strain . generally , in the low temperature , or martensite phase , shape memory alloys can be pseudo - plastically deformed and upon exposure to some higher temperature will transform to an austenite phase , or parent phase , returning to their shape prior to the deformation . materials that exhibit this shape memory effect only upon heating are referred to as having one - way shape memory . shape memory alloys exist in several different temperature - dependent phases . the most commonly utilized of these phases are the so - called martensite and austenite phases discussed above . in the following discussion , the martensite phase generally refers to the more deformable , lower temperature phase whereas the austenite phase generally refers to the more rigid , higher temperature phase . when the shape memory alloy is in the martensite phase and is heated , it begins to change into the austenite phase . the temperature at which this phenomenon starts is often referred to as austenite start temperature ( a s ). the temperature at which this phenomenon is complete is called the austenite finish temperature ( a f ). when the shape memory alloy is in the austenite phase and is cooled , it begins to change into the martensite phase , and the temperature at which this phenomenon starts is referred to as the martensite start temperature ( m s ). the temperature at which austenite finishes transforming to martensite is called the martensite finish temperature ( m f ). generally , the shape memory alloys are softer and more easily deformable in their martensitic phase and are harder , stiffer , and / or more rigid in the austenitic phase . in view of the foregoing , a suitable activation signal for use with shape memory alloys is a thermal activation signal having a magnitude to cause transformations between the martensite and austenite phases . shape memory alloys can exhibit a one - way shape memory effect , an intrinsic two - way effect , or an extrinsic two - way shape memory effect depending on the alloy composition and processing history . annealed shape memory alloys typically only exhibit the one - way shape memory effect . sufficient heating subsequent to low - temperature deformation of the shape memory material will induce the martensite to austenite type transition , and the material will recover the original , annealed shape . hence , one - way shape memory effects are only observed upon heating . active materials comprising shape memory alloy compositions that exhibit one - way memory effects do not automatically reform , and will likely require an external mechanical force to reform the shape . intrinsic and extrinsic two - way shape memory materials are characterized by a shape transition both upon heating from the martensite phase to the austenite phase , as well as an additional shape transition upon cooling from the austenite phase back to the martensite phase . intrinsic two - way shape memory behavior must be induced in the shape memory material through processing . such procedures include extreme deformation of the material while in the martensite phase , heating - cooling under constraint or load , or surface modification such as laser annealing , polishing , or shot - peening . once the material has been trained to exhibit the two - way shape memory effect , the shape change between the low and high temperature states is generally reversible and persists through a high number of thermal cycles . in contrast , active materials that exhibit the extrinsic two - way shape memory effects are composite or multi - component materials that combine a shape memory alloy composition that exhibits a one - way effect with another element that provides a restoring force to reform the original shape . the temperature at which the shape memory alloy remembers its high temperature form when heated can be adjusted by slight changes in the composition of the alloy and through heat treatment . in nickel - titanium shape memory alloys , for instance , it can be changed from above about 100 ° c . to below about − 100 ° c . the shape recovery process occurs over a range of just a few degrees and the start or finish of the transformation can be controlled to within a degree or two depending on the desired application and alloy composition . the mechanical properties of the shape memory alloy vary greatly over the temperature range spanning their transformation , typically providing the system 10 with shape memory effects , superelastic effects , and high damping capacity . suitable shape memory alloy materials include , without limitation , nickel - titanium based alloys , indium - titanium based alloys , nickel - aluminum based alloys , nickel - gallium based alloys , copper based alloys ( e . g ., copper - zinc alloys , copper - aluminum alloys , copper - gold , and copper - tin alloys ), gold - cadmium based alloys , silver - cadmium based alloys , indium - cadmium based alloys , manganese - copper based alloys , iron - platinum based alloys , iron - platinum based alloys , iron - palladium based alloys , and the like . the alloys can be binary , ternary , or any higher order so long as the alloy composition exhibits a shape memory effect , e . g ., change in shape orientation , damping capacity , and the like . it is appreciated that sma &# 39 ; s exhibit a modulus increase of 2 . 5 times and a dimensional change ( recovery of pseudo - plastic deformation induced when in the martensitic phase ) of up to 8 % ( depending on the amount of pre - strain ) when heated above their martensite to austenite phase transition temperature . it is appreciated that thermally induced sma phase changes are one - way so that a biasing force return mechanism ( such as a spring ) would be required to return the sma to its starting configuration once the applied field is removed . joule heating can be used to make the entire system electronically controllable . the active material element 20 may also comprise an electroactive polymer such as ionic polymer metal composites , conductive polymers , piezoelectric material and the like . electroactive polymers include those polymeric materials that exhibit piezoelectric , pyroelectric , or electrostrictive properties in response to electrical or mechanical fields . the materials generally employ the use of compliant electrodes that enable polymer films to expand or contract in the in - plane directions in response to applied electric fields or mechanical stresses . an example of an electrostrictive - grafted elastomer with a piezoelectric poly ( vinylidene fluoride - trifluoro - ethylene ) copolymer . this combination has the ability to produce a varied amount of ferroelectric - electrostrictive molecular composite systems . these may be operated as a piezoelectric sensor or even an electrostrictive actuator . materials suitable for use as an electroactive polymer may include any substantially insulating polymer or rubber ( or combination thereof ) that deforms in response to an electrostatic force or whose deformation results in a change in electric field . exemplary materials suitable for use as a pre - strained polymer include silicone elastomers , acrylic elastomers , polyurethanes , thermoplastic elastomers , copolymers comprising pvdf , pressure - sensitive adhesives , fluoroelastomers , polymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties , and the like . polymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties may include copolymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties , polymer blends comprising a silicone elastomer and an acrylic elastomer , for example . materials used as an electroactive polymer may be selected based on one or more material properties such as a high electrical breakdown strength , a low modulus of elasticity ( for large or small deformations ), a high dielectric constant , and the like . in one embodiment , the polymer is selected such that is has an elastic modulus at most about 100 mpa . in another embodiment , the polymer is selected such that is has a maximum actuation pressure between about 0 . 05 mpa and about 10 mpa , and preferably between about 0 . 3 mpa and about 3 mpa . in another embodiment , the polymer is selected such that is has a dielectric constant between about 2 and about 20 , and preferably between about 2 . 5 and about 12 . the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to these ranges . ideally , materials with a higher dielectric constant than the ranges given above would be desirable if the materials had both a high dielectric constant and a high dielectric strength . in many cases , electroactive polymers may be fabricated and implemented as thin films . thicknesses suitable for these thin films may be below 50 micrometers . as electroactive polymers may deflect at high strains , electrodes attached to the polymers should also deflect without compromising mechanical or electrical performance . generally , electrodes suitable for use may be of any shape and material provided that they are able to supply a suitable voltage to , or receive a suitable voltage from , an electroactive polymer . the voltage may be either constant or varying over time . in one embodiment , the electrodes adhere to a surface of the polymer . electrodes adhering to the polymer are preferably compliant and conform to the changing shape of the polymer . correspondingly , the present disclosure may include compliant electrodes that conform to the shape of an electroactive polymer to which they are attached . the electrodes may be only applied to a portion of an electroactive polymer and define an active area according to their geometry . various types of electrodes suitable for use with the present disclosure include structured electrodes comprising metal traces and charge distribution layers , textured electrodes comprising varying out of plane dimensions , conductive greases such as carbon greases or silver greases , colloidal suspensions , high aspect ratio conductive materials such as carbon fibrils and carbon nanotubes , and mixtures of ionically conductive materials . materials used for electrodes of the present disclosure may vary . suitable materials used in an electrode may include graphite , carbon black , colloidal suspensions , thin metals including silver and gold , silver filled and carbon filled gels and polymers , and ionically or electronically conductive polymers . it is understood that certain electrode materials may work well with particular polymers and may not work as well for others . by way of example , carbon fibrils work well with acrylic elastomer polymers while not as well with silicone polymers . the active material may also comprise a piezoelectric material configured as an actuator for providing rapid deployment . as used herein , the term “ piezoelectric ” is used to describe a material that mechanically deforms ( changes shape ) when a voltage potential is applied , or conversely , generates an electrical charge when mechanically deformed . preferably , a piezoelectric material is disposed on strips of a flexible metal or ceramic sheet . the strips can be unimorph or bimorph . preferably , the strips are bimorph , because bimorphs generally exhibit more displacement than unimorphs . finally , electrorheological and magnetorheological compositions , such as er and mr elastomers are “ smart ” materials whose rheological properties rapidly change upon application of an electric potential or magnetic field . mr elastomers , for example are suspensions of micrometer - sized , magnetically polarizable particles in a thermoset elastic polymer or rubber . the stiffness of the elastomer structure is accomplished by changing the shear and compression / tension moduli by varying the strength of the applied magnetic field . the mr elastomers typically develop structure when exposed to a magnetic field in as little as a few milliseconds . discontinuing the exposure of the mr elastomers to the magnetic field reverses the process and the elastomer returns to its lower modulus state . returning to the structural configuration of the invention , preferred embodiments of the inventive caliper 12 are variously shown in fig2 - 9 . in each of the embodiments , the caliper 12 includes a hollow cylinder 22 that is communicatively coupled at one end to the hydraulic drive 16 , and open at the other end . the caliper 12 further includes a reconfigurable piston 24 coaxially aligned with , disposed within , and translatable relative to the cylinder 22 . the piston 24 is fixedly attached to the brake pad 14 , and as such presents an attached end that translates between an applied position spaced from the open end of the cylinder 22 and configured to engage the pad 14 and rotor 18 , and a retracted position preferably flush with the open end of the cylinder 22 , when functioning properly . more particularly , as is conventionally the case , hydraulic fluid 26 is used to convert a force applied to the brake pedal ( not shown ) by a user ( also not shown ) into pressure within the cylinder 22 and against the piston 24 , such that the piston 24 and cylinder 22 are sealingly engaged . alternatively , it is appreciated that pneumatic or otherwise pressure may be utilized . the pressure causes the piston to travel outwards within the cylinder and the pad 14 to engage the rotor 18 . once the force is removed , the pressure is discontinued , allowing the piston to retreat . as previously mentioned , however , it is appreciated that residual fluid pressure after a braking event often causes the pad to remain in the applied position , so as to clean the rotor , but that said residual engagement may result in brake drag , or pad / rotor corrosion when the vehicle is sedentary for an extended period of time . in the present invention , the reconfigurable piston 24 is operable to push off of the rotor 18 , so as to selectively cause translation towards the retracted position , and in this manner , effect brake pad retraction . to that end , the piston 24 further comprises an outer shell 28 , and member 30 translatable relative to the shell 28 . the member 30 is fixedly attached to the pad 14 at a distal end exterior to the open end of the cylinder 22 . in fig2 and 3 , the member 30 presents a plunger concentric with the shell 28 . a sloped plate 32 is concentrically aligned and disposed beneath the plunger 30 . a ball bearing ( or a roller attached to the plunger ) 34 intermediately engages the plunger 30 and plate 32 , and rollingly engages the two . as the plate 32 rotates , the bearing 34 and therefore the plunger 30 is caused to linearly translate towards a deployed or retracted condition . finally , the plate 32 rides upon a thrust bearing or roller pin 36 . as shown in fig2 , the active material element may comprise at least one , and more preferably for redundancy , a plurality of shape memory alloy wires 20 that are wound about the plate 32 and fixedly attached to the shell 28 . more particularly , the sma wires 20 are wrapped counter - clockwise around the ramped actuation plate 32 and attached to the plate 32 . as the wires 20 are heated , they contract , rotating the plate 32 clockwise between a thrust bearing 36 and the plunger 30 . the wires 20 are preferably activated by an electric current through joule heating . as used herein the term “ wire ” shall encompass other equivalent geometric forms suitable for use as a flexible tensile actuator , including but not limited to braids , cables , ropes , etc . the wire 20 is depicted , herein , as being wrapped , however , it is appreciated that a linear wire , a bowstring , or another configuration may be equally employed to effect the intended displacement . finally , it is understood that a wire wrapped in a clockwise configuration and resultant opposite rotation would be equally effective , and that the two directions are interchangeable throughout this disclosure . because the pad 14 already bears against the rotor 12 due , for example , to the residual pressure , it is appreciated that the member ( e . g ., plunger ) 30 is prevented from further outward translation relative to the open end of the cylinder 22 . as such , when the wire 20 is activated , the shell 28 will be caused to translate inwardly into the cylinder 22 , thereby pushing fluid 26 back up the line . once the wire 20 is deactivated , the plunger 30 retracts into the shell 28 thereby pulling the pad 14 away from the rotor 18 . the shape memory alloy is allowed to retract to its non - activated state , by releasing heat to the surrounding environment . more preferably , the shell 28 and cylinder 22 may cooperatively define a detent 37 ( fig1 ), so as to retain the shell in the retracted position , while the member 30 recedes therein . where the element 20 presents one - way actuation , a return mechanism 38 is provided to rotate the plate 32 clockwise and drive the plunger 30 back towards the retracted condition when the element 20 is deactivated . in fig2 , the return 38 presents a disk or wave spring concentrically aligned with the plunger 30 and disposed between the plunger 30 and an upper travel stop 40 defined by the shell 28 . as such , it is appreciated that extending the plunger 30 relative to the shell 28 simultaneously compresses the spring 38 . this stretches the slack sma wires 20 to their original length further causing them to transition back to the deactivated martensitic phase . finally , in case the member ( e . g ., plunger ) 30 is blocked from moving outward , an overload protection mechanism 42 is preferably provided to present a secondary output path . in fig2 , the mechanism 42 comprises an elastomeric disk disposed beneath the thrust bearing 36 . the elastomeric disk 42 allows the plate 32 to still rotate when the sma wires 20 are activated but the plunger 30 and shell 28 are unable to relatively translate , thereby protecting them from damage . that is to say , in this instance , the slope of the ramp exerts a downward force upon the thrust bearing 36 causing the disk 42 to compress . in a second embodiment , the inventive caliper 12 includes an sma screw type actuator , wherein the member 30 is a screw and the plate 32 is replaced by a ball or lead nut 44 ( fig4 - 5 ) threadably engaged with the screw 30 . here , the sma wires 20 are again connected at one end to the inner wall of the shell 28 , wrapped counter - clockwise around the nut 44 and attached to the nut 44 . as the wires 20 are heated , they contract , rotating the nut 44 clockwise between two thrust bearings 36 a , b ; the first 36 a between the shell 28 and the nut 44 , and the second 36 b between the nut 44 and an elastomeric overload protection disk 42 . this extends the screw 30 out of the shell 28 , and towards the brake rotor 18 . a disk or wave return spring 38 is disposed beneath an outbound travel stop 40 and the flanged lower end of the screw 30 . the return spring 38 is simultaneously compressed as the screw 30 is caused to extend . once power is cut to the sma wires 20 , they cool and become slack . the return spring 38 then pushes the screw 30 inward , rotating the nut 44 counter - clockwise and stretching the sma wires 20 to their original length . in case the screw 30 is blocked from moving outward relative to the shell 28 , the overload protection mechanism 42 compresses and allows the nut 44 to still rotate when the sma wires 20 contract , protecting them from damage . in a third embodiment , the piston 24 includes a multi - stage telescoping member 30 , which preferably allows for different magnitudes of retraction ( fig6 - 9 ). more particularly , the member 30 herein comprises a plurality of extensions , exemplarily depicted as two in the illustrated embodiment . the extensions are concentric with the cylinder , and radially disposed relative to each other . preferably , each extension is separately controllable . the first and radially exterior extension 46 is slidably engaged to a thread 48 that mates with the shell 28 ( fig6 - 9 ). the extension 46 includes a first set of shape memory wire bundles 50 , preferably comprising martensitic sma , which are connected at their upper ends to the thread 48 and at their opposite ends to a first set of laterally adjacent rigid rods 52 . when the first bundles 50 are activated they are caused to contract , further causing the rods 52 to move out of the shell 28 . the first set of bundles 50 are also connected to the second extension 54 , and more particularly , to a second set of rigid rods 56 comprising the same . as such , when activated , the first set of bundles 50 also lifts the second extension 54 to the first stage . it is appreciated that , similarly , for a greater plurality of extensions , it is appreciated that each extension is drivenly coupled to the radially interior extension ( s ). the second set of rods 56 are fixedly coupled to a second set of wire bundles 58 , again preferably comprised of sma . when the second set of bundles are activated , they contract causing the second set of rigid rods 56 to move further out of the shell 28 relative to the first set of rigid rods 52 and to a second stage ( fig9 ). in a preferred embodiment , the first and second sets of bundles 50 , 58 can be actuated together or independently depending on the requirement . to effect overload protection , the first and second set of rods 52 , 56 preferably include elastomeric ( or otherwise compressible ) longitudinal sections 42 integrated therein . here , the elastomeric mechanism 42 protects the shape memory bundles 58 from overloading by compressing or buckling when the extensions 46 , 54 are unable to translate relative to the shell 28 . finally , first and second spring steel sets 60 , 62 are configured to engage the first and second extensions 46 , 54 , respectively , so as to act as returns . more particularly , when the bundles 50 , 58 are deactivated , they are caused to retract by the first and second spring steel sets 60 , 62 , which release energy stored during the outward translation of the extensions 46 , 54 . it is appreciated that various other spring configurations ( e . g ., compression , extension , etc .) may alternatively be utilized . in operation , it is appreciated that the anticipatory temperature range to be encountered by the system 10 , during driving conditions , is generally between 150 ° and 300 ° c . and that sudden stop or aggressive driving conditions may approach and / or surpass the upper end of this range . as such , to enable passive actuation , thermally activated elements 20 should preferably present transition temperatures within this range and more preferably retain memory properties up to the maximum range temperature . where temperatures at and above the upper end of the range are abusive to the elements 20 , it is desirable to insulate these elements 20 from the heat generated during aggressive stop conditions . in a preferred embodiment , an activation signal source 64 ( fig1 ) is coupled to the active material element 20 and configured to selectively ( e . g ., manually or in response to sensory input ) generate an activation signal . the source 64 , for example , may be the charging system of the vehicle , that is controllably coupled to the element 20 through conductive leads . the source 64 may be directly or indirectly operable . with respect to the latter , the leads preferably engage the element 20 , for example , by delivering an electric current through the resistance of the element . alternatively , it is appreciated that the signal may be provided by the ambient environment or a contacting fluid , such that the element 20 is passively activated . in a preferred embodiment , the system 10 further includes a sensor 66 operable to determine a condition ( fig1 ) and communicatively coupled to the element 20 . the system 10 is configured such that the element 20 is activated only upon determination of the condition . for example , a sensor 66 communicatively coupled to the rotor 18 or drive axle ( not shown ) may be operable to detect a brake drag condition , such that the element 20 is activated only when brake drag is detected . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims . also , as used herein , the terms “ first ”, “ second ”, and the like do not denote any order or importance , but rather are used to distinguish one element from another , and the terms “ the ”, “ a ”, and “ an ” do not denote a limitation of quantity , but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item . all ranges directed to the same quantity of a given component or measurement is inclusive of the endpoints and independently combinable .	5
some content delivery networks ( cdn ) make use of a software application known as dynamic content delivery ( dcd ), which is designed for use in distributing file content . in the dcd application , an upload and replication model is followed , wherein the content is initially uploaded to a depot server repository . an application such as dcd keeps a catalog or record of where specified file content is located in the cdn system . also , the application notifies respective clients when the content becomes available for downloading , and tells them to take such action . then , when a client submits a request to proceed with downloading , the application responds by providing the client with a download plan , which is a list of all sources that have the specified content . thereupon , the client connects to one of those sources to obtain the content . in the environment of a cdn of this type , content that clients will need and will request is known . thus , this environment differs significantly from the environment of the internet , wherein the requests that the client will make are generally not known . however , a process wherein file content is replicated to depot servers in successive , gradual stages , as described above , tends to be very unpredictable . as a result , it can be quite difficult to determine the time at which clients should be notified that particular content has become available for downloading . embodiments of the invention are intended to address this difficulty . referring to fig1 , there is shown a content delivery network ( cdn ) 100 that comprises a number of geographic regions , such as usa , china , and brazil regions 102 - 106 , respectively . region 102 further includes branch office zones 108 and 110 , and region 104 includes a branch office zone 112 . cdn 100 is a distributed network configured to efficiently move data content , including large data files , from one location of the network to another . cdn 100 is further configured , as described hereinafter in further detail , to download the same file content to multiple clients with significantly increased efficiency , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . to achieve these results in part , depot servers 112 - 132 are strategically located in respective regions or zones , so that each depot server is physically close to groups of clients . fig1 shows exemplary clients and groups of clients , such as clients 134 - 138 proximate to depot server 112 , clients 140 - 142 proximate to depot server 124 , clients 146 - 148 proximate to depot server 114 and client 152 proximate to server 120 . generally , when a client submits a request to download file content , a content distribution application , such as the cdc application described above , notifies the client of the closest depot server or other source for the file content . then , the client can download the content from the closest depot server or other source , and thus avoid any need to download the content over a great distance , such as from one part of the world to another . the content distribution application is located at the management center 150 of cdn 100 . this application usefully comprises a distributed , grid - like service for efficiently moving large files around a network , and allowing such files to be downloaded by multiple clients . it is to be emphasized that a principal goal of embodiments of the invention is to enable files to be downloaded to a branch office or the like once and only once . after one source in the branch starts downloading the file , all clients associated with the branch wait to get the file from that source . in order to use cdn 100 to distribute file content in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , the content is initially uploaded into one of the depot servers , under the direction of the content distribution application . the file content can comprise an entire data file , or may be a specified segment or portion of a file . also , the file content initially may be uploaded or published from a client or other source . for example , if certain file content that is needed elsewhere resides in a client 152 of branch office zone 110 , the content would initially be published from client 152 to depot server 120 , the closest server to client 152 . in typical operation of the content distribution application , an upload of specified file content to depot server 152 would be accompanied by deployment specifications or the like , which identify clients in cdn 100 that need to receive the specified content . the deployment specifications would be processed by the content distribution application , in order to generate a download plan for the content that was published to server 120 . for example , the deployment specifications could indicate that the uploaded content was needed by clients 134 - 138 in the new york branch office zone 108 , and was also needed by clients 140 - 144 in china region 104 . based on these specifications , the distribution application would generate a plan that designated depot servers 116 , 112 , and 124 as respective target depot servers . the plan would also direct replications of the specified file content , initially uploaded to depot server 152 , to take place in successive stages . thus , in the first stage the content would be replicated from initial server 120 to target depot server 116 . then , in the second stage , the content would be replicated from server 116 to depot server 112 in zone 108 , and would also be replicated from server 116 to depot server 124 in region 104 . when the specified file content is initially uploaded to depot server 120 , the distribution application broadcasts a message to clients that need the content , such as clients 134 - 138 and 140 - 144 . the message informs the clients that the content is in the process of being made available for download . upon receiving this message , respective clients seek to download the file content , by submitting requests to the content distribution application at management center 150 . in response , each requesting client is sent the download plan . the download plan notifies each client of the target depot server that is closest to the client , and that the target depot server either has received or will receive the specified file content . referring to fig2 , there are shown each of the clients 140 - 144 of china region 104 , wherein each client has been notified by the content distribution application that specified file content is going to be made available as described above . upon requesting download of such content , each client 140 - 144 receives the download plan , and therefore knows that depot server 124 , the closest server thereto , is a target depot server for the specified content . accordingly , fig2 shows all the clients 140 - 144 disposed to ask server 124 for the file content simultaneously , or within a narrow time window that may be on the order of seconds . in order to establish a more efficient procedure for enabling each of the clients 140 - 142 to download the specified file content from closest depot server 124 , server 124 is configured to operate , in response to a client , in one of a number of optional modes . these modes include the following , but are not necessarily limited thereto : ( 1 ) if depot server 124 has finished replicating the specified file content when a client requests the content from the server , server 124 will immediately start serving the specified file content to the requesting client . ( 2 ) if depot server 124 is in the process of replicating the specified file content when a client requests the content from the server , server 124 will estimate how much time is required to finish the replication . the server will then give the client a value representing this amount of time , whereupon the client places the server on hold . when the amount of time has elapsed , the client again asks the depot server 124 for the specified file content . if a second client requests the specified file content that is still replicating , server 124 will estimate how much time is required to finish the replication and add a specified amount of time since it is the second client requesting . in making estimate for subsequent clients requesting the same file , the depot server keeps track of the number of clients that have asked for the file previously . the depot server then adds time based on this number to its estimate . for example , it could add 5 seconds for each requesting client . in this example , if the first client was told to come back in 30 seconds and 10 seconds later the second client requests the same content , it will be told to come back in 20 sec +( 1 * 5 sec )= 25 seconds . if the third client asks for the same file one second later , it will be told to come back in 19 sec +( 2 * 5 sec )= 29 seconds . this is done to avoid having all clients come back at the exact same time that the depot server finishes downloading the file . ( 3 ) if depot server 124 does not have the specified file content when a client requests the content from the server , server 124 will return a file not found error message to the requesting client . if the download plan the client has indicates that the depot server is in a pending state to get the file , the client understands therefrom that it must wait a predefined amount of time , e . g . 60 seconds , before asking the server again for the specified content . however , if the download plan indicates that the depot server is supposed to have the file already , the client reports the depot server to the management center . the client does not retry that depot server again . when downloading a file using cdn 100 , a client can open connections to multiple servers , and can simultaneously retrieve different segments of a file from the different servers . the above set of modes would be available to each of the multiple servers . clients can also be configured to retrieve a file or file segments from peers , that is , other clients that have previously downloaded the same file or file segments . fig3 is a flow chart setting forth principal steps in operating cdn 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . at step 302 , specified file content is initially uploaded from a source to a particular depot server . as described above , the source can comprise a client that originally contained the specified content . at step 304 , immediately after uploading the specified file content to the particular depot server , certain clients of the cdn 100 are notified that the content is being made available for downloading . these clients could include those known to need the specified file content . a download plan based on content deployment specifications is generated at step 306 by the content distribution application , as described above . the plan provides for replicating the specified file content in stages , at designated target depot servers . at step 308 , the download plan is furnished to each client that submits a request to download the specified content , in order to notify respective clients of the closest target depot server . finally , in accordance with step 310 , when a client asks the target depot server for the specified file content , the server is operated in one of the modes described above . these modes are collectively selected to ensure that any client requesting the specified file content can at some time , either immediately or later , download the file content from the closest target depot server . referring to fig4 , there is shown a flow chart pertaining to operation of a target depot server in different optional modes , as described above . at step 402 , it is determined whether or not the target depot server has finished replicating specified file content . if it has finished , step 404 indicates that the content is downloaded to a client requiring the specified content . however , if the target depot server has not finished replicating the specified file content , it must be determined if the target depot server is currently in the process of replicating the specified file content , as provided by step 406 . as shown by steps 408 and 412 , if the server is currently replicating the file content , the target depot server provides the client with a value indicating the amount of time until replication is finished . the client then puts the target depot server on hold for this amount of time , and thereafter again queries the target depot server to download the specified file content . if step 406 has a negative result , it is necessary to determine at step 412 whether the download plan specifies a pending state for the target depot . if it does , the client waits for a predefined amount of time , such as 60 seconds , and then again queries the target depot server to download the specified file content , as shown by step 414 . otherwise , as shown by step 416 , the client reports to the network management center that the target depot server does not have the specified file . the client does not retry that depot server again . with reference now to fig5 , a block diagram depicts a data processing system 500 that may be implemented as a server , to provide one of the depot servers for cdn 100 of fig1 . data processing system 500 may be a symmetric multiprocessor ( smp ) system including a plurality of processors 502 and 504 connected to system bus 506 . alternatively , a single processor system may be employed . also connected to system bus 506 is memory controller / cache 508 , which provides an interface to local memory 509 . i / o bus bridge 510 is connected to system bus 506 and provides an interface to i / o bus 512 . memory controller / cache 508 and i / o bus bridge 510 may be integrated as depicted . peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) bus bridge 514 connected to i / o bus 512 provides an interface to pci local bus 516 . a number of modems may be connected to pci bus 516 . communication links may be provided through modem 518 and network adapter 520 connected to pci local bus 516 through add - in boards . additional pci bus bridges 522 and 524 provide interfaces for additional pci buses 526 and 528 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported . in this manner , data processing system 500 allows connections to multiple network computers . a memory - mapped graphics adapter 530 and hard disk 532 may also be connected to i / o bus 512 as depicted , either directly or indirectly . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in fig5 may vary . for example , other peripheral devices , such as optical disk drives and the like , also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted . the depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention . the data processing system depicted in fig5 may be , for example , an ibm risc / system 6000 system , a product of international business machines corporation in armonk , n . y ., running the advanced interactive executive ( aix ) operating system . alternatively , the operating system may be another commercially available operating system such as javaos for business ™ or os / 2 ™, which are also available from ibm . referring to fig6 , there is shown a block diagram of a generalized data processing system 600 which may be implemented as a client for cdn 100 . data processing system 600 exemplifies a computer , in which code or instructions for implementing processes associated with the present invention may be located . data processing system 600 usefully employs a peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) local bus architecture , although other bus architectures may alternatively be used . fig6 shows a processor 602 and main memory 604 connected to a pci local bus 606 through a host / pci bridge 608 . pci bridge 608 also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor 602 . referring further to fig6 , there is shown a local area network ( lan ) adapter 612 , a small computer system interface ( scsi ) host bus adapter 610 , and an expansion bus interface 614 respectively connected to pci local bus 606 by direct component connection . scsi host bus adapter 610 provides a connection for hard disk drive 618 , and also for cd - rom drive 620 . an operating system runs on processor 602 and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system 600 shown in fig6 . the operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as windows xp , which is available from microsoft corporation . instructions for the operating system and for applications or programs are located on storage devices , such as hard disk drive 620 , and may be loaded into main memory 604 for execution by processor 602 . the invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in a preferred embodiment , the invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . furthermore , the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any tangible apparatus that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .	6
the exhaust emissions , and especially the no x emissions , from a direct injected homogeneous charge compression ignition engine can be controlled and held at a low level or reduced by combusting in the direct injected hcci engine in which fuel is injected during the compression stroke , a fuel having a cetane number or derived cetane number as determined by astm d613 or astm d6890 , respectively , of between about 20 - 50 , preferably about 20 - 40 , and more preferably about 20 - 30 , with the fuel also having a total aromatics content of about 15 wt % or more , preferably 28 wt % or more , more preferably between about 15 to 50 wt %, and most preferably between about 28 to 50 wt %. fuel boiling range can be from 25 ° c . to 380 ° c . for gasoline fuels the average of research and motor octane numbers , (( r + m )/ 2 ), can be 60 to 91 , preferably 60 to 81 , and more preferably 60 to 70 . diesel fuel is defined as a mixture of hydrocarbons which boil at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range within about 150 ° c . to 380 ° c ., whereas gasoline fuels are those which boil at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range within about 25 ° c . to 220 ° c . the fuels used can also contain non - hydrocarbon components , such as oxygenates . they can also contain additives , e . g ., dyes , antioxidants , cetane improvers , cold flow improvers , or lubricity improvers . a study was conducted to explore fuel property effects on hcci engine performance and exhaust emissions , focusing on cetane number , aromatic content and volatility for all fuels , and octane number for gasoline fuels . the properties of diesel fuels used in this study are shown in table 1 . the properties of gasoline test fuels are presented in table 2 . the engine used in this study was a single cylinder caterpillar 3401 engine with specifications given in table 3 . a hydraulically intensified fuel injector was used to provide a uniform spray distribution . intake and exhaust surge tanks were used to provide boost and backpressure levels that are representative of actual multi - cylinder turbocharger operation . no oxidation catalyst was used so the hc and co levels reported are all engine - out values . exhaust gas emissions of co , hc , no x and co 2 were measured with a horiba exsa analyzer . an avl smoke meter was used for smoke measurement . the fuels were tested at engine speeds of 1200 , 1500 and 1800 rpm and engine loads of 25 %, 50 % and 70 +%. the study was focused on engine operating conditions characterized by no x emissions & lt ; 0 . 2 g / hp · h and avl smoke numbers & lt ; 0 . 1 . the former corresponds to us epa 2010 no x emission standard for heavy - duty engines , while the latter is roughly equivalent to the 2010 particulate emission requirement of 0 . 01 g / hp · h . the effect of cetane number on the performance and emissions of the hcci engine was evaluated by comparing low cetane ( 38 . 5 ) diesel fuel d3 with mid - range cetane ( 45 . 5 ) fuel d4 , as well as mid - range cetane number ( 46 . 7 ) diesel fuel d7 with high cetane ( 55 . 4 ) diesel fuel d8 . the fuels in each pair had very similar distillation properties and aromatic content . the effect of cetane number increase achieved through changes in the hydrocarbon composition of the fuel ( natural cetane number ) was also compared to cetane number enhancement achieved through the use of ethylhexyl nitrate ignition improver . this comparison involved testing of natural cetane fuels d3 and d4 alongside the cetane enhanced fuel d1 ( prepared by treating fuel d3 with the ignition improver ). the cetane number of fuel d1 ( 45 . 9 ) was matched to that of fuel d4 ( 45 . 5 ), along with aromatic content and distillation properties . in addition , diesel fuel d2 whose cetane number was 31 . 7 , and three gasolines , g1 , g2 and g3 , whose derived cetane numbers equaled 20 . 4 , 26 . 7 and 31 . 2 , respectively , were tested to determine the effect of further reduction in cetane number on the operating range of the engine . fuels g1 , g2 and g3 also allowed the effect of octane number to be evaluated . the effect of aromatic content was investigated using fuels d4 and d7 which contained 44 . 7 and 28 . 7 wt % of aromatics , respectively . volatility effects were investigated by comparing middle distillate fuels d6 and d7 . fuel d6 was more volatile than fuel d7 , as its distillation range was lower , e . g . the 90 % distillation temperatures of these fuels equaled 257 ° c . and 313 ° c ., respectively . fuel d7 had the volatility of no . 2 diesel fuel , while fuel d6 had the volatility of no . 1 diesel fuel or kerosene . volatility effects were also determined by comparing results for diesel and gasoline fuels . fig1 through 5 show no x , avl smoke , hc , co and thermal efficiency of the test engine operated on fuels d3 and d4 whose cetane numbers were 38 . 5 and 45 . 5 , respectively . the same parameters are plotted in fig6 through 10 for fuels d7 and d8 whose cetane numbers were 46 . 7 and 55 . 4 , respectively . in each case , cetane effects are shown for a single speed / load condition but they did not vary significantly over the conditions tested . no x emissions increased as fuel injection timing was retarded , while smoke , hc and co emissions were reduced or remained unchanged . at early ( advanced ) injection timings , the no x emissions are very low since ample time for fuel to vaporize and mix with air leads to relatively homogeneous distribution of fuel within the combustion chamber at low combustion temperatures . for the late ( retarded ) combustion timings , fuel distribution within combustion chamber becomes less homogeneous leading to higher local combustion temperatures and increased no x emissions , but reduced hc , co and smoke . an intermediate injection timing region is used where low no x and smoke can be realized with moderate levels of hc and co . thermal efficiency tended to improve with retarded injection timing , in line with lower hc and co emissions . overall , the effects of differences in cetane number on engine performance and emissions were small and tended to disappear as injection timing was retarded at all engine operating conditions used in this study . where its effect was detectable , cetane number increase seemed to improve co , hc and smoke emissions at advanced fuel injection settings compared against low cetane number fuel . these small effects of cetane number which were observed may be attributed to increased fuel reactivity and advanced start of combustion timing associated with increased cetane number of the fuel . while the higher cetane number fuel appeared to improve co , hc and smoke emissions at advanced fuel injection settings as compared against lower cetane number fuel , the lower cetane number fuel appeared to hold no x reduction to the same low level or to improve it beyond that demonstrated with the high cetane number fuel over the injection setting range investigated ( see fig1 - 10 and table 4 ). the effects of natural and enhanced cetane number are compared in table 4 which contains results of engine tests performed at 1200 rpm , 25 % load . these results demonstrate roughly equivalent effect of the 45 . 5 cetane unadditized fuel d4 and the 45 . 9 cetane ignition enhanced fuel d1 on nox , avl smoke number , hc , co and thermal efficiency of the hcci engine relative to the 38 . 5 cetane base fuel d3 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , fuels d1 and d4 also advanced the start of combustion timing by about 6 degrees crank angle relative to fuel d3 . this effect of cetane number on soc timing is not desirable in hcci engines . in fact , it is counterproductive from the point of achieving higher load operation on hcci engines . increasing cetane number makes it more difficult to achieve optimum combustion phasing at high loads and maximize thermal efficiency of the engine within the constraints of the cylinder pressure and rate of pressure rise limits . as shown in tables 5 and 6 , diesel fuel d2 and gasoline g3 allowed the hcci engine to operate over the broadest speed and load ranges . fuel d2 enabled engine operation at 72 % at 1200 rpm , and 78 % at 1800 rpm . fuel g3 enabled operation at 75 % load at 1200 rpm , and 83 % load at 1800 rpm . the cetane number of fuel d2 and the derived cetane number of fuel g3 were 31 . 7 and 31 . 2 , respectively . on the other hand , gasolines g1 and g2 proved to be excessively resistant to autoignition and severely restricted the operating range of the engine . fuel g2 ( derived cetane number of 26 . 7 ) allowed the engine to achieve 75 % load at 1200 rpm , but limited its operation at 1800 rpm to a single load of 71 %. at 1200 rpm , engine operation on fuel g1 ( derived cetane number of 20 . 4 ) was limited to the narrow load range of 50 to 75 %. at 1800 rpm , hcci combustion was not achieved on this fuel . the testing results also show that engine operating range increases as fuel octane number is reduced . fuel g3 with ( r + m )/ 2 octane number of 63 . 2 provided a larger operating range than g2 , with r + m / 2 of 81 . 2 , which in turn provided a larger operating range than g1 with r + m / 2 of 91 . 2 . octane number is a measure of ignition resistance for gasoline fuels . unlike a standard gasoline engine , hcci engines do not have a spark plug to initiate ignite the fuel . if the ignition resistance of the fuel is too high then the fuel is too difficult to ignite and engine operation is restricted . the effect of aromatic content of the fuel on exhaust emissions and thermal efficiency is shown in fig1 through 17 for the 1500 rpm , 25 % load operating point . the comparison is based on fuels d4 and d7 whose total aromatic content equaled 44 . 7 and 28 . 7 wt %, respectively . in general , the observed effects were small and followed no clear trends for the engine operating conditions used in this study . these results suggest that this hcci combustion system could be relatively insensitive to the aromatics content of diesel fuel . hcci combustion systems seem to be relatively insensitive to the aromatics content of diesel fuel , whereas conventional diesel combustion systems are sensitive to this parameter . this insensitivity to aromatics along with the ability to run well and with low no x emissions using lower cetane number diesel fuel could significantly increase the size of the pool of useable diesel fuel . as shown in tables 5 and 6 , the engine was able to operate up to 78 % load with diesel fuel d2 and up to 83 % load with gasoline fuel g3 . this demonstrates that a wide range of fuel volatility can be used in the engine . fig1 and 19 compare cylinder pressure and heat release rate for fuels d6 and d7 . these fuels differed in volatility but their aromatic content and cetane number were well matched . increased volatility had no significant effect on start of ignition timing and did not impact cylinder pressure , and rate of heat release . the effect of fuel volatility on exhaust emissions and thermal efficiency is shown in fig2 through 24 for engine loads of 25 and 50 %, by comparing d6 and d7 . increased volatility had a small effect on emissions and efficiency . nox , smoke and hc emissions decreased with the more volatile fuel d6 , while thermal efficiency was not affected . these effects could be caused by the more uniform distribution of the more volatile fuel d6 within the combustion chamber of the engine at the time of ignition . however , co emissions results were mixed . these results indicate that a broad range of fuel volatility types can be utilized in this engine . more volatile fuels like kerosene or gasoline can provide emission benefits due to better fuel vaporization and mixing . there are also benefits to using less volatile fuels like diesel since these fuels have higher energy density and will therefore provide better mileage , which is very important to the trucking industry which is a known large consumer of diesel fuels .	5
the liquefier 10 embodying the invention comprises a container or jar 12 removably mounted coaxially with a conventional power unit 14 having a timer selector 16 to control a universal motor for a selected period of time at any one of a number of fixed speeds or alternatively by a push button 18 ( fig1 ) to start a predetermined period of time . a selected motor speed varies but very little with volume changes involving the same ingredients substantially within the range of load volumes generally involved . cutters 20 rotatably journaled in the base 22 of the assembled container 12 are rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above ( fig4 ) when in place on the power unit 14 and a removable cover 24 is provided at the top to confine mixture in the container 12 and having an axial wall 45 to redirect movement of the ingredients to the center and downwardly of the container . the jar 12 as sectionally illustrated in fig3 is a knock - down assembly of parts for cleaning purposes . it has a transparent central container portion 26 having a handle 27 and is enlarged at the upper end with a lip 28 for pouring . it tapers downwardly towards a cylindrical bottom opening 30 where it is terminally reduced and externally provided with a coarse male thread at 32 . a cutter unit 34 having a retaining flange 40 is received against the lower end with a resilient washer 42 between them as releasably secured in sealed relation by a collar 36 . the collar in turn has a coarse female thread at 38 engaging the thread 32 and the pitch of the coarse threads enables the threads to engage each other and establish a sealed relation in approximately one - half turn . the collar 36 is externally fluted at 41 to be supported against rotation on the base 22 . it is desirable to have the housing 12 removable from the base for cleaning purposes with the cutter supporting pedestal 50 large enough at its base ( fig3 ) to provide minimized clearance space at 44 between it and the reduced bottom end 30 of the removable jar 12 to assist in preventing any collection of food particles there which might burden mixture circulation flow rate in the jar . the direction and speed of cutter - induced flow accelerates the flow that moves small and minutes objects through and out of the space 44 , and carries larger food objects at high velocity past the space 44 and repeatedly through the cutter paths for comminution . more particularly , the cutter unit 20 includes the shaped pedestal element 50 which supports a sleeve bearing 52 that journals the cutter drive shaft 54 . the shaft has a driven spider 56 on the lower end and a cruciform cutter 20 on the upper end , the latter preferably being made of two elements 56 and 58 bevel - sharpened on their lower faces at their leading edges 60 to direct several material radially inwardly as indicated by the broken line arrow in fig3 and then directed back through the blades 20 by the downstream convergence and narrowing clearance between the trailing edge 64 of recess 62 and the path of the cutting blades 58 . for the purposes of understanding the high rate of positive circulation and comminution , each blade is formed with its cutting edge 60 parallel to but ahead of a radial line and also is pitched in the direction of rotation 65 to provide a downward propulsion and a swirling of liquid in the jar . as indicated in phantom line 61 the two upper blades 56 are tilted upwardly at approximately 45 ° to provide central cavitation of the jar and an outward and downward propulsion of liquid therefrom into the flutes 53 of the jar against their bottom end walls 63 for a positively driven upward movement in the flutes to circulate the contents in the jar while bringing fresh material , and particularly solid particles , into proximity to the conical pedestal surface . here the axially pitched lower blades 58 are inclined downwardly and outwardly at approximately 45 ° with an inclination to provide an inward movement of liquid which can be referred to as down - and - in towards and through the lower cutters 58 . the lower edge of the conical surface is disposed below the upper rounded inner edge of the cylindrical inner wall of the flange on the jar when assembled to dispose the tips of the lower cutters 58 at approximately the level of the lower ends of the four vertical flutes 53 in the side walls of the jar . the conical wall on the pedestal is horizontally recessed at 62 at circumferentially spaced points to provide horizontally disposed approximately cylindrical surface portions of revolution of 90 ° which are substantially vertical at their top edges 70 and horizontal at their lower edges 72 . the agitated liquid has a circular and a down - and - in movement from the cutters 58 that is smoothly redirected by the recesses 62 in an outwardly direction at their radially shallow downstream edges 64 . this provides agitation in the narrow small area 44 between the pedestal and cylindrical jar surface at the bottom of the jar to keep it flowing with the redirected flowing liquid as propelled to enter the vertical flutes 53 of the jar and circulate larger solid portions in the jar quickly up the sides of the jar and back through the cutter blades for a nondelaying repeated action that is substantially independent of the initial sizes of the solids being comminuted in the liquefied and aerated mixture at different selected speeds . the down - and - out blades 56 operate initially to reduce large particles rapidly while the down - and - in blades 58 comminute solids with a rapid radial flow of mixture that is substantially uninterrupted with respect to a timed cycle . the tapered wall portions 63 between the recesses 62 greatly dampen any circulatory movement of mixture induced by the cutters and thereby augment the radial movement . compositely , the cutters 56 and 58 also aspirate downwardly liquid from the center of the jar to develop a column of air extending to the cutters . in doing this , the cutters develop a vortex and drive the aspirated liquid up the flutes 53 of the jar to carry liquid circulation to the top of the jar and establish a determined liquid flow path down the center and up the sides of the jars . preferably , the cover 24 for the container has a downwardly opening annular space 46 at the top of the jar and an axial flange 48 with circular radial sealing flanges 50 which receive or are engaged by the mix rising on the side walls . they redirect a swirling mix inwardly where it engages a central flange 45 carrying a detachable ingredient measuring cup 51 and direct flow downwardly for return by gravity to the cutters 20 for further comminution of solid particles in the mixture as described . also , where solids are hydraulically and pneumatically forced to pass in and out of recesses 62 across the path of cutter movement as at trailing stationary edges 64 , the constancy of cutter action is related to the constancy of mixture flow . accordingly , where everything must pass through the cutters 56 and 58 each time around , the dominant variable factor is the excursion distance from the cutters up the wall of the jar and back down its center , with the effect of gravity being a constant and the cutter speed being substantially the same under load variations within this range . the cutters in the present invention propel and cavitate all volumes of liquid that are one cup or greater , in a jar capable of handling five cups where the depth of two cups is approximately the mean inside diameter of the fluted jar , and , the cutter diameter closely approaches the minimum diameter at the bottom of the jar . therefore , solids that may be present in the mixture in both instances circulate approximately the same distance and number of times to and from the cutters 56 and 58 in a timed cycle . the measuring cup 51 is mounted in the cap 24 with a bayonet joint having two teeth 70 received through grooves 72 to lock under inclined cam edges on the inner circular track of the sleeve portion 74 . this measuring cup 51 can be removed during a timed liquefying operation to add measured ingredients when desired without permitting any liquid mix to escape during a mixing operation . the sleeve portion 74 redirects centrally and downwardly the mixture driven upwardly on the side walls in its flow path of movement .	0
the following description references fig1 through 11 of present application in an indistinct manner , in which the modular system of niches or crypts 10 can be seen , which are formed by different assembly modules 20 for the depositing of ashes and / or dry remains . the modular system 10 can be mounted in open and / or enclosed areas in a very easy , fast way and without the need of requiring anyone with a prior high skilled level for its installation . examples of open areas where the modular system 10 could be installed include cemeteries , church yards or any area in the open air suitable for said purposes . the modular system 10 can also be installed in appropriate enclosed areas . the modular system for niches or crypts 10 is made up of at least two assembly modules 20 . the assembly modules 20 are formed by horizontal plates 21 and by vertical plates 22 which are interconnected by means of connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ′″. said connector elements have at least two arms ( 36 ). the horizontal plates and / or vertical plates may be manufactured of various materials which do not bend easily but which in turn do have a certain amount of flexibility such as plastics , woods , metals which tend to have certain flexibility such as aluminum , cardboard , corrugated cardboard , etc . the laminate plates 21 , 22 can be recoated with an aesthetically pleasing material , such as ceramic or marble or even yet a light layer of cement as for example cellular concrete with the end goal that the modular systems have both an adequate support as well as a visually pleasing aesthetic . additionally , given that the sheets are made of materials such as aluminum or stainless steel they can be highly resistant to environmental conditions such as , for example oxidation . additionally , given that the sheets can be recoated with some of the above mentioned materials , the sheet which is still made of a material which can become oxidized would be maintained in optimal conditions thanks to the recoating with any adequate material which additionally grants it a visually acceptable aesthetic . the assembly modules 20 can be of a width and a height which by way of example , but not limited to , approximately between 25 cm by 40 cm to approximately between 35 cm by 40 cm and a depth of approximately between 20 cm to approximately 60 cm . however , the modular system for niches and crypts 10 can contain assembly modules 20 of various sizes , that is , the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ or 23 ′″ in conjunction with the horizontal plate 21 and the vertical plate 22 allow for a variety of sizes of the width and the height of the assembly modules 20 , in this way allowing a design for the modular system 10 according to the client &# 39 ; s specifications . the assembly modules 20 are constructed by means of horizontal plates 21 and vertical plates 22 connected by means of connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ through its arms . as can be seen from the figures , all the plates 21 and 22 have two cavities 24 which are near to a first end and two recesses 25 on a second end opposite to the first end , into which any of the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ′″ could be introduced into , such as is shown in fig1 and 11 . each cavity 24 is found near the lateral parts of the first end , while each recess 24 is found on the lateral parts of the second end . at the second end of the plates 21 and 22 , flanges are found 26 and 26 ′ such as can be seen starting in fig9 . it should be mentioned that said flanges 26 and 26 ′ are constructed in such a way that the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ can be introduced in an easy way ; specifically , the connector elements can be slideable along the length of the recess 24 encircling said flange 26 , such as will be described . the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ have on their back part a horizontal aperture 27 and a vertical aperture 28 , both in the shape of a “ c ”. more preferably , the connectors 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ are constituted by at least five different walls . a first wall with a first length has a first direction . a second wall with a second length has a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first wall . a third wall with a third length has a third direction which is vectorially opposite to the first direction and consequently substantially perpendicular to the second wall . a fourth wall with a fourth length has a fourth direction which is vectorially opposite to the second direction and consequently substantially perpendicular to the third wall . finally a fifth wall with a fifth length , similar to the first length , has a fifth direction which is vectorially opposite to the first direction and consequently substantially perpendicular to the fourth wall . between the first and fifth wall , same which are opposite , an aperture 27 is formed . the length of the third wall is equivalent to the sum of the first wall , the fifth wall and the aperture . in this way , between the walls of the connectors 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ an inner space is formed . the inner space of the connectors is configures to receive the flanges of the plates 21 and / or 22 within the same , in such a way that upon sliding the connectors in the inner space , said connectors , by means of their walls encircle the flanges 26 , 26 ′ of the plates and wherein the first and fifth wall of the connectors , upon the connectors with the plates being in a mounted position , they are in near proximity to the corresponding cavity 24 and / or the recess 25 . similarly , the plates 21 and 22 have a central rim ledge 31 , a first lateral rim ledge 33 and a second lateral rim ledge 32 , wherein the second lateral rim ledge is opposite to the first lateral rim ledge . as can be seen , starting from fig1 , the upper part of the connectors 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ has a horizontal aperture 27 which begins at an end 29 and ends at an end 30 opposite to the end 29 , that is , the aperture 27 is continuous along the length of the horizontal axis of the connector element 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′. the aperture is introduced into the flanges 26 of the plate 21 and the connector slides horizontally up until the central rim ledge allows it to , such as is shown in fig1 . in this way the cavities 24 of the plate 21 remain occupied by the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ′″. similarly , the flanges 26 ′ of the plate 21 are introduced into the apertures 27 of the connectors 23 ″′, wherein the connectors 23 ″′ slide horizontally until they come into contact with a central rim ledge , which limits the horizontal movement of the connectors such as is shown in fig1 . in this way the horizontal plate 21 is assembled with the connectors 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ through its arms , in such a way that the back part of the connectors 23 ′ or 23 ″ is oriented with the back part of the connectors 23 ″′. as can be seen starting from fig1 , the rim ledge 34 , 35 of the connectors 23 ′ or 23 ″ remains exposed in view such that the arms of the connector elements 23 ″′ remain hidden from view . the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ allow connecting different sizes of horizontal plates and / or vertical plates by means of connector arms , in this way allowing for variation in the size of the vertical plates and / or horizontal plates , that is to say , assembly modules 20 can be constructed in different sizes by varying the length of the horizontal or vertical plates , whether it is the width , the height or both to achieve a modular system 10 in different sizes of the assembly module 20 . for example , the client or clients can request a niche or crypt in a smaller size , while other desire one of a larger size , which is possible thanks to the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ which are being described in present invention , given that they would allow to construct a modular system 20 according to the different needs of the clients . the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ have similar connection structural features , the difference being the intermediate element 34 , 35 which is found in the same . the connector element 23 ′ has an intermediate element 34 which is beveled and which rests over a vertical plate and / or supports a vertical plate , as can be seen for example starting from fig1 . the intermediate element 34 in a preferred embodiment can have an intermediate element which is longer than that which is shown in fig6 ( not shown ). the intermediate element in another preferred embodiment can have a more rectangular shape , in this way forming an intermediate element 35 , which itself also provides support to the modular system 20 in its assembled position . in yet another preferred embodiment , the connector element does not possess any beveled element , as can be seen for example starting from fig8 . however , said connector element is found oriented in such a way that it remains hidden from human view , that is , it is found at the back part of the modular system . as can be seen starting from fig4 and 5 , the lateral rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plate 22 and the lateral rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plate 21 have distant lengths , that is , the length of the lateral rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plate 21 are longitudinally smaller than the lateral rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plate 22 . the lateral rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plate 21 are smaller with the end goal that any of the connectors 23 ( 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′) can correctly couple the plates 21 and 22 in a firm and secure manner . as was mentioned previously , the connectors 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ have an inner space into which the flanges 26 and 26 ′ of the plates 22 are introduced into , where the connectors slide in a vertical manner and wherein the rim ledge 31 , 32 and 33 limit the vertical movement such as is shown , for example in fig3 . it should be mentioned that the rim ledges 32 and 33 of the plates 21 and 22 remain exposed in full view , in so far as the rim ledges 31 of the plates 21 and 22 are found at the back part , that is , they remain hidden from view . a horizontal plate 21 and a vertical plate 22 once assembled , as is shown in fig3 , the procedure is repeated with the end goal of assembling an assembly module 20 as is shown in fig2 and the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ will allow the addition of however many more assembly modules 20 will be necessary . the vertical plates have four orifices uniformly distributed towards the center ( not shown ) which have the objective of providing ventilation to the dry remains . the arms of the connector elements 23 ′, 23 ″ and / or 23 ″′ may be of different lengths with the end goal of achieving niches or crypts of various sizes , and also to be able to meet different design requirements according to the specifications of the clients , dimensions of the places where they will be placed , among other considerations . persons skilled in the art will easily understand how changes to the present invention can be accomplished without deviating from the summarized concepts of the above description . it is considered that these changes are included to lie within the claimed scope of present model . consequently , the particular embodiments previously described in detail are merely illustrative and not limitative in terms of the scope of present model , to which full extension of the attached claims should be granted , in addition to all and any equivalent of the same .	0
with reference first to fig1 a building wiring system interface utilizing the present invention is shown generally at 2 . this building wiring system consists of a cable 4 having multiple signal conductors 6 in the form of twisted wires 8 that are surrounded by individual shielding 10 , which could take on the form of a foil . the conductors 6 are terminated by an electrical connector 12 incorporating the present invention . the electrical connector 12 includes a main housing 14 having an edge - card receiving slot 16 and a rear cover 18 . the connector 12 further includes a latch 20 for retaining the connector 12 in an access box 22 . while the connector 12 utilizes an integrally molded latch 20 , for snapping the connector 12 into the box 22 , other mounting techniques may be used , such as a screw or other fastener . the box 22 is a rectangular shell having a forward opening 24 , a rear end 26 and a cable exit 28 . the forward end includes latches 30 for retaining an insert 32 therein . the insert 32 includes a pcb 34 having a rear end 36 formed as a card edge with multiple conductors 38 thereupon . a connector 40 is incorporated onto the pcb 34 . in particular , this connector 40 is a modular jack receptacle and provides an interface 42 for receiving a modular jack plug ( not shown ). the interface 42 is surrounded by a bezel 44 that includes latch arms 46 to engage latches 30 in box 22 when the insert 32 is placed within the box 22 . a rear cover 48 is provided to close the rear end 26 of the box 22 once the connector 12 is mounted therein . the rear cover 48 includes a tab 50 that is received within the slot 28 of box 22 when the cover 48 is affixed thereto . the tab 50 , in cooperation with the edges of the slot 28 , engages the cable 4 to provide strain relief and possibly grounding of any general shielding of the cable 4 to the box 22 . with reference now to fig2 the electrical connector 12 according to the present invention is shown mounted within the box 22 . the box 22 includes a mounting wall 52 which is engaged by the latch 20 for retaining the connector 12 therein . if the connector box 22 is conductive , either by having been formed from a conductive material or a metallized plastic , and the connector 12 is also advantageously formed of conductive material , such as metallized plastic , by placing the connector 12 within the box 22 , the connector 12 will be electrically commoned thereto . this will have further advantageous effects . with reference now to fig3 the electrical connector 12 will now be described in greater detail . the electrical connector 12 incorporates a main housing 14 . the main housing 14 has a mating side 54 which in this example includes the card receiving slot 16 ( fig1 ). it is important to note that while the present invention can be advantageously used in a card - edge connector style , that the invention should not be limited . the main housing 14 also includes an open cable side 56 that is divided into a plurality of compartments 58 by partitions 60 . advantageously , the main housing 14 will be formed from a conductive material or metallized plastic . a plurality of contact carrying modules 62 are constructed to be received within compartments 58 . the contact carrying modules 62 include opposing latches 64 so that they can be snapped in place within the main housing 14 . the contact carrying module 62 is advantageously formed of insulative material although selective metallization could be used if desired . each contact carrying module 62 includes two contacts 66 that are best seen and described in fig4 and 5 . these contacts 66 include a mating end and a wire termination end 70 . the connector 12 further includes a rear cover 18 that is fittable to the main housing 14 by a pair of latch arms 72 designed to engage corresponding catches 74 upon the main housing 14 . the cover 18 further includes multiple u - shaped cable tabs 76 . it is also envisioned that tabs 76 may be omitted . the rear cover 18 will also be manufactured from a conductive material or advantageously a metallized plastic . with reference now to fig4 and 5 , the contact 66 will be described in greater detail . the contact 66 includes a mating end 68 that , in this embodiment , is a resilient tongue for engaging the conductive pads 38 of the card edge 36 . various configurations of this mating end 68 may be realized depending on the interface desired . the contact 66 further includes a cable termination end 70 that is formed as an insulation displacement contact ( idc ). the idc includes a wire receiving slot 78 for receiving an insulated wire and making connection thereto , as is well known in the industry . the wire termination end 70 could take on various other configurations , such as a crimp connection or a solder termination . a body section 80 is located between the mating end 68 and the wire termination end 70 . the body portion 80 includes a retention lance 82 for incorporating the contact 66 into the contact carrying module 62 . various materials may be used for the contact 66 as desired and it may be advantageous to include a precious metal contact patch 84 for engaging the conductive pads 38 of the card edge 36 . with reference now to fig6 a body 84 that substantially makes up the contact carrying module 66 will be described in detail . the body 84 carries the two latches 64 extending from a front surface 86 thereof . the latches 64 retain a contact carrying module 62 within the main housing 14 in a manner best seen in fig1 . the body 84 includes a rear idc portion 88 having a pair of contact passageways 90 that extend through the body 84 and open at the front surface 86 so that a contact 66 may be disposed therein ( best seen in fig1 ). a wire receiving slot 92 extends across the idc termination portion 88 and the associated contact passageways 90 and is constructed for receiving the individual wires 8 of the twisted - pair conductors 6 therein . additionally , on either side of the contact carrying passageway 90 are guide slots 94 that extend into the module 84 basically parallel to the contact receiving passageways 90 . these guide slots 94 , along with large chamfers 96 on both sides of the wire receiving slots 92 , are useful for stabilizing a wire termination tool ( not shown ) that would be used to stuff the insulated wires into the idc contact slot 70 of the contact 66 in a manner well known in industry . with reference now to fig7 the main housing 14 will be described in greater detail . the open cable side 56 of the main housing 14 is shell - like and defined by a lower wall 98 , opposing side walls 100 , 102 and upper wall 103 . this shell - like open cable side 56 is further divided into a row of compartments 58 by partitions 60 that extend between the lower wall 98 and the upper wall 103 . advantageously , in this embodiment , the partitions 60 are formed as tongues having a chamfered surface 104 extending on a side thereof to an end 106 of the tongue 60 . the end 106 of tongue 60 is slightly recessed from the open cable side 56 of the connector 14 . each compartment 58 further includes a table 108 having an inverted , u - shaped , end 110 defining a passageway 112 thereunder and a passageway 114 thereover . the passageway 114 extends through the housing 14 to the mating side 54 while the passageway 112 exposes a latch 116 for retaining the contact carrying module 62 . the table 108 is used to position the contact module 62 within the main housing 14 . the upper wall 103 is considerably thicker than the lower wall 98 or the side walls 100 , 102 in this embodiment . the reason for this is that the upper wall 103 carries at least a first portion of a wire exit saddle 118 . the first portion of this wire exit saddle 118 includes a pair of scalloped saddle surfaces 120 that are separated by a tab receiving trough 122 that extends into the wall 103 for receiving the u - shaped tabs 76 of the cover 18 , as will be described below . as mentioned above , the main housing 14 would either be manufactured from a conductive material or molded from plastic and metallized such that the main housing 14 would provide shielding or anything received therein . with reference now to fig8 the end cover 18 that is constructed to close the open cable side 56 of the main housing 14 will be described in greater detail . the end cover 18 includes latches 72 to engage the catches 30 of the main housing in order to fix the cover 18 to the main housing 14 . the cover 18 includes a body portion 124 having a rearward side 126 and a connector side 128 . an interior surface 130 of the rearward side 126 faces the connector side 128 . combined with side walls 132 , 134 , lower wall 136 and upper wall 140 , a trough - like structure is formed . the trough - like structure is further divided into compartments 58 a by second partitions 60 a that correspond to the partitions 60 of the main housing 14 , as will be described below with reference to fig1 and 12 . the second partition 60 a also include chamfers 104 a that extend along sides of the partition 60 a to ends 142 . it is important to note that at least a portion of the chamfer 104 a of the partition 60 a extends beyond the connector surface 128 in order to provide the ends 142 of the partition 60 with some flexibility . in this particular embodiment , the second partition 60 a itself extends a small distance 144 beyond the connector edge 128 . further , the end 142 of the partitions extends upwards to a ledge 146 such that the second partitions 60 a would be received between the lower wall 98 and the upper wall 103 of the main housing 14 when the cover 18 is fitted thereto . advantageously , the cover 18 would be manufactured from a conductive material or a metallized plastic mold . a portion 148 of the partition 60 a extends above the ledge 146 to be received within slots 150 formed in the upper wall 103 of the main housing 14 that correspond to the partition 60 therein . in addition , located along the upper wall 140 of the cover 18 are a plurality of u - shaped tabs 76 constructed to be received within the troughs 122 of the main housing 14 . these legs of the u - shaped tabs 76 may take on various lengths as desired and provide some strain relief for the twisted - pair wire 6 and discontinuity in any pathway . as mentioned above , these tabs 76 are optional . at the base of the u - shaped tab 76 is a second saddle portion 152 that will be disposed opposite the first saddle portion 118 in the main housing 14 . with reference now to fig9 the electrical connector 12 is shown in partially assembled form . the contact carrying modules 62 , with the contacts 66 therein , are shown received within the main housing 14 . the cover 18 is positioned to be mounted upon the main housing 14 . as can be seen , the partition 60 a will be received between adjacent contact carrying modules 62 and the upper portions 148 of the partition 60 a will be received in the slots 150 . additionally , if desired to improve the flexibility of the cover 18 , reliefs 154 may be provided in the rear surface 126 . with reference now to fig1 , the electrical connector 12 is shown in assembled form . the contact carrying module 62 with the contact 66 is fitted to the housing 14 by the latch members 64 engaging corresponding latches 116 formed in the main housing 14 . the contact 66 extends through the contact carrying passageway 90 such that the mating end 68 is disposed in the card edge receiving slot 16 on the mating end 54 of the main housing 14 . the contact 66 is retained therein by the locking lance 82 that is received in a recess 156 of the body 84 in order to further retain the contact 66 . a staking operation can be performed that utilizes the recess 158 above the contact lance 82 prior to assembling of the module 62 with the main housing 14 to further assure contact retention . at this point , the main housing has been assembled to the extent shown in fig9 . with the cover 18 attached to the main housing 14 as shown in fig1 , the open cable side 56 of the main housing 14 has been closed . a wire exit 160 is defined by the two saddle portions 120 , 152 of the main housing 14 and cover 18 respectively for each of the compartments 58 . this wire exit 160 is configured to be slightly smaller than that of the wires exiting such that an interference will exist . this interference is advantageously taken advantage of by allowing the shielding 10 that surrounds the wires 8 to extend into the compartment and be terminated only slightly above the rear idc portion 88 of the contact module 62 when the various conductors 6 are being terminated . once the cover 18 is attached to the main housing 14 , it is easily recognized that the saddle portions 120 , 152 will come into engagement with the shielding 10 . as both the main housing 14 and the cover 18 are manufactured from either conductive material or metallized plastic , the saddle surfaces 120 , 152 are electrically commoned to the shielding 10 . returning to fig1 and fig2 it can be seen that as a result of closing of the rear cover 18 upon the main housing 14 with the conductors 6 extending therefrom , the shielding 10 of the individual conductors is slightly compressed in the region 161 indicating engagement with the housing 14 and cover 18 . with reference now to fig1 and 12 , in addition to providing for the commoning of the conductive main housing 14 and rear cover 18 to the shielding 10 of the individual conductors 6 by way of the saddle portions 120 , 152 , it is necessary to also assure that the termination and contacts within adjacent compartments 58 are completely isolated from one another . this is reliably achieved by the first partitions 60 of the main housing 14 and the second partition 60 a of the cover 18 being provided with respective chamfers 104 , 104 a and configured such that the respective ends 106 , 142 also overlap and result in a slight interference 162 within the space 164 between adjacent modules 84 contained within their respective compartments 58 . as can be imagined , this space 164 and the associated partition walls are extremely thin and , hence , some flexibility of the partitions 60 , 60 a is realized . furthermore , it is this space requirement that prevents easily manufacturing these partitions as a single piece extending outward from either the cover 18 or the housing 14 exclusively . as each of the partitions 60 , 60 a are conductive , a shielding partition is formed between adjacent compartments 58 . advantageously then , what is realized from the present invention is a structure that continues the shielding 10 provided to the twisted pair of wires 8 to a compartment 58 within a connector 12 such that a fully shielded twisted - pair interconnection is provided , thereby greatly reducing the effect of cross - talk from adjacent signal conductors 6 and any spurious electromagnetic fields .	7
turning to fig1 a latch needle 1 which serves as a knitting tool has a head or hook 2 adjoined by a throat 3 which , in turn , is adjoined by a needle cheek 4 . in the needle cheek 4 a longitudinal sawslot 6 is provided in which a needle latch 7 is arranged for pivotal motion about a latch bearing 8 . the needle cheek 4 is adjoined , with the intermediary of a groove 9 , by a blade 11 which , during operation , is received in a needle channel of the knitting machine . the blade 11 which is provided with a plurality of recesses 12 giving the blade a meandering configuration , has a butt 14 at its end 13 opposite the hook 2 . the butt 14 is formed as a one - piece member with the blade 11 and extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 16 of the latch needle 1 . the periphery of the butt 14 passes over to the blade 11 at arcuate transitional zones 17 , 18 . the latch needle 1 has two opposite , parallel , relatively wide side faces 21 , 22 between which relatively narrow , opposite edge faces , that is , the upper needle face 23 and the needle back 24 are located . also referring to fig3 between the upper needle face 23 and the side faces 21 , 22 transitional regions 26 and 27 are provided which are slightly rounded and thus form a transition which is void of sharp edges . corresponding transitional regions 28 , 29 are provided between the needle back 24 and the side faces 21 , 22 . the opening of the sawslot 6 at the upper needle face 23 is bordered by oblique flanks 31 , 32 which form , without sharp edges , zones of transition to the upper needle face 23 . similar oblique flanks 54 , 55 ( fig8 ) may be provided at the bottom opening of the sawslot 6 , that is , at the region of transition to the needle back 24 . the initial , starting component in making the latch needle 1 is a needle blank 33 which is shown in fig2 and which has been stamped out of a thin steel ribbon ( stock material ). the contour 34 of the needle blank 33 is essentially determined by the stamping tool and includes the side faces 21 , 22 ( also shown in fig4 ) as well as the upper needle face 23 and the needle back 24 . the needle blank 33 , in its state after stamping from the steel ribbon , is asymmetrical relative to the longitudinal central plane 36 which extends parallel to the side faces 21 , 22 . while along the contour 34 at the upper face as shown in fig4 the needle blank 33 has burrs 34 , the side 38 is rounded . the fractured surfaces 39 lying therebetween are not planar and in most cases are not exactly perpendicular to the side faces 21 , 22 . also referring to fig4 to remove at least the burr 37 which projects by a burr height g beyond the side face 21 an embossing tool 41 is used which is composed of an upper tool 41a and a lower tool 41b and by means of which the stamped blank 33 is converted into an embossed blank 33a . a die 42 which has an engraved pattern is formed in the embossing tool 41 and corresponds in shape to the embossed blank 33a from which the base body of the latch needle 1 is formed . in the closed position of the embossing tool 41 the inner clearance w of the die 42 of the embossing tool 41 corresponds to or is slightly less than the thickness d of the stamped blank 33 . to obtain a desired edge deformation of the stamped blank 33 , rounded edge portions 44 , 45 , 46 and 47 are provided in the upper tool 41a and the lower tool 41b along the border of the engraved pattern of the die 42 . otherwise the die 42 is bounded by planar faces . a stamped blank 33 positioned in the die 42 is therefore , when the embossing tool 41 is closed , deformed particularly in the region of its outer edges whereby its thickness d remains essentially unchanged . the stamped blank 33 is transformed into a configuration ( that is , into the embossed blank 33a having an outer contour 34a ) which is essentially symmetrical relative to its longitudinal central plane 36 as shown in fig5 . both the burrs 37 and the side 38 of the stamped blank 33 are deformed in the course of the embossing step by means of the embossing tool 41 , whereby the transitional regions 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 are formed with radii which are determined by the edge regions 44 to 47 of the die 42 . the direction of material flow is , related to the cross - sectional surface shown in fig4 and 5 , approximately diagonal to the middle of the cross section . a more pronounced deformation of the stamped blank 33 is possible where the fractured faces 39 are smoothened by virtue of the flow of material . independently therefrom , burr - free , positively rounded or chamfered , strengthened edge regions are obtained by the embossing operation . this applies for the edges in the yarn gliding region of the throat 3 , the cheek 4 and the groove 9 as well as to the edges of the blade 11 . the edge - rounding in the thread gliding region improves the properties of the latch needle 1 as far as handling of the yarn during the knitting operation is concerned . the rounding of the edges of the blade 11 improves the gliding properties of the latch needle 1 in the needle channel . the obtained surface strengthening is of advantage in either case . the embossing operation positively affects particularly the dynamic strength of the butt 14 . this is achieved by embossing particularly the arcuate transitional zones 17 and 18 between the blade 11 and the butt 14 . the respective surfaces and edges are throughout smoothened or rounded and , as result , the butt 14 is capable of withstanding higher continuous dynamic loads . during the embossing operation microscopic surface irregularities are eliminated and the surface is smoothened particularly in the regions of the transitions 17 , 18 . during the subsequent operation the sawslot 6 is formed in the embossed blank 33a . for rounding or blunting the edges bounding the sawslot 6 , an embossing step performed on the needle cheek is included in the manufacturing sequence for making the latch needle 1 . in its mid zone , the sawslot 6 shown in fig8 is bounded by two mutually parallel sawslot flanks 51 , 52 adjoined at the upper needle face 23 of the latch needle 1 by the oblique faces ( flanks ) 31 , 32 . likewise , at the needle back 24 oblique flanks 54 , 55 are formed which , similarly to the oblique flanks 31 , 32 , form an acute angle α of , for example , 60 ° with one another . the oblique flanks 31 , 32 ; 54 , 55 shown as planar , may be rounded or may be arranged at another angle to one another . turning to fig7 and 9 , the embossing punches 57 and 58 serve for forming the oblique flanks 31 , 32 ; 54 , 55 . the upper embossing punch 57 which is conformed in its longitudinal direction to the curvature of the embossed blank 33a in the region of the throat 3 and the cheek 4 , has a trapezoidal cross section with a narrow end face 59 whose width is slightly less than the distance of the sawslot flanks 51 and 52 from one another . the cooperating lower embossing punch 58 has a trapezoidal cross section as well , but is of straight configuration corresponding to the needle back 24 . the embossing punches 57 and 58 are moved towards the embossed blank 33a held therebetween and press a cross - sectionally trapezoidal longitudinal groove 61 , 62 in the upper needle face 23 and the needle back 24 , respectively . the edges 63 and 64 provided during this step in the transitional zone to the upper needle face 23 and the needle back 24 are not sharp but rounded . the outer contour 34a , together with the external transitional regions 26 , 27 , 28 and 29 and the edges 63 and 64 , is defined exclusively by means of shaping steps which do not involve material removal ( cutting ). after completion of the embossing process , one half of the sawslot 6 is milled , starting from the longitudinal groove 61 , to the vicinity of the longitudinal groove 62 , as a result of which first a thin sawslot bottom remains . in a consecutive stamping operation the sawslot bottom is broken through to obtain a throughgoing passage 60 . the sawslot 6 obtained in this manner has a contour such as shown at 65 in fig9 . by pre - forming the longitudinal grooves 61 , 62 before providing the sawslot 6 with the cutting operation proper , not only the sawslot edges are broken off or rounded but also the material at the sawslot rim is strengthened . in this manner the edges of the sawslot 6 designed to receive and support the needle latch 7 are less prone to wear under the effect of the blows delivered by the back - and - forth snapping needle latch 7 . furthermore , knitting machine needles are known which have no throughgoing aperture 60 and thus in their manufacture the last - named stamping operation and the embossing of the longitudinal slot 62 are omitted . turning to fig1 , instead of the embossing punches 57 , 58 rollers 71 , 72 may be used which have a trapezoidal pattern on their cylindrical surface . for forming the longitudinal grooves 61 , 62 , the blank 33 , 33a is guided between the rollers 71 and 72 in such a manner that the rollers press into the upper needle face 23 and the needle back 24 or the rollers 71 , 72 are guided along the blank 33 , 33a . during such an operation the roller 72 moves on a linear track 73 while the roller 71 is guided along a curvilinear path 74 corresponding to the needle contour . after forming the grooves 61 , 62 the subsequent shaping is performed as described above . independently of whether the grooves 61 , 62 are made by the embossing punches 57 , 58 or by the rollers 71 , 72 , they run out in a gradual manner at their ends ; this may be achieved by the oblique surfaces 76 , 77 at the frontal faces of the embossing punches 57 , 58 or by a corresponding positioning of the rollers 71 , 72 . thus , according to the invention , as part of the manufacturing process , the knitting tools 1 are stamped out from stock material , such as a steel ribbon . the stamped needle blanks 33 obtained in this manner are submitted to an embossing operation in which sharp edges , particularly burrs 37 , obtained as a result of the stamping operation , are eliminated by a plastic deformation of the stamped blank 33 . for example , in the manufacture of needle sawslots 6 , the embossing operation precedes a cutting operation ( such as milling ) in the shaping sequence . in some instances , however , it is advantageous to first perform the milling operation and then submit the knitting tool to an embossing step . in such a case first a depression 61 is embossed in the blank , and the bottom of the depression 61 is subsequently removed by a cutting operation until the desired configuration of the depression is obtained . the rim of the depression appearing first by an embossing step is free from sharp edges without the need for subsequent machining , and also , a deburring is not required . the strengthening of the material achieved as a result of the embossing operation yields additional advantages . it will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications , changes and adaptations , and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims .	3
referring to fig3 to 4 , there is illustrated a method of making a dram according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is provided to show a layout diagram of a dram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 a to 4k are cross - sectional views showing a method of making a dram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . first , two field insulation films 22 for defining an active region are formed with a constant interval on a semiconductor substrate 21 , using a local oxidation of silicon ( locos ) method , as shown in fig4 a . subsequently , a first thermal insulation film is thermally formed on the whole surface of the semiconductor substrate 21 , including the field insulation films 22 and then a first conductor and a second cvd insulation film are formed , in this order , on the surface of the first thermal insulation film , using a chemical vapour deposition ( cvd ) method . subsequently , the first thermal insulation film , the first conductor and the second cvd insulation film are subjected to a patterning process including a photolithography process and an etch process , using a gate mask . as a result , word lines are formed uniformly spaced from each other respectively on the active region and the two field insulation films 22 . as shown in fig4 a each word line includes a gate insulation film 23 formed on the semiconductor substrate 21 , a gate electrode 24 formed on the gate insulation film 23 and a gate cap insulation film 25 formed on the gate electrode 24 . subsequently , a conductivity type of impurity ions are implanted on the semiconductor substrate 21 using each of the word lines as masks for impurity implantation , thereby forming impurity regions 26 serving as source regions and drain regions in the surface of the semiconductor substrate 21 corresponding to the area between the word lines . subsequently , a third insulation film is deposited on the whole surface of the semiconductor substrate 21 including the word lines and the field insulation films 22 using a cvd method and then etched - back by a reactive ion etching rie method to form side wall insulation films 27 at the side walls of the word lines . thereafter , a fourth cvd insulation film 28 is deposited on the exposed whole surface of the semiconductor substrate 21 including the side wall insulation films 27 and the word lines , using a cvd method . here , silicon can be used as a material of the semiconductor substrate 21 . an oxide or a nitride can be used as a material of the first thermal insulation film to the fourth cvd insulation film . also , a metal or a polysilicon doped with an impurity can be used as a material of the first conductor . subsequently , the fourth cvd insulation film 28 is selectively etched to merely remove a portion located between the word lines formed on the field insulation films 22 and the word lines formed on the active region , thereby forming capacitor contact holes between the word lines formed on the field insulation films 22 and the word lines formed on the active region , as shown in fig4 b . at this time , there merely remains portions of the fourth cvd insulation film 28 which are located between the word lines formed on the field insulation films 22 and between the word lines formed on the active region . storage nodes of the capacitor will thereafter be formed in the capacitor contact holes . here , an oxide or a nitride can be used as a material of the fourth cvd insulation film 28 . as shown in fig . 4c , thereafter , a second conductor is deposited on the exposed whole surface using a cvd method and then etched - back uniformly until the surface of the fourth cvd insulation film 28 is exposed , thereby forming conductor plugs 29 in the capacitor contact holes and on the surface of the remaining fourth cvd insulation film 28 which are located between the word lines formed on the field insulation films 22 . here , a metal or a polysilicon doped with an impurity can be used as a material of the second conductor . subsequently , a fifth cvd insulation film 30 for a buffer layer is thickly deposited on the exposed whole surface as shown in fig4 d and then patterned to remove a portion between two word lines of the active region . upon patterning the fifth cvd insulation film 30 , a dry etch process is used . thereafter , a wet etch is performed using the fifth insulation film 30 for a buffer layer as an etch mask , to remove a portion of the conductor plug 29 and a portion of the remaining fourth cvd insulation film 28 formed between two word lines of the active region . thus , a bit line contact hole is formed between two word lines of the active region . as shown in fig4 f , subsequently , a third conductor having a planarizing surface is deposited using a cvd method on the exposed whole surface including the remaining fifth insulation film 30 for a buffer layer and the bit line contact hole so that the bit line contact hole is filled completely . a sixth cvd insulation film 31 for bit line definition is deposited on the third conductor using a cvd method . subsequently , an etch mask 32 for bit line definition having a width wider than that of the bit line contact hole is formed on a portion corresponding to the upper side of the bit line contact hole , of the surface of the sixth cvd insulation film 31 , and then the sixth cvd insulation film 31 , the third cvd conductor and the fifth cvd insulation film 30 for a buffer layer are etched together , thereby forming a bit line 33 in the bit line contact hole . at this time , on the surface of the bit line 33 , a portion of the sixth cvd insulation film 31 remains and at the side walls of the bit line 33 , a portion of the fifth cvd insulation film 30 for a buffer layer remains . as shown in fig4 g , subsequently , the etch mask 32 is removed and then a seventh cvd insulation film 34 for bit line insulation is deposited on the exposed whole surface using a cvd method . thereafter , a fourth conductor 35 for a capacitor plate node having a planarization surface is formed on the seventh cvd insulation film 34 using a cvd method and then a eight cvd insulation film 36 for capacitor definition is deposited on the fourth cvd conductor 35 using a cvd method . here , a metal or a polysilicon doped with an impurity can be used as a material of the third conductor and the fourth conductor . an oxide or a nitride can be used as a material of the fifth thermal insulation film 30 to the eighth cvd insulation film 36 . as shown in fig4 h , subsequently , an etch mask 37 is formed at a portion between two word lines formed on the field insulation films 22 and a portion corresponding to the upper side of the bit line 33 , of the surface of the eighth cvd insulation film 36 , and then the fourth cvd conductor 35 and the eighth cvd insulation film 36 are etched , thereby a portion formed in the upper side of the bit line 33 and portions formed between two word lines of the field insulation film 22 merely remains . the remaining fourth cvd conductor 35 serves as the plate node . as shown in fig4 i , subsequently , the etch mask 37 is removed and then a first cvd dielectric film 38 and a fifth cvd conductor 39 for the storage node are deposited , in this order , using a cvd method . thereafter , the first cvd dielectric film 38 , the fifth cvd conductor 39 and the seventh cvd insulation film 34 are etched by a reactive ion etching ( rie ) method , thereby portions formed at the side walls of the remaining fourth cvd conductor 35 , the eighth cvd insulation film 36 and the seventh cvd insulation film 34 merely remain . in a similar manner to the above case , a metal or a polysilicon doped with an impurity can be used as a material of the fifth cvd conductor 39 and an oxide or a nitride can be used as a material of the cvd insulation films . as shown in fig4 j , subsequently , a sixth conductor 40 for a storage node is deposited on the exposed whole surface and then patterned with a photolithography process and an etch process , thereby merely removing portions formed on the remaining eighth cvd insulation film 36 . at this time , the remaining sixth conductors 40 for the storage node are connected to the conductor plugs 29 formed in the capacitor contact holes and the remaining fifth cvd conductors 39 are connected to the remaining sixth cvd conductors 40 . the connected conductors 29 , 39 , 40 serve as the storage node of the capacitor . as shown in fig4 k , subsequently , a second dielectric film 41 is formed and then the remaining eighth cvd insulation film 36 and a portion of the second dielectric film 41 formed on the remaining eighth cvd insulation film 36 are removed . subsequently , a seventh conductor 42 is deposited on the exposed whole surface , using a cvd method . at this time , the remaining second cvd dielectric film 41 is connected to the remaining first cvd dielectric film 38 and the connected dielectric films 38 , 41 serve as the dielectric film of the capacitor . also , the seventh cvd conductor 42 is connected to the remaining fourth cvd conductor 35 and the connected conductors 35 , 42 serve as the plate node of the capacitor . as mentioned above , the storage node of the capacitor includes the remaining first and second conductors 39 , 39 , 40 , the dielectric film of the capacitor includes the remaining first and second dielectric films 38 , 41 and the plate node of the capacitor includes the remaining fourth and seventh conductors 35 , 42 . as above mentioned , also , all of the above conductors can be made of a polysilicon doped with an impurity or a metal and all of the above insulation films can be made of an oxide or a nitride . also , the first and second dielectric films 38 , 41 can be made of a stack structure of thin insulation films such as oxide - nitride ( o - n ), nitride - oxide ( n - o ) and oxide - nitride - oxide ( o - n - o ). according to the embodiments of present invention , it is possible to obtain the following advantages . first , since the bit line contact is formed after planarizing the exposed whole surface by forming the conductor plug 29 , it is possible to stably form the bit line contact . second , since the fourth cvd insulation film 28 , the conductor plug 29 and the fifth cvd insulation film 30 for a buffer layer are made of materials having an etch selectivity different from each other , it is possible to reduce surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 21 upon the formation of the bit line contact . third , since the fifth insulation film 30 for a buffer layer remains between the word line and the bit line , it is possible to reduce the parasitic capacitance occurring between the word line and the bit line and also to prevent shorts of between the bit line and the word line . fourth , since the area of the capacitor is increased as compared with the conventional art , it is possible to increase the capacitance of the capacitor .	7
a hesitation free roller is disclosed . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth such as specific materials , configurations , dimensions , etc . in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be obvious , however , to one skilled in the art that these specific details need not be employed to practice the present invention . in other instances , well known materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention . fig3 illustrates the cleaning process of a wafer in a double sided scrubber which incorporates a preferred embodiment of the present invention . although the present invention is described in conjunction with the scrubbing of a wafer , it will be appreciated that any similarly shaped , i . e . generally flat substrate , may be processed by the methods and apparatuses of the present invention . further , it will appreciated that reference to a wafer or substrate may include a bare or pure semiconductor substrate , with or without doping , a semiconductor substrate with epitaxial layers , a semiconductor substrate incorporating one or more device layers at any stage of processing , other types of substrates incorporating one or more semiconductor layers such as substrates having semiconductor on insulator ( soi ) devices , or substrates for processing other apparatuses and devices such as flat panel displays , multichip modules , etc . the wafer 310 is placed between the brushes 320 of the double sided scrubber . stepper motor 340 rotates the roller 330 of the present invention . when the roller 330 is in contact with the wafer 310 friction is created between their edges . thus , the rotating motion of the roller 330 and the friction that is created causes the wafer 310 to rotate . the rotation of the wafer 310 between the brushes 320 allows the entire surface of the wafer to be cleaned . as can be seen , in a preferred embodiment , two rollers 330 contact the wafer at two locations to rotate the wafer and to hold it in place ( i . e ., prevent forward motion ) as it is scrubbed . fig4 illustrates a roller 330 in a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the roller 330 comprises a somewhat flexible material . in general , the material of the roller should have a sufficient softness such that the roller pinches the wafer &# 39 ; s edge as described herein . additionally , the material is preferably machinable , as it is desirable to avoid the high cost of tooling for molded rollers , and to avoid the particle generation of parting lines . the material should not , however , generate excessive particles in use . further , the material should have a sufficient memory to retain its shape . in a preferred embodiment , a urethane , for example , 70 durometer natural urethane is utilized . this material has been found to have sufficient softness , machinability , memory and low particle generation to meet the needs of the present invention . as shown , the top and bottom surfaces of roller 330 are generally flat . in a currently preferred embodiment , roller 330 has flat portions 401 and 402 , slightly indented portions 404 and 403 , and also an inner groove ( groove ) 410 . when a wet wafer is being cleaned between the brushes , it is pushed forward and inserted into the groove 410 of roller 330 , such that groove 410 pinches the wafer 450 causing increased contact , and therefore , increased friction on roller 330 and the edge of wafer 450 . thus , when the roller 330 is rotated the friction causes wafer 450 to rotate . when cleaning solutions such as ammonium hydroxide ( nh 4 oh ) are used , the pinching of the wafer creates enough friction that the wafer 250 does not slip . additionally , the pinching of the wafer squeezes the cleaning solution off of the edge , so that there is not an excessive amount of solution in the contact area between the roller and the wafer &# 39 ; s edge . also , when the hesitation free roller reaches the point p of the flat ( as illustrated in fig2 ) the pinching of the wafer creates enough friction on the edge of the wafer allowing the roller to regain the radius without stalling . in other words , the roller pinches the wafer enough that it grips the edge of the wafer allowing the roller to reach the curved portion of the wafer without hesitating . fig5 illustrates a wafer 550 in groove 410 of roller 330 . as can be seen from the figure , the edge profile of the wafer 550 is substantially more square than that of wafer 450 . because the roller 330 is made of a flexible material , groove 410 deforms slightly to fit the edge of wafer 550 , providing improved contact with it , as with wafer 450 . fig6 illustrates the dimensions of a preferred embodiment of the present invention for use with a 6 . 0 inch ( 150 mm ) wafer . it will be obvious to one of skill in the art that any of the dimensions may vary depending upon the wafer diameter and thickness and may be adjusted to serve the purpose of the present invention . the dimensions given below for roller 330 are merely an example of a preferred embodiment of the present example and are meant simply to illustrate , and not limit the scope of the present invention . as described herein , it is desired for the groove to pinch the wafer or to some extent conform to the edge of the wafer . it is further desired that the pinching action does not occur on the upper or lower surface of the wafer . therefore , the groove should have a shape and dimension such that the wafer may not be inserted into and gripped by contact between the groove wall and the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer . in this regard , the &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; shape disclosed is advantageous since as the edge enters the groove , it contacts the groove at a narrow location of the groove while the surfaces of the wafer are near or within a wider portion of the groove , thus avoiding contact . further , the groove should not be too shallow such that the leading edge of the wafer contacts the apex of the groove , prior to the walls of the groove pinching the edges , thereby resulting in single point contact . in a currently preferred embodiment , groove thickness 630 at the outer opening of the groove ranges from approximately 0 . 005 - 0 . 040 inch in a currently preferred embodiment and , in general , is approximately equal to ( e . g ., within 25 % of ) the thickness of the wafer . for example , in one embodiment groove thickness 630 is preferably tailored to be approximately 0 . 005 inch greater than the thickness of the wafer . the distance between outer edge 640 and inner edge 650 is , in a preferred embodiment , approximately 0 . 067 inches . the distance 655 from the outer edge 640 to the center of curvature of the groove 410 is approximately 0 . 620 inch a currently preferred embodiment . the maximum radius of curvature from this point is approximately 0 . 005 inch . in the manufacture of the roller 330 , the roller is machined in a frozen state , as it is too flexible for machining otherwise . since the portion of the bit which carves the groove 410 is relatively small , it will wear over time . therefore , initially the radius of curvature may be less than the 0 . 005 inch specified above , as virtually all wafer edges will be gripped without penetrating any further . however , once the bit is worn down such that its radius of curvature is any greater than 0 . 005 inch , the bit should be replaced so that subsequent rollers manufactured with a bit continue to grip all wafers . groove angle 560 , in a preferred embodiment , is approximately 24 °. also in a currently preferred embodiment , roller thickness 610 is approximately 0 . 433 inch . roller length 620 is approximately 1 . 625 inches . it should be noted that since the roller material is somewhat flexible the greater the surface thickness 670 the more rigid roller 330 becomes . the surface thickness 670 may be varied to give desired degree of flexibility in the groove and tightness of the pinch . a greater surface thickness 670 leads to less flexibility , and therefore a tighter pinch . conversely , a thinner surface thickness 670 leads to more flexibility and a less tight pinch . various thicknesses may be used to achieve the desired flexibility , for allowing the wafer to slip into the groove 410 , while still giving sufficient pinch . in a preferred embodiment the surface thickness 670 is approximately 0 . 062 inch . it will be appreciated that many modifications of roller 330 may be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring to fig4 and 5 , note that the presence of the groove 410 provides for contact at at least two points , compared with the single point contact of the prior art roller 100 . in this regard , it will be appreciated that the &# 34 ; point &# 34 ; of the contact is in reality a small area . it will further be appreciated that due to the pinching of the groove 410 , each of the two points of contact of the present invention are generally larger areas than the prior art single point contact . thus , any shaped groove which provides this increased contact will achieve the objects of the present invention . for example , although a &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; shaped groove has been illustrated , it will be appreciated that other shapes such as a &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; shaped groove , a substantially square groove , a groove with curved walls , etc ., may be used . further , it will be appreciated that the groove need not be uniform . for example , the groove may have a wide angle at the opening , and a narrower angle farther in . in this regard , the roller may not have a discrete groove as such , but rather may have a pinched &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; shape e . g ., a gradual and continuous transition from the substantially straight sidewall of the roller at the top and bottom to the gripping , groove shape section in the middle . therefore , reference herein to a groove is not meant to limit the invention to rollers having a discrete , discernible groove but rather encompasses any roller having a portion which pinches the edge of the wafer or conforms , at least to some extent , to the edge of the wafer as described herein . if desired , the groove can be tailored to the edge profile of a specific type of substrate . for example , the groove may have a portion which essentially mates with the edge of the wafer . typically , the portion which mates with the edge is slightly smaller than the edge to provide better contact . however , wafer specific grooves have not been found to be necessary since , as described in conjunction with fig4 and 5 , the same groove 410 has been successful in rotating wafers having different edge profiles . in general , the groove 410 has a thickness ( dimension 630 of fig6 ) greater than the leading portion of the edge of the wafer , so that the wafer edge readily fits into the groove 410 . additionally , the groove narrows sufficiently ( e . g ., by having a maximum radius of curvature from a specified point , as in the embodiment described in relation to fig6 ) to pinch the wafer within the groove , without contacting the top or bottom surfaces of the wafer . thus , a hesitation free roller has been described . although specific embodiments , including specific equipment , parameters , methods , and materials have been described , various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure . therefore , it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention and that this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and described .	7
fig1 is a schematic illustration of a representative network environment in which embodiments of the disclosure may be advantageously employed . in fig1 , an exemplary network 10 may include a plurality of sub - networks 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 . sub - networks 14 , 16 , 18 may be coupled with a web server 20 . sub - network 12 may be coupled with web server 20 via an internet service provider ( isp ) 26 and the internet 22 . internet 22 may also be coupled with sub - networks 14 , 16 , 18 . web server 20 may be served by a web server cache 24 . internet 22 may be coupled with other networks ( not shown in fig1 ). sub - network 12 may include a plurality of client units 30 , 40 , 50 coupled with an internet service provider ( isp ) 26 . isp 26 may be served by an isp proxy cache 28 . client unit 30 may include a client 32 coupled with a browser 34 and a browser cache 36 . browser 34 may be served by browser cache 36 . client 32 may access web server 20 via browser 32 , isp 26 and internet 22 . client unit 40 may include a client 42 coupled with a browser 44 and a browser cache 46 . browser 44 may be served by browser cache 46 . client 42 may access web server 20 via browser 42 , isp 26 and internet 22 . client unit 50 may include a client 52 coupled with a browser 54 and a browser cache 56 . browser 54 may be served by browser cache 56 . client 52 may access web server 20 via browser 52 , isp 26 and internet 22 . clients 32 , 42 , 52 are respectively labeled client 1 , client 2 , clientn in fig1 . the indicator “ n ” is employed to signify that there can be any number of clients in sub - network 12 . the inclusion of three clients 32 , 42 , 52 in fig1 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of clients that may be included in a sub - network of exemplary network 10 . sub - network 14 may be configured as a local area network ( lan ) 60 . sub - network 16 , 18 may each also be configured as a local area network similar to lan 60 . details of lan configurations in sub - networks 16 , 18 will not be included in this description because describing sub - networks 16 , 18 may be repetitive and prolix , and may clutter fig1 . sub - networks 14 , 16 , 18 are respectively labeled lan 1 , lan 2 , lanm in fig1 . the indicator “ m ” is employed to signify that there can be any number of local area networks ( lans ) in exemplary network 10 . the inclusion of three lans ( lan 1 , lan 2 , lanm ) in sub - networks 14 , 16 , 18 in fig1 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of lans that may be included in exemplary network 10 . lan 60 may include a plurality of clients 62 , 64 , 66 . client 62 may be coupled with a browser 63 . browser 63 may be served by a browser cache 80 . client 64 may be coupled with a browser 65 . browser 65 may be served by a browser cache 82 . client 66 may be coupled with a browser 67 . browser 67 may be served by a browser cache 84 . browsers 80 , 82 , 84 may be coupled with a lan control unit 70 . lan control unit 70 may be coupled with a lan proxy server 72 . lan proxy server 72 may also be known as a lan gateway . lan proxy server 72 may be served by a reverse lan proxy cache 74 . reverse lan proxy cache 74 may also be known as a lan gateway cache . lan proxy server 72 may be coupled with a lan firewall 76 . lan firewall 76 may be served by a lan proxy cache 78 . lan firewall 76 may be coupled with web server 20 . clients 62 , 64 , 66 are respectively labeled client 11 , client 12 , client 1 p in fig1 to indicate clients 1 , 2 and p in lan 1 . the indicator “ p ” is employed to signify that there can be any number of clients in lan 60 . the inclusion of three clients 62 , 64 , 66 in fig1 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of clients that may be included in lan 60 . one skilled in the art of system design may recognize that fig1 may be a simplistic representation of a network . each respective lanm may itself contain more than one local area network , and there may be more than one local area network protected behind a respective firewall 76 . alternatively , a firewall may be provided between web server 20 and the internet 22 for protecting all lans , web server 20 and web server cache . lan proxy cache 78 may sometimes be identified as a forward proxy cache . client 62 may access internet 22 or web server 20 via browser 63 , lan control unit 70 , lan proxy server 72 and lan firewall 76 . client 64 may access internet 22 or web server 20 via browser 65 , lan control unit 70 , lan proxy server 72 and lan firewall 76 . client 66 may access internet 22 or web server 20 via browser 67 , lan control unit 70 , lan proxy server 72 and lan firewall 76 . sub - networks 16 , 18 ( lan 2 , lanm ) may provide connection with internet 22 for respective clients ( not shown in fig1 ) substantially as described in connection with lan 60 . fig2 is a flow chart illustrating operation of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 , a method 100 for obtaining a result for a query formulated using information contained in an on - line form 102 ( e . g ., a post - query ) may begin by preparing the form 102 , as indicated by a block 104 . method 100 may continue with treating information in form 102 with a predetermined algorithm to present an algorithmically - treated content , as indicated by a block 106 . as further exemplified in block 106 , the algorithmic treating may be effected using a hash function such as , by way of example and not by way of limitation , a message digest md 5 hash function known by those skilled in the art of secure data communication and identified as internet engineering task force ( ietf ) request for comments ( rfc ) 1321 , commonly abbreviated as ietf - rfc1321 . the algorithmically - treated content may be employed in a form of a substantially unique pseudo - get phrase . by way of example and not by way of limitation , such a pseudo - get phrase may include a recognizable get phrase such as “ getfile . asp ?” with a signature phrase , such as “ hashsignature = 123abc . . . ” appended to the get phrase to create a web identifier [ getfile . asp ? hashsignature = 123abc . . . ]. such a getfile identifier may be used to compose a universal resource locator ( url ) such as , by way of example and not by way of limitation , http :// www . company . com / getfile . asp ? hashsignature = 123abc . . . as indicated by block 106 . use of the symbols “?” and “=” appearing in this exemplary url represent syntax requirements that may be employed to satisfy standard requirements for http communications . by way of further example and not by way of limitation , the “. asp ” suffix on the “ getfile . asp ” phrase may indicate that the web server is using “ active server pages ” from microsoft to serve dynamically composed html content . one could employ other suffixes indicating other web server features including , by way of example and not by way of limitation , “. php ”, “. cgi ”, “. aspx ” and “. jsp ”. such other suffixes and the parameters following them in a “ get ” query may all adhere to the parameter syntax phraseology : “? hashsignature = 123abc . . . ”. method 100 may continue with a requester submitting or sending the query via a network from a requesting station to a responding station requesting the result , as indicated by a block 108 . the responding station may be identified by a web identifier . the web identifier may include the pseudo - get phrase . the network may include a plurality of cache units situated between the requesting station and the responding station . by way of example and not by way of limitation , cache stations involved with communications between client 32 and web server 20 ( fig1 ) may involve browser cache 36 , isp proxy cache 28 and web server cache 24 . the plurality of cache units may include a distal cache unit nearer the responding station than the requesting station , such as web server cache 24 ( fig1 ) when a subscriber receives a response from web server 20 responding to a query submitted pursuant to block 108 . actions effected to carry out method steps indicated by blocks 104 , 106 , 108 may be performed by a requester , as indicated by an encompassing block 101 surrounding blocks 104 , 106 , 108 . method 100 may continue with determining whether the query is a get - type query or a post - type query , as indicated by a query block 110 . if the query is a get - type query , method 100 may proceed from query block 110 via a get response line 120 and method 100 may inquire of at least one selected cache unit in the network the result or response to the query is contained in at least one selected cache unit in a manner identified with the web identifier , such as by indexing the response with respect to the web identifier . by way of example and not by way of limitation , if client 62 ( fig1 ) is acting as requester 101 in fig2 , this inquiry may involve interrogating browser cache 80 , reverse lan proxy cache 74 , lan proxy cache 78 and web server cache 24 to ascertain whether a result or response is stored in at least one of caches 80 , 74 , 78 , 24 in a manner identifiable or indexed to the web identifier [ getfile . asp ? hashsignature = 123abc . . . ] ( composed pursuant to block 106 ). if the result is contained in a cache unit in a manner associated with the web identifier , method 100 may operate the cache unit containing the result as a providing cache unit to effect providing the result to the requesting station ( i . e ., requester 101 ), as indicated by a block 146 . it may be preferred that the result obtained also be stored in downstream caches — i . e ., caches between the responding cache and requester 101 — as indicated by a block 142 . surrounding block 144 enclosing block 142 ( in fig2 ) is intended to indicate that method 100 may store the found result in all downstream caches between the cache from which the response was obtained to the cache nearest to requester 101 . making web form post - query responses cacheable may significantly reduce network bandwidth usage and may reduce web server and database processing activity . these results may be achieved by reducing duplicate requests to a web server within a given page freshness period . there is a need for a method for obtaining a response for a post - query that may be cacheable . fig2 represents this multi - cache inquiry by a block 122 ( labeled “ cache ”) followed by a query whether the information sought is available , indicated by a query block 124 . if the information is available in the then - addressed cache ( block 122 ) in a manner associated with the web identifier , method 100 may proceed from query block 124 via a yes response line 140 , store the response or result in downstream caches ( block 144 ) and provide the information to requester 101 , as indicated by block 146 . if the information is not available in the then - addressed cache ( block 122 ) in a manner associated with the web identifier , method 100 may proceed from query block 124 via a no response line 126 and a next cache may be selected for interrogation , as indicated by a block 128 . method 100 may then inquire whether the next - to - be - interrogated cache is the web server cache ( or another cache closest to the responder and distal from requester 101 ), as indicated by a query block 130 . if the next - to - be - interrogated cache is not the web server cache , method 100 may proceed from query block 130 via a no response line 132 to a locus 133 and steps associated with blocks 122 , 124 , 128 , 130 may be repeated . if the next - to - be - interrogated cache is the web server cache , method 100 may proceed from query block 130 via a yes response line 134 and a query may be posed whether the requested information is contained in the web server cache in a manner associated with the web identifier , as indicated by a query block 136 . if the requested information is contained in the web server cache in a manner associated with the web identifier , method 100 may proceed from query block 136 via a yes response line 138 , store the response or result in downstream caches ( block 144 ) and provide the information to requester 101 , as indicated by block 146 . if the requested information is not contained in the web server cache in a manner associated with the web identifier , method 100 may proceed from query block 136 via a no response line 148 and instruct requester 101 to resubmit the query as a post - query using the pseudo - get phrase in the url of the request , as indicated by a block 150 . regarding the query posed by query block 110 , if the query is a post - type query , method 100 may proceed from query block 110 via a post response line 112 and the web server ( or other distal server ) may be contacted for inquiry and obtaining the response or result of the query posed ( block 108 ), as indicated by a block 114 . method 100 may continue with caching the result obtained pursuant to block 114 in the web server cache in a manner associated with the web identifier , such as by indexing the response with respect to the web identifier , as indicated by a block 116 . actions effected to carry out method steps indicated by blocks 114 , 116 may be performed by a responder via a web server or other distal server , as indicated by an encompassing block 103 surrounding blocks 114 , 116 . method 100 may continue with instructing requester 101 to resubmit the request as a cacheable get - query using the pseudo - get phrase in the url of the request , as indicated by a block 118 . method 100 may continue with repeating steps indicated by blocks 108 , 110 , 122 , 124 , 128 , 130 , 136 , 144 , 146 until at least one cache may be operated as a providing cache unit to effect providing the result to requester 101 , as indicated by block 146 . method 100 may reduce traffic to any of various caches in a system , and likely may reduce traffic with a web server . employing method steps represented by blocks 122 - 130 , method 100 may retrieve information stored in a cache anywhere “ en route ” from a client to a web server if that information is within its respective freshness period . a freshness period may be established by a system when information is stored in a cache , and an indication of the freshness period may be stored with the information . there may be more than one opportunity to avoid inquiring for information from a web server . by way of example and not by way of limitation , referring to fig1 ., client 62 may find information requested has been earlier requested and is stored ( within the freshness period for the information ) in any of browser cache 80 , reverse lan 1 proxy cache 74 and lan proxy cache 78 . response to a query by client 62 may be satisfied from the earliest - encountered opportunity to obtain the requested information . thus , a query from client 62 may be responded to by reverse lan 1 proxy cache 74 if , for example , client 64 had earlier requested the same information . in such an exemplary situation , the query posed by client 62 may not proceed further within the system , thereby avoiding traffic to other system components , such as by way of example and not by way of limitation , 1 lan 1 firewall 76 , lan 1 proxy cache 78 and web server 20 . making web form post - queries cacheable may also make network and web server usage predictable for web forms that contain fields with predefined possible selections . the maximum number of hits on a given web server in a given page freshness cycle may be calculated as the number of choices per field raised to the power of the number of form fields . by way of example and not by way of limitation , a web form ( e . g ., form 102 ; fig2 ) with 10 fields , each field having 3 drop down choices , may have a maximum of 3 to the 10th ( 3 10 ) possible cacheable query requests . this may amount to a maximum of 59 , 049 possible hits to a web server using the exemplary web form . the actual upper bound for a given freshness period may be smaller because it may be unlikely that users would exercise the entire extent of form field value combinations . it is to be understood that , while the detailed drawings and specific examples given describe preferred embodiments of the disclosure , they are for the purpose of illustration only , that the apparatus and method of the disclosure are not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the disclosure which is defined by the following clams :	6
in fig1 and 2 there is shown a pair of cast mould parts 12 , 14 each of which comprises a relatively rigid body 16 . each part 12 , 14 includes an abutment face 17 which are in mutual contact when the mould parts made and each abutment face 17 is provided with a recess 18 which is filled with a mouldable material 20 which is curable to form a resilient heat stable material . a rubber composition based upon rubber reclaimed from tyres has been found suitable for moulding thermoplastics such as polypropylene . the out surface of the mouldable material 20 is arranged to be substantially contiguous with the abutment face 17 and prior to creating an impression is preferably coated with a release agent such as talcum powder . an original sculpture or article 30 from which replicas are to be made is positioned between the mould parts 12 , 14 and these are then closed by , for instance , a press ( not shown ). closing of the cast mould parts causes the article 30 to be pressed into the opposed faces of the mouldable materials and causes an impression to be made therein . due to the flow characteristics of the mouldable material a natural separation line around the periphery of the article is achieved between the opposed surfaces of the mouldable materials . the closed cast mould parts are now heated to cause the rubber compound to vulcanise and thereby form a heat stable resilient material . the mould parts are now separated and the article is removed to leave a mould casting 50 ( see fig3 and 4 ). the bodies of resilient material 28 may now be removed from the cast mould parts 12 , 14 , thereby defining a pair of mould inserts 100 , in block form , formed from the resilient material . the pair of mould inserts 100 can be directly mounted into opposed mould platens 40 ( only one of which is shown in fig3 ) of an injection moulding machine . attachment means , for example bolts 101 ( fig4 ) or a rigid backing plate 110 ( fig5 ) may be received to the resilient material prior to insertion of the mould insert into the mould platens 40 . the backing plate 110 may include one or more bolts 111 . advantageously the attachment means are located with the cast mould parts so that the attachment means become secured to the resilient material during the curing process . it is envisaged that the backing plate 110 may be attached to the resilient material after casting , for instance by bonding . preferably , as schematically illustrated in fig6 the resilient mould inserts 100 when located within the opposed platens 40 are positioned such that the separation surfaces 120 of the mould inserts 100 are located slightly above the abutment faces 41 of the platens 40 . accordingly when the mould platens 40 close , the opposed surfaces 120 of the mould inserts initially contact one another and then are placed under a resilient loading caused by compression of the resilient material as the platens reach their fully closed position . the resilient loading on the opposed surfaces 120 resists flashing occuring during the injection moulding process . as illustrated in fig2 it is envisaged that location formations , such as pegs 25 , may be spaced about the mould cavity such that when the mould inserts 100 are closed the location formations co - operate to resist relative slidable movement of the opposed surfaces 120 . as illustrated in fig3 it is envisaged that the cast mould parts can be used as attachment means . in this case the opposed surfaces 120 of the resilient material are substantially contiguous with the abutment faces 17 of the mould parts . the body 16 of each mould part has an outer shape complementary to that of a location recess formed in a platen 40 of an injection moulding machine . accordingly the body 16 can be accurately located in the platen 40 whilst being easily removable to facilitate replacement of the mould inserts . the platen 40 shown in fig3 includes radially extending channels 41 along which plastics is injected . each body 16 has a channel 42 formed therein for communication with a respective channel 41 . after curing and separation of the mould parts 12 , 14 a channel ( not shown ) is cut into the resilient material for feeding plastics material from the channel 42 of the body to the mould cavity portion formed therein . when casting the resilient inserts the size of each recess 18 of the cast mould parts and the amount of mouldable material contained therein is chosen to provide sufficient mouldable material to provide an adequate impression . preferably in order to assist heat dissipation during the moulding process the amount of mouldable material is chosen to be minimum to obtain the above criteria . in addition it is envisaged that the bodies 16 may be provided with ducts for coolant fluid which communicate with coolant ducts formed in the supporting platen 40 . in addition , the resilient material at least in the vicinity of the mould cavity is preferably arranged to be of a minimum thickness so as to resist distortion of the mould cavity arising from fluid pressure of the moulten plastics during the injection moulding process . in order to assist heat dissipation the mouldable material may be adapted to improve its heat conductivity . for instance the chemical composition of the mouldable material may be adjusted to maximise its heat conductivity and / or the mouldable material may include particles of a good heat conductor such as metallic particles dispersed therein . in addition , or as an alternative , coolant conduits , such as metallic pipes , carrying a coolant may extend into the recess 18 so as to be partly or wholly surrounded by the mouldable material . furthermore , blocks of suitable metals may be located within the mouldable material to act as heat sinks . these blocks may be in direct contact with the body 16 to thereby provide a good path of heat conduction from the mouldable material and into the body 16 .	8
the microporous aluminophosphate , having ato type framework disclosed in the present invention is produced by microwave - hydrothermal crystallization from a reaction mixture containing reactive sources of phosphorus and aluminum and an organic structure directing agent ( diquat - hydroxide ), and , optionally , additional divalent metals or sources of silica . the preparative process typically comprises forming a reaction mixture which in terms of mole ratios is : the reaction mixture is placed in a teflon vessel inert towards the reaction mixture and heated under microwave - hydrothermal conditions ( mars - 5 , cem corp , usa ) until crystallized , under static conditions at a temperature of at least about 100 ° c ., preferably between 150 ° c . and 200 ° c . for a period of 5 to 360 mins . the solid crystalline reaction product is then recovered by any convenient method , such as filtration or centrifugation , washed with water and dried in air at a temperature between ambient and about 120 ° c . in a preferred crystallization method , the source of phosphorus is phosphoric acid , and the source of aluminum is a hydrated aluminum oxide of the trade name catapal ( sasol ), the temperature is 150 ° c . to 180 ° c ., the crystallization time is from 15 to 180 mins , and the ratio of compounds in the reaction mixture is 1 . 0 al 2 o 3 : 1 . 0 - 1 . 2 p 2 o 5 : 0 . 5 - 1 . 0r : 40 - 75 h 2 o . the templating agent is diquat - hydroxide and is present in the reaction mixture in an amount ranging from about 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 moles per mole of alumina . additionally silica may also be introduced into the reaction . the preferred source of silica is either ludox as - 30 or tetraethyl orthosilicate . the structure directing agent used is known as diquat compounds . the organic cation r + , also designated herein as diquat - 6 / 7 , is derived from the diquat - 6 / 7 hydroxide or organic or inorganic salt of diquat - 6 / 7 . the salts of diquat - 6 / 7 are obtained by reacting a suitable precursor salt containing the functional group r 1 , e . g ., a hexyl / heptyl derivative , containing two anions at the terminal carbon atoms , such as , 1 , 7 - dibromoheptane / 1 , 6 - dibromohexane , with a stoichiometrically required amount of trimethylamine to form a diquaternary salt of the organic cation . the synthesis of the original salt of diquat - 6 / 7 can be carried out with an organic or inorganic precursor salt containing the functional group r 1 . the r 1 group of the organic cation may be heptyl / hexyl or it may have one or more double or triple unsaturated bonds . thus , for example , r 1 may have one double unsaturated bond , or two or three consecutive or non - consecutive double unsaturated bonds . alternatively , the r 1 group may contain at least one triple unsaturated bond . however , in the most preferred embodiment , the r 1 group is heptyl / hexyl . the precursor salt contains two anions at the terminal carbon atoms of the functional group r 1 . thus , the precursor salt has a formula a - r 1 - a , wherein r 1 is as defined above and a is an organic or inorganic anion . suitable inorganic anions are phosphate , halogens , e . g ., fluoride , chloride , bromide or iodide , sulfate , bisulfate , bisulfite , carbonate , bicarbonate , hexafluorophosphate , nitrate , oxyhalogen , such as chlorate , clo 3 − or perchlorate , clo 4 − . representative suitable organic anions are carboxylate , r — coo − , amide , rcon − , alkoxide , r 3 co − , or etherate , ro − . the synthesis of the diquat - 6 / 7 salt is conducted with a continuous stirring at a temperature of about 50 to about 80 ° c ., preferably about 60 ° c . to about 80 ° c ., at autogenous pressure in a suitable non - aqueous solvent , such as alcohol , e . g ., ethanol , toluene or tetrahydrofuran , until crystals of the diquat - 6 / 7 salt are formed , usually for about 4 to about 24 hours . the crystals of the product settle to the bottom , the reaction mixture is cooled e . g ., in a water - ice bath , and the product is separated from the reaction mixture by any suitable means , e . g ., by filtration or centrifugaton . the crystals are then washed with a suitable solvent , e . g ., absolute ethanol , followed by a wash with an anhydrous diethyl ether . the diquat - 6 / 7 salt crystals are then dried . the hydroxide form of diquat - 7 is obtained in any conventional manner from the salt of diquat - 6 / 7 , such as by ion exchanging the salt of diquat - 7 with a suitable hydroxide in any conventional manner , e . g ., in an ion - exchange column . any of the conventional ion - exchange techniques is used to replace the original anions with the hydroxide anion , as will be obvious to those skilled in the art . representative of such ion exchange techniques are those disclosed in a wide variety of patents , e . g ., u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 140 , 249 , 3 , 140 , 251 and 3 , 140 , 253 . the diquat - 6 / 7 hydroxide , when used as per the present invention leads to crystallization of alpo - 31 / sapo - 31 phase having a characteristic x - ray diffraction pattern , set forth below in table 1 . the crystallized ato phase is subjected to post synthesis treatment namely calcination in the temperature range of 200 - 800 ° c ., more preferably in the range of 300 - 600 ° c . to remove the entrapped organic moieties for the period of 2 - 24 h in air . thus obtained calcined form is also found to have similar x - ray diffraction pattern as set forth in table 1 . the calcined form of the ato phase is subjected to nitrogen uptake measurement at − 196 ° c . to estimate its surface area and micropore volume as per astm method 4365 applicable for microporous solids . furthermore , the uptake of various probe molecules such as m - xylene , p - xylene , n - hexane , n - octane , n - heptane , cyclohexane is measured over the calcined phase at 20 ° c . to judge the adsorption crystallinity of the phase crystallized as per the art disclosed in the present invention . as noted above , sapo - 31 functions well as a molecular sieve adsorbent . additionally , catalysts containing sapo - 31 in admixture with at least one hydrogenation component , such as platinum , palladium , tungsten , vanadium , molybdenum , nickel , cobalt , chromium , and manganese , are excellent dewaxing catalysts ( sometimes referred to as “ catalysts ”). combinations of these metals such as cobalt - molybdenum , cobalt - nickel , nickel - tungsten or cobalt - nickel - tungsten , are also useful with such catalysts . such catalysts generally comprise sapo - 31 and from about 0 . 01 % to 10 %, preferably from about 0 . 1 % to about 5 % of the hydrogenation component by weight of sapo - 31 . preferred hydrogenation components are platinum and palladium and , when employed , are preferably employed between about 0 . 1 percent and 1 . 5 percent by weight of sapo - 31 . the physical form of sapo - 31 depends on the type of catalytic reactor being employed and may be in the form of a granule or powder , and is desirably compacted into a more readily usable form ( e . g ., larger agglomerates ), with a silica or alumina binder for fluidized bed reaction , or pills , prills , spheres , extrudates , or other shapes of controlled size to accord adequate catalyst - reactant contact . the present invention is further illustrated and supported by the following examples . these are merely representative examples and optimization details and are not intended to restrict the scope of the present invention in any way . the diquat - 6 / 7 dihydroxide salt used to crystallize molecular sieve alpo - 31 and / or sapo - 31 is prepared by reacting 1 , 7 - dibromoheptane / 1 , 6 - dibromohexane and trimethylamine in accordance with the following stoichiometric equation : 50 grams of 1 , 7 - dibromoheptane ( sigma - aldrich chemical company ) is weighed out and transferred directly to a two - liter , three - necked reaction flask equipped with a stirrer . 100 ml absolute ethanol is added to the reaction flask while the contents of the flask are stirred continuously . then , 100 grams ( excess ) of trimethylamine solution ( 25 % in methanol , sigma - aldrich chemical company ) is transferred directly to the two - liter reaction flask . the two - liter reaction flask is fitted with a dry - ice condenser to minimize ( ch 3 ) 3 n loss during reflux . the reaction mixture is refluxed for about 14 hours . white crystals of diquat - 7 dibromide are formed and separated from the reaction solution at the end of the reflux period . the reaction flask is cooled by immersion in water - ice bath . the product is then filtered on a buchner funnel . product crystals are washed on the funnel several times with absolute ethanol , then several times with anhydrous diethyl ether . the diquat - 7 dibromine product crystals are dried by air stream on the buchner funnel after the ether wash . thus obtained dibromide salt of diquat - 7 is subjected to ion exchange procedure to convert it to dihydroxide form using anion exchange resion dowex 8x . typically , aqueous solution of 50 wt % of dibromide salt of diquat - 6 / 7 is slurried in 1 l water containing 20 g of resin for 20 h to obtain dihydroxide salt of diquat - 6 / 7 . alpo - 31 is crystallized from a reaction mixture prepared by combining 2 . 3 grams of psedoboehmite ( catapal vista b , sasol ) with 3 . 7 grams of 85 wt .% orthophosphoric acid ( h 3 po 4 ) and 5 . 0 grams of water and stirred until homogeneous . to this mixture is added 8 grams of diquat - 7 hydroxide solution ( 22 % in water ) and the mixture further stirred . the composition of the final reaction mixture in molar oxide ratios is : 0 . 5 diquat - 7 ( oh ) 2 : 1al 2 o 3 : 1 p 2 o 5 : 45 h 2 o this homogenised reaction mixture is placed in a stainless steel pressure vessel lined with an inert plastic material and heated in under microwave - hydrothermal conditions by employing mars - 5 ( cem , usa ) unit at 180 ° c . at autogenous pressure for 3 hours . the solid reaction product is recovered by filtration , washed with water , and dried in air at 120 ° c . thus obtained product is subjected physicochemical characterization . x - ray diffraction pattern of as - synthesized form displaying the characteristic peaks of ato phase as listed in table 1 . the morphology of the sample is investigated by means of scanning electron microscope ( sem , leica , cambridge , model 440 , fig3 ). alpo - 31 is crystallized from a reaction mixture prepared by combining 2 . 3 grams of psedoboehmite ( catapal vista b , sasol ) with 3 . 7 grams of 85 wt . % orthophosphoric acid ( h 3 po 4 ) and 5 . 0 grams of water and stirred until homogeneous . to this mixture is added 8 grams of diquat - 6 hydroxide solution ( 22 % in water ) and the mixture further stirred . the composition of the final reaction mixture in molar oxide ratios is : 0 . 5 diquat - 6 ( oh ) 2 : 1 al 2 o 3 : 1 p 2 o 5 : 45 h 2 o this homogenised reaction mixture is placed in a stainless steel pressure vessel lined with an inert plastic material and heated in under microwave - hydrothermal conditions by employing mars - 5 ( cem , usa ) unit at 180 ° c . at autogenous pressure for 3 hours . the solid reaction product is recovered by filtration , washed with water , and dried in air at 120 ° c . thus obtained product is subjected physicochemical characterization . x - ray diffraction pattern of as - synthesized form displaying the characteristic peaks of ato phase as listed in table 1 . sapo - 31 is crystallized from a reaction mixture prepared by combining 2 . 0 grams of psedoboehmite ( catapal vista b , sasol ) with 3 . 2 grams of 85 wt . % orthophosphoric acid ( h 3 po 4 ) and 4 . 0 grams of water and stirred until homogeneous . to this mixture is added 1 . 12 grams of an aqueous sol of 30 wt . % sio 2 and the mixture is further stirred until homogeneous . to this mixture is added 7 grams of diquat - 7 hydroxide solution and the mixture is stirred until homogeneous . the composition of the final reaction mixture in molar oxide ratios is : 0 . 5 diquat - 7 ( oh ) 2 : 1 al 2 o 3 : 1 p 2 o 5 : 0 . 4 sio 2 : 45 h 2 o a portion of this reaction mixture is placed in a stainless steel pressure vessel lined with an inert plastic material and heated in under microwave - hydrothermal conditions by employing mars - 5 ( cem , usa ) unit at 160 ° c . at autogenous pressure for 4 hours . the solid reaction product is recovered by filtration , washed with water , and dried in air at 120 ° c . thus obtained product is subjected physicochemical characterization . x - ray diffraction pattern of as - synthesized form displaying the characteristic peaks of ato phase as listed in table 1 . the material from example 1 is calcined in air in the following manner . a thin bed of material is heated in a tubular quartz reactor from room temperature to 120 ° c . at a rate of 1 ° c . per minute and held at 120 ° c . for two hours . the temperature is then ramped up to 540 ° c . at the same rate and held at this temperature for 10 hours . the calcined form of alpo - 31 as prepared in example - 5 has a micropore volume ( t - plot ) of about 0 . 20 cc / gm with surface area of about 275 m 2 / g based on adsorption isotherm at 77 k recorded on as - 1c unit from quantachrome . the nitrogen adsorption isotherm is analyzed using the non linear density function theory ( nldft ) approach ( j . phys . chem . b . ; 2001 105 ( 29 ); 6817 ) and the conventional t - plot method ( j . catalysis , 1965 , 4 , 319 ). the dft analysis also shows that calcined form alpo - 31 has a pore size of about 0 . 53 nm . the acidity for the alumino / silicoaluminophosphate ato framework is measured using ammonia - tpd technique . typically , 50 mg of samples prepared as per examples 2 and 4 and treated as per example 5 are exposed to 6 % ammonia / helium mixture and ammonia desorption is recorded as a function of temperature using alta - mira ami200 unit . the measured tpd curves ( fig2 ) demonstrate increased acidity level for silicoaluminophosphate framework ( 0 . 332 mmol / g ) as against aluminophosphate framework ( which is found to be negligible ). adsorption capacities are measured on this calcined product using a standard mcbain - bakr gravimetric adsorption apparatus . the following data ( table 2 ) is obtained on a sample activated at 300 ° c . thus , the pore size of the calcined product is & gt ; 4 . 3 å and & lt ; 6 . 2 å , as shown by adsorption of n - hexane , kinetic diameter of 4 . 3 a and nil adsorption of m - xylene . 1 . the specific structure directing agent or templating agent disclosed in the present invention favors crystallization of ato framework from a reaction medium having a ph below 4 . 5 . 2 . the present invention discloses a very fast and rapid synthesis approach using such templating agent for preparing crystalline ato type molecular sieve framework . 3 . the crystalline ato type molecular sieve framework obtained by the process of the present invention is very pure and completely free from commonly observed major impurity phase , namely ael framework .	2
by way of overview , the present invention provides an improved head support sleep aid . the improved head support sleep aid maintains correct alignment of the user &# 39 ; s neck and spine . the improved head support sleep aid supports the user &# 39 ; s head in a manner which avoids undue wrinkling of the user &# 39 ; s face particularly in the skin areas proximate the user &# 39 ; s eye . the improved head support sleep aid maintains the appropriate head support during movement as the user sleeps . more specifically , fig1 sets forth a perspective view of a head support and sleep aid constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral 10 . head support and sleep aid 10 is shown being utilized by a sleeping person generally referenced by numeral 15 in a typical anticipated use of the invention . head support sleep aid 10 includes a generally rectangular segment 11 preferably fabricated of a resilient foam material such as rubber or plastic . head support sleep aid 10 further includes a head and neck support 12 having a generally rectangular resilient foam body 20 . as is described below in greater detail , head and neck support 12 further includes a flexible mesh ear coupling 24 which , in the manner described below , is secured to foam body 20 . in further accordance with the fabrication of ear coupling 24 , sleeping person 15 is resting upon foam body 20 and has a lower ear extending into and received within ear coupling 24 . an elongated cylindrical preferably resilient foam material neck support 13 is positioned upon pillow segment 11 beneath the neck portion of sleeping person 15 . in accordance with the anticipated use of the present invention head support sleep aid , sleeping person 15 is resting upon the combined structures provided by pillow segment 11 and head and neck support 12 . both of these structures are preferably formed of a resilient foam material and thus provide a cushioning support . in further accordance with the anticipated use of the present invention head support and sleep aid , sleeping person 15 is resting the side portion of the users head upon ear coupling 24 and head resting surface 21 of foam body 20 . thus , the weight of the head and neck portion of sleeping person 15 is resting upon and “ crumples ” ear coupling 24 . with temporary reference to fig4 , it will be noted that foam body 20 of head and neck support 12 defines an ear clearance cavity 22 which extends downwardly from head resting surface 21 . thus , the user in the posture shown in fig1 has inserted the user &# 39 ; s ear through ear aperture 26 of ear coupling 24 . as a result , the user in resting the user &# 39 ; s head upon surface 21 of foam body 20 collapses or crumples ear coupling 24 allowing the user &# 39 ; s ear to extend downwardly into ear clearance cavity 22 . in this manner , the surrounding portion of head resting surface 21 supports the head of sleeping person 15 without imposing stress or pressure or wrinkling upon the facial portions of sleeping person 15 in the eye and surrounding regions . as a result , person 15 is able to sleep resting upon head support and sleep aid 10 while ear coupling 24 maintains the correct position between the sleeping persons head and foam body 20 . neck support 13 provides additional foam support for the neck portion of the user . as a result , as sleeping person 15 shifts and moves during the sleep cycle , the captivity of user &# 39 ; s ear within ear coupling 24 is maintained which in turn maintains the correct position of head and neck support 12 . fig2 sets forth a perspective assembly of head support sleep aid 10 in its entirety . in accordance with the preferred fabrication of the present invention , head support sleep aid 10 includes a plurality of interlocking stackable pillow segments 11 , 16 and 17 . in further accordance with the preferred fabrication of the present invention , pillow segments 11 , 16 and 17 form generally rectangular resilient foam plastic or rubber bodies which define different thicknesses or heights . thus , in the illustration of the present invention shown in fig2 , pillow segment 11 is the thickest pillow segment while pillow segment 17 forms the thinnest pillow segment and pillow segment 16 defines an intermediate or medium thickness or height . pillow segment 11 defines a top surface 18 and further defines an interlock receptacle 31 . pillow segment 16 defines an interlock receptacle 33 together with an upwardly extending interlock 30 . finally , pillow segment 17 defines an interlock receptacle 35 and an interlock 32 . in the stack configuration shown in fig2 , pillow segment 11 is resting upon pillow segment 16 and is maintained in attachment by the insertion of interlock 30 of pillow segment 16 into interlock receptacle 31 . similarly , pillow segment 16 is resting upon pillow segment 17 and is maintained in position by the insertion of interlock 32 of pillow segment 17 into interlock receptacle 33 of pillow segment 16 . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different pillow thickness may be obtained by utilizing different combinations of pillow segments . for example , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the combined thickness of head support sleep aid 10 may be altered by removing pillow segment 16 and securing pillow segment 17 directly to pillow segment 11 . similarly , as set forth above in fig1 , the thickness of the resulting pillow may be further altered by simply using pillow segment 11 alone . finally , pillow segments 16 and 11 may be utilized while omitting pillow segment 17 and so on . it will be equally apparent to those skilled in the art that while three pillow segments are shown in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 , a different number of pillow segments with different thickness relationships may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the important aspect of the illustration shown in fig2 is the provision of a selected pillow thickness which is maintained despite movement on the part of the user by the interlocking feature . as described above , head support and sleep aid 10 also includes head and neck support 12 which includes a generally rectangular foam body 20 having a head resting surface 21 . as is also described above , head and neck support 12 includes a flexible mesh material ear coupling 24 secured to surface 21 and having an elastically constricted ear - receiving aperture 26 . while the embodiment show utilizes an elastic constricture , such as an elastic band , for aperture 26 , other closures may be used . for example , aperture 26 may be closed using a sliding bead drawstring , a rubber band , a snap attachment , a button attachment or a hook and loop fabric attachment . it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that foam body 20 may be formed of other materials such as cotton , pressed fabric or the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . similarly , the shape of foam body 20 may be formed in a variety of different shapes , including but not limited to circular , oval , pear , horse shoe , kidney bean or heart - shaped . by way of further variation , ear coupler 24 may be formed of various materials , such as cotton , molded plastic or woven fabric without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . fig3 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the interlocking pillow segments utilized in the present invention head support sleep aid . as described above , pillow segment 11 defines an interlock receptacle 31 and an upper surface 18 . as is also described , pillow segment 16 defines an interlock receptacle 33 and an upwardly extending interlock 30 . finally , pillow segment 17 defines an interlock receptacle 35 and an upwardly extending interlock 32 . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the configurations of interlocks 30 and 32 as well as interlock receptacles 31 , 33 and 35 facilitate mutual intercoupling and attachment . thus , it will be apparent that interlock 30 may be received within interlock receptacle 31 while interlock 32 may be received within either interlock receptacle 31 or interlock receptacle 33 . in this manner , the combined height may be selectively determined by utilizing either a single pillow segment or a plurality of pillow segments which have been stacked and interlocked . the interlock feature facilitates the use of multiple pillow segments in a fixed stacked arrangement despite movement of the user during sleep . in the preferred fabrication of the present invention , pillow segments 11 , 16 and 17 are fabricated of a resilient somewhat firm material such as foam plastic or foam rubber or the like . fig4 sets forth a perspective assembly view of head and neck support 12 which , as is described above , includes a generally rectangular foam body 20 defining a head resting surface 21 and a pillow resting surface 28 . as can be seen in fig1 and 2 above , pillow resting surface 28 generally conforms to the planar upper surface of pillow segments such as pillow segment 11 allowing foam body 20 to rest upon the underlying pillow segment . head resting surface 21 further defines a downwardly extending ear clearance cavity 22 together with a further downwardly extending clearance aperture 23 . head and neck support 12 further includes a flexible mesh material ear coupling 24 . ear coupling 24 defines a bottom edge 25 which is positioned upon head resting surface 21 of foam body 20 so as to enclose ear clearance cavity 22 and as is indicated by dashed line 27 . edge 25 may be joined to head resting surface 21 using virtually any conventional fabrication technique such as adhesive attachment or chemical or sonic welding as desired . ear coupling 24 further includes an ear receiving aperture 26 which is sufficient in size to allow a typical users ear to be passed there through . in the preferred fabrication of the present invention , ear - receiving aperture 26 is elastically constricted by an elastic material which draws ear - receiving aperture 26 to a semi - closed configuration . in this manner , an ear passed through aperture 26 is gripped loosely within the interior of ear coupling 24 and maintained by the constrictor of aperture 26 . this maintains the position of head and neck support against the user &# 39 ; s face and avoids resting the user &# 39 ; s facial skin against foam body 20 in the portions thereof surrounding the user &# 39 ; s eye . the constricting character of aperture 26 maintains the user &# 39 ; s ear in a loose attachment to ear coupling 24 and thus maintains the appropriate head positioning for the user . fig5 sets forth a top view of foam body 20 utilized in head and neck support 12 . foam body 20 defines a head resting surface 21 and an ear clearance cavity 22 . within cavity 22 , a clearance aperture 23 extends downwardly through the remainder of foam body 20 . fig6 sets forth a section view of foam body 20 taken along section lines 6 - 6 in fig5 . as described above , foam body 20 defines a head rest surface 21 together with a clearance cavity 22 and a clearance aperture 23 . foam body 20 further defines a surface 28 which , in the anticipated use of the present invention , is rested upon an underlying pillow segment in the manner shown in fig1 . fig7 sets forth a side elevation view of head and neck support 12 . as described above , head and neck support 12 includes a generally rectangular foam body 20 defining a head rest surface 21 and a pillow rest surface 28 . as is also described above , a flexible mesh material ear coupling 24 extends upwardly from surface 21 and terminates an elastically constricted aperture 26 . in accordance with the preferred fabrication of the present invention , the generally rectangular shape of foam body 20 is altered slightly by a front to back taper of surface 28 . thus , surface 28 is angled slightly with respect to surface 21 producing a dimensional difference 29 at the rear portion of foam body 20 . this front - to - back taper aids in maintaining the correct position of head and neck support 12 . fig8 sets forth a top view of an alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid generally referenced by numeral 50 . earpiece 50 is formed of a resilient soft material such as foam plastic or foam rubber . as can be seen in fig8 , earpiece 50 defines a generally round shaped body 51 which , in turn , defines an aperture 52 . aperture 52 also defines an edge 53 along its frontal end . in accordance with the present invention , earpiece 50 is show in position upon a typical ear 55 . in operation , the user places earpiece 50 upon ear 55 as shown to couple the earpiece to the user &# 39 ; s hear ( not shown ). during sleep , earpiece 50 bears a portion of the user &# 39 ; s weight and avoids wrinkling of the user &# 39 ; s facial skin . fig9 sets forth a top view of a further alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid generally referenced by numeral 60 . earpiece 60 is similar to earpiece 50 , described above in that it includes a soft resilient body 61 defining an aperture 62 and an edge 63 . earpiece 60 operates in the same manner as earpiece 50 . fig1 sets forth a top view of a still further alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid generally referenced by numeral 70 . earpiece 70 is similar to earpiece 50 , described above in that it includes a soft resilient body 71 defining an aperture 72 and an edge 73 . earpiece 70 operates in the same manner as earpiece 50 . earpieces 50 , 60 and 70 are shown to provide alternative earpiece shapes , all functioning in the same manner . thus , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that earpieces having further alternate shapes may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . it will be further apparent that a plurality of soft flexible ties ( not shown ) may be added to the above earpieces to tie them to the user &# 39 ; s head as desired . fig1 sets forth a perspective view of a still further alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid generally referenced by numeral 80 . earpiece 80 is preferably formed of a soft resilient material , such as molded foam rubber or molded foam plastic . earpiece 80 includes an elongated , generally planar frontal pad 81 joined to a curved bridge 82 , bridge 82 curves downwardly to an end 84 . bridge 82 also fines an edge 85 and an edge 86 together with a concave curved surface 87 . frontal pad 81 further defines a flexible tie 88 extending from end 83 to end 84 . a clasp , such as a hook and loop fabric attachment pad 89 allows tie 88 to be separatable . in operation , the user places earpiece 80 upon the user &# 39 ; s ear 55 as shown below in fig1 . to couple the earpiece to the user &# 39 ; s hear ( not shown ), clasp 89 is released and earpiece 80 is placed upon user &# 39 ; s ear 55 ( shown in fig1 ). thereafter , tie 88 is drawn and clasp 89 secures earpiece 80 in place . a malleable reinforcing wire 95 is molded into earpiece 80 to aid in forming the earpiece to the user &# 39 ; s ear and head for greater comfort . during sleep , earpiece 80 bears a portion of the user &# 39 ; s weight and avoids wrinkling of the user &# 39 ; s facial skin . fig1 a sets forth a section view of the alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid set forth in fig1 taken along section line 12 a - 12 a therein . fig1 b sets forth a section view of the alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid set forth in fig1 taken along section line 12 b - 12 b therein . fig1 c sets forth a section view of the alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid set forth in fig1 taken along section line 12 c - 12 c therein . fig1 d sets forth a section view of the alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid set forth in fig1 taken along section line 12 d - 12 d therein . fig1 e sets forth a section view of the alternate embodiment earpiece of the present invention head support sleep aid set forth in fig1 taken along section line 12 e - 12 e therein ; fig1 sets forth a top view of earpiece 80 fitted to a user &# 39 ; s ear 55 . as described above , earpiece 80 is preferably formed of a soft resilient material , such as molded foam rubber or molded foam plastic . earpiece 80 includes an elongated , generally planar frontal pad 81 joined to a curved bridge 82 , bridge 82 curves downwardly to an end 84 . bridge 82 also fines an edge 85 and an edge 86 together with a concave curved surface 87 . frontal pad 81 further defines a flexible tie 88 extending from end 83 to end 84 . a clasp , such as a hook and loop fabric attachment pad 89 allows tie 88 to be separatable . in operation , the user places earpiece 80 upon the user &# 39 ; s ear 55 . to couple the earpiece to the user &# 39 ; s head ( not shown ), clasp 89 ( seen in fig1 ) is released and earpiece 80 is placed upon user &# 39 ; s ear 55 as is shown in fig1 . thereafter , tie 88 is drawn and clasp 89 secures earpiece 80 in place . during sleep , earpiece 80 bears a portion of the user &# 39 ; s weight and avoids wrinkling of the user &# 39 ; s facial skin . in phantom like depiction , the adjustable position of end 84 to be either closer to end 83 or farther from end 83 is also shown in the figure . fig1 sets forth a side view of earpiece 80 . as described above , earpiece 80 is preferably formed of a soft resilient material , such as molded foam rubber or molded foam plastic . earpiece 80 includes an elongated , generally planar frontal pad 81 joined to a curved bridge 82 , bridge 82 curves downwardly to an end 84 . bridge 82 also fines an edge 86 together with a concave curved surface 87 . frontal pad 81 further defines a flexible tie 88 extending from end 83 to end 84 . a clasp , such as a hook and loop fabric attachment pad 89 allows tie 88 to be separatable . earpiece 80 also defines a bottom surface 90 which is tapered to define a reduced thickness away from frontal pad 81 . thus a small taper angle 91 is formed to aid in positioning the user &# 39 ; s head during sleep . what has been shown is a head support sleep aid which provides a plurality of interlocking pillow segments together with a head and neck support which couples to the user &# 39 ; s ear . the resulting head support sleep aid avoids applying wrinkles and stress to the facial skin area of the user in an about the user &# 39 ; s eye . while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	0
as shown in fig1 , a communication and documentation system 10 useful in providing care to persons includes a server 12 containing an application portion 14 and a database portion 16 . the server 12 , for example , may comprise one or more computers . for example , the application portion 14 can reside on one or more computers or servers , and the database portion 16 can reside on one or more computers or servers . the server 12 provides both database and web server capabilities . a host computer 18 , which may be a standard desktop personal computer , provides an interface which can be used , for example , by a supervisor or nurse ( a ) to enter and update patient care plans and associated data , ( b ) to enter patient care requirements that are linked to speech segments that can be retrieved when needed by staff members at any time , ( c ) to enter staff member assignments such as which patients are assigned to which staff members on a given shift , ( d ) to schedule patient tasks that result in the server 12 calling the staff members at scheduled times ( e . g ., to communicate appointment reminders ), and ( e ) to enter other information that is linked to the server 12 . this other information can include , for example , the names of new staff members and / or new patients . this information is then integrated by the server 12 into dialogues ( e . g ., james jones gets dressing ; or hello mary smith ). the host computer 18 can also be used ( a ) to generate reports based on patient data ( e . g ., vital signs , falls ) entered either by voice or by use of a screen display on the host computer 18 , ( b ) to display text in a screen display ( e . g ., that indicates that a note is available for a patient and that includes a link that can be clicked on in order to listen to the note through a headset where the note is archived in the form of a sound file , and ( c ) to generate reports on staff performance ( e . g ., productivity reports indicating the number of tasks recorded per hour and exception reports that indicate activities not completed by staff members for each resident . moreover , the host computer can further be used to set system parameters , to conduct training sessions , to provide immediate advice on the care of patients , and to perform additional or alternative functions . the host computer 18 , for example , may include a standard web browser in order to support communications between the host computer 18 and the server 12 . however , alternative apparatus may be used to support communications between the host computer 18 and the server 12 . the server 12 contains host media processing software 20 . this software , for example , is obtainable from intel corporation and can support bi - directional voice communication with the users of mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n . the database portion 16 of the server 12 supports database connectivity for the communication and documentation system 10 . the database portion 16 provides a central repository for all communication and documentation system data and , thus , acts as a bridge between the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n and the host computer 18 . the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n can be any type of suitable devices such as cordless telephones , portable data assistants ( pdas ), notebook pcs , tablet pcs , and / or other mobile devices equipped to wirelessly communicate with the server 12 . a computerized device that is not mobile , such as a landline telephone , may also be used to communicate with the server 12 in the same manner as a mobile user device . in one embodiment of the present invention , the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n can be spectralink netlink cordless telephones that operate using 802 . 11 b wireless voice - over - internet - protocol , and thus communicate directly with telephony hardware of the server 12 . the h . 323 protocol may be used for call control . also , the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n may be arranged to communicate with the server 12 and with each other using any desired network such as a wireless internet protocol network 24 . accordingly , examples of communications in the communication and documentation system 10 comprise the following : ( i ) voice - over - internet - protocol ( voip ) calls ; ( ii ) calls that retrieve selected sound files stored on the server 12 and that play the sound files to the staff members over the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n ; ( iii ) interactive calls that interpret the staff members &# 39 ; key presses on the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n ; ( iv ) interactive calls that process the staff members &# 39 ; speech by sending it to a speech recognition engine 26 in the application portion 14 for interpretation and for storing of the interpretation results as text files on an application logic 28 of the database portion 16 ; and , ( v ) interactive calls that process the staff members &# 39 ; speech by recording it as a file stored on the application logic 28 . as described above , the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n are located on the same wireless internet protocol network 24 as the server 12 . appropriate routes can be established in the wireless internet protocol network 24 by software settings so that calls are directed to the server 12 . the server 12 uses the speech recognition engine 26 , which executes speech recognition software , such as from scansoft , inc ., to interpret spoken responses from the users of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n and to convert them into text that can be processed by application logic 28 of the telephony system . based on the interpretation results , the server 12 executes software in the application logic 28 that matches the text equivalent of the voice message ( for example , requesting a patient &# 39 ; s bathing schedule ) received from the user of the mobile terminal 22 to corresponding text stored in the database portion 16 in order to select the appropriate responses from the database portion 16 . for example , the text equivalent of the voice messages can be used as pointers into the database portion 16 to retrieve the appropriate responses . alternatively , the voice messages can be used a pointers into the database portion 16 without first converting the voice messages to text . the application logic 28 assembles speech segments selected from a speech segment database 29 based on the responses into complete voice messages . these complete voice messages are then transmitted as voice signals to the mobile terminal 22 using the host media processing software 20 . the server 12 and the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n may be located , for example , in the same local area as the staff members that use them . in an alternative embodiment , the server 12 and the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n may be connected to the public internet and the server 12 can be located at a different site from the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n . the host computer 18 and the server 12 communicate through a data network 30 . the supervisor enters , updates , or corrects patient care information data using a mouse or other data entry device . furthermore , data may be exported to and imported from an external database 32 by way of translation logic 34 included in the software of the communication and documentation system 10 . the supervisor can use the host computer 18 to review data collected via the communication and documentation system 10 on patient care and staff member performance in the form of real time host interface reports . for this purpose , the host computer 18 includes a report generator that generates reports based on data stored in the database portion 16 . in addition , selected reports from the host interface provided by the host computer 18 can be made available to physicians and family members on their computers 36 through a secure web site or web connection . the application software of the communication and documentation system 10 is comprised of dialogue scripts that control the “ conversation ” between the staff members and the server 12 . these scripts can follow rules that establish how messages in the communication and documentation system 10 are linked to each other in a database 38 of the database portion 16 . sample scripts are shown in appendix a . accordingly , the database 38 of the communication and documentation system 10 includes a speech file database that stores a set of prerecorded responses , the text of all of the elements of patient care information , the patient data entered by the users of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n and the host computer 18 , and the voice messages recorded by the users via the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n . based on the responses stored in the database 38 , the application logic concatenates the speech segments stored in the speech segment database 29 to assemble all possible voice responses of the communication and documentation system 10 to staff member commands . the software of the communication and documentation system 10 converts the patient care messages selected on the host computer 18 to speech messages and establishes relationships between the patient care activities . the selected patient care messages are then made available to be heard on the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n at scheduled times or time intervals or otherwise . every message is characterized as either ( i ) a scheduled message ( s ), ( ii ) a message ( t ) that is tied into , and to be played in conjunction with , a scheduled message ( s ), or ( iii ) an information message ( i ) that is for information only and does not , therefore , require a specific activity to be completed . “ s - messages ” can be heard by the staff members over the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n any time during the prescribed time interval . the prescribed time interval , for example , may be the time of a staff member &# 39 ; s shift or some other time interval entered by use of the host interface of the host computer 18 . “ s - messages ” stay active during the prescribed time interval until the staff member reports the activity as completed , at which point they are removed from the list of active messages and are reported as completed in the database portion 16 of the communication and documentation system 10 . when the activity is reported to be completed , the “ s - messages ” are also removed from the list of uncompleted activities displayed by the host interface provided by the host computer 18 . “ t - messages ” are active during the same time period as the associated “ s - messages ”. “ i - messages ” are active and available for the user to hear at all times . all patient care activities tracked by the communication and documentation system 10 may be scheduled at specific times of the day for each patient . this scheduling allows the staff member to hear only relevant activities over the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n in the order in which they need to be completed for the current shift time period . for example , the day shift staff will hear that they must complete breakfast and lunch , in that order . they will not hear that they must complete dinner , because that occurs on the evening shift . the staff members can enter patient data by speaking a number such as temperature . the software of the communication and documentation system 10 establishes an acceptable range for each parameter and each entry must be within this range to be accepted . if the entry is not within the acceptable range , the communication and documentation system 10 asks the staff member to try again . the communication and documentation system 10 provides scheduled outbound calls with messages for the users ( staff members ) of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n at specific times based on scheduling provided through use of the host interface provided by the host computer 18 . each scheduled call may be simultaneously directed to specified one ( s ) of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n without a user request . the user ( s ) of the specified one ( s ) of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n may either accept the call or ask the communication and documentation system 10 to call back later . the communication and documentation system 10 can also provide unscheduled outbound calls when a staff member says a specified word option into the mobile terminal 22 . for example , saying “ emergency ” will result in all logged in staff members receiving an emergency call . other such outbound calls can be triggered by a staff member &# 39 ; s voice command or by a set of specified system conditions . in one embodiment of the invention , each staff member wears a headset that is connected to the corresponding mobile terminal 22 . this headset enables the staff member to “ converse ” hands free with the communication and documentation system 10 from any place within the area covered area by the wireless system antennas and at any time . thus , the staff members can obtain their latest assignments , ask for patient care information , hear patient care messages , input patient data , record the completion of a patient care activity , talk directly to other staff members wearing headsets and logged into the communication and documentation system 10 , and / or record spoken messages that can be accessed by other staff member on the same shift or later shifts . a schematic that provides an example of the overall process is shown in fig2 . the flexible design of the communication and documentation system 10 is not strictly hierarchical and , thus , the sequence of events can vary to meet the user &# 39 ; s needs . as shown by the process of fig2 , the supervisor , using the host computer 18 , enters or modifies the individualized care plan for each patient and assigns each patient to a staff member . this data is imported to the server 12 from an administrative database stored , for example , on the host computer 18 . the staff member turns on his or her mobile terminal 22 and logs in with the appropriate password . thereafter , the process of fig2 follows one of two paths . along one of these two paths , the staff member speaks into the corresponding mobile terminal 22 to record a clinical note or to record a reminder to send a message to the server 12 . the supervisor using the host computer 18 sees a message on the host computer interface that a clinical note is available for retrieval and listens to the note through a voice interface or reads the note that has been converted to text and displayed on the host computer interface . along the other path , the staff member uses one of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n to access assignments and / or up - to - date patient care information of interest . the staff member then documents the care provided to , and the health data of , the patient using one of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n . the care and health data are automatically exported to the database portion 16 for storage as described herein . also , the supervisor reviews such stored care and health data on the host computer 18 . moreover , the staff members use the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n to communicate with other staff members as needed . the users must log in to start using and to be recognized by the communication and documentation system 10 and must log out when finished using the system . the dialogues of the communication and documentation system 10 are designed for primarily non - hierarchical navigation , allowing the user to rapidly move from one dialogue section to another when hearing a response message . in an alternative embodiment , a hierarchical dialogue structure may be used . appendix a illustrates typical dialogues in a nursing home environment , consistent with fig2 . the following list includes additional features that can be incorporated into the communication and documentation system 10 : triggering a call to a supervisor and posting an alert note on the host interface provided by the host computer 18 when patient data , such as blood pressure , is out of a predefined “ clinically acceptable range ”; allowing a user to enter and correct data using either one of the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n or the host interface of the host computer 18 , and retaining an audit trail of changes ; recognizing unavailability of staff ( e . g ., staff on lunch break ) to receive an outbound call and redirecting such call to another person logged into the system ; reading data inputs from written or printed data sheets that are scanned and storing such data in the database portion 16 ; automatically inactivating a message for a specified time period when a patient is designated to not receive such message for such specified time period ; notifying staff members when a patient is designated to not receive a message for a specified time period ; reading data from a bar code or radio frequency identification ( rfid ) scanner or other scanning device and storing such data in the database portion 16 ; allowing a free - form spoken message to be recorded , converted to text by commercially available speech - to - text software , displayed by the host interface , and stored in the database portion 16 as a text message ; scheduling reminder messages to the mobile terminals in advance of the reminded activity , where the amount of advance notice may vary by message type ; sending an alert message to a mobile terminal that a change in patient care has been entered on the host interface ; sending an alert message to a mobile terminal when a parameter in a patient &# 39 ; s record has changed ; automatically reviewing and analyzing patterns of data in the database portion 16 and sending an alert message to a mobile terminal when the data analysis indicates that a critical value or range was exceeded ; sending a reminder or educational message to the mobile terminal when a patient is to receive a specified type of care by the user ; sending a reminder or educational message to the mobile terminal when specified types of data are entered by the user ; sending a reminder to the mobile terminal about the patient &# 39 ; s personal information , such as a birthday ; sending an outbound message to all mobile terminals simultaneously ; causing the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n to automatically log out at the end of a shift after notification of the users ; causing the host interface provided by the host computer 18 to automatically log out at the end of a shift after notifying the users ; interfacing the communication and documentation system 10 to third party wireless systems such as nurse call systems via interface software such as that provided by spectralink and converting the alerts produced by the wireless system into a text or speech message on the mobile terminal ; interfacing the communication and documentation system 10 with a telephone system so the mobile terminals 22 1 , 22 2 , . . . , 22 n can make calls via a public telephone network ; interfacing the communication and documentation system 10 with third party software in a way that allows review of data on the host interface before the data are exported to the third party software ; capturing a telephone message from an authorized caller from outside the facility and recording such message as a voice or text note in the database portion 16 ; and , a word option on the mobile terminal that retrieves previously recorded data such as vital signs and that communicates such data to the user in a voice message . the application logic 28 executes a program 300 to perform the functions as described herein . fig3 is a high level flow chart which illustrates the program 300 of the application logic 28 . when a voice message is received by the server 12 from one of the mobile terminals 22 as indicated by a block 302 , a check is made at a block 304 to determine whether the message is a page in which a staff member using the mobile terminal 22 is paging an individual staff member or is paging a group of other staff members . if the received message is a page , a channel is opened and the page is transmitted at a block 306 . if the individual being paged acknowledges the page as determined at a block 308 , the individual staff member and the page originator use the mobile terminals as telephones to conduct a conversation , and program flow returns to the block 302 . if a group of staff members being paged acknowledge the page as determined at a block 308 , the staff members in the group hear a message recorded by the group page originator by speaking into the mobile terminal when the group page is placed , and program flow returns to the block 302 . however , if all staff members being paged do not acknowledge the page , the identities of those staff members not acknowledging the page are stored at a block 310 so that those staff members can be paged at a later time , the staff members acknowledging the page hears a message recorded by the originator of the group page by speaking into the mobile device when the group page is placed , and program flow returns to the block 302 . if the received message is not a page , a determination is made at a block 312 as to whether the received message is information , such as a response to a question previously asked by the server 12 of the user of the mobile terminal 22 , or a word option that engages the server in a continued dialogue . if the message is a response containing information to be stored , a determination is made at a block 314 as to whether the user has verified the information ( this verification step may be skipped in some cases as with many yes / no responses ). if the information has not been verified , then a request is made of the user at a block 316 to verify the information and program flow returns to the block 302 . if the received information is verified , a determination is made at a block 318 as to whether the information has a range check associated with it and whether the information is within the valid range . if so , the information is stored at a block 320 , a next message in the dialogue , if any , is transmitted to the mobile terminal , and program flow returns to the block 302 . if the received information is not in the valid range , or if the received information is not verified , the server 12 transmits a request for retransmission of the information at a block 322 and program flow returns to the block 302 . if the received message is not information , the received message is compared to the dialogue stored in the database portion 16 . a determination is then made at a block 326 to determine if the received message matches any of the dialogue stored in the database portion 16 . if not , the received message must contain an invalid word option and the system cannot act on the received information and thus communicates its inability to proceed to the staff member with a tone or message at a block 328 . program flow then returns to the block 302 . if the received message matches the dialogue stored in the database portion 16 , the matching response stored in the database portion 16 is retrieved from the database portion 16 at a block 330 and is transmitted at a block 332 . program flow then returns to the block 302 . fig4 is a flow chart of a program that can be executed by the block 330 when a request for information is received by the server 12 . specifically , when the part of the dialogue initiated by the staff member through use of a mobile terminal 22 is a request for information as indicated at a block 402 , a check is made at a block 404 to determine if the information requested relates to a current activity , i . e ., whether the request relates to an activity to occur during a scheduled time period , for example the current shift . the blocks 402 and 404 can be arranged to cover different types of scheduled activities . for example , some scheduled messages may occur only once during the scheduled time period such that , if the activity has already been performed , the message is not played . some scheduled messages may occur a fixed number of times greater than one during the scheduled time period such that , if the activity has been performed less than the prescribed number of times , the scheduled message is played . some scheduled messages may have a start and stop time and must be performed every x hours such that , if current time is between the specified start and stop times , the scheduled message is played along with a message stating the timeframe and stating that the last time activity was performed , regardless of how many times it has been performed . if the requested information relates to a current activity , the requested information is played at a block 406 . that is , the requested information is assembled from speech segments into a complete voice message and the voice message is transmitted at the block 332 . this message is referred to above as a scheduled message ( s ). thereafter , a check is made at a block 408 to determine if there is a tied message ( t ) tied into , and to be played in conjunction with , the scheduled message ( s ). if there is a tied message ( t ) tied into the scheduled message ( s ), the tied message is played at a block 410 . if the requested information does not relate to a current activity as determined at the block 404 , or if there is no tied message ( t ) tied into the scheduled message ( s ) as determined at the block 408 , of after the tied message is played at the block 410 , a check is made at a block 412 to determine if there is an information message ( i ) to be played . if there is an information message ( i ) to be played , the information message ( i ) is played at a block 414 . after the information message ( i ) is played at the block 414 , or if there is no information message ( i ) to be played as determined at the block 412 , the routine of fig4 is ended and program flow returns to the block 302 of fig3 . the communication and documentation system 10 can be used in a variety of care giving settings including nursing homes , assisted living facilities , hospitals , home healthcare facilities , and rehabilitation centers . therefore , the terms “ supervisor ” and “ staff member ” as used herein are meant to be generic to cover any person capable of using the communication and documentation system 10 for its intended purpose . similarly , the term “ patient ” as used herein is meant to be generic to cover other people , such as assisted care and / or nursing home residents , who receive care by the users of the communication and documentation system 10 . login process — at the beginning of the shift , each user ( staff member and / or supervisor ) logs in to the communication and documentation system 10 . the login process allows the communication and documentation system 10 to link the user with the user &# 39 ; s patient assignments . here is an example with a fictitious healthcare professional using the communication and documentation system 10 . the material not in brackets represent verbal dialogue . definitions : sm : staff member cds : communication and documentation system sm : [ press the specified button on the mobile terminal ] cds : please log in sm : [ keys in correct passcode on mobile terminal ] cds : donald smith . is this correct ? sm : yes . cds : & lt ; ending tone & gt ; the ending tone signals to the user that the communication and documentation system 10 is finished speaking and it is now the user &# 39 ; s turn . assignment option — the assignment option allows the staff member to review his or her patient assignment list . resident option — the resident option allows the staff member to access a care plan and database associated with a specific patient to either hear or record information about such patient . in the option , the staff member speaks the resident &# 39 ; s room number , and the communication and documentation system 10 then allows the staff member to get or record patient related information . for example , the communication and documentation system 10 can retrieve many types of information that is sent to the mobile terminal as voice messages including : ( i ) background when spoken elicits background information that is individualized to the patient , ( ii ) task list when spoken elicits information that includes activities of daily living in the care plan during a particular shift , ( iii ) & lt ; a specific task name & gt ; when spoken elicits messages with details for a specific task ( e . g ., the task name grooming when spoken may elicit a message at the mobile terminal such as “ provide wig care ”, and ( iv ) & lt ; a specific data name & gt ; when spoken elicits a message with the most recently recorded data for the patient ( e . g ., the data name weight when spoken may elicit a message at the mobile terminal such as “ the patient &# 39 ; s weight is 150 pounds ”). following are some examples : sm : task list cds : james jackson room 292 needs vital signs , bathing , mouth care , dressing , grooming , meals , toilet , positioning , transfers , and ambulation . cds : & lt ; ending tone & gt ; similarly , after a staff member has spoken a patient &# 39 ; s room , the staff member can tell information to the communication and documentation system 10 information about a patient at the point of care . this information will be automatically recorded in the patient &# 39 ; s database . the kinds of patient information that the nursing assistant can tell include : ( i ) & lt ; specific task name & gt ; done when spoken allows the staff member to document the completion of a specific task ( e . g ., the words “ grooming done ” when spoken may elicit at the mobile terminal a question such as “ has the patient had breakfast ?”; and , ( ii ) & lt ; specific data name & gt ; when spoken allows the staff member to speak patient data to be recorded into the mobile terminal ( e . g ., the word option “ pulse ” when spoken may elicit in the mobile terminal a question such as “ what is the pulse ?”). following are some examples : sm : pulse cds : what is the pulse ? sm : 86 . cds : 86 . is this correct ? sm : yes . cds : & lt ; ending tone & gt ; other options can also be provided using similar dialogues . for example , note when spoken allows the nurse to record a note or to listen to one or more previously recorded notes . note in the resident allows the staff member to record a note or to listen to a note about a specific patient . after recording , the staff member may be offered the options of saving , adding to , deleting and listen to the note . a skip option can also be used to allow the user to skip to the next note by saying the option word skip . page when spoken enables a user to talk with one or more other staff members as discussed above . report when spoken enables the staff member to hear the end - of - shift report from the previous shift at any time . certain modifications of the present invention have been described above . other modifications of the present invention will occur to those practicing in the art of the present invention . for example , although as described above staff members are the users of the mobile terminals 22 , the supervisor of the staff members can also use a mobile terminal to communication with the server 12 and / or with the staff members . accordingly , the description of the present invention is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention . the details may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention , and the exclusive use of all modifications which are within the scope of the appended claims is reserved .	6
investment casting is used to produce difficult - to - cast parts in a variety of materials . fig1 depicts a typical turbocharger cast inconel ® turbine wheel . fig2 depicts a typical cast titanium compressor wheel . the turbine wheel ( 3 ) consists of a hub with a detailed backface and detailed nose ( 2 ), incorporating the nut detail , supporting a plurality of blades ( 1 ). the features of the nose are formed by the coming together of the set of die inserts , the features of the backface are often formed by a separate disc which is fitted to the sacrificial pattern tooling plate assembly . thus the accuracy and veracity of the nose features and the concentricity of the backface features are a function of the condition of the tool producing the sacrificial pattern . the compressor wheel hub ( 4 ) supports a plurality of full blades ( 5 ) and partial or splitter blades ( 6 ). in either case the generation of the consumable pattern requires a complex , expensive , finely machined tool . in order to be able to generate a mold cavity which mimics the shape of the part to be cast , the master pattern of the part must first be produced as shown in fig3 which depicts a male consumable pattern of a turbine wheel with a plurality of blades ( 8 ), which have the same shape , size and thickness as the blade to be cast , with consideration given for process shrinkage . the blade in the drawing is seen to have a height ( 9 ). the part to be cast is attached , in this case molded , to a male sprue , or runner ( 7 ), which is required by the casting process to flow molten metal to the cast part . fig4 depicts a shell , which is hollow inside . the inside surface ( 10 ) of the shell represents the negative , or female of the shape , size and thickness as the part to be cast , again , with a mold part ( 11 ) for casting the sprue or runner , the mold part ( 11 ) already molded , or attached to the shell . in this case the blade shell ( 12 ) is much thicker and rougher , and longer ( 13 ), than the male blade ( 8 ), as it represents the blade with a refractory ceramic shell built up over the blade such that the inside surfaces mimic the blade and the outside of the shell is simply in existence to support the inner surfaces . once the shell is filled with molten material and it solidifies , the shell is broken away to reveal a metal version of what is seen in fig3 , albeit corrected by the shrinkage factors so that this piece is the correct size , shape and thickness . a first embodiment of the invention , embodiment ( a ), will be explained by reference to fig5 , illustrating the methodology of a typical well - known rapid prototyping procedure used in a production environment , but in this case , to create a complete tree of a sacrificial material consisting of multiple “ positive ” male patterns ( 52 ), representing the shape , size and thickness of the parts to be cast . the procedures by which the solid forms are produced are variously known as , e . g ., rapid prototyping ( rp ), three - dimensional printing ( 3 - d printing ), selective laser sintering ( sls ), solid ground curing ( sgc ), fused deposition modeling ( fdm ), ink jet printing , solid freeform fabrication (“ sff ”), stereo - lithography ( or stereolithography apparatus , sla ), and cubital &# 39 ; s solider system . the fabrication techniques usually depend on the use of computers to generate cross - sectional patterns representing the layers of the object being formed , and generally require the associated use of a computer and computer - aided design and manufacture ( cad / cam ) software . in general , these techniques rely on the provision of a 3 - d digital representation of the object to be formed . the 3 - d digital representation of the object is reduced or “ sliced ” to a series of 2 - d cross - sectional layers which can be overlaid to describe the object as a whole . the apparatus for carrying out the fabrication of the object then utilizes the cross - sectional representations of the object for building the layers of the object by , for example , determining the path of the laser beam in an sla or the configuration of the mask to be used to selectively expose uv light to photosensitive liquids . the properties required of a good pattern wax are described by j . h . w . booth , foundry trade journal , december 1962 and by d . mills , b . i . c . t . a . 11th annual conference , may 1971 . these include melting point , ash content , shrinkage / expansion characteristics , strength , plasticity , viscosity , thermal stability , oxidative stability and surface appearance . other properties such as resistance to or solubility in acids and bases may be important in certain instances . suitable sacrificial materials are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 854 , 962 ( composition for use in the manufacture of precision investment casting molds including combinations of various types of waxes , usually combined with resins such as wood rosin or synthetic resins and a combustible polyhydric alcohol having a melting point above the melting point of the wax to act as a filler for the pattern composition ); gb 1 , 378 , 526a ( investment casting waxes with addition of carbon microspheres to reduce contraction on cooling ); u . s . pat . no . 3 , 880 , 790 ( investment casting wax composition containing substituted polystyrenes — esp . vinyl toluene - alpha - methyl styrene copolymer waxes . pattern waxes in common use may contain natural or synthetic resins , natural or synthetic waxes and a variety of other materials such as stearic acid . resins that may be used include rosin , rosin esters , gum damar , modified phenolics , alkyds of low molecular weight , terpene resins , petroleum resins , chlorinated naphthalene , chlorinated biphenyl , etc . waxes that may be used include beeswax , vegetable waxes such as carnauba and candelilla , mineral waxes such as paraffin wax , microcrystalline wax and montan , and synthetic waxes such as amide waxes , ester waxes , fisher - tropsch waxes , castor oil derived waxes , etc . ); u . s . pat . no . 3 , 717 , 485 ( pattern wax compositions containing aromatic polycarboxylic acid imide as filler for use in investment casting by the lost wax process . the pattern wax composition materials contain base waxes such as petroleum waxes , natural vegetable or mineral waxes , synthetic waxes and various resinous materials derived from the refining of petroleum and wood rosin , and mixtures of the above and solid filler particles such as phthalic acid ); u . s . pat . no . 3 , 704 , 145 ( investment casting wax composition consisting essentially of refined petroleum wax , solid chlorinated biphenyl , ester type montan waxes , fischer - tropsch wax , and a metal soap ); u . s . pat . no . 3 , 655 , 414 ( pattern materials for use in investment casting by the lost wax process consisting essentially of waxes such as petroleum waxes , natural vegetable or mineral waxes , synthetic waxes and various resinous materials derived from the refining of petroleum and wood resin , and mixtures of the above . the base wax generally has a melting point of between about 120 ° to 180 ° f . the base wax composition is improved by the inclusion of up to about 75 percent by weight , preferably a minor amount , of solid filler particles of a phthalic acid . isophthalic acid is the preferred filler ); and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 975 , 188 ( casting by investment casting of a metal or alloy , especially titanium and its alloys , in a ceramic investment shell mold . the ceramic facecoat slurry typically is applied as one or more coatings to a fugitive pattern , such as a wax pattern , having a configuration corresponding to that of the casting to be made pursuant to the well known lost wax process . for example , a pattern made of wax , plastic , or other suitable removable material having the desired configuration is formed by conventional wax or plastic die injection techniques and then is dipped in the aforementioned ceramic mold facecoat slurry . the slurry also may be applied to the pattern by flow coating , spraying or pouring . in the event that the mold facecoat will comprise two dipcoats or layers , the pattern may again be dipped in the ceramic facecoat slurry and partially dried and / or cured ). referring now to fig5 , the initial or bottom plane ( 54 ) is the first plane upon which fine particles of fusible material is deposited . then , layer , by layer , the fusible material is spread on the platen , and selectively fused to the already fused material deposited on the prior layer , until a full tree “ positive ” sacrificial pattern is built . when plane ( 55 ) has been offered and no material is deposited onto this level , the procedure advances to the next step wherein unfused particles are separated from the fused form . the sacrificial patterns ( 52 ) are linked to the vertical sprues ( 7 ) and the connecting runners ( 56 ). the runners , sprues and patterns are printed with the male patterns . the filling funnel ( 58 ) may be printed with the patterns , sprues and runners , or it may be added later . fig6 a illustrates only one turbine wheel of the “ tree ” of fig5 , showing in greater detail the sacrificial pattern ( 52 ), of fig6 a which is repeatedly dipped in a refractory slurry until the thin blade sections ( 8 ) become thick ceramic shells ( 12 ) as shown in fig6 b . during this process , the sprue ( 7 ) also acquires a ceramic shell with an outer surface ( 11 ) as well as an inner surface ( 10 ) surrounding the sacrificial core which will be removed to form the channel through which the molten material will travel to the wheel casting . this process produces the part depicted in fig6 b . this last operation , translating the image of fig . a to the image of fig6 b is typical of the investment casting process . the end result of the above process becomes the end result of the second embodiment of the invention , which is generated in a different and innovative manner . a second embodiment of the invention , embodiment ( b ), will be explained by reference to fig7 . the methodology of a typical rapid prototyping procedure is again used in a production procedure , but this time , instead of fusing particles in order to create a male “ positive ” pattern , the method creates a “ negative ” female mold about a complete tree defining multiple shells ( 62 ) of the parts to be cast . in the second embodiment of the invention , the initial plane ( 64 ) is the first plane upon which material is deposited . then , layer , by layer , the deposition material is placed on the platen , and fused to the material deposited on the prior layer , until a full mold is built defining within it a tree . when plane ( 65 ) has been offered and no material is deposed onto this level , the process is complete . the mold shells ( 62 ) are linked to the mold of the vertical sprue ( 11 ) and the mold of the connecting runners ( 66 ). unsolidified particles exterior to the mold fall away as the mold is removed from the rapid prototyping “ box ”. interior non - fused particles are then removed by shaking or blowing , or are melted or burned out , producing a mold ready for casting . interior particles can also be blown away intermittently during mold forming . alternatively , the particles can be of a composition that changes from soluble to insoluble when fusing or cross - linking , such that interior non - fused particles can be dissolved following mold forming . further yet , the mold can be formed in , e . g ., stages of 20 layers , each stage can be rendered free of unfused particles , and stages can be stacked to form the final mold . the desired metal is melted and molten material enters the runners , sprues and patterns through the funnel ( 68 ). suitable mold forming particle materials and rapid prototyping processes are disclosed for example in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 382 , 308 ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 335 , 052 ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 350 , 495 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 902 , 441 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 940 , 674 ; ep 0731743 b1 ; and wo / 2001 / 029103 . in a variation of the second embodiment of the invention , as seen in fig8 b , instead of a thick ceramic shell ( 41 ), as seen in fig8 a , the shell ( 42 ) in the zone of the blades ( 1 ) is much thinner and is supported by a less dense structure . in the exemplary first variation of the second embodiment of the invention , the thinner ceramic shell is supported by struts ( 43 ) which are generated during the deposition stage of the process . the result is that the shell has less mass , which means that less material is used in generating the shell , the thermal inertia of the shell is reduced and the shrinkage deformation generated in the historic process ( with the thick shell ( 41 ) around the critical shapes and areas of the part being cast ) is minimized . the shell is constrained in a much more defined manner as the supporting structure can be placed to constrain the shell in the planes desired . the placement and orientation of the support structure can be ascertained by modeling rather than experience . in the above variation of the second embodiment of the invention , the support structure is shown as struts between shell walls . it could be a honeycomb - like structure , it could be any shape shown as desirable by finite element analysis or a computer driven modeling program . advances in the state of the art can be found in both forms of the invention : in case ( a ), the first embodiment of the invention : the present invention completely eliminates the capital cost of tooling , which can range from $ 20 , 000 to $ 150 , 000 . in case ( a ), the patterns are made using technology which was formerly used only for rapid prototyping and these are merged with the historical process , in place of tooling . this reduces what was a 6 basic step process down to 5 basic steps . in case ( b ), the second embodiment of the invention : the tooling , positive patterns and dipping and drying process are totally removed and replaced by a process in which the shell is produced as the first step in the foundry process . this takes what was a 6 basic step process down to 3 basic steps . the remaining 3 steps are eliminated . the short term gains will be lowered capital costs , the longer terms gains will be lower capital tooling cost and no drying rooms being required . taking at least 4 days out of the 5 formerly required for drying . because the layers are printed rapidly , and are , by design , thin steps , they dry quickly , with resultant minimal distortion . no hard tooling to manage . hard tooling simply no longer exists . each shell is produced , raw , from digital data , so the quality system required simply reverts to design control . no hard tooling to wear out . each tree made is made “ fresh ” directly from digital data . parts with complex geometry , which were not possible to manufacture using the traditional investment casting process , such as compressor wheels and turbine wheels with complex blade geometry ( twist , undercut , backsweep , warp , etc .) can be made with the same effort as those normally made using the investment casting process . negative rakes , or “ catches ”, which would have prevented retraction of the insert in the usual process , present no hindrance to this new process as there are no inserts which require retraction . cast titanium compressor wheels with a high degree of wrap and backsweep , which were limited to those which were pullable as disclosed for example in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 663 , 347 roby , decker need no longer be pullable , so that they can be cost - effectively cast using the investment process . this is true for any part using this invention . changeover from part to part is seamless as it will be simply a matter of loading software . from global perspective this means that not only can the “ printing ” device make turbine wheels of different sizes and designs , it could make turbine wheel shells one day and cast titanium compressor wheels the next , all tasks performed “ lights out ”, 24 / 7 . no wax machines to load the wax into the tools . in case “ b ”, no wax , or the machines in which the wax is injected into the voids , are a requirement . this reduces capital costs and space requirements . similarly with plastic sacrificial patterns , neither the devices to produce them , nor the material in which they are made , are required . in case “ a ” there will still be a requirement for some material from which to build the sacrificial male trees . no hand labor to build trees from patterns and flow runners . since , in case “ a ”, the entire tree will be produced lights - out , this will reduce head count . in case “ b ” this step simply does not exist . there will be less chance of damage to components of the wax trees as the wax handling requirement is either diminished or eradicated . since the mass , shape and volume of the shell are critical to the drying and shrinkage elements of the process , these parts of the shell can be modified so that the design of the areas is related to the function of each area . for example the shell must be capable of handling molten material . the backup to the shell can be made in a honeycomb pattern , rather than solid . this provides sufficient support to the shell but using less material and with the material placed where function requires for it to be placed . this will assist in both drying and shrinkage , at a reduced cost as there will be less material used . approximately 65 % of the cost of an investment cast turbocharger wheel is in the total shell manufacturing process . by taking the shell building segment of the process from 5871 minutes to 499 minutes , the cost of the wheel is reduced by 43 . 5 %. that is the 65 % shell process component of the part cost becomes only 5 . 5 % of the part cost . the total time for the entire process is 5871 minutes in 2007 . for case a , where the process prints the male consumable patterns as a tree , the process time using this invention rises by 418 minutes , an increase of 7 . 08 %, which is offset by no tooling to pay for or manage . although using case ( a ) increases the cost by 7 . 08 %, it makes it possible to manufacture a non - pullable wheel , or part , using the investment process , with the added incentive of no tooling cost . for case ( b ), where the process prints the female refractory shells as a tree , the process time is reduced by 5 , 372 minutes ( 89 . 5 hours ), a decrease of 91 . 5 %. this produces a massive reduction in cost , for a turbocharger wheel casting , normally costing $ 50 , the casting cost goes to around $ 22 , a savings in the region of 56 %. the material cost stays the same and the shell process cost goes from $ 32 . 50 to $ 4 . 25 . for either process it should be noted that in the case of a turbocharger with a cast titanium compressor wheel , and a standard turbine wheel , the cost savings will double . there will be the capital cost of the printing machine ( s ), but they run “ lights out ” so labor costs are greatly reduced and the automated assets are utilized to the maximum per day . since the asset can print any number of parts , the total asset cost of all the machines will be greatly reduced . parts are preferably arranged for uniform , even cooling of the mold . the following provides one example of cost savings on an industrial scale : step process time 2007 step 1 make wax pattern 2 step 1a make 30 wax patterns 60 step 2 build tree 2 step 3 build shell 5760 step 4 remove wax 30 step 5 pour metal 15 step 6 remove shell 4 total time ( minutes ) 5871 case a : step 1a make tree 480 step 2 0 step 3 build shell 5760 step 4 remove wax 30 step 5 pour metal 15 step 6 remove shell 4 total time ( minutes ) 6289 case b : step 3 build shell of tree 480 step 5 pour metal 15 step 6 remove shell 4 total time 499 ( minutes ) differences time change 2007 5871 case b 499 5372 91 . 5 % 2007 5871 case a 6289 − 418 − 7 . 1 % % cost in process minutes shell wheel cost shell cost matl 5871 65 . 00 % $ 50 . 00 $ 32 . 50 $ 17 . 50 499 5 . 52 % $ 21 . 75 $ 4 . 25 $ 17 . 50 56 . 50 % 86 . 92 % 0 . 00 %	1
referring first more particularly to fig1 the electronic weighing apparatus 1 includes a housing 3 containing a weighing cell 5 , which housing also includes a weighing chamber 9 containing a weighing pan 11 . the housing includes a base 15 supported by three support feet 13 , which base also includes an off - set vertically displaced bottom wall 27 . the weighing pan 11 is connected for vertical movement relative to the housing 3 by means of a horizontal support arm 17 , and a vertically displaceable load receiver member 19 that is guided for vertical movement by resilient parallel horizontal upper and lower guide members 20 , as is known in the art . a transmission lever 23 is supported intermediate its ends by a flexible coupling member 26 that is connected with the vertically adjustable support member 28 . at one end , the transmission lever 23 is connected with the load receiver member 19 via coupling member 22 , and at its other end , the transmission lever carries the conventional electromagnetic load compensation coil 24 that is arranged for displacement within the annular gap contained within stationary permanent magnet means 25 . the electromagnetic load compensation system is well known in the art , as evidenced by the aforementioned u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 786 , 884 , and 4 , 489 , 800 . thus , when the transmission lever 23 is pivotally displaced about coupling member 26 upon the application of load to the weighing pan 11 , a position responsive signal ( produced , for example , by stationary photoelectric cell means ) is transmitted to the position signal generating means 50 that supplies a signal to the load compensation means 52 which supplies compensation current to compensation coil 24 via conductor 54 , thereby to maintain the transmission lever 23 and coil 24 in the initial no - load position . the amount of the compensation current supplied to the coil 24 is a function of the applied load , as indicated by the display means 56 . in accordance with the characterizing feature of the present invention , the printed circuit board 7 -- which carries electronic circuitry associated with the weighing system -- is supported in spaced relation above the housing bottom wall 27 by support members 29 arranged adjacent the edge portions of the printed circuit board . thus , first pairs of support members 29a are provided at the ends of the printed circuit board , and intermediate support members 29b are provided at opposite edges of the intermediate portions of the printed circuit board . thus , the printed circuit board -- which is formed of a suitable generally - resilient synthetic plastic material , such as a phenolic resin -- is supported solely at its edge portions relative to the bottom wall 27 . connected with the central portion of the printed circuit board by means of bolts 31 is the bottom section 5b of the load cell , which section has a u - shaped configuration as shown in fig2 . spacer sleeves or the like 33 are provided on the bolts to maintain the load cell 5 in spaced relation above the printed circuit board 7 . the permanent magnet system is , in turn , bolted to the upper ends of the bolts 31 . thus , the spacer sleeves 33 insure that the weighing cell is connected with the printed circuit board only at the precisely determined fastening locations within the central portion of the printed circuit board , whereby owing to the inherent resiliency of the printed circuit board , the load cell means 5 is resiliently supported in a protected manner relative to the bottom wall 27 of the housing 3 . there is no other connection of the weighing cell 5 with the housing 3 or base 15 . furthermore , load receiver 19 , which is guided for movement outside of the weighing cell and which carries the support arm 7 and weighing pan 11 -- is in no place connected with base 15 or housing 3 . thus , if , as a result of careless shipment , the weighing apparatus 1 is deposited roughly or dropped , the mass of the weighing cell 5 -- to which the sensitive force transmission and force guidance elements are fastened -- is resiliently cushioned in an attenuated manner upon the housing as impact takes place . according to a further advantage of the invention , the arrangement of the weighing cell on the printed circuit board simultaneously has the benefit of the effect of a mechanical low pass filter . this results in decoupling between the weighing cell and its environment , thereby reducing the effect of any possible disturbing oscillations upon the performance of the scale . if desired , the printed circuit board 7 could be supported solely by four supports 29 &# 39 ; arranged at its corners , as shown in phantom in fig3 . thus , omitting the intermediate supports 29b considerably improves the damping characteristic with respect to blows and bumps , resulting in improved protection of the mechanical components . on the other hand , with supports 29b omitted , a different sensitivity to vibrations affecting the operation of the balance will result . thus , in practice , the number and positioning of supports 29 , as well as the positioning of the connecting bolts 31 , is a compromise depending on the respective circumstances and demands on the performance of the scale . while , in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the preferred form an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in the apparatus described without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth above .	6
referring to fig1 , a train track 100 , according to a first exemplary embodiment , includes two train rails 10 and a number of ties 20 . the two train rails 10 are laterally spaced apart one from the other by a distance sufficient to establish the desired gauge of the train track 100 . the ties 20 are parallel to each other and arranged between the two train rails 10 . each tie 20 is perpendicular to the two train rails 10 . referring to fig2 , the train rails 10 are approximately i - shaped in cross - section . each train rail 10 includes an upper rail head 12 , a lower rail head 14 , a web 16 connecting the upper rail head 12 to the lower rail head 16 , a first piezoelectric plate 17 , and a second piezoelectric plate 18 . the upper rail head 12 has an upper curved surface 120 to engage with the wheels of a train ( not shown ) and defines a first receiving groove 122 . the first receiving groove 122 is arranged within the upper rail head 12 and the length direction of the first receiving groove 122 coincides with the length direction of the train rail 10 . the first piezoelectric plate 17 is received in the first receiving groove 122 . the depth of the first piezoelectric plate 17 is less than half of the depth of the upper rail head 12 . the lower rail head 14 is substantially parallel to the upper rail head 12 . the lower rail head 14 defines a second receiving groove 142 . the second receiving groove 142 is arranged within the upper rail head 12 and the length direction of the second receiving groove 142 coincides with the length direction of the train rail 10 . the second piezoelectric plate 18 is received in the second receiving groove 142 . the depth of the second piezoelectric plate 18 is less than half of the depth of the lower rail head 14 . wires ( not shown ) connected to the first piezoelectric plate 17 and the second piezoelectric plate 18 extend through the train rails 10 to connect electronic devices or a storage battery on the train track 100 . each of the first piezoelectric plate 17 and the piezoelectric plate 18 is made of piezoelectric material , such as organic piezoelectric material , inorganic piezoelectric material , or compound piezoelectric material . in this embodiment , the organic piezoelectric material may be polyvinylidene fluoride . the inorganic piezoelectric material may be piezotransistor or piezoceramics . the piezotransistor includes quartz crystal , lithium gallium oxide , lithium germinate , lithium niobate and lithium tantalite . the piezoceramics includes barium titanate , barium zirconate titanate , modified barium zirconate titanate , and modified lead titanate . the compound piezoelectric material includes a polymer base , organic piezoelectric material and inorganic piezoelectric material . the organic piezoelectric material and the inorganic piezoelectric material are embedded in the polymer base . pressure on the train rails 10 from passing trains will be applied to the first piezoelectric plate 17 and the piezoelectric plate 18 . then , the two piezoelectric plates 17 and 18 transform the mechanical energy to electric energy . the two piezoelectric plates 17 and 18 will transmit the electric power to the electronic devices and / or the storage battery on the train track 100 . thus , the pressure of the trains can provide additional electric energy for charging the battery and / or powering the electronic devices on the train track 100 , achieving good energy conservation . referring to fig2 - 3 , a train rail 30 , according to a second exemplary embodiment , is shown . the differences between the train rail 30 of this embodiment and the train rail 10 of the first embodiment are : the first and second receiving grooves are omitted , and two piezoelectric plates 32 are arranged at opposite sides of the web 36 perpendicular to the upper and lower rail heads . referring to fig2 - 4 , a train rail 40 , according to a third exemplary embodiment , is shown . the differences between the train rail 40 of this embodiment and the train rail 10 of the first embodiment are : the first receiving groove is omitted , the second receiving groove 442 is exposed at the lower rail head 44 , and the second piezoelectric plate 48 is received in the second receiving groove 442 and is exposed at the lower rail head 44 . the advantages of the second and third embodiments are similar to those of the first embodiment . it is to be understood , however , that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set fourth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments , the disclosure is illustrative only , and changes may be made in details , especially in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed .	7
referring firstly to fig1 there are shown in this figure three cables 10 , 11 and 12 which have been pulled , in a manner which is conventional and well known in the art and which is therefore not described herein , through a bundle or stringing block indicated generally by reference numeral 14 . the bundle block 14 is provided with three freely rotatable pulleys or rollers 15 , 16 and 17 . the cables 10 , 11 and 12 are received in peripheral grooves 19 , 20 and 21 , respectively , formed in the rollers 15 , 16 and 17 , respectively . the peripheral grooves 19 , 20 and 21 are lined , in conventional manner , with a relatively soft metal , e . g . aluminum , to avoid damage to the cables 10 , 11 and 12 . the roller 16 is also provided with a peripheral groove 23 for receiving a steel pulling cable ( not shown ), which is employed in conventional manner for pulling the cables 10 , 11 and 12 through the block 14 , the groove 23 being lined with a harder metal e . g . steel , to reduce wear thereon by the pulling cable . the bundle block 14 is connected by connecting pins 24 in suspension from and beneath a cable suspension bracket or yoke 25 which , in turn , is suspended from a cross - arm of a tower ( not shown ) by strings of insulators arranged in v - array , of which only the lowermost insulators 26 and 27 are , for convenience of illustration , shown in fig1 . prior to clamping or &# 34 ; clipping in &# 34 ; of the cables 10 , 11 and 12 to the suspension bracket 25 , the cables 10 , 11 and 12 are raised from their rollers 15 , 16 and 17 and temporarily supported , free of but close to the stringing block 14 , in temporary support hooks 28 , 29 and 30 . the support hook 28 is suspended from the suspension bracket 25 in order to load the latter , by the weight of the cable 10 , and thus to maintain the insulator strings in a taut condition after the cables 10 , 11 and 12 are lifted from the stringing block 14 . to maintain the stringing block 14 in balance during movement of the cables from the positions in which they are shown in fig1 to those in which they are shown in fig2 the cables 10 and 12 are preferably firstly lifted from their respective rollers 15 and 17 , while the cable 11 remains in its groove 20 which , as can be seen from fig1 is close to the centre of the stringing block 14 , in order to load the insulator strings . the cable 10 is then supported by the hook 28 from the suspension bracket 25 , after which the cable 11 is lifted from its roller 16 by the suspension hook 29 . the suspension hooks 29 and 30 are suspended by lines 31 which , in conventional manner , run over pulleys ( not shown ) supported by the tower . with the three cables supported as shown in fig2 the bundle block 14 is removed from the suspension bracket 25 by removal of the connecting pins 24 , the right - hand insulator string is uncoupled , as described in greater detail hereinafter , and the cable 12 is then raised upwardly through the right - hand insulator string , as indicated diagrammatically by arrows in fig3 . to enable this to be done , the insulator 26 is uncoupled from the adjacent insulator , indicated by reference numeral 32 in fig3 of its insulator string , and during such uncoupling the suspension bracket 25 is temporarily connected to that insulator string , at a position above the insulator 32 , by means of a temporary connecting tool 34 , of which only part of a lower portion or frame 35 is shown in broken - away condition in fig3 and which is also described in greater detail hereinafter . with the insulators 26 and 32 uncoupled to form a gap , indicated by reference numeral 33 in fig3 the cable 12 is raised , through the gap 33 , by means of the suspension hook 30 and the respective line 31 and is temporarily held above the top of the suspension bracket 25 , between the temporary connecting tool 34 and the insulator 26 , in the position illustrated in broken lines in fig3 and indicated by reference numeral 12a by the support hook 30 . the insulators 26 and 32 are then recoupled , and the temporary connecting tool 34 is released and removed from the suspension bracket 25 and the right - hand insulator string , so that the cable 12 can be moved upwards and secured , by means of a cable clamp indicated generally by reference numeral 36 , in the position in which it is shown in fig4 . the cables 10 and 11 both are likewise secured or &# 34 ; clipped in &# 34 ; to the underside of the suspension bracket 25 by respective cable clamps 37 and 38 , as shown in fig4 which shows the final &# 34 ; clipped in &# 34 ; cable bundle and associated suspension , the right - hand insulator string being indicated in fig4 by reference numeral 40 . the temporary connector tool 34 , which is the subject of copendng u . s . pat . application ser . no . 690 , 918 , filed may 28 , 1976 , by william h . chadwick jr ., and its manner of operation will now be described in greater detail with reference to fig5 to 8 . as can be seen from fig5 the temporary connecting tool 34 is of generally c - shaped configuration and comprises an upper portion or frame 42 , the lower portion or frame 35 , and means indicated generally by reference numeral 43 for interconnecting the lower end of the upper frame 42 and the upper end of the lower frame 35 and operable to effect longitudinal movement of the frames 35 and 42 relative to each other . the lower end portion of the lower frame 35 is bifurcated to enable it to straddle the suspension bracket or yoke plate 25 and is apertured to receive a flanged ball - lock pin 43 , which may be inserted through an aperture provided in the suspension bracket 25 in alignment with a socket clevis bolt 44 and with the longitudinal axis of the right - hand insulator string 40 . the bolt 44 serves to connect the lowermost insulator 26 of the insulator string 40 to the suspension bracket 25 , and the flange of the pin 43 is loosely connected to the lower frame 35 by a keeper cord or lanyard 46 . the upper end of the upper frame 42 is provided with clamping means , indicated generally by reference numeral 47 , which comprises a first semi - circular jaw 48 formed at the end of the frame and having a lateral extension 49 with a first slot 50 in its outer end , and a second semi - circular jaw 51 shaped complementally to jaw 52 , with a lateral extension 53 having a second slot 54 in one end aligned with the first slot 50 and pivotally mounted at its other end at 55 on the upper frame 42 . the clamping means 47 includes a bolt 56 pivotally mounted at 57 on the frame 42 for movement into and out of the slots 50 and 54 , with its free end threaded to receive a nut 59 for engagement with the lateral extension 53 , and a sleeve 60 having its inner end secured to the nut 59 and provided at its outer end with a radially extending handle 61 . the jaws 48 and 51 are adapted to embrace a metal cap 62 of one of the insulators in the string 40 , after which the lower frame is secured to the suspension bracket 25 by the pin 43 . as can also be seen from fig5 the lower portion of the upper frame 42 and the upper portion of the lower frame 35 are aligned with each other longitudinally of the temporary connection device 34 , and their outer ends are offset therefrom so that the centres of the jaws 48 and 51 and the securing means or pin 43 define a longitudinal axis which coincides with that of the insulator string 40 . the means 43 interconnecting the frames 35 and 42 includes four guide pins 64 which are parallel to that longitudinal axis . the lower part of the upper frame 42 defines a hollow housing 65 with an end portion 66 having suitable apertures for receiving the upper ends of the guide pins 64 which are secured thereto by pins 67 . the upper part of the lower frame 35 similarly defines a hollow housing 68 with an end portion 69 having apertures extending therethrough slidably receiving the guide pins 64 . stop rings 71 are mounted on and suitably secured to the lower ends of guide pins 64 to limit downward sliding of the lower frame 35 on the pins 64 . the interconnecting means 43 , as previously noted , also effects longitudinal movement of the frames 42 and 35 relative to each other . to this end it includes an hydraulic cylinder 72 ( fig6 ) having a connecting member 73 secured to its lower end , as by welding , which is disposed within the housing 68 and is connected thereto by a pin 74 . a piston 75 mounted in the cylinder 72 has its rod extending upwardly in the housing 65 and connected thereto by a pin 76 . the upper end of the cylinder 72 is connected in well - known manner to an hydraulic line or conduit 77 and the lower end of the cylinder similarly is connected to a line 78 . a double pilot operated check valve 79 ( fig5 ) is interposed in the lines 77 and 78 , and beyond the valve 79 those lines are connected to a four - way manual three - position detent control valve 81 which is controlled by a handle 82 . the interconnection of these hydraulic mechanisms is illustrated schematically in fig8 which also shows a conduit 83 connecting the valve 81 to a reservoir or source of fluid 84 and an inlet conduit 85 connecting the reservoir 84 to a hand pump 86 . the latter is operably by a handle 87 and is connected to the control valve 81 by an outlet conduit 88 . the hand pump 86 and reservoir 84 preferably are formed as an integral unit . the valve 79 prevents the cylinder 72 from bleeding down should there be a hydraulic failure in the pump 86 or the control valve 81 . this also makes it necessary to power the cylinder 72 down , instead of allowing it to bleed down by gravity or be forced down by an external load . such operation is important here because the insulators will not withstand very high shock or impact loads . it will be readily apparent from fig8 that the control valve 81 may be operated by its handle 82 to select the power - up or power - down modes of the cylinder 72 and its piston 75 in response to operation of the pump 86 by means of its handle 87 . as previously noted , the above - described temporary connector device is employed when it is desired to move the cable 12 upwardly through the insulator string 40 . to enable such movement of the cable 12 , the lineman will interconnect a portion of the insulator string 40 and the suspension bracket 25 , as shown in fig5 . to accomplish this , the jaws 48 and 51 are secured around the metal cap 62 of one of the insulators of the string 40 by means of the nut 59 and the bolt 56 , and the lower frame 35 then is mounted upon the suspension bracket 25 and connected by the pin 43 thereto . the frame 42 is then displaced downwardly relative to the lower frame 35 in the direction of the axis of the insulator string 40 by first adjusting the valve handle 81 to set the control valve in position for a power - up mode , and then actuating the pump handle 87 . this will force fluid into the upper portion of the cylinder 72 through the line 77 to move the piston 75 downwardly . only a relatively small degree of relative movement of the frames is required , i . e . just enough travel to relieve tension in the insulator string 40 to facilitate removal of the socket clevis bolt 44 or , as shown in fig5 an insulator connecting pin 90 between the insulators 26 and 32 . this provides clearance for movement of the cable 12 upwardly to the dotted line position illustrated at 12a in fig3 and 5 . upon completion of the movement of the conductor through the insulator string 40 , i . e . from one side of it to the other , the insulator string is reconnected by replacing the bolt 44 or pin 90 and the valve 81 is adjusted by moving its handle 82 to a power - down mode . subsequent operation of the pump handle 87 will move the frames 35 and 42 away from each other . the insulator string 40 thus will resume its support of the suspension bracket , and the temporary connector device 34 is then removed . the cable 12 then may be moved from its broken line position 12a and connected in its final position of fig4 to the suspension bracket 25 by the clamp 36 . as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , the present invention is not restricted to the stringing of a bundle of cables from a suspension bracket or yoke plate suspended by only two insulator strings . on the contrary , the invention may , for example , be employed with a suspension bracket suspended , for example , by two pairs of insulator strings in v - array , i . e . with two insulator strings disposed parallel to one another and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the cables at each side of the suspension bracket . in this case , a pair of temporary connecting tools such as the tool 35 are employed to enable the two insulator strings at one side of the suspension bracket to be uncoupled for passage of a cable upwardly therethrough . furthermore , while the above - described preferred embodiment of the invention makes use of the tool 34 to provide a temporary connection between one of the insulators of the string 40 and the suspension bracket 25 , it is alternatively possible , for example , to employ a modification of the tool 34 to provide a temporary connection between two of the insulators of the string 40 or between one of the insulators and a suitable link included in the string 40 or between the tower cross - arm and one of the insulators or the suspension bracket 25 . while the above - described suspension bracket 25 is designed to support only one cable , namely the cable 12 , on the top of the suspension bracket between the insulator strings , the invention can also be employed to pass a plurality of cables through one or more insulator strings in cases where the suspension bracket is designed to suspend more than three cables with more than one cable between the insulator strings at opposite sides of the suspension bracket .	7
in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . other embodiments may be utilized , and logical , mechanical , and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . installing a video surveillance system in a vehicle provides extensive visual input to operators with an otherwise limited view . camera views for full 360 ° planar horizon coverage can be accomplished with a limited number of fixed cameras depending on required resolution and field of view . fixed cameras are necessary in order to capture images that can be generated before a triggering event from an unknown direction and distance . in security surveillance scenarios , pre - positioned cameras can provide continuous video imagery before , during and after an event , such as opening a window or door equipped with a sensor . fig1 shows a hardware network diagram 100 of the video surveillance system for a vehicle as described for various exemplary embodiments , such as installed in a road - mobile vehicle . a video server 110 provides network control and application software operation and connects to workstations 120 task - specific operators . the server 110 and workstations 120 can be state machines , such as computers . these workstations 120 include client interface terminals for a vehicle commander station 122 , a lethal weapons operator 124 , and a non - lethal instruments operator 126 . the lethal operator 124 controls a large - caliber gun having an optical gunsight . the non - lethal operator 126 controls a variety of devices , such as a loudspeaker bullhorn , laser dazzler , etc . the server 110 and workstations 120 connect to a main communications bus 130 using transmission control protocol ( tcp ) communication for exchanging operational instructions and information , and a video bus switch 140 for providing user datagram protocol ( udp ) video streams to the terminals . the communications bus 130 also connects to a gun - mount video ( called remote weapons station or rws ) information 150 , infrared shot detection devices ( called “ overwatch ” or ow ) 160 , other non - video devices 170 and video devices 180 . fig2 shows a flow diagram 200 of information to and from the video switch 140 , which receives information from surveillance cameras 210 , video police tactical unit ( ptu ) 220 , ow video 160 and rws video 150 . a video computer 230 , whether integral to , in communication with , or isolated from the server 110 , submits instructions to the video switch 140 and receives information , and provides for operator comparison information accessible from video storage 240 to provide to operator terminals for the commander 122 , the lethal operator 124 and the non - lethal operator 126 . the visual information can be received by the computer 230 from the camera image providers 150 , 160 , 210 , 220 for selected retrieval and review , such as after a triggering event . video storage 240 can serve to separately buffer the input signals received from the cameras 210 . alternatively , each camera 210 may contain an individual buffer whose contents can be retrieved by the computer 230 via the video switch 140 . the video storage 240 can also provide archival storage for previously buffered images to be retrieved for subsequent review of events captured by one or more specific cameras 210 . additional sensors can be employed to augment situational awareness , such as acoustic - sensitive instruments . fig3 shows a software network diagram 300 for the workstations 120 connected to network architecture 310 . the vehicle commander station 122 includes a primary brain ( e . g ., computer ) 320 with software installed for commander instance 325 ( i . e ., for instantiation of the relevant software application ). the lethal operator 124 includes a primary failover brain 330 having installed software for lethal instance 335 . the non - lethal operator 126 includes a secondary failover brain 340 having installed software for non - lethal instance 345 . the commander instance 325 provides communication with the primary brain 320 running as a service on the same computer for operations such as target acquisition . sheriff represents an example of such application software for use in such terminals 120 . all communication for control of a resource passes through the primary brain 320 through the main communications bus 130 for passing signals through the network 310 . primary and secondary brains 330 , 340 are synchronized to the primary brain 320 , so that in the event of primary brain disablement from the network 310 , the sequentially subsequent processor , in this case the primary failover brain 330 , becomes the primary . upon returning online , the original primary is relegated to the last backup to become the new secondary failover brain . similarly , in the event of primary failover disablement from the network 310 , the secondary failover brain 340 becomes the primary . the primary brain 320 includes items 350 such as a target list , resource contention prioritization , and resource control protocol . the sheriff software 360 as code on the instances 325 , 335 , 345 , includes a graphical user interface ( gui ), state machine ( for determining and operating on logic states ) and a hardware layer for signal exchange . fig4 shows a gui display 400 including a window 410 for camera control on a pan - tilt unit . the window 410 displays the live video feed from a selected camera . an upper menu 420 provides enlarge (+), reduce (−), reset zoom to default , and magnification ratio ( 1 ×) of the captured image . a button 420 ( identified as “ vc ” for vehicle commander ) identifies the operator who currently controls the camera . a circle 430 ( located in the window &# 39 ; s center ) enables the operator to capture a still image of the current video frame on display . directional arrows 450 along the border of the window 410 enable the operator to reposition the camera on its platform in any one of eight directions . fig5 shows a first exemplary window 500 for the gui used in sheriff 360 . the upper menu 510 includes buttons for system , filter , a sequential toggle 520 for polar direction and range view , create record and delete record . a view window 530 includes a map ( featuring a naval reservation ) centered about the vehicle &# 39 ; s position 540 superimposed by a compass rose 550 . auxiliary adjacent thumbnail images of an exterior camera view 560 and a direction - range polar plot 570 are displayed to the left of the view window 530 . auxiliary cornmand side menu buttons 580 and bottom menu buttons 590 provide additional commands for operations . fig6 shows a second exemplary window 600 for the gui in response to the operator selecting the toggle 520 . in response , the toggle alters to video view icon on the button , now labeled 610 . the view window , now labeled 620 , displays a polar coordinate compass rose with geographical orientation and ranges ( in meters ) from the center icon 630 . the adjacent thumbnail images include the exterior camera view 560 and a map view 640 , as shown on the view window 530 . fig7 shows a third exemplary window 700 for the gui in response to the operator selecting the toggle 610 . in response , the toggle switches to map view icon on the button , now labeled 710 . an image view 720 includes an enlarged render of the camera imagery . several smaller images surround this window 720 , in this example showing the same image , but available for showing images 730 from alternate cameras from several vantages . the adjacent thumbnail images to the right of the window 720 include the exterior camera view 560 and the map view 630 . the image view 720 represents the full resolution display of any of the adjacent thumbnail images 730 . fig8 shows a fourth exemplary window 800 for the gui used in sheriff 360 similar to the first exemplary window 500 with the sequential toggle 520 returned to polar direction and range view . the view window 810 includes a map modestly zoomed out from the map window 530 and the compass rose 820 about the center corresponding to the vehicle &# 39 ; s map position 540 . a rounded cruciform icon 830 identifies a location relative to the vehicle &# 39 ; s position 540 where sensors detect occurrence of a triggering event . the icon 830 corresponds to an entity of unknown intent . alternate icons can be employed for friendly , neutral and confirmed hostile positions . the upper right window 840 displays a video feed from a record retrieved from an event - registering buffer corresponding to the video from the surveillance camera that pointed in the direction of the triggering event . ( the window 840 shows an interior laboratory image for demonstration purposes .) the upper left window 850 displays video stream from the gunsight optics , which can slew towards the event direction . if the operator selects the icon 830 , the permanently recorded images are then displayed to the operator in a video loop shown in the window 840 . this loop contains image sequences before , during , and after the event . thus , if an antagonist were to emerge from a place of hiding ( e . g ., the corner of a building ), fire a shot , and then retreat to resume hiding , the recorded image sequence shows the building enabling the operator to view the antagonist emerge from behind the building , shoot , and go back behind the building . thus , the system provides automatic recording of this sequence for the operator to view the pre - and post - event images and thereby assess the nature of the event for further attention . while on patrol , a vehicle equipped with multiple surveillance cameras 210 can scan a wide area while personnel remain within the confines of that vehicle to provide protection . this enables continuous spatial coverage for a limited temporal interval before the buffer memory recycles storage . shortly subsequent to an event registered by a sensor that triggers a response , the archival memory automatically retrieves buffer contents from a surveillance camera that points to the sensor - indicated direction of the event , while video recording continues into the buffer . the memory contains images over a first interval prior to the event , as well as over a second interval after the event , in order to more complete context to circumstances surrounding the event . the operator is alerted and may select the archived video recording from the archival memory . the operator can be alerted by a sensor , which may be installed in each camera , such as an optical flash photometer or an audio shock transducer . this selection can be made by the operator or performed automatically in response to a specified sensor stimulus . meanwhile the cameras 210 continue to record visual images at a specified frame rate . the archive thereby contains continually sequential visual records before , during and after the triggering event , which can be immediately reviewed to assess the event &# 39 ; s hazardous nature against which a response ( lethal or non - lethal , if any ) may then be decided . such operation enables visual information to be obtained more rapidly and completely with which to issue critical instructions in the field . because the workstations 120 have interoperable redundancy , the failover of any single platform does not jeopardize receipt and process of the visual information for evaluation . artisans of ordinary skill will recognize that such methods and systems are applicable for stationary buildings , in addition to road - mobile vehicles . videoslinger provides a subsystem for sheriff that streams video from various cameras around the vehicle to the operator of the sheriff video surveillance system . videoslinger enables the operator to interact with the camera systems to view targets , reposition , and zoom the cameras . the videoslinger subsystem includes the following capabilities in relation to various exemplary embodiments : ( a ) retrieve video from various cameras and display the video to the operator and store video for deferred viewing ; ( b ) snap still images of targets upon detection ; ( c ) enable the operator to select camera video streams for discretionary viewing ; ( d ) enable the operator to capture selected still images of the video streams ; ( e ) enable the operator to pan / tilt / zoom selected cameras under camera control ; ( f ) maintain reliability of direct control of the videoslinger cameras , such as by brain failover hardware features ; ( g ) manually control the cameras in a first - come , first - serve priority basis ; ( h ) automated control assumed of a specified camera to capture an image of a new target in response to a specified event , thereby suspending manual control by the operator until the system completes its required assignments ; ( i ) inhibition of manual control transfer to another operator until current operator has released control authority . in various exemplary embodiments , the operator maintains control of the cameras in the following manners : ( a ) monitor display for the camera shows directional buttons for directions n , ne , e , se , s , sw , w , nw , and displays a center capture image for manual screen capture ; ( b ) the directional display is configurable enabling the operator to select how and whether the buttons appear , such as always , never or hover ( i . e ., when the operator moves the cursor into a defined region ), ( c ) zoom in , zoom out , current zoom ratio and reset buttons are above the video feed ; ( d ) zoom ratio is displayed ( e . g ., “ 1 ×”, “ 2 ×”, etc .) at a screen position ( e . g ., upper right corner above the video feed ), with digital zoom indicated by a supplemental “ d ”, and reset returning the camera to the default ratio ; ( e ) identity of the operator in control is displayed at a screen position ( e . g ., in the upper left corner ), such as “ vc ” for vehicle commander , “ le ” for lethal operator and “ nl ” for non - lethal operator , or other designators as desired ; ( f ) directional indicators for the camera can be indicated by a compass rose and / or other mount indicators . while certain features of the embodiments of the invention have been illustrated as described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the embodiments .	7
fig1 shows an operating device 11 according to the invention , as it can be used on the anterior side in a control panel 12 of an electrical appliance , for instance an electric oven . the control panel 12 has a correspondingly formed recess 13 which , as shown in fig2 also , has a round and stepped form for flush insertion of the operating device 11 in the control panel 12 . the operating device 11 has a rotary knob 15 as a control element . the rotary knob 15 has a grip part 16 that projects beyond the control panel 12 and which is mounted on a base part 17 . the operating device 11 and / or rotary knob 15 are in the form of retractable knobs so that , as shown in fig3 and 4 , the grip part 16 can be displaced onto the base part 17 by pressing and then projects to only a very minor extent beyond the control panel 12 . the corresponding mechanism for this will be familiar to a person skilled in the art and does not need to be explained further . the rotary knob 15 is mounted or fixed in a receiving cup 19 . the receiving cup 19 has an outer jacket 20 that is advantageously cylindrical and round circumferential , as well as a corresponding inner jacket 23 . the lower part of the grip part 16 or , substantially the entire grip part 16 corresponding to fig4 , is in the space between the outer jacket 20 and inner jacket 23 . the outer jacket 20 and inner jacket 23 are connected to each other , are advantageously a single part and in particular are manufactured at the same time and / or with one another . to the front the receiving cup 19 or the outer jacket 20 has a collar - like extension 24 , which forms a circular ring . this can be seen in the top view in fig2 . the circular ring - like , collar - like extension 24 is divided into 4 fields of illumination 25 a to 25 d . this is described in more detail below . a rotary switch device 28 is secured to a posterior end 26 of the receiving cup 19 in a usual manner in accordance with the afore - mentioned ep 1 318 534 a1 . the rotary switch device 28 also has the usual form , for instance in accordance with ep 1 898 184 a1 . in particular it is a so - called grey code switch . a support 29 is disposed on the rear - facing end 26 of the receiving cup as known from the afore - mentioned ep 1 318 534 a1 . an axle stub 30 is mounted on this support 29 so that it can rotate , but is fixed in an axial direction . this axle stub 30 ensures transfer of the rotation from the grip part 16 to the rotary switch device 28 . a lighting means 32 d is arranged on the left and a lighting means 32 b is arranged on the right in the rotary switch device 28 , especially leds . reference is made to these in the aforementioned ep 1 898 184 a1 , wherein the lighting means 32 either have the same control / same plug connection as the rotary switch device 28 or a separate one . the light from the left lighting means 32 d is coupled on the left into the outer jacket 20 of the receiving cup 19 . for this it comprises light - conducting material 21 , as well as the corresponding illuminated field 25 d . the inner jacket 23 can also comprise light - conducting material , but this is of secondary importance . the largest part of the outer jacket 20 can be substantially of light - conducting material 21 . as is clearly seen in fig2 , both the outer jacket 20 and the illuminated fields 25 a to d can be subdivided into four regions or sectors . this subdivision is formed through separating strips 22 of non - light - conducting material . these separating strips 22 may be manufactured as a single piece with the rest in the region of the collar - like extension 24 , in particular through two - component injection moulding . they can extend from the collar - like extension 24 , i . e ., between the illuminated fields 25 , through the outer jacket 20 of the receiving cup 19 to the posterior end in front of the lighting means 32 . the separating strips 22 therefore bring about a division into four of the light - conducting material 21 as shown in fig2 in a direction in the drawing plane . a lighting means 32 , arranged behind each light - conducting region in accordance with section b - b , which can be seen in the sectional view in fig1 , sits approximately centrally when viewed in a circumferential direction and radiates light into one of the light guides formed so to speak as a result and which then exits frontally at the illuminated fields 25 a to 25 d . a greater or smaller number of divisions may be provided in place of the division into four shown here . a corresponding number of lighting means then has to be provided , wherein in a further development of the invention , more than one lighting means , for instance more than one led , is provided per illuminated field 25 . in the side view shown in fig3 it can be seen how two regions of the receiving cup 19 and / or its outer jacket 20 comprise light - conducting material 21 . they are , however , separated through a separating strip 22 , which also extends seamlessly through the collar - like extension 24 and therefore also separates the illuminated fields 25 from one another and prevents over - illumination . in the sectional view shown in fig4 according to section a - a in fig2 , the cut goes directly through the plane of two separating strips 22 . this is also recognisable through the different hatching in the region of the separating strips 22 and on the outer jacket 20 as well as on the collar - like extension 24 . furthermore , it can be seen that the separating strips 22 are also provided on the inner jacket 23 to bring about complete separation of adjoining circular ring segments . if the grip part 16 , however , is of non - light - transmitting material , then it does not matter if it is illuminated through the inner jacket 23 extending within it . through any desired control of the lighting means 32 , in principle also fully independently of whether the rotary knob 15 is pressed in or is in an out position , it is possible to control whether one or more of the illuminated fields 25 a to 25 d is illuminated . as already described , some of the lighting means 32 can be coloured , so that the illuminated fields 25 may be illuminated in different colours . whilst the afore - mentioned two - component injection moulding is the preferred manufacturing method for such a receiving cup 19 , of corresponding light - conducting material 21 with separating strips 22 in between , other possibilities are also conceivable . for instance , a plurality of parts of the same type can be grouped together to form a receiving cup 19 , with possible interspersion of non - light - conducting layers or parts . alternatively , for instance , laser irradiation of the receiving cup manufactured from actual light - conducting material along the separating strips could change it such that light is no longer conducted here or that sectors so to speak can no longer be overcome . the spring 34 , recognisable in the sectional views , of metal and connected to a metal button disposed on the anterior side of the grip part 16 , can be electrically contacted through an axle stub 30 that is also electrically conducting . this enables a capacitive touch switch to be created in accordance with us 2007 / 0181410 a1 . reference is also drawn to the german patent application de 102009006421 . 4 lodged at the same priority date by the same applicant . an alternative operating device 111 is shown in fig5 , in which a rotary knob 115 is again disposed in a control panel 112 or cut - out section 113 . this rotary knob 115 is also in the form of a rotary retractable knob and is only shown in a retracted state , a grip part 116 is therefore pushed onto a base part 117 . the receiving cup 119 here is without a collar - like extension as before , and instead has only its front face 137 in the cut - out section 113 . this yields , through the front face 137 , a narrow ring that encircles the grip part 116 . a collar - like extension 124 is displaced a little downwardly and serves to secure the receiving cup 119 in a stabile and non - tiltable manner to the control panel 112 . it cannot , however , be seen from the front . it can also be seen that an outer jacket 120 , that becomes the afore - mentioned collar - like extension 124 , is substantially of pipe section form and is not manufactured as a single part with an inner jacket 123 of the receiving cup 119 , but instead is disposed on top of it and is advantageously connected to it or bonded to it . here too , a rear - facing end 126 of the receiving cup 119 , in this case within the outer jacket 120 , is connected to a rotary switch device 128 . an axle stub 130 is mounted in a support 129 and in turn engages in the base part 117 of the rotary knob 115 . in addition , it should further be noted that the rotary switch device 128 is disposed on a circuit board 131 and in particular is also electrically connected . the circuit board 131 also bears lighting means 132 , advantageously in the form of leds and / or smd leds . not shown in fig5 are corresponding separating strips between the light - conducting material , which substantially forms the outer jacket 120 and the inner jacket 123 . this can , however , have a form analogous to the previous embodiments . above all , however , it is possible or envisaged with an operating device 111 according to fig5 for the outer jacket 120 and inner jacket 123 of the receiving cup 119 to be connected to one another in a non - light - conducting manner , and for this reason different lighting means 132 are provided . they can be separated by a coating or intermediate layers . so , for instance , the coupling of light into the outer jacket 120 can bring about a narrow , circular segment - like light appearance at the front faces 137 on the control panel 112 , with a division that embraces a 90 ° elbow angle similar to fig2 , or less or more . the illumination of the inner jacket 123 can be used to create an optical display through lights on the anterior side of the grip part 116 . for this the anterior side of the grip part 116 can be formed from corresponding light - transmitting material . so , for example , different functional states of the operating device 111 can also be shown on the rotary knob 115 . illumination of the knob on the one hand or the control panel on the other hand can , in line with the general concept of the invention , be achieved together or only individually . above all , different illuminations and different colours can thus be generated . furthermore , a segmentation of the inner jacket 123 and outer jacket 120 through corresponding separating strips can be different , in particular through angular displacement , relative to one another . this enables any desired illuminated representation to be achieved .	6
laser beam scanning optical devices embodying the present invention will be described below . with reference to fig1 the laser beam scanning optical device comprises a light source unit 1 having a laser diode and a collimator lens incorporated therein , beam shaping slit plate 2 , cylindrical lens 3 , polygonal mirror 4 , toroidal lens 5 , spherical mirror 6 , plane mirror 7 , sos sensor 9 for detecting an image writing position , and mirror 8 for guiding a laser beam to the sensor 9 . these components are mounted on a base plate 10 and covered with an unillustrated cover . the laser diode is ( on - off ) controlled for modulation based on image data fed to an unillustrated control unit , and when it is on , a laser beam is emitted by the light source unit 1 . the laser beam is formed by the collimator lens into a bundle of convergent rays concentrating at a rearward definite position , and is thereafter changed by the cylindrical lens 3 in its spot form to a substantially linear shape the lengthwise direction of which is parallel to the main scanning direction , whereupon the beam reaches the polygonal mirror 4 . the polygonal mirror 4 is drivingly rotated in the direction of arrow a at a constant speed , whereby the laser beam is deflected at a constant angular velocity within a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the mirror 4 and guided to the toroidal lens 5 . the toroidal lens 5 is provided with a surface of incidence and a surface of emergence which are concentric in scanning section , and has a definite power in a direction perpendicular to the plane of deflection . the combination of the toroidal lens 5 and the cylindrical lens 3 corrects the inclination of deflecting plane of the polygonal mirror 4 . the laser beam is further reflected at the spherical mirror 6 . the reflected beam is reflected downward at the plane mirror 7 , passes through a slit 11 provided in the bottom of the base plate 10 and forms images on an unillustrated photosensitive drum . the formation of images on the drum is accomplished by the main scanning movement of the laser beam due to the rotation of the polygonal mirror 4 in the direction of arrow a and the subscanning movement of the beam due to the rotation of the photosensitive drum . the spherical mirror 6 has an fθ function ( distortion correcting function ) for correcting the main scanning speed of the laser beam and also a function of correcting curvature of field on the photosensitive drum . the toroidal lens 5 and the spherical mirror 6 are each integrally molded of a resin material ( such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin ). the structures for mounting these components in place will be described below . with reference to fig2 the toroidal lens 5 is provided on its bottom surface with a projection 5a at the lengthwise midportion thereof and projections 5b , 5c at its opposite ends . on the other hand , the base plate 10 is formed with holes 12a , 12b , 12c for inserting the projections 5a , 5b , 5c thereinto respectively . the projections 5a , 5b , 5c and the holes 12a , 12b , 12c are provided with seats 5a &# 39 ;, 5b &# 39 ;, 5c &# 39 ;, 12a &# 39 ;, 12b &# 39 ;, 12c &# 39 ;, respectively . these seats serve to accurately position the toroidal lens 5 at a specified level when the lens 5 is mounted on the base plate 10 . the central hole 12a is an elongated hole extending in a direction parallel to the optical axis x for the inserted projection 5a to fit to the hole portion only with respect to a direction orthogonal to the optical axis x . the end holes 12b , 12c are each in the form of an elongated hole extending in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis x , so that the inserted projections 5b , 5c fit to the respective hole portions only with respect to a direction in parallel to the optical axis x . thus , when the projections 5a , 5b , 5c are forced into the respective holes 12a , 12b , 12c , the toroidal lens 5 is positioned in place with respect to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis x by the engagement of the projection 5a in the hole 12a , and is positioned in place with respect to the direction in parallel to the optical axis x by the engagement of the projections 5b , 5c in the respective holes 12b , 12c . the projection 5a is fixed in the hole 12a with an adhesive , and each end of the toroidal lens 5 is elastically held in position from above by a plate spring 13 ( see fig1 ). with the arrangement described above , the toroidal lens 5 made of resin is susceptible to deformation , especially to longitudinal expansion or shrinkage , due to variations in ambient conditions . the midportion of the toroidal lens 5 is restrained in position with respect to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis x by the engagement of the projection 5a in the hole 12a and adhesion , while at the opposite ends of the lens 5 , the protections 5b , 5c are movable relative to the holes 12b , 12c in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis x . accordingly , deformation of the toroidal lens 5 is absorbed by the projections 5b , 5c slightly moving within the holes 12b , 12c . this obviates the likelihood that the distortion of the toroidal lens 5 will impair its optical performance , incidentally , the hole 12a in the midportion is elongated in the direction parallel to the optical axis x to make the projection 5a easily insertable thereinto . fig3 shows a structure for mounting the spherical mirror 6 on the base plate 10 . the relation between projections 6a , 6b , 6c on the spherical mirror 6 and holes 14a , 14b , 14c formed in the base plate 10 is the same as the relation between the projections on the toroidal lens 5 and the corresponding holes . the spherical mirror 6 is fixedly mounted on the base plate 10 by inserting the projections 6a , 6b , 6c into the respective holes 14a , 14b , 14c , fixing the projection 6a in the hole 14a with an adhesive and causing a plate spring 15 ( see fig1 ) to press each end of the mirror 6 against the base plate 10 . the deformation of the spherical mirror 6 to be caused by variations in the ambient conditions is absorbed in the same manner as in the case of the toroidal lens 5 by the movement of the projections 6b , 6c in the respective holes 14b , 14c in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis x . seats 6a &# 39 ;, 6b &# 39 ;, 6c &# 39 ;, 14a &# 39 ;, 14b &# 39 ;, 14c &# 39 ; are provided for positioning the spherical mirror 6 at a specified level . especially with reflecting optical elements like the spherical mirror 6 , the distortion of the reflecting surface produces approximately twice as great an adverse influence as is the case with transmission optical elements like the toroidal lens 5 . accordingly , the foregoing mount structure which will not permit distortion of the optical element is effective for the spherical mirror 6 and like reflecting optical elements . moreover , the structure eliminates the likelihood that the spherical mirror 6 will rise off the base plate 10 because the deformation of the mirror 6 is absorbed at its opposite end portions and further because the mirror midportion is fixed to the plate 10 by the adhesion of the projection 6a to the hole portion 14a . if the midportion of the spherical mirror 6 rises off the base plate , the scan line on the photosensitive member will be bent , whereas the present embodiment is free of such a drawback . the second embodiment has the same construction as the embodiment of fig2 except that the midportion projection 5a on a toroidal lens 5 is fittable into a hole 12a which is circular . this embodiment is similar to the first in operation and advantage . in addition , the projection 5a is restrained in position with respect to any of directions in parallel to the optical axis x and orthogonal thereto . the midportion is therefore positionable in place more reliably . with this third embodiment , the midportion projection 5a on a toroidal lens 5 is fittingly inserted into a hole 12a which is circular , and the hole 12b for the end projection 5b to be inserted thereinto is a circular hole having a slightly larger diameter than the projection 5b . the hole 12c for receiving the other end projection 5c therein is an elongaged hole in which the projection 5c is fittable only with respect to a direction parallel to the optical axis x as in the first and second embodiments described . according to the third embodiment , the toroidal lens 5 is positioned in place on the base plate 10 by fitting the projection 5a into the hole 12a and inserting the projection 5c into the hole 12c to thereby fit the projection 5c to the hole portion 12c with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis x . the hole 12b is given a larger diameter than the projection 5b to make the toroidal lens 5 fixedly mountable on the base plate 10 without trouble even if the position where the projection 5b or the hole 12b is formed involves a slight error . the hole 12b absorbs the deformation of the end portion of the toroidal lens 5 with respect to any direction . with this fourth embodiment , a toroidal lens 5 is formed with holes 5d , 5e , 5f like those of the first embodiment , and a base plate 10 is provided with projections 12d , 12e , 12f as positioned in corresponding relation with the respective holes 5d , 5e , 5f . seat 5d &# 39 ;, 5e &# 39 ;, 5f &# 39 ;, 12d &# 39 ;, 12e &# 39 ;, 12f &# 39 ; are provided for positioning the toroidal lens 5 at specified level . this embodiment has same construction as the first with the exception of the above feature . the laser beam scanning optical device of the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments but can be modified variously within the scope of the invention . for example , the mount structure shown in fig4 and 6 are applicable not only to the toroidal lens 5 but also to the spherical mirror 6 . these mount structures and those shown in fig2 and 3 are further applicable to plane mirrors and other elongated optical elements . 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 .	6
embodiments of the present invention are explained in conjunction with the drawing in detail hereinafter . an optical system and a playback signal output system of the first embodiment are shown in fig1 . the laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser 201 is diffracted with a diffracting device 202 . the 0th light of the laser beam from a diffracting device 202 is converted into a parallel light beam with a collimating lens 203 and focused on an information recording layer of an optical disk 205 with an objective lens 204 . the light reflected by the information recording layer progresses in a reverse direction with respect to an outward path and converted into a parallel light beam with the objective lens 204 . the parallel light beam is converted into a convergence light beam with the collimating lens 203 and incident on the diffracting device 202 . the diffracting device 202 is divided into three division regions 202 a to 202 c . the region 202 a and the regions 202 b and 202 c are divided by a division line in a disk radial direction indicating a radial direction of the optical disk . the regions 202 b and 202 c are divided by a division line in a disk tangential direction indicating a tangential direction of the optical disk 205 . a photodetector 106 having light receiving regions 106 a to 106 f is disposed in association with the diffracting device 202 so that the light diffracted by the region 202 a of the diffracting device 202 is led to the light receiving regions 106 a and 106 b of the photodetector 106 and the light diffracted with the regions 202 b and 202 c are led to the light receiving regions 106 f and 106 e of the photodetector 106 , between which an array of the regions 106 a to 106 d are arranged . the signals output from the light receiving regions 106 a and 106 b by the light beam diffracted by the region 202 a are used for obtaining a focusing error signal by a single knife edge method . based on this focusing error signal , an objective lens actuator ( not shown ) positions the objective lens 204 in an optical axis direction . the signals output from the light receiving regions 106 e and 106 f by the light beams diffracted with the regions 202 b and 202 c are used for obtaining a tracking signal by a push - pull method or a dpd ( differential phase detection ) method . based on this ( tracking error signal , a tracking device ( not shown ) positions the objective lens 204 in the disk radial direction . the light receiving regions 106 a to 106 f of the photodetector 106 shown in fig1 generate output signals sa , sb , sc , sd , se and sf corresponding to incident light beams , respectively . the signals sa , sb , se and sf are supplied to a noninverting input terminal of an operational amplifier 11 serving as a signal processor , and the signals sc and sd are input to an inverting input terminal thereof . as a result , a playback signal ( hfs ) is played back according to the following equation ( 1 ): this playback signal is a signal indicating information recorded on the optical disk 205 . the auxiliary light receiving regions 106 c and 106 d are provided for reducing dc offset of the focusing error signal occurring due to interlayer crosstalk . the playback signal is generated by subtracting a sum signal of signals sc and sd from these auxiliary light receiving regions 106 c and 106 d from a sum signal from the other light receiving regions 106 a , 106 b , 106 e and 106 f with the operational amplifier ( signal processor ) 11 . the method of generating a focusing error signal by a single knife edge method and the method of generating a tracking error signal by a push - pull method or dpd method are executed by the block circuit of fig4 according to the following equations ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 4 ). fes ( single knife edge method )= sb + g 1 * sc −( sa + g 2 − sd ) ( 2 ) in fig4 , an amplifier 13 corresponds to g1 of the equation ( 2 ) and amplifies the signal sc with an amplification factor g1 . an amplifier 14 corresponds to g2 of the equation ( 2 ) and amplifies the signal sc with an amplification factor g2 . the method of generating a tracking error signal uses a push - pull method if the optical disk is dvd - ram , for example , and a dpd method if it is dvd - rom . the light receiving regions 106 a to 106 f are light receiving regions necessary for generating the focusing error signal and tracking error signal . a light receiving region for reducing dc offset occurring on the playback signal needs not to be provided newly , so that the configuration is extremely simplified . effect of the above calculation method will be explained . fig2 a shows a beam profile of the light reflected by the playback layer and landing on a photodetector surface , and a beam profile of undesired light reflected by the 1st information recording layer ( non - playback layer ) and landing on the photodetector surface , when the light beam is focused on the 0 - th information recording layer ( playback layer ). fig2 b shows a beam profile when the light beam is focused on the 1st information recording layer . in either case , it is found that an undesired light from the non - playback layer extends over the main light receiving region 106 a and 106 b and the auxiliary light receiving region 106 c and 106 d . if the playback signal is generated by calculating a difference between the sum of the signals of the main light receiving regions 106 a and 106 b and the sum of the signals of the auxiliary light receiving regions 106 c and 106 d according to the equation ( 1 ), it is found that influence of undesired leakage light can be reduced . when a monolayer disk is played back , light does not leak to the auxiliary light receiving regions 106 c and 106 d . therefore , the output signals from the auxiliary light receiving regions 106 c and 106 d are zero . in this case , the playback signal may be generated by the equation ( 1 ). as described above , according to the method of the present invention , dc offset occurring on the focusing error signal and playback signal in the double - layer disk can be reduced effectively . as a playback signal output unit shown in fig3 , it is preferable that an amplifier 12 is provided after the photodetector 106 to improve an effect of reducing the interlayer crosstalk by adjusting a level of the signal . the method of calculating a playback signal ( hfs ) in this case is executed according to the following equation ( 5 ): where g represents a given gain of the amplifier 12 . the first embodiment uses a single knife edge method as a method of detecting a focusing error . however , the present invention is not limited to this method . fig5 shows an optical system according to the second embodiment , which uses a double knife edge method as the method of detecting a focusing error . the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in a division configuration of a diffracting device and a light receiving surface configuration of a photodetector . as shown in fig5 , a diffracting device 1401 is divided into six division regions , and the light receiving surface of the photodetector 1402 is divided into twelve division regions . the diffracting device 1401 and photodetector 1402 are shown in fig6 in detail . the diffracting device 1401 is divided into six regions 1401 a to 1401 f by a dividing line 1501 in a disk radial direction and division curves 1502 and 1503 reflecting ± 1st light diffracted from a land / groove disk as shown in fig6 . the photodetector 1402 has main light receiving regions 1402 a to 1402 d for focusing error detection , auxiliary light receiving regions 1402 e to 1402 h , and light receiving regions 1402 i to 14021 for tracking error detection . two light beams diffracted by the regions 1401 a and 1401 b of the diffracting device are led to the light receiving regions 1402 a to 1402 h , and used for generating a focusing error signal by a double knife edge method . four light beams diffracted by the regions 1401 c to 1401 f of the diffracting device are led to the light receiving regions 1402 i to 14021 , and used for generating a focusing error signal by a push - pull method or a dpd method . the output signals from all light receiving regions are used for producing a playback signal . fig7 a , 7b and 7 c show patterns of light beams ( signal light beams ) from the playback layer in defocusing . fig7 a , 7b and 7 c show beam profiles on the photodetector when the disk is far from a focusing position , at the focusing position , and near than the focusing position . assuming that the output signals from the light receiving regions 1402 a to 14021 are sa to sl respectively , the focusing error signal ( fes ) is generated by a block circuit shown in fig8 , for example , according to the following equation ( 6 ): where g1 represents a given gain of the amplifier 15 . the tracking error signal ( tes ) based on the push - pull method or dpd method is generated according to the following equations ( 7 ) and ( 8 ), respectively . the method of playing back the playback signal ( hfs ) is executed according to the following equation ( 9 ). where g2 represents a given gain of the amplifier 16 . like the first embodiment , a playback signal generating method of the present invention directed to reduction of interlayer crosstalk uses only light receiving regions for generating the focusing error signal and tracking error signal and needs not to provide newly a light receiving surface to make it possible to be executed in simple configuration . the beam patterns of undesired leakage light incident on the photodetector from a non - playback layer are shown in fig9 a and 9b to explain effect of the playback signal generating method . fig9 a shows a beam profile of light reflected by the playback layer and landing on the photodetector surface , and a beam profile of the undesired light reflected by the first information recording layer ( the non - playback layer ) and landing on the photodetector surface , when the light beam focuses on the information recording layer ( the playback layer ). fig9 b shows a beam profile on the photodetector surface when the light beam is focused on the first information recording layer . in either case , it is found that undesired light reflected by the non - playback layer expands over the main light receiving regions 1402 a to 1402 d and auxiliary light receiving regions 1402 e and 1402 h . accordingly , if the playback signal is generated by calculating differences between the signals of the main light receiving regions 1402 a to 1402 d and the signals of the auxiliary light receiving regions 1402 e and 1402 h as indicated by the equation ( 9 ), it is found that influence of undesired leakage light can be reduced . when a monolayer disk is played back , light is leaked to the auxiliary light receiving regions 1402 e to 1402 h to output no signal therefrom . therefore , there is no problem at all in playing back the monolayer disk . an optical system of the third embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 . this embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments with respect to a configuration that a diffracting device 1805 for generating a servo signal / playback signal and a quarter - wavelength plate 1806 are driven integrally with an objective lens 1807 . the linearly polarized laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 1801 is converted into a parallel light beam with a collimator lens 1802 , transmitted through a polarization beam splitter 1803 , and reflected by an up - rise mirror 1804 . subsequently , the laser beam is incident on the diffracting device 1806 and the quarterwave plate 1805 driving integrally with the objective lens 1807 . the laser beam is converted from a linearly polarized light beam to a circularly - polarized light beam with the quarterwave plate 1805 and focused on the information recording layer of the optical disk 1808 with the objective lens 1807 . the laser beam reflected by the information recording layer follows a path opposite to the outward path and is converted into a parallel light beam with the objective lens 1807 . the parallel light beam is diffracted by the division type diffracting device 1806 . the diffracted light beam is converted from the circularly - polarized light beam into the linearly - polarized light beam perpendicular to that in the outward path with the quarterwave plate 1805 , and reflected by the polarization beam splitter 1803 . the reflected light beam is conversed with the condenser lens 1810 and incident on the photodetector 1811 for generating a servo signal / playback signal . the division shape of the division type diffracting device may be similar to that of the first and second embodiments . in the third embodiment , a five - division type diffracting device shown in fig1 is used . the light beam diffracted by a diffracting device region 1806 a is led to light receiving regions 1811 a to 1811 d to be used for producing a focusing error signal by a single knife edge method . the light beams diffracted with the diffracting device region 1806 b to 1806 e are led to light receiving regions 1811 e to 1811 h respectively , to be used for generating a tracking error signal by a compensation push - pull method or a dpd method . assuming that output signals from the light receiving regions 1811 a to 1811 h are sa , sb , sc , sd , se , sf , sg , sh respectively , a focusing error signal based on the single knife edge method ( fes ), a tracking error signal based on the compensation push - pull method or dpd method ( tes ), and a playback signal ( hfs ) are produced according to the following equations ( 10 ), ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) by a block circuit shown in fig1 . the compensation push - pull method is a method for reducing offset of the tracking error signal caused by radial shifting of the objective lens . the detail principle of this method is described by toshiba review vol . 57 no . 7 p 32 - p 34 ( 2002 ), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . fes ( a knife edge method )= sb + g 1 * sc −( sa + g 2 * sd ) ( 10 ) fig1 a shows a beam profile of light reflected by the playback layer and landing on the photodetector surface and a beam profile of the undesired light reflected by the first information recording layer ( the non - playback layer ) and landing on the photodetector surface , when the light beam focuses on the information recording layer ( the playback layer ). fig1 b shows a beam profile on the photodetector surface when the light beam is focused on the first information recording layer . since the undesired light from the non - playback layer expands over the main light receiving regions 1811 a to 1811 b and auxiliary light receiving regions 1811 e , 1811 h , the dc offset due to interlayer crosstalk can be reduced by generating a playback signal according to the equation ( 13 ), similarly to the first and second embodiments . as a result , when playing back a double - layer disk , an optical disk apparatus having good playback signal quality can be realized . according to the present invention , an optical disk apparatus of high reliability reducing dc offset occurring on a playback signal due to interlayer crosstalk , and having good playback signal quality can be realized . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	6
referring to fig1 the installation illustrated therein comprises a tank 1 containing a liquid cooling medium which may be water and which is circulated by pumps ( not shown ) through heat exchangers ( not shown ) to remove the decay heat of the radioactive material . five pipe circuits 2 ( of which only one is shown ) are immersed side - by - side in the cooling medium in the tank 1 . each pipe circuit 2 is manufactured from seamless stainless steel tube and is provided with a side arm 3 which has a pulsing chamber 4 . the liquid in the pulsing chamber is caused to oscillate by air - flow controllers 5 , 6 which alternatively introduce air into the pulsing chamber 4 and withdraw it . the oscillating motion of the liquid in the pulsing chamber is converted by a fluidic pump 7 into a circulatory motion around the pipe circuit 2 in the direction of the arrows . the fluidic pump 7 operates on the pulsed fluid diode principle and has no moving parts within the tank 1 . a further side arm 8 extends from the pipe circuit to a point above the liquid level in the tank and this further side arm is used for filling and emptying the pipe circuit 2 , for removing samples of the liquid for analysis and for providing access for instruments to be lowered into the liquid , for example to measure the temperature of the liquid . conveniently the pipe circuit 2 shown in the figure may be manufactured from 10 &# 34 ; diameter seamless stainless steel tube and may contain 450 feet of such tube . a pipe circuit so formed would have a capacity of 7 cubic meters . the pipe circuits 2 are placed in the tank 1 in close packed array to maximise the number of pipe circuits in the tank . pipe circuits of different shapes , sizes and pipe diameters may be utilised within a tank to maximise the utilisation of the space within the tank . in use the fluidic pump 7 circulates the liquid radioactive material round the pipe circuit 2 . this circulation minimises the possibility of sediment depositing on the walls of the coil which reduces the heat transfer properties of the walls . if water is used as the cooling medium in the tank , it is chemically treated to ensure minimum corrosion of the pipe circuits and tank . the cooling liquid is preferably monitored to detect any increase in radioactivity level which would indicate that a pipe circuit was leaking . in the event that one pipe circuit in a tank leaks only the radioactive material in that circuit has to be transferred to alternative storage facilities . thus the amount of spare storage capacity which has to be provided is less than is required for storage in tanks . if one pipe circuit leaks the remaining pipe circuits can remain in the tank and the faulty circuit can be isolated or replaced . thus the failure of one pipe circuit does not necessitate abandoning the tank and its associated shielding whereas a failure in the tank used for tank storage of radioactive liquids may mean that the tank and the shielding surrounding it become heavily contaminated and cannot be re - used . an alternative embodiment may be manufactured from tubing having two co - axial tubes . the liquid radioactive material is stored in the inner tube and the cooling medium is circulated through the annular gap between the tubes . the pipe circuit formed from co - axial tubes may be placed in a tank , for example as shown in fig1 and may be further cooled by the circulation of a liquid medium such as water in the tank . referring now to fig2 a tank 1 and a pipe circuit 2 are shown . the pipe circuit is similar to that shown in fig1 and the same reference numerals are used to identify the parts thereof . in normal use the cooling medium is withdrawn from the tank 1 through a pipe 10 and passed through a heat exchanger 11 by a pump 12 and returned to the base of the tank 1 . the heat exchanger is cooled by water which is circulated by a pump 13 and which is passed down a cooling tower 14 . the tank 1 is fitted with an air - cooled condenser 15 to condense any vapour evaporating from the cooling medium and return it to the tank . in the event of a malfunction of any of the components of the cooling system which prevent or reduce the circulation of the cooling medium the decay heat emitted by the liquid radioactive material in the pipe circuit 2 will raise the temperature of the liquid material in the pipe circuit and of the cooling medium in the tank . if the rise in temperature proceeds for a sufficient length of time the temperature of the cooling medium will rise to its boiling point . the cooling medium then boils and the vapour condenses in the condenser 15 and is returned to the tank 1 . as the liquid medium boils , its latent heat of evaporation is extracted from the pipe circuits and the temperature in the pipe circuits will be maintained at a value similar to the boiling point of the medium . the use of a cooling medium having a boiling point in the range 60 °- 80 ° c . ensures that the temperature within the pipe circuits does not rise to the boiling point of the liquid radioactive material or to a point where the corrosion rate of the pipe circuits by the liquid radioactive material becomes excessive . in normal use the circulating cooling medium ensures that the temperature of the liquid radioactive material is kept as low as possible and it is only in the situation where the normal circulatory cooling is not operative that the secondary cooling system utilising the condenser 15 is operative . the cooling medium surrounding the pipe circuits in the present invention acts as an additional barrier facilitating the containment of any leakage which may occur from the pipe circuits . storage in the pipe circuits rather than in tanks facilitates criticality control of liquids containing plutonium as the pipe circuits can be designed to be safe by geometry . the construction of storage installations according to the present invention is facilitated as the pipe circuits can be tested before being installed . the circulation of the liquid radioactive material and of the cooling medium and the large surface area of the pipe circuits facilitates heat transfer from the liquid radioactive material to the cooling medium .	8
fig1 depicts a typical cellular network 51 in which the instant invention may be employed . included within the typical cellular network 51 are cells 53 , 56 , and 59 in which are located cell sites 63 , 66 , and 69 . radio antennas 73 , 76 , and 79 are electrically coupled to the cell sites 63 , 66 , and 69 . the cell sites 63 , 66 , and 69 are also electrically coupled to a mobile switch 83 , which in turn is coupled to a public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 86 . a telephone call initiated through the cellular network 51 will eventually reach a call destination device 89 via the public switched telephone network 86 . the call destination device 89 may be any telephonic interface or other media linked to the public switched telephone network 86 , such as a telephone , facsimile , computer or other device as known to those skilled in the art . traveling from cell to cell in the network 51 is a mobile unit 91 . in the exemplary case of fig1 the mobile unit 91 is located within an automobile , but may also comprise a hand held unit or other mobile cellular unit as is well known in the industry . essentially , the cellular network 51 of fig1 operates as follows . a telephone call is initiated and established between the mobile unit 91 and the call destination device 89 . from the mobile unit 91 , signals are transmitted through the air to the closest radio antenna 73 , 76 , or 79 . the signals are then routed from the cell site 63 , 66 , or 69 connected to the respective radio antenna 73 , 76 , or 79 which receives the signals from the mobile unit 91 . from the respective cell site 63 , 66 , or 69 , the signals are routed to the mobile switch 83 , and then through the pstn 86 to the ultimate call destination device 89 . as the mobile unit 91 travels from cell to cell , the particular radio antenna 73 , 76 , or 79 and accompanying cell site 63 , 66 , or 69 through which the signals are routed will be switched to the radio antenna and cell site of the cell 53 , 56 , or 59 into which the mobile unit 91 travels . thus , several radio antennas 73 , 76 , and / or 79 may be employed in the course of a single cellular telephone call , depending upon how many different cells 53 , 56 , and / or 59 into which the mobile unit 91 travels . the switching of a telephone call from one cell to the next adjacent cell is customarily referred to in the art as a “ handoff ”. turning to fig2 shown is the cellular network of fig1 including cells 53 and 56 , with cell sites 63 and 66 which are coupled to radio antennas 73 and 76 , respectively . the cell sites 63 and 66 are coupled to the mobile switch 83 . within each cell site 63 and 66 are several channels 93 through which a cellular call can be linked . in some cellular network configurations , a voice echo canceler ( vec ) 96 may be provided for each channel 93 to cancel echoes on the particular telephone call initiated , as is known in the art . it is assumed herein that the cellular network 51 is digital with the ability to handle analog cellular as well . each channel 93 is ultimately linked to a radio antenna 73 or 76 which establishes radio transmission to the mobile unit 91 , as known in the art . a channel 93 working in conjunction with the radio transmission antenna 73 or 76 together are generally termed a “ radio ” in the cellular field . thus , there are several radios within each cell site 63 and 66 . each channel 93 , or radio , facilitates analog cellular communication on a different frequency as known in the industry . at times , a cellular telephone call may experience interference due to physical obstruction or other phenomena while the mobile unit 91 is within a particular cell 53 or 56 . in such a case , the call may be switched to a new channel 93 within the particular cell 53 or 56 that does not experience significant interference . switching channels 93 within a particular cell 53 or 56 as such is also customarily referred to as a “ handoff ” in the cellular industry . it is important to note that the radio transmission from the mobile unit 91 to a cell site 53 or 56 may be either analog or digital . analog cellular transmission uses frequency modulation techniques which do not add appreciable delay to the overall signal . the actual frequencies used may vary and may also depend upon the call capacity of a particular cellular network . an example of analog transmission is that which transmits according to the advanced mobile phone service ( amps ). due to the fact that oftentimes the delay is not significant , echo cancelers 96 normally are not brought on - line with analog communication , unless the call is over a long distance . on the other hand , digital cellular transmission involves the process of digitizing and compressing the voice signal by the mobile unit 91 before transmission to a cell site 53 or 56 and vice versa . these digitizing and compression processes generally add significant delay to the transmission of the signal , resulting in a significant echo signal . consequently , voice echo cancelers 96 are usually brought on - line to cancel echo signals created by this significant delay . such digital cellular networks generally provide for analog cellular communication as well . the echo cancelers 96 that are brought on - line for digital cellular communication may also be employed in analog cellular communication as well . turning to fig3 shown are the components that make up a mobile unit 91 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the cellular telephone 99 is coupled to modem 100 . the modem 100 will communicate a digital data signal to the cellular telephone 99 which , in turn , will transmit the digital data as a voice signal to be received by the cellular antennas 73 , 76 , and 79 ( fig1 ). within the modem 100 are a digital signal processor 103 and memory 106 . the digital signal processor 103 performs the various operations according to the instant invention based on the echo canceler disabling system 109 located in the memory 106 . note that the digital signal processor 103 and the memory 106 may be incorporated into a single integrated circuit as is known in the art . in order to communicate with a second modem at the call destination device 89 , for example , the modem 100 will synchronize its digital data transmission with the transmission of the second modem . according to the echo canceler disabling system 109 , if at any time synchronization with the second modem is lost , the modem 100 will execute a retrain sequence in which the modem 100 reestablishes synchronization with the second modem . a “ loss of synchronization ” is defined herein as either a total loss of synchronization between the modems or a degradation of modem performance . the loss of synchronization may be caused , for example , by the introduction of an echo canceler on - line which will generally result in a complete disruption of digital data communication . other transmission problems may also cause the disruption of digital data transmission resulting in the loss of synchronization . when initiating a telephone call via modem 100 , the cellular telephone 99 and the cell site 56 ( fig2 ) will perform predetermined handshaking routines in which the specific channel 93 ( fig2 ) to be used for communication is established . once the call is established , the modem 99 will undergo a handshaking routine with the modem contacted at the call destination device 89 ( fig1 ) in which a 2100 hz . tone is with phase reversals transmitted , disabling any echo cancelers that come on - line . this is done to prevent a voice echo canceler 96 from disrupting the digital data transmission . once digital data transmission from modem 100 to a second modem at the call destination device 89 is established , it is possible that the digital data transmission will be disrupted if a handoff occurs . in this regard , handoffs cause a new channel 93 to be established . when the new channel 93 is established , a new echo canceler 96 may be brought on - line which causes a loss of synchronization resulting in the complete disruption of digital data communication . according to the preferred embodiment , when modem 100 loses signal synchronization , the digital signal processor 103 operating according to the echo canceler disabling system 109 reestablishes synchronization and digital data communication with the second modem by transmitting a retrain sequence . the retrain sequence includes an echo canceler disabling signal which will disable any echo cancelers which have been brought on - line after the handoff . turning to fig4 a diagram of the flow of logic executed by the modem 100 ( fig3 ) is shown . in particular , the steps shown are preferably performed by the programmed digital signal processor 103 in the modem 100 . beginning with step 113 , the modem 100 will constantly monitor for proper signal synchronization . in step 116 , if the synchronization is not lost , the modem 100 will revert back to step 113 . according to the present invention , if synchronization is lost , as would be the case with a handoff , the logic will proceed to step 118 where an echo canceler disabling tone is transmitted . in the case of the preferred embodiment , the echo canceler disabling signal is a 2100 hz . tone which is transmitted for 1000 milliseconds with 180 degree phase reversals every 450 milliseconds . note that this tone will disable the echo cancelers that are brought on - line due to the occurrence of a handoff as previously discussed . after the 2100 hz . tone is transmitted , in step 119 , a retrain sequence is sent to reestablish synchronization and digital data transmission . the logical flow will then revert back to step 113 where the loop is repeated . the 2100 hz . tone with phase reversals every 450 milliseconds is the standardized signal that is employed to disable any echo canceler worldwide . turning now to fig5 a , shown is a retrain sequence of a call modem 125 and an answer modem 127 for a standard v0 . 34 modem according to the prior art . in fig5 a , the call modem 125 initiates the retrain sequence with a pause of silence 129 , followed by a “ b ” tone . the answer modem 127 responds with a pause 129 and then an “ a ” tone followed by a phase reversal of the a tone denoted “ a ′”. the call modem 125 responds with a phase reversal of the b tone denoted b ′. subsequent communication establishes the digital data link between the call modem 125 and the answer modem 127 by establishing timing and other parameters as known in the art . it should be noted that the sequence used in fig5 a for v0 . 34 modems is simply used as an example and is not a restriction of the preferred embodiment . this example is further illustrated in the international telecommunications union ( itu ) draft recommendation v0 . 34 dated oct . 16 , 1997 , the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference . however , the principles discussed herein apply to any modem type . referring now to fig5 b , shown is a retrain sequence according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the sequence for the call modem 125 further includes the ans tone 133 which is the 2100 hz . tone that disables voice echo cancelers . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the echo canceler disabling signal is transmitted with the retrain signal that is sent to reestablish modem communication after synchronization is lost . in addition to synchronization loss due to handoffs , it is possible that synchronization may be lost due to other transmission difficulty , in which case an echo canceler disabling signal would be sent even though no echo canceler is brought on - line . although transmitting the signal with every retrain may not be necessary , the instant invention will in effect address virtually all of the unique problems presented with digital data communication using the cellular networks . alternatively , circuitry may be employed whereby the echo canceling tone is only sent during retrains resulting from loss of synchronization due to a handoff . referring back to fig3 it is important to note that the instant invention may be employed on an integrated cellular modem which combines the functions of the cellular telephone 99 and the modem 100 . in such a case the operation of the integrated cellular modem would be substantially the same as that presented by the combination shown in fig3 . the primary difference would be that circuitry may be employed whereby the cellular components of an integrated cellular modem which communicate with a cell site in establishing a new channel would inform the modem circuitry of the impending occurrence of a handoff . in such cases , the modem would send an echo canceler disabling tone and a retrain immediately after the handoff before synchronization is lost , thereby ensuring rapid recovery of digital data transmission from a handoff . also , it would be possible that independent cellular telephones 99 and modems 100 could communicate with each other in similar fashion . such permutations of the instant invention are intended to be included herein . it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention discussed above which are within the spirit and principles of the invention . all such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention , as defined by the following claims .	7
for the purposes of promoting and understanding the principles disclosed herein , reference is now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings , and specific language is used to describe the same . it is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is hereby intended . such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed and illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates . the following specification includes by reference all figures , disclosure , claims , headers , titles , of international applications nos . pct / us08 / 75374 , filed sep . 5 , 2008 , and entitled “ dynamic mixing of fluids ”, pct / us08 / 075366 , also filed on sep . 5 , 2008 , and entitled “ method of dynamic mixing of fluids ”, and pct / us2009 / 043547 , filed on may 12 , 2009 , and entitled “ system and apparatus for condensation of liquid from gas and method of collection of liquid ” along with u . s . nationalized and original filings u . s . application ser . no . 12 / 529 , 625 , filed sep . 2 , 2009 , and entitled “ dynamic mixing of fluids ”, ser . no . 12 / 529 , 617 , filed sep . 2 , 2009 , and entitled “ method of dynamic mixing of fluids ,”, ser . no . 12 / 990 , 942 , filed on nov . 3 , 2010 , and entitled “ system and apparatus for condensation of liquid from gas and method of collection of liquid ”, ser . no . 12 / 886 , 318 , filed on sep . 20 , 2010 , and entitled “ fluid mixer with internal vortex ”, ser . no . 12 / 859 , 121 , filed on aug . 18 , 2010 , and entitled “ fluid , composite , device for producing thereof and system of use ”, and ser . no . 12 / 947 , 991 , filed on nov . 17 , 2010 , and entitled “ device for producing a gaseous fuel composite and system of production thereof .” the parent application shows as what was previously fig1 a to 15d . fig1 a shows the volumetric structure after the first stage of activation , when the volume made of foam bubbles have not started to be transformed in space of the fuel pipeline and are as though pressed to each other . fig1 b shows the structure when the bubbles are being transformed in the fuel mix and separate from each other . fig1 c and 13d show the internal processes in the activated volume of a fuel mix as it moves in the fuel pipeline . this process shows how volumetrically , small spheres are formed and how as the pressure of the gas inside of the sphere changes , the thickness of the fuel shell thins . this process as illustrated is found at zones 906 to 909 as shown at fig9 , greater detail is provided below . in general , as shown at fig2 a - d , micro - bubbles of fluid are formed and include a core of compressed gas 201 surrounded by a shell of liquid such as fluid or fuel 202 or a shell made of fuel mixed with another liquid such as water . a new foam - like composite called herein the fluid composite 1 is formed including a very large number of very small cells 200 each with a very large number of very small compressed gas cores 201 . the cells are small and numerous and are formed as part of the fluid composite 1 in a very high energy state with dynamic and kinetic energy . the whitish foam of micro - bubbles 200 also called the fluid composite 1 , the fluid and the gas are energized and dynamic . while this disclosure is directed to the creation of any fluid composite 1 made of imbedded pressurized compressed gas 201 core over a shell 202 , having different dynamic components , in one embodiment , the composite is a fuel composite 1 where the liquid is fuel and the gas is air needed to burn the fuel . within this disclosure , while the term fluid composite 1 is used , one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the composite 1 can be made of any liquid or liquids mixed in with gas for any commercial application . as a way of a non limiting example , water for irrigation and plant nourishment can require aeration to help with seeping and plant absorption . the water may also require mixing with a fraction portion of fertilizer . in a fluid composite 1 example , the creation and the merger of a fixed fraction of gas into the liquid is based on a stoichiometric ratio of air to fuel exists where burning is optimal . for some applications , a fraction of this air may be imbedded into the fluid composite 1 to enhance the properties of the fuel . in one example , 10 %, 20 %, or even 30 % of stoichiometric air in weight can be merged into the fuel as part of the fluid composite 1 . the density of air at ground level is approximately ρ air = 0 . 0012 kg / l while the density of gasoline is approximately ρ gz = 0 . 703 kg / l and diesel ρ dz = 0 . 85 kg / l . with a stoichiometric ratio for diesel fuel to air of 14 . 6 to 1 and for gasoline of 14 . 7 to 1 , the ratios at the above suggested gas to liquid ratio will vary from about 1 . 47 to 1 ( e . g . 10 % or 14 . 7 to 1 ) to 4 . 38 to 1 ( e . g . 30 % of 14 . 7 to 1 ). for the ratio to be 10 %, a quantity of 0 . 085 kg / l must be inserted , or approximately 70 . 3 liters of air per liter of fuel . at a level of 20 % in weight of air , 140 . 6 liters of air must be mixed in the fuel , and at 30 % a quantity of 210 . 9 liters of air must be inserted into 1 liter of fuel . these values are only illustrative of possible ratios and other ratios are contemplated within the acceptable parameters of the fluid composite 1 . at these volumetric ratios , for every 1 liter of fuel , 70 . 3 to 210 . 9 liters of air are mixed in the fluid composite 1 . since the fluid composite 1 is a pressurized medium , and that only the gas portion of the fuel cells 200 is compressible ( at pressures below 1000 bars ), a fluid composite at 17 bars of pressure and a ratio of a 10 % mix will correspond to a volume of gas of 4 . 14 liters of pressurized gas cells 201 inside of a volume of 1 liter of fuel ( i . e . 70 . 3 liters / 17 bars ). while some ratios are given , what is contemplated is the merger of any ratio of air into the fluid composite either at initial stages of formation or at a second stage after the first fluid composite has been prepared . the size of the micro - bubbles can also vary based on a plurality of characteristics and components of the apparatus for the creation of the fluid composite 1 as shown at fig1 . fluid viscosity , surface tension , the temperature , the speed , the pressure , to kinetic energy , are only a small fraction of the different parameters that play a role into the determination and control of a created by a device with small channels 115 where gas flows of a thickness of 5 to 50 μm . small bubbles of a diameter of 5 to 50 μm are created as shown on fig1 and 2d . once again , the size of these channels 115 is only illustrative of one contemplated embodiment , for one type of fluid to create one type of fluid composite 1 with unique properties . these sizes of bubbles 201 correspond for example to an internal radius ( r g ) of small spheres of 2 . 5 microns 25 microns . the absolute volume of gas ( v g ) is given by v g = p ( 4 / 3 ) πr g 3 where p is the pressure inside the sphere . v g can be calculated to be in a range for channels 115 of 5 to 50 μm from v g = 65 . 5 p to 65 , 500 * p μm 3 . in a network structure where cells are arranged as shown in the configuration of fig2 b , the volume of fuel ( v f ) in the shell surrounding a single bubble is v f =( 4 / 3 ) πr f 3 − v g / p where r f is the radius of the sphere of liquid and v g is the volume of a sphere of gas . as shown on fig2 b , in one embodiment , the shell of the bubbles have a thickness in proportion with the thickness of gas inside the bubble ( i . e . where r f ˜ 2r g ). in such a sample case , v f = 1151 to 524 , 000 μm 3 . while one ratio of thickness of the fuel 202 over the size of the gas 201 is shown and used to help described the fluid composite 1 , one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that fluid composites 1 can be produced having a very wide range of geometries based on the evolution , calibration , of different properties , such as the ratio of the flow rate of incoming gas to the flow rate of incoming liquid , the ratio of volume at the different phases alongside the device shown at fig1 , etc . returning to the above example , in order to obtain stoichiometric gas to liquid ratio of 10 %, i . e . a fluid composite having a volume of gas of 4 . 14 liters the volume of liquid over the volume of fuel is taken to be v g / v f = 4 . 14 where for example a 5 μm gas bubble is used , a pressure of 17 bars = vf * 4 . 14 / vg so a ratio of 1151 * 4 . 14 / 65 . 5 = 4 . 10 is calculated . with a fixed internal bubble of 5 μm , with a reverse calculation we can determine volume of fluid of 268 . 5 μm 3 and thus determine a radius for the external shell of fuel of 9 . 75 μm . within the confines of testing , in one embodiment , at a stoichiometric air to fuel ratio of 10 %, the pressure of the fluid composite is 17 bars for an air entry of 45 bars , for a ratio of 20 %, the pressure rises to 35 bars , and for a ratio of 30 % the pressure becomes 50 bars for the same air entry pressure . this calculation is a sample calculation and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the thickness of the outer shell of liquid may vary based on a plurality of static and dynamic conditions created within the device as shown at fig1 . a volume of 1 liter of fluid represents a volume 1 × 10 15 μm3 which can contain up to 1 . 8 × 10 9 cells of a volume of 5 . 24 × 10 5 cubic micrometers . the inventor has calculated that in one embodiment , the fluid composite had a density of approximately 2 . 7 × 10 7 cells / l . while fig2 b teaches a fluid composite where each cell 200 touches the adjacent cell , the fluid composite 1 remains a fluid composite even if the density of cells within the composite drops . for example , the inventor has determined that at density concentrations of 1 . 5 % of the maximum cell density , the fluid composite 1 remains a fluid composite and the associated properties . further , in order for the micro - bubble to remain stable for a length of time prior to entry of the micro - bubble into a combustion chamber , the shell of the liquid surrounding the compressed gas is thick enough to prevent the micro - bubble from bursting . in a dynamic mixture , the energy stored within the composite fluid in the form of brownian movement must first be reduced greatly before the bubbles can collapse . in a regular flow , the fluid molecules in the static walls around pockets of gas thins down as the fluid migrates down under the force of gravity . the walls thin up to a value equivalent to the surface tension forces within the liquid . in a stable flow made of micro - bubbles , an equilibrium must be such that surface tension forces of the liquid shell of a bubble is sufficient to prevent a bubble to collapse with an adjacent bubble having similar properties . small liquid droplets such as the micro - bubbles are describes and defined by the young - laplace equation : where γ is the surface tension of the external liquid shell of a bubble , r x and r y are curvature radius in x and y axis respectively , and δp is the pressure difference in bars between the internal and the external of the bubble . for the interface water / air at room temperature , γ is approximately 73 mn / m . for an interface between most fuel / air the surface tension is in the range of γ = 20 to 40 nm / m . for the micro - bubbles to maintain coherent in a network of cells as shown on fig1 a to 13d , the pressure variation between the inside portion of the bubble and the outside must be coherent . for droplets of water at standard room temperature and pressure , internal pressure of the bubble cannot rise above 0 . 0014 bar for a bubble of 1 mm in radius , 0 . 0144 bar for a bubble of 100 μm , 1 . 43 bar for a bubble of 1 μm in radius , and 143 bar for a bubble of 10 ηm in radius . in the above example where the surface tension fuel / air is approximately half of the surface tension as the water / air figure , these values are taken to be half of the listed values . these values do not take into effect that the bubbles operate in a fixed volume of incompressible liquid . in a fixed volume area such as the area within a pipe , the effect of small bubble walls collapsing into a single larger bubble , thus breaking the fluid composite would result in a reduction of the surface between the liquid and the gas , an increase in the compactness of the liquid , and thus a diminution of the internal pressure of the gas . at equilibrium , the fluid composite is in a state where surface tension is such that the pressure difference between the inside of the bubbles when compared to the pressure inside the incompressible fluid acting on the outside of the bubbles is inferior to the young - laplace value . at these values , the collapse of a bubble no longer results in a negative value of the gibbs free energy per unit area . fig2 a shows a gaseous compressed kernel or cell 200 of a fluid composite 1 as shown on fig2 b . each cell 200 as shown includes a compressed gas center 201 surrounded by a shell of incompressible liquid 202 . shells are held in shape under the external pressure of the fluid composite 1 and in situations where the pressure is uniform in the fluid composite , the structure of the cell 200 is spherical . d 2 illustrates both the external diameter of the liquid cell 200 and the distance between centers of adjacent fuel cells 200 . fig2 c illustrates a situation where pressure in the fluid composite 1 is not uniform . the illustration is of a slice in thickness of oval shape cells 200 where the distance in one direction remains d 2 , but is compressed in the other direction to ½ of d 2 . in this context , the distance between centers of two adjacent cells is only ¾ of d 2 . pressure as shown on fig2 c is greater in the horizontal axis by a factor of 2 . in one contemplated embodiment , the pressure is caused by external sources such as the pressure of the fluid entering the fluid composite device as shown on fig1 and the like . the fluid composite 1 as shown , unlike the liquid , is compressible in part . the partly compressible nature the fluid composite allows for the composite to evolve past structures of variable geometries and expand / contact locally in yet another advantageous property of the fluid composite 1 . fig2 d shows a portion of the device for the production of the fluid composite 1 as shown at fig1 where the gaseous fuel cells 201 are dynamically being created . fig1 shows an illustration to help understand the interface where the gas cells 201 connect with the activated liquid or gasified liquid portion . returning to fig2 d , air is accelerated and split into small linear channels 115 . the gas as shown is pushed at a speed where it becomes fully turbulent . in addition to molecular movement and linear average displacement of the gas molecules , small vortices structures are created in the flow creating small circulating structure within the gas at the area of release as shown . these vortices have the pressure of the gas within the channel 115 and store dynamic and kinetic energy in surplus of linear kinetic energy . the molecules of gas arrange in what is described as a dynamic evolution . in one embodiment , the dynamic evolution is a series of vortices where the gas is arranged in structures with rotational energy . other structures and movements of the gas is contemplated as part of the dynamic evolution . once gas as part of these structures leave the channels 115 , they have strong dynamic and turbulent activity . their coherent structure has a average diameter of d 1 shown to be the diameter of the channel 115 corrected by the depression ratio created within a ring channel 113 . the illustration shows in a simplified fashion how the vortices align along the wall and move up in the ring channel 113 but this alignment is shown for illustration purposes only , the cells 201 already with turbulent movement move in this area in a turbulent fashion under a high rate of speed that is equal to the flow of speed of the fluid composite 1 in the device . the distance between the two coaxial reflectors between the hydraulic and the pneumatic sections 110 is shown with a thickness of h creating a turbulent fluid flow of thickness h . in one embodiment , the thickness h is in the range of 5 to 100 microns , in another embodiment , h is in the range of 10 to 50 microns but thicker ranges such as 100 to 500 microns or even greater are also contemplated . the liquid accelerated and having highly turbulent and dynamic velocity is then projected into the ring channel 113 area where it expands in the increased volume . fig1 shows how the fluid 1208 may expand to encompass the entire area 1209 considered to be a local ring zone between a hydro - dynamical area and the aerodynamic area where both streams 110 , 115 travel . the pressure varies within the area 1209 and as a consequence , vortex bubbles are created at 1206 and travel upwards to a zone of settled low pressure and high linear speed 1207 before entering a zone 1212 of low pressure and linear movement where the streams merge to form the fluid composite 1 and settles into a channel 123 . the fluid when released at 1208 , is turbulent and dynamic . at 1210 , an elastic resistance wave is shown where compressed cells 1212 connect with the fluid 110 to create a network of fast moving cells as part of the fluid composite 1 as shown with greater detail at fig2 a - c . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that while a regular array of cells is shown , each with a gas center 201 surrounded by a shell of incompressible liquid 202 , the energy poured into the creation of the fluid composite 1 is greater and much of the energy remains stored as dynamic elements within the fluid composite 1 . for example , the different cells 1211 shown on fig1 have relative movement and translate , move and shake as would molecules based on a brownian movement . the gas within the gas center 201 also retains kinetic and dynamic energy , and the fluid also moves turbulently between the pockets of compressed gas . in an embodiment , the energy is sufficient to help dilute a large fraction of gas molecules , such as gas of nitrogen from the air into the fluid . in another embodiment , the energy is sufficient to break chemical bonds in water and in air and create chemical radicals that can reattach in a plurality of useful ways . for example , if the fluid and the gas are at different temperatures , the resulting mixture may be at the average temperature of the input fluids but a higher energy fluid can be used to help promote nitrogen dilution , chemical reactions , or even cracking of the water for hydrogen ion production . what is shown and described is a pressurized fluid composite 1 within a vessel such as an external case 106 shown in one embodiment as a portion of a cylindrical pipe . in one embodiment , the external case 106 is a pipe of uniform diameter . fluid as shown on fig1 enters at 101 and the fluid composite 1 exits at 126 as the stabilized fluid composite 1 on the right of the device . the fluid composite 1 is made of a network of fuel cells 200 in dynamic contact with each other as shown at fig2 b or even fig1 . the structure includes a plurality of fuel spheres or fuel cells 200 each multilevel fuel sphere including a core of compressed gas 201 in dynamic evolution , and a shell 202 surrounding the core of compressed gas 201 made of a liquid in dynamic movement . the dynamic contact of fuel cells shown as a neatly packed array of cells 200 is a turbulent displacement of adjacent and connecting cells 200 in a three dimensional environment moving in relation to each other . the dynamic movement of the liquid of the shell 202 of each cell 200 is a turbulent movement of liquid molecules within the thickness of the shell 202 , and the dynamic evolution of the compressed gas 201 is a turbulent movement with vortices . within the scope of this disclosure , the term dynamic as part of the expression dynamic contact , dynamic movement , dynamic evolution , or any other expression is to be read and understood as an open handed word to include in addition to any ordinary meaning the fact the different molecules , particles , and constituents of a fluid or gas have a higher level of energy and that as a consequence the molecular agitation , either in term of the linear velocity , angular velocity , spin , brownian movement , or even temperature are greater than a non dynamic state in contrast to a static state that is non dynamic . the term dynamic include kinetic energy , positive enthalpy changes , positive entropy changes , etc . in another embodiment , the turbulent displacement is a brownian movement , a movement that seemingly appears random but is a continuous - time stochastic process . in another embodiment , the fluid composite 1 is made of an incompressible liquid such as a hydrocarbon based fuel and the gas is compressed air . a ratio of the volume of the core of compressed gas over the volume of the fuel cells is 10 % to 30 % of the stoichiometric air , or a ratio of 1 . 47 to 4 . 38 to 1 where stoichiometric ratio is 14 . 7 of air over fuel and 10 % is 1 . 47 time the volume of air to fuel . fig1 shows a device 100 for the production of a fluid composite 1 . this device is explained partly in united states under application ser . no . 12 / 529 , 625 , filed sep . 2 , 2009 , and entitled “ dynamic mixing of fluids ”, and ser . no . 12 / 529 , 617 , filed sep . 2 , 2009 , and entitled “ method of dynamic mixing of fluids ” both applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety . this device 100 is shown with a plurality of different embodiments at fig3 to 7 , and is shown as part of a system for the production of a fluid composite at fig8 to 11 . this device 1 is used to conduct the dynamic mixing and the production of a fluid composite 1 for a plurality of uses including but not limited to the injection of aerated and compressed fuel into an injection chamber of a combustion cycle . the gas serving as the oxide must be brought in immediate contact with the fuel for optimum combustion of the fuel . when compressed gas 201 as shown on fig2 is released into a non - compressed area , such as a combustion chamber or any other opened area , the gas will immediately expand to reach atmospheric pressure by increasing in size in proportion with its pressure . the external shell 202 under the expansion force , will rip apart the fuel and create a very uniform mist of fuel where combustion is enhanced . high efficiency in fuel burning corresponds to high efficiency in burning of thermal equipment . in a diesel type fuel , greater burning and cleaner burning rates can result from using the composite fuel 1 . a larger quantity of compressed air , up to 20 times more can be used as carburant of the diesel fuel . the volume of the fluid composite 1 can be increased several times fold , for example the volume of gas reaches for diesel up to 20 times the volume of fuel . pressure can also be increased during the process of aeration or formation of the fluid composite 1 by adding pressurized gas to an already pressurized inlet of liquid . in one embodiment , the linear speed of the composite fuel 126 over the arrival fuel 101 as shown on fig1 can be up to 20 to 1 or a proportion of the aeration ratio . pressure can be increased up to five times , the output flame created by the release of the composite fuel 1 in an open area can be increased multiple times because of the added pressure and internal expansion . in one embodiment , an increase in length of a torch in a flame in a burner of 3 × is measured . the volume of flame of the fuel is also increased with the same proportion . as a result of greater and cleaner combustion using the fluid composite 1 over ordinary fuel and the lesser the release of waste such as no x , co , co 2 , and soot particles . the fluid composite 1 is a fuel with new properties . adding gas does more than create a dual state mixture . the fluid composite 1 has a new physical structure , a new dynamic state that is compressible , can be expanded , may be further merged with other sources of gas or liquids , and results in a fuel with different performance and properties . the fluid composite 1 has increased thermal efficiency , increased burning capacity , reduction of the specific charge of the fuel . further , as part of the process of creation of the fluid composite 1 , gas is added and the volume and resulting speed of the fluid composite 1 is increased . the fluid composite 1 is a three - dimensional mixture made of a mixture of components in dynamic movement . the nature of the fluid composite 1 allows for an easier flow thought variable geometry designs cause by the compressible / expansive nature of the composite 1 . in another embodiment , water is added to the fluid composite to enhance hydrocarbon burning as known in the art . further , the compressed gas will serve to propel the fluid composite 1 out of the nozzle head . once the fluid composite 1 is formed , the mass ratio of gas over liquid is fixed and does not change until the fluid composite 1 is finally expanded at a point of combustion , if it is expanded into an open volume with gas or liquid present ; for example in a burning chamber of a burner or the piston of a diesel engine . since the gas is compressible and the liquid is generally not compressible , as the pressure varies , the volumetric ratio unlike the mass ratio changes . as for any composite 1 , such as diesel fluid composite , or any other composite , a compressibility limit exists . in an ordinary liquid , when a pressure change enters the medium , the liquid does not significantly change in volume . in an ordinary gas the medium is compressible and as the pressure changes in proportion with the pressure change ( e . g . pv = nrt ). for example , an increase by 100 % of the pressure results in a decrease of half of the volume of the gas . in the fluid composite , as the pressure changes , the liquid remains incompressible but the small spheres of gas 201 are compressible and will change in volume based on the evolution of volume of a sphere . for the above increase of the pressure by 100 %, the volume of gas of a sphere v g =( 4 / 3 ) πr g 3 must be halved so the pressure inside of a small gas bubble doubles . a sphere of gas 201 of diameter 50 μm and a radius of r g = 25 μm ( v g = 65 , 500 μm 3 ) will increase in pressure twofold once the volume is halved ( here to 32 , 750 μm 3 ). the new radius of the gas sphere 201 associated with this volume is r g =˜ 20 μm . as the gas spheres grow smaller , understandably their capacity to shrink under pressure will reduce . the fluid composite 1 evolves when a large fraction of gas is present in the composite 1 from a gas like composite and morphs into and acts more like an incompressible liquid once the volumetric fraction of gas decreases . in the above example , if the composite is viewed in two dimensional , the gas proportion will evolve from an initial gas surface of s 1 = 1964 μm 2 = πr 1 2 to a final gas surface of s 2 = 1256 μm 2 = πr 1 2 . so the change in surface of the volume is s 2 / s 1 = 1256 / 1964 = 0 . 64 or 64 % for a decrease of the volume of the spheres of 50 %. as the fluid composite 1 has a ratio of gas to liquid that closure to a liquid , this proportion changes accordingly . the fluid composite 1 has evolving unique properties based on partially and evolving compressible nature . other properties such as latent heat , thermal capacity , specific heat , also evolve as a fluid composite 1 and not as two individual mixed elements . what is described and understood as the composite is a material , that includes a very large quantity of small volumes having different characteristics that result in creating an overall material called the composite 1 with characteristics and properties that different from a sum of its constituents . fig1 and associated fig3 illustrate an incoming stream 101 of incompressible liquid made in one embodiment of hydro - carbons or a fuel . a hydraulic section of the device 102 is connected to an inlet such as a fuel pipeline or any other connector . as the stream 101 travels up the device illustrated here from left to right , it passes an entrance 103 and is split outwardly over a conical reflector 104 . at the base of the conical reflector 104 , the fuel reaches the opening channels 107 in the shape of a ring after traveling in the fixed external diameter cavity 106 where the fluid is accelerated . the stream 101 is split and enters the channels 107 and then reaches ring channel 109 to create a homogenous turbulent stream after a second step acceleration . element 108 is an alignment element to help assemble and align the hydraulic and pneumatic parts . the gas from an external source enters at channels 122 and travels up 121 until it expands at 120 around a conical shaped section . another inner cone 119 serves as a guide element to direct the gas past the zone 117 and because of a reduction in section around the code to accelerate the gas into another ringed area with channels 116 . after the gas is flipped at the tip of the channels 116 , it then moves down opened channels 115 to meet the turbulent fluid . the fluid and the gas pass on opposite sides of the double coaxial reflector 111 before entering and mixing into the ring channel 112 and ultimately the ring 113 where merger and formation of the fluid composite 1 occurs . line 114 illustrates the border at which the fluid composite 1 is formed and ultimately travels down the channels 123 for the accumulation of the fluid composite down in the apertures 124 into a single stream at the axial aperture 125 . a casing 127 is used for example as a heat sink or is used to help with post processing and alteration of a characteristic of the fluid composite 1 after it is formed . greater details are given of this device and apparatus in the parent application hereby fully incorporated by reference . fig3 describes shows as 3 a and 3 b two sections , the first where a gas enters the device 100 and where the fluid composite 1 where the fluid composite 1 evolves . at fig3 a air or compressed gas enters at 301 at apertures for fastening pipelines where air arrives from a compressor . the gas evolves up channels 122 and reach the center 121 where the air then proceeds upwards to the area for the production of the fluid composite 1 . fig3 a further illustrates four channels 123 where the fluid composite 1 travels back to the area illustrated by fig3 b . in fig3 b the fluid composite 1 after traveling down from the main portion of the device past the area shown at 3 a merges back via channels 124 to the axial aperture 125 . both fig3 a and 3b show a x shape system with four apertures or four channels for the transfer of the gas and the fluid composite 1 respectively , but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that while one possible configuration is shown , any geometry , number of apertures , or number of channels is contemplated . fig4 is a cross - section of the device for producing a fluid composite of fig3 including a post production chamber is used to further alter the fluid composite according to another embodiment of the present disclosure . at the back end ( right side on the figure ), an area is reserved 401 for post processing of the fluid composite 1 before it is released . for example , the device can include a coil or a cooling element to alter the temperature of the fluid composite 1 . fig5 is a cross - section of the device for producing a fluid composite of fig1 including an acceleration nozzle 501 for entry of a secondary fluid such as air or water to be merged with the fluid composite 1 at 503 after it is released via the channel 502 . the passageway 503 can be a flat vortex creator with inclined passageway or be on a conical shape section 703 as shown at fig7 . fig6 is a cross - section of the device shown at fig5 further including a secondary fluid inlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure . fluid pressurized or not is added such as additional combustion air to help push or accelerate the fluid composite 1 or simply to further increase the quantity of air in the mixture . the spiral 701 with tangential channels 704 is shown and is designed to create a vortex movement in the fluid composite 1 before it enters the outlet . fig7 further includes an additional fluid inlet 705 for the entry of a fluid but this time directly in the area of the device 100 where the fluid composite 1 is created . fig6 shows how a fluid inlet 602 includes an opening 603 for the passage of liquid into the area of interest 604 . in the illustrated embodiment , a groove 601 can be made to help guide the incoming liquid to the area of interest 604 . what is described is a fluid activation device 100 to generate a aerated fluid composite 1 with a hydrodynamic portion in contact with the fuel 101 for activating at least a fuel by subsequently pressurizing the fuel 101 over for example a cone 104 and depressurizing the fuel 101 into a low pressure zone 113 for mixing of the liquid such as the fuel with a compressed gas entered via 122 to form a fluid composite 1 a shown on fig2 . the device 100 further includes an aerodynamic portion shown as elements 118 , 119 , and 127 overlapping with the hydrodynamic portion at an interface region with conical shaped reflectors 111 for mixing a compressed gas from an external source 122 such as a compressor into the at least an input compressed fuel 101 at the low pressure zone of mixing 113 by subsequently pressurizing the gas , and changing a flow direction of the gas into the fluid composite 1 . further , the device 100 includes a secondary gas inlet 501 as shown at fig5 to introduce gas or a different fluid into the fluid composite 1 to form an aerated fluid composite shown by the arrow on the right side of the device 100 . in one embodiment , the hydrodynamic portion includes a housing 105 with a cavity having a center cone 104 for pressuring the liquid 101 and directing the liquid 101 to a plurality of channels 107 and ultimately to capillary ring channel 110 between two conical shaped surfaces 111 for depressurization into the low pressure zone 113 . in yet another embodiment , the secondary gas inlet 122 or as shown by a cross 301 on fig3 a is in a housing 127 of the aerodynamic portion 118 , 119 , and 127 . in another embodiment , the aerated fluid composite 540 as shown on fig5 is a fluid composite 1 with more than a stoichiometric volume of gas in weight or a regulated stoichiometric volume for further compression of the fluid composite 1 . in fig3 a , the gas inlet 310 is radial to the housing , in another embodiment the housing further includes an external device for altering a characteristic of the aerated fluid composite 401 as shown on fig1 . in addition to providing information about the fluid composite 1 , and a device 100 for the production of the fluid composite 1 , what is also contemplated is a system 1000 where the device 100 for producing the fluid composite 1 is connected functionally . fig8 to 11 illustrate respectively each of the devices shown at fig1 , and 6 respectively as part of an integrated functional system 1000 with a device 100 where the fluid composite is used . the system 1000 as shown includes the device 100 for the production of a fluid composite 1 . the system includes a compressor 806 with a pump and a nanometer 807 for the calibration and control of the flow of gas from the compressor 806 to the entry port 122 of the device 100 . the second input is a fluid pumped up from a tank 801 having a gauge or a level 802 and is pumped via the pump 803 through a meter 804 or filters / gauge 805 . in one embodiment , the tank 801 is filled with hydrocarbons or fuel . as drawn on fig8 , an additional tank 811 is used to collect surpluses of fluid composite that is settled down in an depressurized state through a gauge or safety valve 810 and is recycled into the tank 801 . finally , the fluid composite 1 produced by the device 100 is sent to a use , such as in one example an atomizer 8 for a combustion chamber 809 . while one use and one configuration of the system 1000 is shown , what is contemplated is the use of the device 100 as part of any system , with any technology , that requires the fluid composite 1 . fig9 shows the same structure as in fig8 with the added description of the different zones for the creation of the fluid composite 1 . these zones are described as zones 901 to 909 . as described above , gas enters from the compressor 806 from one end while fluid enters from the tank 801 from the opposite end of the device 100 . the steps 901 to 909 are listed in this succession as the fluid passes from 901 to 905 , merges with the gas coming from the compressor 806 in zone 906 and finally moves out as shown in zones 907 to 909 . zone 901 is a state the fluid passes from a continuous cylindrical flow to a ring shaped flow . based on the angle of the different cones in this region and the associated effective surfaces open to the flow of fluid , the speed of the fluid is increased , slowed , or unchanged . in the configuration as shown , the speed of the fluid is accelerated in zone 901 and enters zone 902 the ring shape is formed so it aligns with the channels in zone 903 . small streams of uniform cross section , such as cylindrical diameters of 5 to 50 micrometers are made . these channels have a fixed length so as to create a pressure drop in the fluid . at zone 904 , a buffer zone allows for the collection of a small quantity of fluid before it may continue down to zone 905 and is dispersed . zone 905 is a conic ring dispenser where the distance can be up to 200 micrometers but in one embodiment , the distance is 5 to 50 microns . as the streams move in this zone , the streams split in zone 903 take on a unique dynamic and kinetic configuration . expansion based on the bernoulli principle further increases the dynamic configuration of the stream of liquid . at zone 906 , the volume of the ring is such that pressure drops below a certain pressure so conditions of expansion and partial vaporization occurs . as observed , the flow downstream from zone 906 is of such a size as to allow for the ring at zone 906 to be in depression ( i . e . where the flow is unclogged ). at this border shown by 114 the fluid mixes in with the gas and the fluid composite 1 is formed in a partially compressible medium . zone 907 is a zone of intensive formation of cells of the fluid composite and a zone of high energy before the stream can stabilize in zone 908 as an accumulation of cells with a fixed pressure . finally , at zone 909 , this area includes in one embodiment a vortex creator capable of creating a spiral movement within the fluid composite 1 by using some internally stored energy in the composite 1 . fig1 shows the configuration of fig8 where the system further includes a second source of compressed air connected to the compressor 806 via a nanometer 1001 and a gauge for the determination and calibration of the flow and charge of compressed air for calibration . the system further includes as shown a second gauge 1003 for the primary flow of air . finally , fig1 includes other elements of one possible embodiment of the system 1000 such as a connector 1104 for entering a second source of fluid at zone 905 using a reservoir 1101 , a gage 1102 , and a load charge gauge 1103 . other elements such as control elements 1005 and 1006 can be added to the use element 808 to better utilize the fluid composite 1 as a compressed media . what is further described is a system 1000 for producing an aerated fluid composite with a source of fuel from the tank 801 connected to a hydrodynamic portion for activating at least a fuel in at least one of zones 901 by subsequently pressurizing the fuel 902 and depressurizing the fuel 903 into a low pressure zone for mixing 906 of the liquid with a compressed gas from the compressor 806 to form a fluid composite 1 . the source of compressed gas 806 is then connected to an aerodynamic portion as shown on fig9 overlapping with the hydrodynamic portion at an interface region shown at 905 for mixing a compressed gas into the at least an input compressed fuel at the low pressure zone 906 of mixing by subsequently pressurizing the gas , and changing a flow direction of the gas at zone 905 into the fluid composite 1 created at 907 . the system 1000 also includes a secondary gas inlet 501 to introduce gas also from a compressor 806 or any other source into the fluid composite 1 and connected to the source of compressed gas to form an aerated fluid composite . in another embodiment , an aerated fluid composite outlet 766 is connected to an element 808 for use of the aerated fluid composite . the aerodynamic portion and the secondary gas inlet may also be connected to two different sources of compressed gas ( not shown ). while in at least some examples described above , the fuel activation device is described generally as mixing fuel and water , the fuel activation device can mix various types of liquid components . for example , the fuel activation device can mix two dissimilar liquid components such as fuel and water . in some additional examples , the fuel activation device can mix two homogeneous components , such as gasoline and ethanol . in yet additional examples , the fuel activation device can mix at least three diverse components , such as gasoline , ethanol and water . in such embodiments , two of the components are provided to one of the liquid inputs to the hydrodynamic portion of the fuel activation device . as shown in fig1 d , as the fuel - air mix stabilizes , the bubbles of fuel align to form a foam . while one regular quadratic cell configuration is shown , any configuration of optimized contact area based on the geometry of the cell is contemplated . in the stabilized fuel air mix , the average diameter of the fuel spheres ( e . g ., the diameter of the compressed gas core if present and the shell of fuel ) becomes similar since the boundary conditions are the same across the entire fluid composite . while the average diameter of the fuel spheres is constant , the diameter of the kernel of compressed gas can vary between fuel spheres based on the local pressure of the fluid . for example , some fuel spheres , have a core of a small or minimal diameter while others have a kernel that is so large that the coating on the fuel sphere has an insufficient thickness to provide stability due to forces of superficial tension . smaller pressure allows for the gas kernel to expand creating a bubble with a smaller shell . over time , fuel spheres are likely to burst . in some thermodynamic arrangements , in order to reduce the number of fuel spheres that burst prior to combustion , the time between formation of the foamed fuel and combustion of the fuel can be short . in general , it can be desirable to form micro - bubbles having a ratio of the radius of the kernel of compressed to the thickness of the shell of liquid of between about 0 . 8 and 2 . 5 ( e . g ., between about 1 and about 2 , between about 1 . 5 and about 2 , about 2 ). such a ratio again based on boundary conditions can provide a stable micro - bubble that is less likely to burst while still providing an increased surface area of the fuel . the foamed fuel ( e . g ., such as the fuel shown in fig1 d ) is inserted into a combustion chamber . when injected into the combustion chamber during a running cycle , the kinetic parameters of the activated volume of the fuel mix , in combination with the large active surface area of an activated unit dose of fuel , makes the burning process highly efficient . different flows of liquid diesel fuel were entered into the device as shown on fig1 at 101 . a rate of 7 . 5 gallons / hour , 4 . 5 gallons / hour and a rate of 2 gallons / hour , with an added weight ratio of 10 % of the needed stoichiometric air used for burning to form composite fuel . the combustion performance was increased in the range of 25 to 45 % in equal condition without the added air in the form of fuel . a reduction in toxic exhaust gasses has been observed . one parameter was adjusted , such as the pressure of the compressed air to regulate the nature and composition of the fuel composite 1 . upon expansion of the composite fuel , this mixture remain a composite . instead of 7 . 5 gallons of fuel producing 100 mj of energy in one hour , the fuel composite made of 5 . 25 gallons of fuel and 89 . 25 gallons of air at a pressure of 17 bars will produce the same energy output , thus saving 2 . 25 gallons of fuel well within the range of 25 to 45 %. testing conditions were within 23 % of calculated values and corresponds in a commercial boiler to an increase of fuel performance from a value of 75 % to approximately 87 %. one term that may be used to described the liquid fluid composite 1 is an emulsion or micro - emulsion of liquid where the mixture inside the different droplets is of a geometry based on the different size of the structure of the device for the production of the emulsion . for example , the different channel are of a diameter to produce the emulsion or the fuel composite of determined size without the need of surfactants or other chemicals made to change the property of the fuel . in one embodiment , the flow rate of the different liquids / gas entering the device are varied to alter the pressure , geometry , and different dynamic proportions of the emulsion . the term fluid composite 1 as part of this disclosure must be construed to be , for example a highly structure mixture , with either microscopic structured mix or macroscopic structured mix as described and shown . emulsions or what is generally described as highly structured mixtures or more generally composites can be used in many different fields of technology including for combustion chambers , in the food industry , in the pharmaceutical industry , or for general mixing of fluids , liquids , liquids and gas , or fuel and gas . returning to fig1 , and the structures shown at fig1 a to 13d , as described above , instead of using a liquid as the first stream 110 and a gas as the second stream 115 , what is contemplated as disclosed in the incorporated references is the use of two liquids to form what can be described as an emulsion , a nanoemulsion , or a microemulsion based on the size of the device used . for example a mixture of water and water , or fuel and water or any other two fluid can be used . as shown at fig1 , a first fluid 1208 is drawn into the device rapidly and with great energy and broken into narrow streams 110 sliding past two conical walls 102 , 111 . the fluid 1208 then enters a circular ring area 1209 when it is free to expand to encompass the entire area 1209 considered to be a local ring zone between a hydro - dynamical area and what was called above as the aerodynamic area , now the second hydro - dynamic area . the pressure varies within the area 1209 and as a consequence there is an expansion of the first and second fluids as long as the ring area 1209 is of sufficient size to at least process the volumetric flows of the two streams combined . fluid from the second stream 115 when it arrives at point 1206 has a level of dynamic energy including vortices created from the shearing forces on the conical reflector . the fluids when released at 1208 and 1206 are turbulent and dynamic . at 1210 , an elastic resistance wave is shown where compressed cells 1212 connect with the fluid 110 to create a network of fast moving cells as part of an emulsion also described and shown as a fluid composite 1 as shown with greater detail at fig2 a - c . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that while a regular array of cells is shown , each with a liquid center 201 surrounded by a shell of incompressible liquid 202 , the energy poured into the creation of the fluid composite 1 is greater and much of the energy remains stored as dynamic elements within the fluid composite 1 . for example , the different cells 1211 shown on fig1 have relative movement and translate , move and shake as would molecules based on a brownian movement . the liquid within the liquid center 201 also retains kinetic and dynamic energy , and the fluid also moves turbulently between small pockets of internal fluid . in an embodiment shown at fig1 to 20 , the dynamic mixing energy is sufficient to help dilute a large fraction of the secondary liquid into the fluid and / or to create smaller structures within the primary liquid . in another embodiment , the energy is sufficient to break chemical bonds in either of the fluids to create chemical radicals that can reattach in a plurality of useful ways or to create small shells having a stable surface caused by excluded volume repulsion , electrostatic interaction , van der waals forces , entropic forces , or even steric forces . for example , if the fluids are at different temperatures , pressures , or flow speeds , the resulting mixture may be at the average temperature of the input fluids or can result in the creation of different microscopic structures within the mixture . gases in comparison to most liquids are highly compressible , and when located as described above in the inner portion of a fuel composite cell once released into an open cavity at a lower pressure , the gas will expand in a much greater proportion than the liquid and in turn any wall of the cell formed with a liquid with be expanded outwardly and stretched to increase the gas to liquid contact surface and thus the burn ratio . pressurized fluids all have different bulk modulus and while generally considered non compressible in relation with gases , the liquids are in fact compressible to some limited ratio . when two liquids form an emulsion , and the emulsion is pressurized or changes in pressure over time , the volumetric ratio of both phases will change as the pressure varies and so with any structural composition . the pressurization of an emulsion made of cells with an internal volume of a first fluid and an external wall made of a second liquid is easier and does not require the compression and management of an important decrease of the volume of the fluid . as the pressure increases in an emulsion , there can be important changes in certain of the characteristics of the fluids . for example , the heat storage capacity , or the evaporation temperature . highly pressurized fluids also have different viscosities , and shear modulus than their unpressured counterparts . organic and inorganic compounds such as oil can break down at very high pressure rates as the shear forces increase . in the case of emulsions , the dynamic effect that keep the cell structure apart can radically change when pressure is varied . fig1 shows on the right a clear fuel that is not an emulsion , and on the left an opaque emulsion formed of little droplets of one liquid into the structure of the other liquid as shown at fig1 with greater detail . the white haze of the emulsion is a stable structure described hereafter . in the example given and shown at fig1 , a mixture of 15 % of water to 85 % of fuel shows droplets of approximately 1 to 2 micrometers of a pressurized emulsion at 3 bars of pressure . once pressure is lowered , the structure can evolve into what is shown at fig1 . in fig1 , the larger cell clearly shows white spots concentric to the center . the other smaller cells also have white structures within the larger cell . fig1 , and 18 show a close up view of the nebulous feature of each cell along with the regular shape outer cell wall . the larger droplet , can also as some level of mixing include a different type of mixed structure within the larger cell . what is shown as a white hue is a complex nano - structure within a larger micro - structure stable based on different properties to form the unique emulsion described herein . pressure variations , as part of the dynamic system to create these emulsions is important . when pressure on the overall emulsion is changed , the pressure on each complex nano - structures also changes . for example , the white hue at fig1 may be caused by light scattering on pressure variations in the structure , or a partly evaporated water vapor pressurized within smaller cells . what is observed is the unique properties of the emulsion , how it reacts when pressure , temperature , and other external conditions change . what is also observed is how the structure also changes with the different proportions of the mixture , the speed and pressure of entry into the mix . what is shown and described is a pressurized emulsion 1 within a vessel such as an external case 106 shown in one embodiment as a portion of a cylindrical pipe . in one embodiment , the external case 106 is a pipe of uniform diameter . fluid as shown on fig1 enters at 101 and the emulsion 1 exits at 126 as the stabilized emulsion 1 on the right of the device . the emulsion 1 is made of a network of fuel cells 200 in dynamic contact with each other as shown at fig2 b or even fig1 . the structure includes a plurality of fuel spheres or fuel cells 200 each multilevel fuel sphere including a core of a different liquid 201 in dynamic evolution as shown at fig1 , and a shell 202 surrounding the core of liquid such as water 201 made of a liquid in dynamic movement . the dynamic contact of fuel cells shown as a neatly packed array of cells 200 is a turbulent displacement of adjacent and connecting cells 200 in a three dimensional environment moving in relation to each other . the dynamic movement of the liquid of the shell 202 of each cell 200 is a turbulent movement of liquid molecules within the thickness of the shell 202 , and the dynamic evolution of the liquid 201 is a turbulent movement with vortices . in another embodiment , the turbulent displacement is a brownian movement , a movement that seemingly appears random but is a continuous - time stochastic process . in another embodiment , the fluid composite 1 is made of an incompressible liquid such as a hydrocarbon based fuel and water without or without small solid particles such as soot into the water . fig1 shows a device 100 for the production of both a fluid composite 1 made of two gases ( gas composite ), two liquids ( emulsion dynamic composite ), a liquid and a gas ( gaseous composite ). this device 100 is shown with a plurality of different embodiments at fig3 to 7 , and is shown as part of a system for the production of a dynamic emulsion composite at fig8 to 11 . this device 1 is used to conduct the dynamic mixing and the production of an emulsion 1 for a plurality of uses including but not limited to the emulsion injection of compressed fuel into an injection chamber of a combustion cycle . in a combustion system , such as an engine piston , if a dynamic emulsion composite is used with both a fuel and a fraction of water and without air , the composite will rely on external oxidation gas inserted into the chamber . the unique properties of the emulsion with a fraction of a second fluid such as water serves to alter the combustion properties , for example by cooling the reaction or serving as vehicle for the recycling of unburnt hydrocarbons in the form of soot . as a result of greater and cleaner combustion using the emulsion 1 over ordinary fuel and the lesser the release of waste such as no x , co , co 2 , and soot particles . the emulsion 1 is a composite with new properties . mixing liquids does more than create a dual state mixture . the emulsion 1 has a new physical structure , a new dynamic state that is partly compressible , can be partly expanded , may be further merged with other sources of gas or liquids , and results in a fuel with different performance and properties . the emulsion 1 has increased thermal efficiency , results in increased burning capacity , reduction of the specific charge of the fuel . the emulsion 1 is a three - dimensional mixture made of a mixture of components in dynamic movement . one of ordinary skill in the art of mixing will understand that at a total level of mixing , molecules of two liquid phases , while capable of holding as a liquid , will be mixed and surrounded with molecules of the other liquid in a total dissolution . non total mixing will result in partial mixing where pockets of one type of molecules are surrounded by pockets of other molecules . what is described herein is an emulsion that is a non total mixing , but that is of a greater mix than any known emulsion . fig1 shows a regular bent of the surface of a cell at the interface between the two liquids . the bend is caused by the surface tension between both liquids / phases of the emulsion , and where the shape of the minimal surface of contact is inherent to the mixing level because the pressure difference across the fluid interface is proportional to the mean curvature as seen in a young - laplace equation . fig2 shows at a different level of resolution the surface of a shell within the structure . when two fluids are mixed , the thickness of the channels shown as h on both side of the surface at fig2 d may be calibrated to different thicknesses , for example 50 microns and 25 microns so different pressures of both fluids will result in one fluid being laminar and one fluid being turbulent thus creating a misbalance in the flow rates . for example , a laminar flow at 50 % of the surface of a turbulent flow may result in a total flow of 60 % in the mixture . as a consequence , the different size of the water droplets and the distribution of the water in the fuel will not be proportional to the surface of the streams but will be function of the state of the flow in the layer of thickness h . it is understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of some examples and embodiments of the present invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure made herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . the preceding description , therefore , is not meant to limit the scope of the invention but to provide sufficient disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention without undue burden .	1
reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout . exemplary embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a simulation - based interface testing automation system for robot software components according to an embodiment of the present invention . the system of fig1 includes a testing automation server 200 , a plurality of test build agents 300 , and a robot hardware simulator 400 . the testing automation server 200 may be implemented as a web - based automatic testing engine server ( web - based testing automation engine server ) that is accessible by a user through a web service . the testing automation server 200 may generate a test case for an interface test of robot software components . additionally , the testing automation server 200 may generate a test driver component , a test stub component , and a simulation control component that are required for testing , and may connect the generated components to each other . the testing automation server 200 may include a test case generator 210 , a test application generator 220 , an automatic build manager 230 , and a database 240 that will be further described with reference to fig2 below . the test case generator 210 may be used as an interface test case generator , and may receive interface representation information ( for example , an interface definition language ( idl ) or an extensible markup language ( xml )) and test specification information of a test target component that are input by a user 100 , and may automatically generate a plurality of test cases . here , the test cases may be stored as files in xml format in the database 240 . additionally , the user 100 may modify the test cases in the database 240 and input expected result values for each test case , through a web interface . the test case generator 210 may include an interface parser 211 , a test case candidate generator 212 , and a test case combination generator 213 , as shown in fig2 . the interface parser 211 may parse and analyze the interface representation information ( for example , the idl or the xml ) of the test target component , and may extract type information regarding input and output parameters of the test target component . the test case candidate generator 212 may generate candidate values of the test cases based on the test specification information input by the user 100 . here , the test case candidate generator 212 may generate candidates of a type of a test case for input parameter ( hereinafter , referred to as “ tcip ”), and a type of a test case for simulation control ( hereinafter , referred to as “ tcsc ”). when the test specification information for each parameter indicates values in a range , not a specific value , the test case candidate generator 212 may automatically generate test case candidates using an equivalence partitioning scheme or a boundary value analysis scheme . the equivalence partitioning scheme may be performed to partition an input domain into equivalence classes , based on range input conditions , restrictions to a specific value , conditions regarding whether the classes belong to a collection , and logic conditions . the equivalence partitioning scheme may enable a selection of a representative test case candidate for each class , assuming that when an error occurs in data in a class , the same error may occur in another data in the class . the boundary value analysis scheme is a modification of the equivalence partitioning scheme , and may be used to increase an error detectability based on a fact that errors frequently occur in boundary values of each range when input and output domains are partitioned into equivalence classes . in other words , when selecting a test case in each of the equivalence classes , data on an edge of each class may be used instead of optional data . the test case combination generator 213 may combine the test case candidates generated by the test case candidate generator 212 using a pair - wise scheme , to reduce a number of test cases . here , the pair - wise scheme is an effective test case generation technique that is based on the observation that most faults are caused by interactions of parameters . the pair - wise scheme may be implemented so that a minimum number of pairs of parameters may be formed in all test cases . the test case combination generator 213 may enable a 2 - way combination ( namely , pair - wise ), a 3 - way combination ( namely , tri - wise ), and all available combinations of parameters , so that the user 100 may remove overlapping test cases among combination pairs of parameters . as a result , a last test case combined by the test case combination generator 213 may be stored in the database 240 . the test application generator 220 may generate a test driver component used for testing for each test case based on information on the test cases and test target component , and a test stub component for a required interface of the test target component . the test application generator 220 may include a test driver component generator 221 , a test stub component generator 222 , and a simulation control component generator 223 , to respectively generate a test driver component , a test stub component , and a simulation control component . the test application generator 220 may generate a simulation control component used for a connection to a robot hardware simulator that enables a simulation instead of robot hardware , and may connect the generated components to each other so that a test may be automatically executed . the automatic build manager 230 may be used as an automatic test build manager , may be connected to the plurality of test build agents 300 that are installed in a test target environment , and may request a test build . additionally , the automatic build manager 230 may download a test case and a test application source code in the test target environment , and may store a result of compiling the source code , or performing a test . the automatic build manager 230 may include a test build scheduler 231 , and a test build agent connector 232 , as shown in fig2 . when requesting a test build , the automatic build manager 230 may perform an instant build , a reserved build , and a periodical build , through the test build scheduler 231 . the test build agent connector 232 may be connected to the plurality of test build agents 300 , may transfer a test build request to the plurality of test build agents 300 , and may receive a test result from a test build agent that performs a test among the plurality of test build agents 300 . the plurality of test build agents 300 may individually exist in various test target environments , for example , a windows ® environment and a linux environment , and may communicate with the automatic build manager 230 in the testing automation server 200 . additionally , the test build agents 300 may compile a test application source code received from the automatic build manager 230 , and may automatically perform a test . fig3 further illustrates an agent 1 300 - 1 among the test build agents 300 . referring to fig3 , the agent 1 300 - 1 may include a build agent manager 310 , a test application compiler 320 , a test application 330 , and an automatic test executor 340 . the build agent manager 310 may be a module for managing automatic test build agents , and may receive a test build request from the automatic build manager 230 of the testing automation server 200 , and may initiate a test build . the test application compiler 320 may automatically compile components required for testing , and may upload , to the database 240 of the testing automation server 200 , a compile log , an execution file , or a dynamic library file that are generated by the compiling . the test application 330 may be connected to a robot hardware simulator , and may test a test target component . specifically , the test application 330 may include required components , test cases , and test result files , and may be automatically executed by the test build agents (* the agent 1 installed in the test target environment . additionally , the test application 330 may control a test simulation environment , an object in the environment , and an operation of a target robot using the required components and the robot hardware simulator based on the test cases . the automatic test executor 340 may execute the test application 330 , and may upload a log and a test result to the testing automation server 200 . here , the log and the test result may be output during testing . the robot hardware simulator 400 may simulate a movement instead of having actual robot hardware perform movement , and may provide a virtual test environment . in particular , the robot hardware simulator 400 may be manually implemented so that the virtual test environment may be matched to characteristics of the test target component . accordingly , the robot hardware simulator 400 may be connected to the test build agents 300 , and may perform a simulation of virtual robot hardware and a robot test environment based on operations of the test build agents 300 . the robot hardware simulator 400 may be connected to the test application 330 of the agent 300 - 1 , may control the virtual robot hardware , and may dynamically change a test environment for each test case , and may perform a test . fig4 through 6 are flowcharts illustrating a simulation - based interface testing automation method for robot software components according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 illustrates operation 510 of generating test cases and operation 520 of generating a test application source code , and fig5 illustrates operation 520 in further detail . fig6 illustrates a scheme of automatically performing a test by operations 611 through 628 . referring to fig4 , in operation 511 , the user 100 may request the test case generator 210 of the testing automation server 200 to generate test cases , through a web interface . in operation 512 , in response to a request for generation of test cases , the test case generator 210 may analyze a type of a test target interface , and may receive test specification information input by the user 100 . additionally , in operation 512 , the test case generator 210 may generate test cases based on a result of the analyzing of the test target interface and the test specification information , and may store the generated test cases in the database 240 . hereinafter , operation 512 will be further described with reference to fig5 . referring to fig5 , the test case generator 210 may automatically generate test cases to perform interface testing of an actual robot software component . according to an embodiment of the present invention , an interface of the robot software component may be implemented as a getdistancevalue interface of a robot infrared ( ir ) sensor component based on an open platform for robotics service ( opros ) component structure . a black box test scheme may be adopted for a robot software component without any source code . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . here , the getdistancevalue interface may be used to measure a physical distance between an ir sensor and an obstacle , and to return the measured distance . the getdistancevalue interface may include a single output parameter , namely ‘ double ’, and two input parameters , namely ‘ int / indexofsensor ’, and ‘ int / numofsensor ’, as shown in table 1 below . in operation 512 a , an interface type of a test target component may be analyzed , and information on an input parameter of the test target component may be extracted . specifically , in operation 512 a , the interface parser 211 may parse and analyze interface representation information ( for example , an idl or an xml ) of the test target component , and may extract the input parameter and type information regarding the input parameter . in operation 512 b , test specification information regarding each input parameter and robot hardware - related parameters of the interface may be generated . specifically , the test specification information generated in operation 512 b may be associated with the input parameter extracted in operation 512 a , and a simulation control parameter . in particular , the user 100 may input a range value of the input parameter of the interface , or a specific candidate value . when the test target component is connected to robot hardware , the user 100 may further input simulation control - related parameter information . here , the user 100 may input values from 0 to 10 for the “ indexofsensor ” parameter of the getdistancevalue interface , and may input values from 1 to 5 for the “ numofsensor ” parameter of the getdistancevalue interface . additionally , since the getdistancevalue interface may be used to measure a distance between an ir sensor ( not shown ) and an obstacle 20 , and to return the measured distance , the user 100 may add a “# distance ” parameter , and may input the values from 0 to 10 . here , the “# distance ” parameter may be used to control a location of the obstacle 20 that is a virtual obstacle existing in a test simulation environment . in operation 512 c , test case candidate values may be generated for each parameter satisfying a test specification . specifically , the test specification information generated in operation 512 b may be used to generate the test case candidate values . in operation 512 c , when the test specification information indicates values in a range , not a specific value , test case candidates may be automatically generated using the equivalence partitioning scheme or the boundary value analysis scheme . in operation 512 c , candidate values for each parameter for testing the getdistancevalue interface may be generated , as shown in table 2 below . in table 2 , the “ indexofsensor ” and “ numofsensor ” parameters of the getdistancevalue interface may be of the type of tcip , and the “# distance ” parameter may be of the type of tcsc . in operation 512 d , the test case candidate values for each parameter may be combined . specifically , in operation 512 d , the pair - wise scheme may be used to combine the test case candidate values generated in operation 512 c , thereby reducing the number of test cases . referring to table 2 , the “ indexofsensor ”, “ numofsensor ”, and “# distance ” parameters may respectively include four candidate values . as a result , a number of all available combinations may be 64 , as shown in table 3 below . however , when faults are caused by interactions of two parameters in the same manner as the getdistancevalue interface , the pair - wise scheme may be applied so that overlapping test cases may be removed among combination pairs of two parameters , such as i * n , d * i , and n * d . specifically , referring to table 3 , ( i * n ) 1 ={− 1 ,− 1 }, ( d * i ) 1 ={− 1 . 0 ,− 1 }, and ( n * d ) 1 ={− 1 ,− 1 . 0 } may be generated as combination pairs of parameters in a first test case . a value of ( i * n ) 1 may overlap with a value of ( i * n ) 2 of a 2 nd test case , and a value of ( d * i ) 1 may overlap with a value of ( d * i ) 13 of a 13 th test case . additionally , a value of ( n * d ) 1 may overlap with a value of ( n * d ) 17 of a 17 th test case . in other words , the pairs of each two of the parameters in the first test case overlap with other pairs in another test case and accordingly , overlapping test cases may be removed . when overlapping test cases are removed in the same manner as described above , a number of test cases may be reduced to 17 , thereby obtaining a minimum number of combination pairs of two parameters . the user 100 may remove overlapping test cases for a combination pair of two parameters , or a combination pair of three parameters . in operation 512 d , the parameters may be combined in a 2 - way combination ( namely , pair - wise ), a 3 - way combination ( namely , tri - wise ), and all available combinations . in operation 513 , the test case generator 210 may transmit the generated test cases to the user 100 . in operation 514 , expected result values for each test case that are input by the user 100 may be transmitted to the test case generator 210 . in operation 515 , the expected result values may be set for each test case , and may be stored in the database 240 . to generate a test application source code , in operation 521 , the user 100 may transmit a request for generation of a test application source code to the test application generator 220 of the testing automation server 200 . in operation 522 , the test application generator 220 may transfer a test case information request to the test case generator 210 . in operation 523 , the test case generator 210 may transmit the test cases that are generated in advance to the test application generator 220 . in operation 524 , the test application generator 220 may generate source codes of a test driver component and a simulation control component , based on the received test cases . in operation 524 , when a test target component includes a required interface , the test application generator 220 may generate a test stub component including a provided interface with the same type as that of the test target component . in operation 525 , the test application generator 220 may generate connection information in the xml format , and may store the generated connection information in a file . here , the connection information may be used to connect the test target component to each of the generated components . additionally , codes stored in the file may be used as source codes of the test application . in operation 526 , the test application generator 220 may transmit the file to the user 100 , so that the user 100 may check or modify the generated source code of the test application , using a web user interface ( ui ). fig6 further illustrates operation 512 of automatically performing a test , and operation 512 of fig6 may be initiated by generating the test application and the source code of the test application through the operations described with reference to fig4 and 5 . in operation 611 , the user 100 may transfer a test application build request to the automatic build manager 230 of the testing automation server 200 . here , information of the test application build request may include identification information to identify the test build agents 300 , for example an internet protocol ( ip ) address . in operation 612 , the automatic build manager 230 may determine whether the agent 1 300 - 1 associated with the information of the test application build request among the plurality of test build agents 300 is connected . when the agent 1 300 - 1 is determined to be connected , the automatic build manager 230 may send a request for a test application build to the build agent manager 310 . when the test application build is requested by the automatic build manager 230 , the build agent manager 310 may download , from the testing automation server 200 , the test case and the test application source code , and may transfer the downloaded test case and test application source code to the test application compiler 320 in operation 613 . additionally , in operation 613 , the build agent manager 310 may send a compile request to the test application compiler 320 . in operation 614 , the test application compiler 320 may compile the received test case and test application source code , and may generate a log file . in operation 615 , a compile result and the log file obtained in operation 614 may be transferred to the build agent manager 310 . in operation 616 , the build agent manager 310 may determine whether an error occurs during the compiling in operation 614 . when the error is determined to occur in operation 616 , the compile result and the load file may be uploaded to the testing automation server 200 in operation 617 , because the test application is not able to be executed due to the error . and in operation 618 , a compile result and the log file obtained in operation 617 may be transferred to the user 100 . conversely , when determining that there is no error in operation 616 , the build agent manager 310 may request the automatic test executor 340 to execute the test application in operation 619 . in operation 620 , the automatic test executor 340 may generate a new test application process , and may execute a new test application . in operation 621 , the test case may be loaded from the executed test application 330 . in operation 622 , the simulation control may be performed by a connection to the robot hardware simulator 400 . in operation 623 , robot hardware simulation information generated based on a control result may be transferred to the test application 330 . in operation 624 , the test application 330 may determine continuation or termination based on whether the robot hardware simulation information for the test is completely transferred and acquired . operations 622 and 623 may be repeated based on a result of the determining in operation 624 . when the termination is determined in operation 624 , the test application 330 may transfer a termination message to the automatic test executor 340 in operation 625 , and the automatic test executor 340 may transfer the termination message to the build agent manager 310 in operation 626 . in operation 627 , the build agent manager 310 may upload , to the testing automation server 200 , the compile result and a test execution result of the test application . in operation 628 , the automatic build manager 230 may analyze the uploaded compile result and test execution result to obtain a test build result , so that the test build result may be transferred to the user 100 . the user 100 may determine , based on the received test build result , whether an error occurs in an interface targeted for testing . fig7 is a diagram illustrating configurations and operations of the test application 330 and the robot hardware simulator 400 . referring to fig7 , the test application 330 may include a test driver component 331 , a simulation control component 332 , and a test target component 333 . the test driver component 331 may be used to control an overall test operation , and may function to read a test case file and to test a test target interface . the test driver component 331 may divide a test case inputted during a test into a tcsc and a tcip , and may set a test simulation environment through an interface of a simulation control component using the tcsc . additionally , the test driver component 331 may call the test target interface using the tcip , may perform the test , and may store a test result in a file . the simulation control component 332 may be used to set a test simulation environment based on the tcsc , and may control an object in the test simulation environment using a simulation control application programming interface ( api ) 410 provided by the robot hardware simulator 400 . additionally , the simulation control component 332 may distinguish a test driver from a simulation control part during the test , may control the robot hardware simulator 400 variously based on input parameters of the same interface , and may perform the test so that a reusability of a test case may be increased . the test target component 333 may function to receive robot hardware information from the robot hardware simulator 400 using a robot hardware api for simulation 420 that includes an identical interface to that of an actual robot hardware api , during the test . here , when the test target component 333 includes a required interface , and when there is no component including a provided interface with the same type as the required interface , any function may be performed . since this situation may occur in development of component - based software , the test application 330 may further include a test stub component 334 including a virtual interface having the same type as the required interface . the test stub component 334 may be used instead of an actual robot software component , to support the test target component 333 so that the test target component 333 may perform its function . the robot hardware simulator 400 may include the simulation control api 410 , and the robot hardware api for simulation 420 , as shown in fig7 . the simulation control api 410 may be used to control a virtual test environment . the simulation control component 332 of the test application 330 may dynamically change a test environment for each test case using the simulation control api 410 , to perform a test . the robot hardware api for simulation 420 may be used to control virtual robot hardware or to receive data . the test target component 333 of the test application 330 may control the virtual robot hardware or receive data , using the robot hardware api for simulation 420 . the test application 330 and the robot hardware simulator 400 may be connected to each other , and may perform the following operations to test a target interface . the test driver component 331 may load a test case file , and may transmit the tcsc through a simulation control interface of the simulation control component 332 , to set a virtual test environment . the simulation control component 332 may change a location of an object existing in the virtual test environment based on the tcsc , using the simulation control api 410 provided by the robot hardware simulator 400 . when the virtual test environment is completely set , the test driver component 331 may call a test target interface using the tcip as an input parameter . the test target component 333 may call an interface of the test stub component 334 , and may process or receive data using the robot hardware api for simulation 420 . when the operation is completed , a result value of the operation may be returned to the test driver component 331 . the test driver component 331 may compare the returned result value with the expected result values , and may store information indicating whether the test succeeds in a test result file , to complete the test . fig8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the test application 330 and the robot hardware simulator 400 of fig7 . referring to fig8 , to describe an availability and effects of the example and embodiments of the present invention , a test application 330 - 1 may be implemented to perform a test for the getdistancevalue interface of the robot ir sensor component based on the opros component structure , and may analyze a result of the test . for example , when a location of an obstacle 20 is changed , the test application 330 may test whether the getdistancevalue interface of a robot 10 equipped with an ir sensor is able to receive a distance between the ir sensor and the obstacle 20 of which the location is changed . accordingly , the robot hardware simulator 400 may be installed with an opros simulator . since the required interface does not exist in an opros ir sensor component , the test application 330 - 1 may not generate the test stub component 334 . the testing automation server 200 may generate test cases for the getdistancevalue interface . the generated test cases may be shown in table 3 and fig9 . the user 100 may manually insert expected result values for each test case , and the test application generator 220 of the testing automation server 200 may generate a source code of a test application . fig1 illustrates an example of the source code of the test application generated by the test application generator 220 . the test for the getdistancevalue interface may be performed by the test application 330 - 1 and the robot hardware simulator 400 . specifically , the test driver component 331 - 1 may load the test case file , and may input a “# distance value ” to the simulation control component 332 - 1 , to set a test environment . the simulation control component 332 may transfer the input “# distance value ” to an obstacle distance control api 410 - 1 , namely , the simulation control api 410 of the robot hardware simulator 400 . the test driver component 331 - 1 for the getdistancevalue interface may load a test case file in the xml format , and may classify the loaded test case file into a type of tcsc , namely # distance , and a type of tcip , namely indexofsensor , and numofsensor . accordingly , the simulation control component 332 - 1 may move the obstacle 20 from the ir sensor by a test case value of “# distance ”, using the obstacle distance control api 410 - 1 provided by the robot hardware simulator 400 . when the obstacle 20 is completely moved , the test driver component 331 - 1 may call the getdistancevalue interface of the test target component 333 - 1 using test case values of “ indexofsensor ”, and “ numofsensor ” as input parameters . the test target component 333 - 1 may be used as an opros ir sensor component , to calculate a distance value representing a distance between the obstacle 20 and the robot 10 with the ir sensor ( not shown ) and to return the distance value to the test driver component 331 - 1 , using an ir sensor simulation api 420 - 1 provided by the robot hardware simulator 400 . the test driver component 331 - 1 may compare the distance value returned by the test target component 333 - 1 with the expected result values input by the user 100 , and may store information indicating whether the test succeeds in a test result file , to complete the test . fig1 illustrates a result of the test for the getdistancevalue interface performed by the test application 330 - 1 and the robot hardware simulator 400 of fig8 . referring to fig1 , first through third columns , namely “ indexofsensor ,” “ numofsensor ,” and “# distance ,” may indicate test cases . additionally , a fourth column , namely “ return ,” may indicate an actual result value that is returned , and a fifth column , namely “ result ,” may indicate whether the test result is “ pass ” or “ fail ”. specifically , # distance may denote a distance between the ir sensor and the obstacle 20 , and a value of “− 1 ” may be outside of a range . for example , in a first test case of fig1 , values of “ 5 ”, “ 1 ”, and “− 1 ” may be respectively input as values of the test cases , namely indexofsensor , numofsensor , and # distance . in this example , a value of “ 1 ” may be output as an actual result value , and a test result may be determined as “ pass ” since the test is successfully completed . as another example , in a sixth test case of fig1 , values of “ indexofsensor ”, “ numofsensor ”, and “# distance ” may be respectively represented as “ 5 ”, “ 4 ”, and “ 0 . 5 ”. in other words , the value of “# distance ”, namely the distance between the ir sensor and the obstacle 20 , is expected as “ 0 . 5 ”, and a value of “ 0 . 5 ” may also be output as an actual result value . in this example , a test result may be determined as “ pass ” based on the fifth column . referring to the fifth column of fig1 , tests for all test cases may be determined to be successfully completed . thus , it is possible to test whether opros ir sensor components are functioning normally . the methods according to the embodiments of the present invention may be recorded in non - transitory computer - readable media including program instructions to implement various operations embodied by a computer . the media may also include , alone or in combination with the program instructions , data files , data structures , and the like . the program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the embodiments , or they may be of the kind well - known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts . although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments . instead , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents .	6
the present invention has utility as a mixture promoting plant growth through multiple modes , and specifically includes the simultaneous application of multiple fertilizer granules substantially independent of an active agent in concert with the delivery of multiple active agent granules mixed therewith where the active agent granules are substantially independent of fertilizer . the combination of fertilizer granules and active agent ( s ) granules in a single mixed composition allows for a single broadcast application to deliver fertilizer and one or more active agent ( s ) inhibitive of an organism interfering with plant growth , or causing growth regulation , or the like thereby saving on labor of application . additionally , as the granules are substantially devoid of dust cross contamination allowing them to operate without interference from the to the intermixed granule . in contrast to the prior art where fertilizer and pesticide have been formulated as a single unified particle , the combination of the present invention promotes ease of manufacture in allowing bulk production of fertilizer granules separate from active agent granules and the separate storage of each with custom blending of the two types of granules in response to custom needs associated with regulatory usage of particular active agents , a deleterious organism outbreak , seasonal conditions , soil nutrient depletion , or any combination thereof . additionally , with the reduced processing associated with modifying a fertilizer granule to include a pesticide and instead only mixing two types of fully formulated granules together , an inventive mixture shows less granule dusting and fragmentation associated with handling . as a result , the usage of inert adhesion and dusting agents conventional to the art to promote particle integrity is eliminated or at least greatly diminished , thereby affording ease of manufacture and higher efficacy through avoidance of unintended chemical or physical interactions between inert ingredients , various plant nutrients , active agent ( s ) and granule mixtures under application conditions . it is appreciated that the tolerance of a specific composition of fertilizer or active agent granule to cross contamination is readily determined through routine experimentation and the nature of the mode of action . for instance , pest attractant containing active agent granules are diminished by adherence of a quantity of fertilizer making the active agent granules less active to pests . through control of the specific identity of the fertilizer in the fertilizer granule and the quantity of fertilizer adherent tot the active agent granules through routine experimentation , a pest attractant in an active agent granule remains attractive to pests thereby bringing the pest into contact with the toxic agent and in so doing reduces the overall quantity of toxin needed in the active agent . a fertilizer granule operative in the present invention need only be well sized for broadcast distribution and inert towards active agent granules mixed therewith for broadcast distribution . a typical fertilizer granule has a size of from 500 to 3 , 000 microns . the fertilizer granule includes a quantity of a bioavailable source of nitrogen , phosphorus , potassium , or a combination thereof . the bioavailable n — p — k ingredients are present in the fertilizer granule in an amount ranging from 5 to 99 weight percent of the total dry weight of the fertilizer granules . more preferably , the n — p — k components are present in amounts ranging from 30 to 99 percent by weight of the dry weight of fertilizer granules . still more preferably , the n — p — k components are present in amounts ranging from 50 to 99 percent by weight of the total dry weight of the fertilizer granules . exemplary fertilizer n — p — k contributing constituents contain one of the plant nutrients nitrogen , phosphate or potassium and illustratively include urea , sulfur - coated urea , isobutylidene diurea , ammonium nitrate , ammonium phosphates varying degrees of ammonation , ammonium polyphosphates , triple super phosphate , phosphoric acid , potassium sulphate , potassium nitrate , potassium metaphosphate , potassium chloride , dipotassium carbonate , potassium oxide , phosphate rock , nitrophosphate , and a combination of these . it is also appreciated that a fertilizer granule readily incorporates other substances stimulative of target plant growth and illustratively include soil conditioners , trace elements , plant hormones active in the target plant , and dust control , flowability and / or storability additives . additionally , the fertilizer granule optionally includes conventional fillers , binders , and additives as exemplified in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 884 , 756 . preferably , the fertilizer granule includes at least 20 units of n — p — k nutrients , where a “ unit ” is used herein to define an increment of 1 % of a guaranteed plant nutrient as defined by the american association of plant food control officials ( aapfco ), which is the uniform standards - setting association of state fertilizer control officials in the united states . a binder component is present in a carrier particle an amount ranging from 0 . 1 % to 75 % by weight of the total dry weight of the carrier particle . in a further embodiment , the binder component is present in an amount ranging from 1 % to 25 % by weight of the total dry weight of the particle . a binder component is included in a particle as necessary to produce or promote cohesion in forming a particle capable of retaining a specified form during transport and / or distribution . a binder component may be bentonite clay , carbohydrate , protein , lipid , synthetic polymer , glycolipid , glycoprotein , lipoprotein , lignin , a lignin derivative , a carbohydrate - based composition , and a combination thereof . in a preferred embodiment the binder component is a lignin derivative and is optionally calcium lignosulfonate . alternatively , the binder component is selected from the group consisting of : a monosaccharide , a disaccharide , an oligosaccharide , a polysaccharide and combinations thereof . specific carbohydrate binders illustratively include glucose , mannose , fructose , galactose , sucrose , lactose , maltose , xylose , arabinose , trehalose and mixtures thereof such as corn syrup ; celluloses such as carboxymethylcellulose , ethylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , hydroxy - methylethylcellulose , hydroxyethylpropylcellulose , methylhydroxyethyl - cellulose , methylcellulose ; starches such as amylose , seagel , starch acetates , starch hydroxyethyl ethers , ionic starches , long - chain alkyl starches , dextrins , amine starches , phosphates starches , and dialdehyde starches ; plant starches such as corn starch and potato starch ; other carbohydrates such as pectin , amylopectin , xylan , glycogen , agar , alginic acid , phycocolloids , chitin , gum arabic , guar gum , gum karaya , gum tragacanth and locust bean gum ; vegetable oils such as corn , soybean , peanut , canola , olive and cotton seed ; complex organic substances such as lignin and nitrolignin ; derivatives of lignin such as lignosulfonate salts illustratively including calcium lignosulfonate and sodium lignosulfonate and complex carbohydrate - based compositions containing organic and inorganic ingredients such as molasses . suitable protein binders illustratively include soy extract , zein , protamine , collagen , and casein . binders operative herein also include synthetic organic polymers capable of promoting or producing cohesion of particle components and such binders illustratively include ethylene oxide polymers , polyacrylamides , polyacrylates , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , polyethylene glycol , polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinylmethyl ether , polyvinyl acrylates , polylactic acid , and latex . in a preferred embodiment , the binder is calcium lignosulfonate , molasses , a liquid corn starch , a liquid corn syrup or a combination thereof . an inventive fertilizer granule is produced by a number of processes . in the preferred process , the granule components are wet - granulated through a process of steps , including mixing of various dry components , wet - massing the dry powder mixture with liquid surfactants , binders or the like , alone or with the addition of a solvent to arrive at a suitable consistency for granulating . of the binders detailed herein , methyleneurea is particularly preferred . in order to preclude undesirable inventive mixture interactions , a fertilizer granule is substantially devoid of an active agent . prior art interactions associated with single particles containing both fertilizer and the pesticide have included chemical foliage burning when such single particles are applied under high humidity , high temperature conditions . as used herein “ substantially devoid ” is defined to mean that the interior of a granule is formulated free from a given substance and that surface adhesion of dust associated with the given substance amounts to less than 20 % of the total dry weight of the granule , preferably less than 10 % of the total dry weight , more preferably less than 5 % of the total dry weight and most preferably , less than 1 % of the total dry weight . for example , a fertilizer granule if formulated devoid of active agent and most preferably less than 1 % of the active agent present as active agent granules intermixed with the fertilizer granules becomes adhered to fertilizer granules . an active agent granule carrier particle operative in the present invention need only be well sized for broadcast distribution and be inert towards the active agent coating . typically , a base carrier particle has a size from 500 to 3000 microns . suitable carrier particles include fragmented materials such as rock dust , clay , corncob , cereal or grain hulls , peanut hulls , plant pulp , other plant - based cellulosic materials , clays , and granular baits . the carrier component is specifically excluded from the definition of a fertilizer as used herein with respect to the present invention . specific examples of base carrier particles include : limestone particulate having a mean particle size of 1000 microns ; processed snack food ; and defatted , extruded corn granules having a mean particle size of 1500 microns . alternatively , a carrier particle is formed through the combination of a binder component with fine grain particle as detailed above and has 90 % of the particles having a diameter less than 150 microns . particulate is typically present from 0 . 1 to 99 . 9 total weight percent and preferably from 5 to 98 total weight percent . an exemplary composite carrier particle is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 884 , 756 . a binder component is present in an active agent carrier particle in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 percent to 75 percent by weight of the total dry weight of the active agent granule . in a further embodiment , the binder component is present in an amount ranging from 1 percent to 25 percent by weight of the total dry weight of the active agent granule . an active agent binder component is included in an active agent granule as necessary to produce or promote cohesion in forming the granule capable of retaining a specified form during transportation and / or distribution . the identity of a binder component is the same as the binder components detailed with respect to a fertilizer granule where these binders are specifically excluded from the definition of a fertilizer as used herein with respect to the present invention . optionally , the active agent granule incorporates a pest attractant . in an active agent granule incorporating a pest attractant , the pest attractant is present in an amount ranging from 0 . 05 % to 50 % by weight of the total dry weight of the carrier particle . in a more preferred embodiment , the pest attractant active ingredient is present in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 % to 30 % by weight of the total dry weight of the particle . pest attractants are foodstuffs , scents , or pheromones attractive to a target pest . it is appreciated that when a pest attractant is a scent or pheromone the amounts needed are quite small and typically range from 0 . 0001 to 0 . 05 total weight percent of an inventive granule . the nature of the pest attractant foodstuff , scent , or pheromone is readily selected by reviewing the existing literature as to pest diet , and sexual hormones . representative of the literature is “ destructive turfgrass insects : biology , diagnosis , and control ” by d . a . porter ( 1995 ). an active agent in solid or liquid form is present in or on an active agent granule . the active agent is added virtually without limit and includes any active agent solid or liquid active to inhibit an organism deleterious to the target plant and includes herbicide , insecticide , fungicide , growth regulator , nematicide , or other biologically active agent or pesticide . representative herbicide active agents illustratively include dinitroanilines such as benefin , trifluralin , pendimethalin , and prodiamine ; oxadiazoles such as oxadiazon ; triazines such as atrazine and simazine ; triazolinones such as carfentrazone and sulfentrazone ; aryloxyphenoxy propionates ; arylaminopropionic acid ; cineole ( such as cinmethylin ); cyclohexanediones ; sulfonylureas such as trifloxysulfuron and metsulfuron - methyl ; imidazolinones ; pyrimidinylthio - benzoate ; triazolopyrimidine ; pyridazine ; phenoxys ( or phenoxies ); benzoic acids ; carboxylic acids ( such as dcpa , clopyralid , trichloroacetic acid , and fluoroxypyr ); quinoline carboxylic acid ; semicarbazone ; triazinones ; uracils ; pyridazinone ; phenyl - carbamates ; nitriles ; benzothiadiazoles ; organoarsenicals ; phenyl - pyridazine ; triketones such as mesotrione ; ureas and substituted ureas ( such as diuron , linuron , siduron , tebuthiuron , dymron etc . ); amide ( such as propanil and bromobutide ); thiocarbamates ; pyrazolium ( such as difenzoquat ); phosphoric acid compounds ( such as glufosinate - ammonium and glyphosate ); triazole ; pyridazinone ; nicotinanilide ; pyridinone ( such as fluridone ); isoxazolidinone ; diphenylethers ; n - phenylphthalimides ; oxadiazole ; triazolinone ; chloroacetamides ; oxyacetamides ; phthalamate ; phthalamate semicarbazone ; nitrile ; n - phenylphthalimides ; oxadiazole ; triazolinone ; acetamides ; benzoylisoxazole ; isoxazole ; pyrazole ; pyrazolium ; triketone ; and benzofuran ; various als inhibitors ; and plant extract herbicides such as the allelopathic exudates of various plants . representative microbiocidal and fungicidal active agents illustratively include plant and general disease control agents including fungicides , fungistats , antibiotics and bacteriocides of the following chemical families and functional groupings ; various acetamides , sterol inhibitors or demethylase inhibitors , dicarboximides ( such as iprodione ), phthalides , phthalmic acids , triadiazoles , isophthalates , triazines , triconazoles , strobilurins , benzimidazoles , benzithiazoles , dithiocarbamates , carboxamides , carboxides or anilides , chlorphenyls , indolecarboxylic acids , isoxazoles , imidazoles , oxazolinediones , guanidines , diguanidines , piperidines , pyridines , sulfenamides , sulfonamides , quinolines , cyanoimidazoles , pyrazoles , pyrrolecarbonitriles , spiroketalamines , thiazoles , various chemical families of oomycete ( pythium ) fungicides , nitriles , chlorinated hydrocarbons , phenylpyrroles , polyoxins , pyridazinones , mycotoxins ( e . g . penicillin ) or other antibiotics ( e . g . streptomycin , kasugamycin , blasticidin , polyoxins , validamycin , mildiomycin , and oxytetracyline ), morpholines , other organic compounds such as piperalin , piperazine derivatives and tolylfluanid , bronopol , organic compound mixtures ( e . g . bacticin and harpin protein ), organic acids such as cinnamic acid and its derivatives , bacteria such as agrobacterium radiobacter , bacillus subtilus , erwinia carotovora , pseudomonas flourescens and p . chlorophis , and any varieties or strains thereof , fungi such as candida oleophila , fusarium , tricoderma , gliocladium , streptomyces , and ampelomyces and any species , varieties or strains thereof , and viruses such as tomovax . for purposes of this invention , plant growth regulators are ingredients such as trinexepac - ethyl , gibberellic acid , gibberellins , cytokinins , benzyladenine , glycines , quinolenes , phosphoric acid compounds , organic carbamates , quaternary ammonium compounds , acetamides , ethychlozate , azoles , paclobutrazol , anilides , pyradazidine , pyrimidines , napthaleneacetamide , phthalmides , phenoxies , pyrimidines , hybridizing agent , biostimulants , seaweed extracts and herbicides ( typically at low use rates ), phthalmides , phenoxies , organic or carboxylic acids ( e . g . gamma amino butyric acid and l - glutamic acid , naphthalene acetic acid , clofencoet , sintofen , nicotinic acids ), and herbicides ( typically at low use rates ). for purposes of this invention , other pesticides include animal and bird repellants , bitter flavors , irritants , and malodorous ingredients , molluscicides ( e . g ., slugs and snails ), nematicides , rodenticides , defoliants , chemosterilants , plant defense boosters ( harpin protein and chitosan ) desiccants ( may also be used as a harvest aid ), and other beneficial or detrimental agents applied to plant or other surfaces . pesticides suitable to form a liquid coating on an active agent carrier particle include pyrethroids such as bifenthrin , permethrin , deltamethrin , lambda cyhalothrin , cyfluthrin , or betacyfluthrin ; organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos and trichlorfon ; limonoids such as azadirachtin or meliartenin ; phenyl pyrazoles or oxadiazines such as indoxacarb ; phthallic acid diamides such as flubendiamide and anthranilic diamides ; neonicitinoids such as imidacloprid and clothianidin , and diacylhadrazines such as halofenozide ; and carbamates such as carbaryl and indoxacarb . additionally , it is appreciated that a number of conventional adjuvant systems used to solubilize a pesticide for application as a coating onto an active agent carrier particle are rendered more effective by the present invention . by way of example , pyrethroids degrade to yield organic acids that in proximity to certain pesticide powders such as carbamates function to extend the carbamate activity half - life . for purposes of this invention , other protectants and beneficial ingredients include attractants , baits , herbicide safeners , antidessicants , antitranspirants , frost prevention aids , inoculants , dyes , brighteners , markers , synergists , pigments , uv protectants , antioxidants , leaf polish , pigmentation stimulants and inhibitors , surfactants , moisture retention aids , molluscicides ( e . g ., slugs and snails ), nematicides , rodenticides , defoliants , desiccants , sticky traps , and ipm lures . it is appreciated that multiple active agents are readily formulated within an active agent granule . preferably , synergistic combinations of active agents such as two pesticides that have complementary modes of action such that the total amount of the multiple active agents needed to provide a given level of organism inhibition interfering with plant growth is reduced relative to the active agent administered separately . active agent granules are optionally compounded with inner fillers , dust control and flow aids , solvents , surfactants , and / or other adjuvants , alone or in combination with up to several other active agents . a collection of fertilizer granules and active agent granules are preferred each formulated such the density difference between fertilizer granules and active agent granules is less than 1000 %. more preferably , the density difference between fertilizer granules and active agent granules is lass than 500 %. it is appreciated that by controlling the density difference , the propensity of the mixture to segregate during transit is reduced . settling is also disfavor in a mixture of fertilizer granules and active agent granules that vary in average diameter by less than 30 diameter % and preferably , less than 10 diameter %. the mixture that is made up of fertilizer granules varies between 10 and 99 number % of the granules present . active agent granules vary between 0 . 0005 and 90 number percent with the inclusion of an inert carrier particle akin to an active agent granule less the active agent is also considered to be part of the present invention . inert granules making up from 0 to 30 number percent of the particles present . the inventive mixture affords a formulator the ability to maintain separate stocks of fertilizer and or active agent granules and blend fertilizer granules and active agent granules in response to customer orders , or field conditions . as a result an inventive mixture is broadcast onto soil surrounding a target plant with specificity as to factors such as soil chemistry , interfering organism outbreaks , rainfall , drought , or the like . a fertilizer granule is readily formed by conventional techniques or purchased commercially , e . g ., andersons golf products turf fertilizer 18 - 6 - 15 ( the andersons , maumee , ohio ). techniques commonly used to form a fertilizer granule containing fertilizer and any other optional adjuvants illustratively includes drum or pan agglomeration , pastille formation , molten droplet spray , crystallization , extrusion , and compaction . techniques for the formation of a fertilizer pellet are provided in granulated fertilizers , robert a . hendrie , noyes data corporation , park ridge , n . j ., 1976 . other techniques include those disclosed in example a of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 884 , 756 . an active agent granule is readily formed by conventional techniques or purchased commercially ( the andersons , maumee , ohio ). such techniques are detailed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 231 , 660 . the mixing of fertilizer granules and active agent granules occurs through conventional techniques with preference to mixing technologies that provide minimized granule fracture and dusting . mixing techniques operative herein illustratively include mechanical , air , spraying , and tumbling . it is appreciated that fertilizer granule stock and active agent granule stock are readily stored separately and blended in response to a particular order . alternatively preselected mixtures of fertilizer granules and active agent granules are bagged and stored . patent documents and publications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . these documents and publications are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document or publication was specifically and individually incorporated herein by reference . the foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention , but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof . the following claims , including all equivalents thereof , are intended to define the scope of the invention .	0
this invention is directed to a method of selectively separating olefinic hydrocarbons from paraffinic hydrocarbons using a membrane containing certain polyimide polymers , copolymers and blends thereof . the polymers which form these polyimides have repeating units as shown in the following formula ( i ): in which r 2 is a moiety of composition selected from the group of consisting of formula ( a ), formula ( b ), formula ( c ) and a mixture thereof , z is a moiety of composition selected from the group consisting of formula ( l ), formula ( m ), formula ( n ) and a mixture thereof ; and r 1 is a moiety of composition selected from the group consisting of formula ( q ), formula ( t ), formula ( s ), and a mixture thereof , in a preferred embodiment the polyimide that forms the selective layer of the membrane has repeating units as shown in the following formula ( ii ): in this embodiment , moiety r 1 is of formula ( q ) in 0 - 100 % of the repeating units , of formula ( t ) in 0 - 100 % of the repeating units , and of formula ( s ) in a complementary amount totaling 100 % of the repeating units . a polymer of this structure is available from hp polymer gmbh under the tradename p84 and is much preferred for use in the present invention . p84 is believed to have repeating units according to formula ( ii ) in which r 1 is formula ( q ) in about 16 % of the repeating units , formula ( t ) in about 64 % of the repeating units and formula ( s ) in about 20 % of the repeating units . p84 is believed to be derived from the condensation reaction of benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride ( btda , 100 mole %) with a mixture of 2 , 4 - toluene diisocyanate ( 2 , 4 - tdi , 64 mole %), 2 , 6 - toluene diisocyanate ( 2 , 6 - tdi , 16 mole %) and 4 , 4 ′- methylene - bis ( phenylisocyanate ) ( mdi , 20 mole %). in another preferred embodiment , the polyimide that forms the selective layer has repeating units of compositions selected from among those shown in the following formulas ( iiia and iiib ): the repeating units can be exclusively of formula ( iiia ) or formula ( iiib ). preferably , the repeating units are a mixture of formulas ( iiia ) and ( iiib ). in these embodiments , moiety r 1 is a composition of formula ( q ) in about 1 - 99 % of the repeating units , and of formula ( t ) in a complementary amount totaling 100 % of the repeating units , and a is in the range of about 1 - 99 % of the total of a and b . a preferred polymer of this structure is available from hp polymer gmbh under the tradename p84 - ht325 . p84 - ht325 is believed to have repeating units according to formulas ( iiia and iiib ) in which the moiety r 1 is a composition of formula ( q ) in about 20 % of the repeating units and of formula ( t ) in about 80 % of the repeating units , and in which a is about 40 % of the total of a and b . p84 - ht325 is believed to be derived from the condensation reaction of benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride ( btda , 60 mole %) and pyromellitic dianhydride ( pmda , 40 mole %) with 2 , 4 - toluene diisocyanate ( 2 , 4 - tdi , 80 mole %) and 2 , 6 - toluene diisocyanate ( 2 , 6 - tdi , 20 mole %). in yet another preferred embodiment , the selectively permeable portion of the membrane can be formed of a material comprising a blend of the above mentioned polymers . for example , it is contemplated that a membrane can be formed from a blend comprising a first polymer having repeating units of formula ( iiia ), formula ( iiib ) as defined above , or a mixture of formulas ( iiia ) and ( iiib ) and a second polymer having repeating units of formula ( ii ) as defined above . greater preference is given to a membrane of a blend consisting essentially of the first and second polymers . in such preferred composition , the second polymer should constitute about 10 - 90 wt . % of the total of the first polymer and the second polymer . the polyimides should be of suitable molecular weight to be film forming and pliable so as to be capable of being formed into continuous films or membranes . the polyimides of this invention preferably have a weight average molecular weight within the range of about 20 , 000 to about 400 , 000 and more preferably about 50 , 000 to about 300 , 000 . the polymer can be formed into films or membranes by any of the diverse techniques known in the art . the polymers are usually glassy and rigid , and therefore , may be used to form a single - layer membrane of an unsupported film or fiber of the polymer . such single - layer films are normally too thick to yield commercially acceptable transmembrane flux of the preferentially permeable component of the feed mixture . to be more economically practical , the separation membrane can comprise a very thin selective layer that forms part of a thicker structure . this structure may be , for example , an asymmetric membrane , which comprises a thin , dense skin of selectively permeable polymer and a thicker micro - porous support layer which is adjacent to and integrated with the skin . such membranes are described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 015 , 270 to ekiner . in a preferred embodiment , the membrane can be a composite membrane , that is , a membrane having multiple layers of typically different compositions . modern composite membranes typically comprise a porous and non - selective support layer . it primarily provides mechanical strength to the composite . a selective layer of another material that is selectively permeable , is placed coextensively on the support layer . the selective layer is primarily responsible for the separation properties . typically , the support layer of such a composite membrane is made by solution - casting a film or spinning a hollow fiber . then the selective layer is usually solution coated on the support in a separate step . alternatively , hollow - fiber composite membranes can be made by co - extrusion of both the support material and the separating layer simultaneously as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 085 , 676 to ekiner . the membranes of the invention may be housed in any convenient type of separation unit . for example , flat - sheet membranes can be stacked in plate - and - frame modules or wound in spiral - wound modules . hollow - fiber membranes are typically potted with a thermoset resin in cylindrical housings . the final membrane separation unit can comprise one or more membrane modules . these can be housed individually in pressure vessels or multiple modules can be mounted together in a common housing of appropriate diameter and length . in operation , a mixture of one or more olefin compounds and one or more paraffin compounds is contacted with one side of the membrane . under a suitable driving force for permeation , such as imposing a pressure difference between the feed and permeate sides of the membrane , the olefin compounds pass to the permeate side at higher rate than the paraffin compounds of the same number of carbon atoms . that is , a three carbon olefin permeates faster than a three carbon paraffin . this produces an olefin - enriched stream which is withdrawn from the permeate side of the membrane . the olefin - depleted residue , occasionally referred to as the “ retentate ”, is withdrawn from the feed side . the novel process can operate under a wide range of conditions and is thus adapted to accept a feed stream supplied from diverse sources . if the feed stream is a gas that exists already at a sufficiently high , above - atmospheric pressure and a pressure gradient is maintained across the membrane , the driving force for separation can be adequate without raising feed stream pressure farther . otherwise , the feed stream can be compressed to a higher pressure and / or a vacuum can be drawn on the permeate side of the membrane to provide adequate driving force . preferably the driving force for separation should be a pressure gradient across the membrane of about 0 . 7 to about 11 . 2 mpa ( 100 - 1600 psi ). the novel process can accept a feed stream in either the gaseous state or the liquid state . the state of matter will depend on the composition and on the pressure and temperature of the olefin / paraffin feed stream . when the feed stream is in the liquid state , the separation can be carried out by the pervaporation mechanism . basically , in pervaporation , components of the liquid feed mixture in contact with the membrane permeate and evaporate through the membrane , thereby separating the component in the vapor phase . this invention is particularly useful for separating propylene from propylene / propane mixtures . such mixtures are produced as effluent streams of olefin manufacturing operations , and in various process streams of petrochemical plants , for example . thus in a preferred embodiment , the process involves passing a stream comprising propylene and propane in contact with the feed side of a membrane that is selectively permeable with respect to propylene and propane . the propylene is concentrated in the permeate stream and the retentate stream is thus correspondingly depleted of propylene . the membranes of this invention exhibit unexpectedly high propylene / propane selectivity which distinguishes them from prior art membranes . furthermore , the membranes of this invention exhibit stable performance over long periods of time under conditions where membranes of the prior art degrade significantly in performance . contacting one side of the membrane with a feed mixture comprising an olefin compound and a paraffin compound having a number of carbon atoms at least as great as the olefin compound , causing the feed mixture to selectively permeate through the membrane , thereby forming on the second side of the membrane an olefin - enriched permeate composition which has a concentration of the olefin compound greater than that of the feed mixture , removing from the second side of the membrane the olefin - enriched permeate composition , and withdrawing from the one side of the membrane an olefin - depleted composition which has a concentration of the olefin compound less than that of the feed mixture . this invention is now illustrated by examples of certain representative embodiments thereof , wherein all parts , proportions and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated . all units of weight and measure not originally obtained in st units have been converted to si units . the entire disclosures of u . s . patents named in the following examples are hereby incorporated by reference herein . asymmetric hollow - fiber membrane of p84 was spun from a solution of 32 % p84 , 9 . 6 % tetramethylenesulfone and 1 . 6 % acetic anhydride in n - methylpyrrolidinone ( nmp ) with methods and equipment as described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 034 , 024 and 5 , 015 , 270 . the nascent filament was extruded at a rate of 180 cm 3 / hr through a spinneret with fiber channel dimensions of outer diameter 559 μm and inner diameter equal to 254 μm at 75 ° c . a fluid containing 85 % nmp in water was injected into the bore of the fiber at a rate of 33 cm 3 / hr . the nascent fiber traveled through an air gap of 5 cm at room temperature into a water coagulant bath at 24 ° c . and the fiber was wound up at a rate of 52 m / min . the water - wet fiber was washed with running water at 50 ° c . to remove residual solvent for about 12 hours and then sequentially exchanged with methanol and hexane as taught in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 080 , 744 and 4 , 120 , 098 , followed by vacuum drying at room temperature for 30 minutes . after that the fibers were dried at 100 ° c . for one hour . samples of fiber were formed into four test membrane modules of 52 fibers each . the fiber in the modules was treated to seal defects in the separating layer with a method similar to the method described in u . s pat . no . 4 , 230 , 463 . the fiber was thus contacted with a solution of 2 % wt . 1 - 2577 low - voc conformal coating ( dow corning corporation ) in 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethylpentane for 30 minutes and then dried . the modules were measured in permeation of a feed of mixed propylene / propane ( 50 : 50 mole %). the feed mixture was provided in the vapor state by controlling the feed pressure at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and the feed temperature at 90 ° c . the feed mixture was supplied to contact the outside of the fibers and the permeate stream was collected at atmospheric pressure . the permeate flowrate was measured by volumetric displacement with bubble flowmeters . the feed flowrate was maintained at greater than twenty times the permeate flowrate . this rate was high enough that the composition on the feed side remained roughly constant while the feed mixture permeated the membrane . this was done to simplify calculation of the membrane permeation performance . the composition of the permeate stream was measured by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector . the average permeate composition was 92 . 2 % propylene and 7 . 8 % propane . the performance of the membrane was expressed in terms of propylene permeance and propylene / propane selectivity . the permeance is the flowrate of propylene across the membrane normalized by the membrane surface area and the propylene partial pressure difference across the membrane . it is reported in gas permeation units (“ gpu ”). one gpu equals 10 − 6 cm 3 ( at standard temperature and pressure “ stp ”)/( sec · cm 2 · cmhg ). the propylene / propane selectivity is the ratio of the permeance of propylene divided by the permeance of propane . the performance of the four modules is shown in table 1 . a sample of the fiber from example 1 was processed and formed into a test module as in example 1 except that the fiber was not treated to seal defects in the separating layer . the propylene permeance was 1 . 7 gpu and the propylene / propane selectivity was 7 . 5 . although the selectivity was lower than the selectivity of the treated fiber of example 1 , it was high enough to suggest that the p84 fiber with acceptable performance characteristics can be produced as an asymmetric membrane without the sealing posttreatment . asymmetric hollow - fiber membrane of p84 was prepared as in example 1 with the following two changes : ( a ) the water - bath temperature was lowered to 8 ° c . and ( b ) the spinneret temperature was increased to 87 ° c . the fiber was washed , dried and built into test modules and tested in permeation of a 50 : 50 mole % mixed propylene / propane feed mixture as in example 1 . the propylene permeance was 0 . 61 gpu and the propylene / propane selectivity was 15 . asymmetric hollow - fiber membrane of p84 similar to the fiber of example 3 was tested for duration of 4 days at 90 ° c . with a 50 : 50 mole % feed mixture of propylene / propane at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ). the test was designed to simulate commercial operating conditions . results are shown in table ii . no decline in selectivity was observed . a slight decline was observed in propylene permeance , which stabilized after the second day . one of the modules of example 1 was tested using a 50 : 50 mole % feed mixture of propylene / propane . feed pressure and temperature were controlled at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and 50 ° c ., respectively , to place the feed mixture in the liquid state . the permeate was withdrawn at atmospheric pressure , therefore the permeate was in the vapor phase . for this type of separation the concentration difference across the membrane is usually considered to be the driving force for separation instead of the partial pressure difference as used in gas or vapor permeation . for comparison of the results of this example with permeation under vapor state feed conditions , the simplifying mathematical treatment described in j . g . wijmans and r . w . baker , a simple predictive treatment of the permeation process in pervaporation , j . membrane science 79 ( 1993 ) 101 - 113 ) was applied . such analysis assumes that the liquid feed evaporates to produce a saturated vapor phase on the feed side of the membrane and then permeates through the membrane driven by a partial pressure gradient . this analysis provides a mathematical model that includes terms for feed - side and permeate - side vapor pressures and permeance and selectivity comparable to those used in the separation of gaseous state feed mixtures . the model also contains a term related to the liquid - vapor equilibrium . with the feed mixture of 50 : 50 mole % propylene / propane in the liquid state , the membrane produced a permeate stream of 93 % propylene . by application of the model , it was determined that the propylene permeance was 0 . 46 gpu and the propylene / propane selectivity was 16 . in separate testing with feed mixture of the same composition in the vapor state at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and 90 ° c ., the propylene permeance was 0 . 95 gpu and the propylene / propane selectivity was 13 . this shows that the membrane of p84 can be useful for separation service for liquid propylene / propane . asymmetric hollow - fiber membrane of a 1 : 1 blend of p84 and p84 - ht325 was spun from a solution of 16 % p84 , 16 % p84 - ht325 , 9 . 6 % tetramethylene sulfone and 1 . 6 % acetic anhydride in nmp by the process described in example 1 . the spinning conditions and equipment were similar except that the spinneret temperature was 85 ° c ., the bath temperature was 8 ° c . and the air gap was 10 cm . the fiber was formed into a module which was tested for permeation of a propylene / propane ( 50 : 50 mole %) feed mixture as in example 1 . the permeation performance was 1 . 9 gpu propylene permeance and 11 . 9 propylene / propane selectivity . propylene / propane liquid feed separation with a membrane of p84 blended with p84 - ht325 the module of 1 : 1 blend of p84 and p84 - ht325 of example 6 was tested with 50 : 50 mole % feed mixture of propylene / propane . the feed mixture was maintained in the liquid state by applying the conditions described in example 5 , i . e ., the feed pressure was 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and the temperature was 50 ° c . the permeate was withdrawn as a vapor at atmospheric pressure . the membrane produced a permeate with 93 . 6 % propylene ; the propylene permeance was 0 . 6 gpu and the propylene / propane selectivity was 15 . 5 . this shows that the membrane of 1 : 1 blend of p84 and p84 - ht325 can provide useful separation with liquid propylene / propane feed . propylene / propane liquid feed separation with a membrane of p84 blended with p84 - ht325 the test in example 7 ( i . e ., with membrane of 1 : 1 blend of p84 and p84 - ht325 ) was continued for a duration of 100 hours , to assess membrane performance stability under simulated commercial conditions . results are shown in table iii . no significant decline was observed . a thin dense film of p84 polymer was cast from a solution comprising 20 % p84 in nmp . the film was dried at 200 ° c . in a vacuum oven for four days . a sample of the polymer film was tested in a modified 47 - mm ultrafiltration style permeation cell ( millipore ), using a feed mixture of 50 : 50 mole % propylene / propane at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) pressure and 90 ° c . temperature . the permeate pressure was 2 - 5 mm hg . the feed flowrate was high enough to ensure low conversion of the feed into permeate so that the composition on the feed side was constant . the compositions of the feed and permeate streams were measured by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector . the permeate flowrate was determined from the increase in pressure over time in the fixed - volume permeate chamber of the permeation cell . the permeation performance of the polymer is characterized by the two parameters : propylene permeability and propylene / propane permselectivity . the permeability is the flowrate of propylene across the film normalized by the film surface area and film thickness and by the propylene partial pressure difference across the film . units of permeability are barrers . one barrer equals 10 − 10 cm 3 ( stp )· cm /( sec · cm 2 · cm hg ). the propylene / propane permselectivity is the ratio of the propylene and propane permeabilities . the propylene permeability of the p84 film at 90 ° c . and 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) was 0 . 24 barrers ; and the propylene / propane permselectivity was 15 . 5 . the permselectivity was in good agreement with the selectivity measured with hollow - fiber membranes of p84 polymer . a dense film of a copolymer of toluenediisocyanate ( tdi , a mixture of 20 % 2 , 6 - toluenediisocyanate and 80 % 2 , 4 - toluenediisocyanate ) and a 1 : 1 mixture of benzophenone - 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride ( btda ) with 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- biphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride ( bpda ) was tested in permeation with 50 : 50 mole % mixed propylene / propane feed at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and 90 ° c . as in example 9 . the propylene permeability of the film was 0 . 48 barrers and the propylene / propane permselectivity was over 16 . samples of composite hollow - fiber membrane of matrimid ® 5218 a copolymer of 5 , x - amino -( 4 - aminophenyl )- 1 , 1 , 3 trimethyl indane and 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- benzophenone tetracarboxylicdianhydride ( vantico , inc .) were tested in permeation over a 72 - hour period with a feed mixture of 50 : 50 mole % propylene / propane at 1 . 7 mpa ( 250 psig ) and 90 ° c . as in example 1 . the purpose of the test was to determine the membrane performance stability under simulated commercial conditions . this membrane , described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 468 , 430 is a commercial gas - separation membrane produced by medal , lp . results of the test are shown in table iv . as apparent from these results , the membrane exhibited low selectivity and lost greater than 50 % of its initial permeance during the test , unlike the membranes of this invention . samples of asymmetric hollow - fiber membrane made from a blend of two aromatic polyamides were tested in permeation of a feed mixture of 50 : 50 mole % propylene / propane at 2 . 8 mpa ( 400 psig ) and 90 ° c . as in example 1 . this membrane is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 085 , 774 ( example 15 ). the fiber was spun at a draw ratio of 7 . 3 . it is an established gas - separation membrane applied in the separation of hydrogen from mixtures with hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide . it exhibited a propylene permeance of 0 . 23 gpu and a propylene / propane selectivity of 9 . 5 . this performance was less than that of the novel membranes having composition of formula ( i ). this result was unexpected because the membrane of aromatic polyamide has very high selectivity in separations of other mixtures , for example a selectivity of higher than 200 for h 2 / ch 4 at 90 ° c . although specific forms of the invention have been selected for illustration in the preceding description which is drawn in specific terms for the purpose of describing these forms of the invention fully and amply for one of average skill in the pertinent art , it should be understood that various substitutions and modifications which bring about substantially equivalent or superior results and / or performance are deemed to be within the scope and spirit of the following claims .	2
hereinafter , the present invention is described in more detail with reference to reference examples , examples and pharmacological test examples . an acetone solution ( 60 ml ) of 3 - amino - 2 - naphthol ( 5 . 0 g , 31 . 4 mmol ) was added to an aqueous solution ( 20 ml ) of sodium carbonate ( 4 . 77 g , 34 . 5 mmol ). the mixture was cooled in an ice - water bath , and then acetyl chloride ( 2 . 27 ml , 32 . 0 mmol ) was added to the mixture dropwise over 5 minutes . the resulting mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 4 hours and then allowed to stand at room temperature overnight . 2n hydrochloric acid was added to the reaction mixture to adjust its ph to 3 . the generated insoluble matter was separated , washed with water , and then dried , giving a white powder of n -( 3 - hydroxynaphthalen - 2 - yl ) acetamide ( 4 . 9 g , yield : 78 %). n -( 3 - hydroxynaphthalen - 2 - yl ) acetamide ( 4 . 87 g , 24 . 2 mmol ) was suspended in acetonitrile ( 50 ml ). a 1 - iodopropane ( 4 . 52 g , 26 . 6 mmol ) acetonitrile solution ( 40 ml ) and potassium carbonate ( 4 . 35 g , 31 . 5 mmol ) were added thereto , and the resulting mixture was stirred for 3 hours while heating under reflux . the mixture was then cooled to room temperature and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . water was added to the residue , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 20 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of n -( 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - yl ) acetamide ( 5 . 64 g , yield : 96 %). n -( 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - yl ) acetamide ( 2 . 5 g , 10 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in ethanol ( 10 ml ). concentrated hydrochloric acid ( 5 . 2 ml ) was added thereto , and the resulting mixture was stirred for 4 hours while heating under reflux . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and a 5n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 12 . 5 ml ) was added thereto to adjust its ph to 11 , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamine ( 2 . 05 g , yield : 100 %). meldrum &# 39 ; s acid ( 2 . 59 g , 17 . 9 mmol ) was added to methyl orthoformate ( 16 ml ), and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours while heating under reflux . 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamine ( 2 . 5 g , 12 . 4 mmol ) was added thereto , and the resulting mixture was stirred for 4 hours while heating under reflux . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure to recrystallize the residue from methanol , giving a pale brown powder of 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 5 -[( 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamino ) methylene ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxane - 4 , 6 - dione ( 4 . 19 g , yield : 95 %). 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 5 -[( 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamino ) methylene ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxane - 4 , 6 - dione ( 4 . 19 g , 11 . 7 mmol ) was added to diphenyl ether ( 15 ml ), and the mixture was heated with a mantle heater and then maintained under reflux for 2 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 70 : 1 → 9 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a dark brown powder of 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 3 . 15 g , yield : 61 %). 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 2 . 66 g , 10 . 5 mmol ) was suspended in dmf ( 20 ml ). potassium carbonate ( 1 . 63 g , 11 . 8 mmol ) and iodine ( 2 . 95 g , 11 . 6 mmol ) were added to the suspension , followed by stirring at room temperature for 3 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into an aqueous sodium thiosulfate solution ( 9 . 14 g , 100 ml ), followed by stirring for 5 minutes . ethyl acetate was added to the reaction mixture and stirred . subsequently , insoluble matter was collected by filtration , and the filtrate was then separated . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . the residue was added to the collected insoluble matter , followed by purification using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 20 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale brown powder of 2 - iodo - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 3 . 48 g , yield : 87 %). 1 -( 3 - propoxy - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 2 - yl ) ethanone ( 8 . 88 g , 38 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of chloroform ( 20 ml ) and methanol ( 80 ml ). hydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 4 . 05 g , 58 . 2 mmol ) and pyridine ( 9 . 46 ml , 117 mmol ) were added to the solution and stirred for 16 hours while heating under reflux . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . 2n hydrochloric acid ( 30 ml ) and water were added to the residue , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 5 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 1 -( 3 - propoxy - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 2 - yl ) ethanone oxime ( 8 . 87 g , yield : 94 %). indium chloride ( 1 . 19 g , 5 . 39 mmol ) was added to an acetonitrile solution ( 150 ml ) of 1 -( 3 - propoxy - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 2 - yl ) ethanone oxime ( 8 . 87 g , 35 . 8 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred for 3 hours while heating under reflux . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . water was added to the residue , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 3 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of n -( 3 - propoxy - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 2 - yl ) acetamide ( 8 . 65 g , yield : 98 %). 3 - propoxy - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 2 - ylamine was produced in the same manner as in reference example 3 . 5 - bromo - 6 - propoxyindan was produced in the same manner as in reference example 2 . to a 5 - bromo - 6 - propoxyindan ( 8 . 24 g , 32 . 2 mmol ) toluene solution ( 80 ml ) were added a benzophenone imine ( 6 . 40 g , 35 . 3 mmol ) toluene solution ( 40 ml ), tris ( dibenzylideneacetone ) dipalladium ( 742 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ), 9 , 9 - dimethyl - 4 , 5 - bis ( diphenylphosphino ) xanthene ( xantphos , 936 mg , 1 . 6 mmol ), and cesium carbonate ( 15 . 72 g , 48 . 3 mmol ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 47 hours , and then cooled to room temperature . water and saturated ammonium chloride solution were added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . the generated residue was dissolved in diethyl ether ( 130 ml ). concentrated hydrochloric acid ( 25 ml ) was added to the solution , followed by stirring for 2 hours . a 5n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 72 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture to adjust its ph to 11 , followed by concentration under reduced pressure . the residue was dissolved in dichloromethane and washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the generated residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 90 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale brown oily substance of 6 - propoxy - indan - 5 - ylamine ( 1 . 02 g , yield : 17 %). 1 -( 7 - hydroxychroman - 6 - yl ) ethanone ( 3 . 0 g , 15 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in dmf ( 20 ml ). sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 686 mg , 1 . 1 equivalent weight ) was added thereto while ice cooling , and then stirred for 10 minutes . 1 - iodopropane ( 2 . 92 g , 1 . 1 equivalent weight ) was added to the mixture and then stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . water was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 1 : 0 → 0 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 1 -( 7 - propoxychroman - 6 - yl ) ethanone ( 4 . 2 g , yield : quantitative ). 1 -( 7 - propoxychroman - 6 - yl ) ethanone oxime was produced in the same manner as in reference example 7 . n -( 7 - propoxychroman - 6 - yl ) acetamide was produced in the same manner as in reference example 8 . 7 - propoxychroman - 6 - ylamine was produced in the same manner as in reference example 3 . 1 -( 6 - propoxychroman - 7 - yl ) ethanone oxime was produced in the same manner as in reference example 7 . n -( 6 - propoxychroman - 7 - yl ) acetamide was produced in the same manner as in reference example 8 . 6 - propoxychroman - 7 - ylamine was produced in the same manner as in reference example 3 . 1 -( 5 - propoxy - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 6 - yl ) ethanone was produced in the same manner as in reference example 12 . 1 -( 5 - propoxy - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 6 - yl ) ethanone oxime was produced in the same manner as in reference example 7 . n -( 5 - propoxy - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 6 - yl ) acetamide was produced in the same manner as in reference example 8 . 5 - propoxy - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 6 - ylamine was produced in the same manner as in reference example 3 . to a 7 - bromo - 5 - methylbenzofuran ( 9 . 71 g , 46 mmol ) toluene solution ( 100 ml ) were added a benzophenone imine ( 10 . 25 g , 56 mmol ) toluene solution ( 55 ml ), tris ( dibenzylideneacetone ) dipalladium ( 1 . 1 g , 1 mmol ), 2 , 2 ′- bis ( diphenylphosphino )- 1 , 1 ′- binaphthyl ( binap , 2 . 1 g , 3 . 45 mmol ), and sodium t - butoxide ( 3 . 1 g , 31 mmol ). the resulting mixture was then stirred for 4 hours while heating under reflux in a nitrogen atmosphere . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and water and saturated ammonium chloride solution were added thereto , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 10 : 1 ). the solvent was removed under a reduced pressure , giving a yellow oily substance of benzhydrylidene ( 5 - methylbenzofuran - 7 - yl ) amine ( 17 . 9 g , yield : 81 %). benzhydrylidene ( 5 - methylbenzofuran - 7 - yl ) amine ( 17 . 9 g , 0 . 57 mmol ) was dissolved in thf ( 150 ml ). 5n hydrochloric acid ( 50 ml ) was added thereto , followed by stirring at room temperature for 2 hours . a 5n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 40 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the extract was sequentially washed with an aqueous saturated sodium hydrogen solution and an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution . the organic layer was dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 50 : 1 → 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a dark brown oily substance of 5 - methylbenzofuran - 7 - ylamine ( 2 . 5 g , yield : 30 %). 5 - methylbenzofuran - 7 - ylamine ( 1 . 3 g , 8 . 8 mmol ) and 10 % palladium carbon ( 500 mg ) were added to ethanol ( 50 ml ), followed by conduction of catalytic reduction at room temperature under ordinary pressure . the catalyst was removed by celite filtration , and the obtained filtrate was condensed under reduced pressure . the residue was dissolved in dichloromethane , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 5 - methyl - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 7 - ylamine ( 1 . 15 g , yield : 87 %). to a benzene solution ( 50 ml ) containing 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamine ( 2 . 05 g , 10 . 18 mmol ) and ethyl α -( hydroxymethylene )- 4 - methoxyphenylacetate ( 2 . 29 g , 10 . 3 mmol ) was added 350 mg of amberlyst 15 ( sigma - aldrich ). the resulting mixture was heated under reflux for 21 hours using a dean - stark trap . the reaction mixture was then cooled to room temperature , filtered to remove resin , and then the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . diphenyl ether ( 2 . 2 ml ) was added to the residue , and the mixture was then heated with a mantle heater and stirred for 1 . 5 hours under reflux . the resulting reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and then directly purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 1 → 60 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure to recrystallize the residue from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a pale yellow powder of 2 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 1 . 55 g , yield : 42 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 08 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 22 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 97 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 52 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 87 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 92 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 24 - 10 . 28 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 60 ( 1h , brs ). 3 - iodo - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 1 . 06 g , 2 . 79 mmol ) was suspended in dimethoxyethane ( 20 ml ). furan - 3 - boron acid ( 354 mg , 3 . 16 mmol ), [ 1 , 1 ′- bis ( diphenylphosphino ) ferrocene ] dichloropalladium ( ii )- dichloromethane complex ( pdcl 2 ( dppf ). ch 2 cl 2 , 123 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) and a 2n aqueous sodium carbonate solution ( 4 . 0 ml ) were sequentially added to the suspension . the mixture was stirred at 90 to 100 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , water was added thereto , and the resulting mixture was subjected to extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 80 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , the residue was washed with ethyl acetate and then dried , giving a pale brown powder of 2 - furan - 3 - yl - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 430 mg , yield : 48 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 27 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 7 . 03 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 55 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 57 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 72 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 89 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 22 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 71 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 24 - 10 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 80 ( 1h , brs ). to a dmf solution ( 5 ml ) of 2 - furan - 3 - yl - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 300 mg , 0 . 94 mmol ) was added sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 61 mg , 1 . 4 mmol ), and then the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 5 minutes . methyl iodide ( 181 mg , 1 . 27 mmol ) was added thereto and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 62 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture and the resulting mixture was subjected to separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 90 : 1 → 80 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure to recrystallize the residue from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a pale gray powder of 2 - furan - 3 - yl - 4 - methyl - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 130 mg , yield : 42 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 21 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 51 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 54 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 70 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 79 - 7 . 83 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 36 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 69 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 34 - 10 . 38 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 87 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 27 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 7 . 12 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 9 hz , 5 . 1 hz ), 7 . 47 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 7 hz ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 59 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 66 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 7 hz ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 91 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 50 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 20 - 10 . 27 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 95 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 23 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 09 - 7 . 13 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 55 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 66 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 7 hz ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 84 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 63 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 32 - 10 . 36 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 27 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 58 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 66 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 85 - 8 . 00 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 24 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 34 - 8 . 36 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 23 - 10 . 29 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 71 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 19 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 57 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 70 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 84 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 38 - 8 . 40 ( 2h , brs ), 10 . 30 - 10 . 34 ( 1h , m ). to a benzene solution ( 38 ml ) containing 3 - propoxynaphthalen - 2 - ylamine ( 600 mg , 2 . 98 mmol ) and ethyl α - acetyl - 4 - methoxyphenylacetate ( 1 . 41 g , 5 . 96 mmol ) was added 85 mg of amberlyst 15 ( sigma - aldrich ). the resulting mixture was heated under reflux for 20 hours using a dean - stark trap . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , filtered to remove resin , and then the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . diphenyl ether ( 2 . 8 ml ) was added to the residue , and the mixture was then heated with a mantle heater and stirred for 70 minutes under reflux . the resulting reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , and then directly purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 80 : 1 → 70 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving an oily substance ( 800 mg , yield : 72 %). ethyl acetate and n - hexane were added to the thus - obtained oily substance to crystallize and then recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a pale yellow powder of 2 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 - methyl - 5 - propoxy - 4h - benzo [ f ] quinolin - 1 - one ( 290 mg ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 31 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 27 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 17 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 56 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 84 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 2 hz , 6 . 5 hz ), 10 . 09 - 10 . 13 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 79 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 8 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 97 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 40 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 26 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 7 . 14 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 9 hz ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 54 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 10 . 07 - 10 . 11 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 84 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 97 - 2 . 08 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 86 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 45 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , t , j = 3 . 8 hz ), 7 . 13 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 36 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 7 . 53 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 6 hz ), 8 . 31 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 39 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 97 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 84 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 3 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 13 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , t , j = 3 . 8 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 7 hz ), 7 . 54 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 3 hz ), 8 . 48 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 95 - 2 . 07 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 85 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 55 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 7 . 11 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 11 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 8 . 21 - 8 . 23 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 18 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 95 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 3 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 09 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 52 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 65 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 26 - 8 . 28 ( 2h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 96 - 2 . 02 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 40 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 91 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 09 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 55 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 78 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ), 11 . 06 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 8 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 93 - 1 . 99 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 21 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 82 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 31 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 10 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 30 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 8 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 99 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 31 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 82 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 32 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 7 . 04 - 7 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 32 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 47 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 35 ( 1h , brs ). to a dmf solution ( 6 ml ) of 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 9 - one ( 1 . 26 g , 3 . 60 mmol ) was added sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 189 mg , 4 . 33 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes . to the resulting mixture was added 1 - bromo - 3 - chloropropane ( 1 . 70 g , 10 . 8 mmol ), followed by stirring at room temperature for 16 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture and the resulting reaction mixture was then subjected to separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice . after being dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , the organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 20 : 1 → 12 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a yellow oily substance of 6 -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 9 - one ( 365 mg , yield : 92 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 90 - 2 . 24 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 91 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 3 . 45 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 3 . 67 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 71 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 62 ( 3h , m ). a mixture containing 6 -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 9 - one ( 700 mg , 1 . 64 mmol ), morpholine ( 165 mg , 1 . 90 mmol ), potassium carbonate ( 341 mg , 2 . 47 mmol ), sodium iodide ( 295 mg , 1 . 97 mmol ) and dimethyl formamide ( 3 ml ) was stirred at 60 ° c . for 7 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 70 : 1 → 50 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure to recrystallize the residue from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a white powder of 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 6 -( 3 - morpholin - 4 - ylpropyl )- 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 9 - one ( 295 mg , yield : 38 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 85 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 96 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 2 . 04 - 2 . 15 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 41 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 55 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 93 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 50 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 96 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 20 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 91 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 88 - 2 . 25 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 91 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 3 . 45 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 8 hz ), 3 . 69 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 4 . 01 - 4 . 04 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 74 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 35 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 47 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 08 - 8 . 10 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 98 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 2 . 03 - 2 . 20 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 84 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 41 - 3 . 52 ( 6h , m ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 52 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 62 - 7 . 64 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 25 - 8 . 27 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 30 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 98 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 2 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 2 . 40 - 2 . 45 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 84 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 59 ( 6h , m ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 51 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 61 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 9 hz ), 8 . 23 ( 1h , d , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 8 . 27 ( 1h , s ). to a dmf solution ( 10 ml ) of 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 9 - one ( 400 mg , 1 . 15 mmol ) and sodium iodide ( 343 mg , 2 . 29 mmol ) was added sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 74 . 9 mg , 1 . 72 mmol ), and the mixture was then stirred for 10 minutes at room temperature . to the resulting mixture was added a dmf solution ( 20 ml ) of di - tert - butyl chloromethyl phosphate ( 888 mg , 3 . 43 mmol ), and the mixture was then stirred at 40 ° c . for 4 hours . the reaction mixture was ice - cooled , ice water was added thereto , and then the reaction mixture was subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using medium pressure liquid chromatography ( nh silica gel , n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 100 : 0 → 0 : 100 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of di - tert - butyl 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 9 - oxo - 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - ylmethyl phosphate ( 263 mg , yield : 40 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 08 - 1 . 14 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 35 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 88 - 2 . 16 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 66 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 30 - 6 . 35 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 4 hz ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 97 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 09 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 76 ( 1h , s ). a dichloromethane solution ( 4 ml ) of di - tert - butyl 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 9 - oxo - 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - ylmethyl ester ( 263 mg , 0 . 46 mmol ) was ice - cooled , trifluoroacetic acid ( 1 . 2 ml ) and dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) were added thereto under a nitrogen atmosphere and the resulting mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour . this mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was subjected to vacuum drying , giving a pale yellow powder of [ 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 9 - oxo - 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate ( 147 mg , yield : 56 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 - 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 96 - 2 . 02 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 3 . 40 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 25 - 6 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 42 hz ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 13 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 76 - 7 . 79 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ). [ 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 9 - oxo - 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate ( 147 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ) was suspended in isopropyl alcohol ( 20 ml ), and 1n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 0 . 64 ml , 0 . 64 mmol ) was then added thereto under a nitrogen atmosphere at 0 ° c . the resulting mixture was stirred for 1 hour at 0 ° c . the generated insoluble matter was separated and washed with acetone and dried , giving a white powder of [ 8 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 9 - oxo - 5 - propoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 - tetrahydro - 6 - aza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate disodium salt ( 42 mg , yield : 26 %) 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 91 - 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 83 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 75 - 2 . 81 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 36 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 94 - 5 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 93 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 58 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 85 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 50 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 72 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 10 . 95 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 7 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 85 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 52 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 06 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 14 - 8 . 15 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 10 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 8 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 17 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 84 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 88 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 06 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 10 . 17 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 10 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 87 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 52 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 65 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 70 - 10 . 90 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 12 - 2 . 33 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 84 - 2 . 89 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 02 - 3 . 20 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 80 ( 15h , m ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 28 - 4 . 31 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 6 hz ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 00 - 7 . 03 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 30 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 66 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 48 ( 1h , s ). sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 80 mg , 2 . 0 mmol ) was added to a dmf solution ( 10 ml ) of 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 10 - propoxy - 1 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 4 - one ( 600 mg , 1 . 64 mmol ), the resulting mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 5 minutes . ethyl bromoacetate ( 330 mg , 2 . 0 mmol ) was added thereto and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using medium pressure liquid chromatography ( nh silica gel , n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 100 : 0 → 0 : 100 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a colorless oily substance ethyl [ 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 10 - propoxy - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 4h , 6h - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 1 - yl ] acetate ( 700 mg , yield : 95 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 25 - 1 . 28 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 0 ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 43 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 80 - 2 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 85 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 86 - 3 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 13 ( 4h , m ), 5 . 10 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 75 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 ), 7 . 24 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 75 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 ). a 5n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 10 ml ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 30 ml ) of ethyl [ 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 10 - propoxy - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 4h , 6h - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 1 - yl ] acetate ( 700 mg , 1 . 55 mmol ) and heated for 2 hours under reflux . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and concentrated under reduced pressure . while ice - cooling the concentrate , water and concentrated hydrochloric acid were added to the residue to make it acidic . subsequently , the formed insoluble matter was separated and dried , giving a yellow powder of [ 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 10 - propoxy - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 4h , 6h - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 1 - yl ] acetic acid ( 580 mg , yield : 88 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 - 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 82 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 94 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 78 - 2 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 92 - 3 . 98 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 21 - 4 . 25 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 8 hz ), 5 . 35 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 96 - 7 . 00 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 29 ( 1h , s ). 4 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) morpholine ( 217 mg , 1 . 7 mmol ) was added to a dmf solution ( 10 ml ) of [ 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 10 - propoxy - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 4h , 6h - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 1 - yl ] acetic acid ( 580 mg , 1 . 39 mmol ), 2 -( 7 - aza - 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyl uronium hexafluorophosphate ( hatu , 790 mg , 2 . 1 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 5 ml ). the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature and then concentrated under reduced pressure . water and ethyl acetate were added to the residue , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a pale brown powder of 2 -[ 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 10 - propoxy - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 4h , 6h - 5 - oxa - 1 - aza - phenanthren - 1 - yl ]- n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 115 mg , yield : 16 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 - 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 77 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 93 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 34 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 3 . 15 - 3 . 19 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 25 - 3 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 33 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 85 - 3 . 90 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 07 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 06 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 58 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 72 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 82 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 01 - 2 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 28 - 4 . 32 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 6 . 25 - 6 . 31 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 2 hz ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 66 ( 3h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 10 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 20 - 6 . 24 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 3 hz ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 10 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 86 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 91 - 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 - 3 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 11 - 4 . 15 ( 3h , t , j = 4 . 8 hz ), 5 . 94 - 5 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 93 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 03 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 41 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 84 - 2 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 58 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 16 - 4 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 6 . 58 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 91 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 55 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 8 . 86 - 8 . 88 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 45 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 31 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 - 1 . 07 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 23 - 1 . 29 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 54 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 - 3 . 96 ( 2h , t , 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 11 - 4 . 27 ( 6h , m ), 5 . 05 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 62 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 29 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j - 8 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 - 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 11 - 3 . 33 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 17 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 70 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 54 ( 1h , s ), 12 . 6 - 12 . 9 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 93 - 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 90 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 00 - 3 . 20 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 62 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 04 - 4 . 12 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 07 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 70 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 91 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 77 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 10 - 8 . 25 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 - 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 96 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 90 - 3 . 21 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 25 - 3 . 43 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 66 ( 2h , t , j = 11 . 9 hz ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 85 - 4 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 18 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 09 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 71 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 96 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 09 - 8 . 14 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 91 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 00 - 2 . 20 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 00 - 4 . 50 ( 20h , m ), 4 . 50 - 4 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 77 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 65 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 94 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 35 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 98 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 46 - 3 . 51 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 - 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 16 - 4 . 21 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 0 hz ), 6 . 25 - 6 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 3 hz ), 6 . 70 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 91 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 68 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 84 - 2 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 58 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 16 - 4 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 6 . 15 - 6 . 19 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 8 hz ), 6 . 80 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 96 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 72 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 2 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 - 0 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 23 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 13 - 4 . 15 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 04 - 6 . 14 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 78 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 96 - 6 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 08 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 83 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 54 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 91 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 51 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 75 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ), 10 . 99 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 84 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 55 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 54 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 08 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 8 . 16 - 8 . 17 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 10 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 8 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 84 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 18 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 50 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 06 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 19 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 31 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 26 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 4 . 22 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 4 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 5 . 05 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 01 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 31 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 26 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 4 . 22 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 4 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 5 . 05 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 01 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 31 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 92 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 76 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 33 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 08 - 3 . 17 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 47 - 3 . 51 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 86 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 5 . 06 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 74 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 82 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 33 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 54 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ), 3 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 45 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 97 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 50 - 4 . 61 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 92 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 25 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 81 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 97 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 26 ( 2h , t , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 73 - 4 . 80 ( 2h , t , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 6 . 28 - 6 . 34 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 6 hz ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 11 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 70 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 74 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 15 - 3 . 22 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 62 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 21 - 6 . 25 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 6 hz ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 97 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 36 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 90 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 92 - 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 84 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 12 - 3 . 19 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 93 - 3 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 56 - 4 . 59 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 95 - 5 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 27 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 43 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 2 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 6 . 89 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 22 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 77 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 21 ( 1h , s ), 12 . 06 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 2 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 33 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 69 - 4 . 76 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 87 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 53 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 64 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 30 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 39 ( 18h , s ), 2 . 86 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 33 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 73 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 21 - 6 . 26 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 3 hz ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 99 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 66 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 2 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 33 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 69 - 4 . 76 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 15 - 6 . 19 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 64 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 2 . 57 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 06 - 3 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 3 . 72 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 50 - 4 . 58 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 84 - 5 . 88 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 87 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 93 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 31 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 75 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 39 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 70 - 3 . 80 ( 5h , m ), 4 . 04 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 85 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 91 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 72 - 7 . 75 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 9 . 94 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 02 - 11 . 25 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 82 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 43 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 32 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 65 - 3 . 95 ( 5h , m ), 4 . 17 - 4 . 22 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 55 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 76 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 14 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 89 ( 3h , s ), 6 . 93 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 00 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 68 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 91 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 26 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 8 . 78 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 2 hz ), 12 . 23 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 98 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 17 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 59 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 60 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 75 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 20 ( 1h , brs ), 8 . 33 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 8 . 50 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 81 - 8 . 83 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 94 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 07 - 7 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 44 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 7 hz ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 71 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 29 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 8 . 47 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 80 - 8 . 83 ( 1h , m ), 12 . 60 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 90 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 54 ( 3h , s ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 13 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 44 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 61 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 65 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 7 hz ), 8 . 24 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 8 . 64 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 75 - 8 . 77 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 14 - 1 . 19 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 07 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 87 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 26 - 4 . 32 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 98 - 7 . 02 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 30 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 8 . 64 - 8 . 66 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 9 . 10 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 38 - 9 . 40 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 8 hz ), 9 . 97 - 9 . 99 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 14 - 1 . 19 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 07 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 87 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 26 - 4 . 32 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 5 . 47 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 98 - 7 . 02 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 30 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 8 . 64 - 8 . 66 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 9 . 10 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 38 - 9 . 40 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 82 - 1 . 91 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 82 - 3 . 12 ( 8h , m ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 80 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 14 - 4 . 20 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 32 ( 2h , s ), 7 . 00 - 7 . 03 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 72 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 78 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 11 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 20 - 8 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 51 - 8 . 53 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ) 9 . 19 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 99 - 10 . 0 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 31 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 - 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 18 - 1 . 24 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 94 - 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 12 - 4 . 21 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 5 . 32 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 26 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 95 - 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 24 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 26 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ), 12 . 5 - 13 . 3 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 81 - 0 . 87 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 0 . 91 - 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 19 - 1 . 45 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 02 - 3 . 09 ( 2h , q , 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 13 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 20 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 90 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 97 - 8 . 01 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ). to a dmf solution ( 2 ml ) of [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] acetic acid ( 800 mg , 2 . 07 mmol ) were sequentially added a dmf solution ( 1 ml ) of 4 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) morpholine ( 273 mg ), triethylamine ( 506 mg , 5 . 0 mmol ), diethylphosphorocyanidate ( depc , 405 mg , 2 . 48 mmol ) and dmf ( 1 ml ) while ice - cooling , followed by stirring at room temperature for 23 hours . water was added to the reaction mixture and then subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 30 : 1 → 15 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 789 mg , yield : 77 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 34 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 18 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 53 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 93 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 14 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 99 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 95 ( 2h , m ). sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 61 mg , 1 . 4 mmol ) was added to a dmf solution ( 2 ml ) of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 580 mg , 1 . 16 mmol ), and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 5 minutes . methyl iodide ( 230 mg , 1 . 62 mmol ) was added thereto , and the thus - obtained mixture was stirred at room temperature for 15 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 30 : 1 → 15 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n - methyl - n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 440 mg , yield : 74 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 72 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 38 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 43 - 2 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 85 ( 1h , s ), 2 . 99 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 37 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 48 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 89 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 43 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 17 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 73 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 79 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 29 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 09 ( 2h , q , j = 5 . 8 hz ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 93 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 12 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 99 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 90 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 74 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 92 - 0 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 71 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 36 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 82 ( 1h , s ), 2 . 98 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 58 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 43 - 5 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 18 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 86 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 73 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 40 - 1 . 49 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 84 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 91 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 14 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 69 - 2 . 73 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 75 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 93 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 14 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 90 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 3 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 73 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 38 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 41 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 70 - 3 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 88 - 4 . 13 ( 5h , m ), 4 . 94 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 55 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 77 - 6 . 92 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 31 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 46 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). a 4n hydrochloric acid ethyl acetate solution ( 25 ml ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 12 ml ) of tert - butyl 4 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] acetylamino } piperidine - 1 - carboxylate ( 820 mg , 1 . 44 mmol ), followed by stirring at room temperature for 28 hours . the resulting mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure . after adding an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution to the residue to adjust the ph to 8 , the residue was washed with ethyl acetate . a 2n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added to the water layer to adjust its ph to 11 , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was recrystallized from ethanol - ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n - piperidin - 4 - ylacetamide ( 185 mg , yield : 27 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 22 - 1 . 33 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 62 - 1 . 81 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 36 - 2 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 84 - 2 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 92 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 13 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 88 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 5 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 31 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 06 - 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 13 ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 24 - 2 . 30 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 92 - 4 . 00 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 87 hz ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 29 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 2 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 22 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 04 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 80 - 12 . 20 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 78 - 0 . 84 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 10 - 1 . 42 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 75 - 2 . 01 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 97 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 58 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 28 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 75 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 93 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 - 1 . 12 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 35 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 33 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 69 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 85 - 7 . 03 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 64 ( 3h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 27 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 8 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 70 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 86 - 7 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 64 ( 3h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 87 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 07 - 2 . 20 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 36 - 3 . 39 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 56 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 21 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 98 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 81 ( 6h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 87 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 38 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 54 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 96 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 96 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 04 - 2 . 14 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 55 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 40 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 84 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 10 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 89 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 20 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 80 - 1 . 00 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 80 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 00 - 2 . 20 ( 12h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 06 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 59 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 26 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 98 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 94 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 08 - 3 . 14 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 83 ( 5h , m ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 19 - 4 . 43 ( 3h , m ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 23 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 27 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 30 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 89 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 27 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 30 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 6 . 58 ( 1h , dd , j = 5 . 0 hz , 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 69 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 50 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 61 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 02 - 8 . 06 ( 2h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 12 - 1 . 20 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 50 - 1 . 55 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 86 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 90 - 2 . 11 ( 3h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 33 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 67 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 51 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 56 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 9 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 99 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 00 - 2 . 25 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 80 - 2 . 97 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 25 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 40 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 65 ( 8h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 04 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 800 mg , 18 . 3 mmol ) was added to a dmf solution ( 25 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 5 . 0 g , 15 . 2 mmol ). the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . n - bromopropyl phthalimide ( 4 . 48 g , 16 . 7 mmol ) was added to the mixture and stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and at 50 ° c . for 5 hours . the reaction mixture was ice - cooled and water ( 20 ml ) and ethyl acetate were added thereto , followed by stirring for 2 hours . the generated insoluble matter was separated , washed with water , and then dried , giving a pale yellow powder of 2 -{ 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1yl ] propyl } isoindole - 1 , 3 - dione ( 4 . 63 g , yield : 59 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 83 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 62 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 61 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 25 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 78 - 7 . 86 ( 4h , m ), 8 . 06 ( 1h , s ). hydrazine hydrate ( 0 . 62 ml , 12 . 8 mmol ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 60 ml ) of 2 -{ 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propyl } isoindole - 1 , 3 - dione ( 2 . 0 g , 3 . 88 mmol ) and heated under reflux for 4 hours . the resulting mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure , a 5n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added to the thus - obtained residue , and then the resulting mixture was subjected to extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was sequentially washed with water and an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a yellow oily 1 -( 3 - aminopropyl )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 1 . 4 g , yield : 94 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 23 ( 2h , brs ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 69 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 61 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 83 - 7 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 65 ( 3h , m ). a dichloromethane solution ( 6 ml ) of 1 -( 3 - aminopropyl )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 645 mg , 1 . 67 mmol ) was ice - cooled . triethylamine ( 253 mg , 2 . 5 mmol ) and chloroacetyl chloride ( 207 mg , 1 . 83 mmol ) were added to the solution and stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . water was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction using dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was condensed , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 4 : 1 → 2 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 2 - chloro - n -{ 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propyl } acetamide ( 372 mg , yield : 48 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 86 - 2 . 09 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 33 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , s ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 56 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 66 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 96 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 03 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 52 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). 2 - chloro - n -{ 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propyl } acetamide ( 370 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ) was suspended in acetonitrile ( 12 ml ). 1 -( 2 - methoxyethyl ) piperazine ( 138 mg , 0 . 96 mmol ), triethylamine ( 162 mg , 1 . 6 mmol ) and acetonitrile ( 2 ml ) were added to the suspension , and stirred at 70 to 80 ° c . for 6 hours . the resulting mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the extract was then sequentially washed with water , an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , and an aqueous saturated sodium bicarbonate solution . the washed product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 30 : 1 → 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was then dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 5 ml ). a 4n hydrogen chloride ethyl acetate solution ( 0 . 19 ml ) was added thereto and stirred , and then the mixture was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow amorphous solid of n -{ 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propyl }- 2 -[ 4 -( 2 - methoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - yl ] acetamide hydrochloride ( 200 mg ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 89 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 50 - 3 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 96 - 3 . 20 ( 8h , m ), 3 . 25 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 62 - 3 . 66 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 04 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 56 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 24 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 07 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 70 - 2 . 00 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 39 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 86 - 7 . 03 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 49 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 27 - 1 . 35 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 62 - 1 . 82 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 19 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 47 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 99 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 18 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 27 - 1 . 32 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 62 - 1 . 65 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 79 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 2 . 07 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 21 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 21 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 96 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 94 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 50 - 1 . 80 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 57 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 97 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 49 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 95 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 90 ( 4h , m ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 95 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 36 - 1 . 60 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 69 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 50 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 6 . 83 - 7 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 50 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 94 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 08 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 77 ( 8h , m ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 65 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 46 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 6 . 83 - 7 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 49 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 83 ( 4h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 95 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 30 - 1 . 80 ( 10h , m ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 65 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 47 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 6 . 88 - 7 . 03 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 50 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 81 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 84 - 3 . 89 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 74 - 4 . 79 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 89 - 7 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 54 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). potassium carbonate ( 2 . 1 g , 15 . 2 mmol ) and 4 -( 2 - chloroethyl ) morpholine hydrochloride ( 1 . 36 g , 7 . 31 mmol ) were added to an n - methylpyrrolidone ( nmp ) solution ( 5 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 05 mmol ) and then stirred at 50 to 60 ° c . for 45 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 30 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 1 . 01 g , yield : 75 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 36 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 59 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 6 hz ), 3 . 43 - 3 . 47 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 66 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 25 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 94 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 12 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 84 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 6 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 89 ( 3h , m ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 00 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 79 ( 5h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 95 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 2h , brs ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 54 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 6 . 84 - 7 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 64 ( 3h , m ). a dmf solution ( 0 . 5 ml ) of n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - serine ( 174 mg , 0 . 85 mmol ), triethylamine ( 198 mg , 1 . 96 mmol ), diethyl phosphorocyanidate ( depc , 176 mg , 0 . 97 mmol ) and dmf ( 0 . 5 ml ) were sequentially added to a dmf solution ( 1 ml ) of 1 -( 2 - aminoethyl )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 300 mg , 0 . 81 mmol ) while ice - cooling , and stirred at room temperature for 20 hours . water was added to the reaction mixture and then subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution twice . the washed product was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 40 : 1 → 30 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white amorphous solid of tert - butyl (( s )- 1 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylcarbamoyl }- 2 - hydroxyethyl ) carbamate ( 338 mg , yield : 75 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 38 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 08 ( 1h , brs ), 3 . 45 - 3 . 60 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 79 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 34 ( 1h , brs ), 4 . 64 ( 2h , brs ), 5 . 87 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 9 hz ), 6 . 56 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 9 hz , 11 . 7 hz ), 6 . 73 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 91 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 36 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 46 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 26 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 109 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 0 . 90 - 1 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 37 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 41 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 48 - 1 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 99 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 80 - 2 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 40 - 3 . 50 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 80 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 - 4 . 24 ( 5h , m ), 4 . 53 ( 1h , brs ), 5 . 27 - 5 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 5 . 75 - 5 . 78 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 43 - 6 . 52 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 90 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 48 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 09 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 109 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 39 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 60 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 86 ( 1h , m ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 30 - 4 . 43 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 82 - 4 . 88 ( 1h , m ), 5 . 82 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 57 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 84 ( 3h , m ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 99 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 45 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 05 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 96 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 64 - 3 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 ( 2h , s ), 4 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 72 - 4 . 76 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 51 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 11 . 7 hz ), 6 . 78 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 89 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 32 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 54 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 97 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 96 ( 7h , m ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 85 - 3 . 25 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 80 - 3 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 69 ( 2h , brs ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 25 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 87 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 69 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 97 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 95 - 3 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 25 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 64 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 68 ( 2h , brs ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 86 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 57 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ). a 4n hydrogen chloride ethyl acetate solution ( 5 ml ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 5 ml ) of tert - butyl (( s )- 1 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylcarbamoyl }- 2 - hydroxyethyl ) carbamate ( 330 mg , 0 . 6 mmol ) and stirred at room temperature for 14 hours . the resulting mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure . water was added to the residue , which was then washed with ethyl acetate . a 2n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 6 ml ) was added to the water layer to adjust its ph to 11 , followed by extraction with dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 20 : 1 → 15 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , the residue was dissolved in ethanol ( 3 ml ) and ethyl acetate ( 3 ml ), and a 4n hydrogen chloride ethylacetate solution ( 0 . 1 ml ) was then added thereto . the mixture was stirred and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of ( s )- 2 - amino - n -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethyl }- 3 - hydroxypropionamide hydrochloride ( 145 mg , yield : 50 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 23 - 3 . 50 ( 5h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 73 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 40 - 5 . 42 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 80 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 00 ( 2h , brs ), 8 . 58 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 2 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 115 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 00 - 1 . 50 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 57 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 3 . 32 - 3 . 44 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 82 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 24 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 86 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 61 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 115 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 26 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 3 hz , 14 . 5 hz ), 2 . 65 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 8 hz , 14 . 5 hz ), 3 . 26 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 8 hz , 9 . 3 hz ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 55 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 64 ( 2h , brs ), 6 . 61 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 87 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 22 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 48 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 13 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 - 1 . 15 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 82 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 38 - 2 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 85 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 55 - 4 . 61 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 4 . 96 - 5 . 15 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 60 - 5 . 89 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 79 - 7 . 08 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 49 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). a dioxane ( 30 ml )- water ( 10 ml ) solution of 1 - but - 3 - enyl - 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 1 . 2 g , 3 . 15 mmol ) was prepared . a 2 . 6 - lutidine ( 0 . 674 g , 6 . 29 mmol ), 4 % osmic acid solution ( 1 ml ) and sodium periodate ( 2 . 69 g , 12 . 6 mmol ) were added to the solution , and stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . water was added to the reaction mixture , then the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane , washed with water , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the dried product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 100 : 0 → 0 : 100 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propionaldehyde ( 1 . 0 g , yield : 83 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 04 - 3 . 92 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 - 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 76 - 4 . 81 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 82 - 7 . 06 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 68 ( 3h , m ), 9 . 81 ( 1h , s ). 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propionaldehyde ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 61 mmol ) was dissolved in water ( 10 ml ), tert - butyl alcohol ( 20 ml ) and dichloromethane ( 20 ml ). sodium chlorite ( 3 . 2 g , 35 . 4 mmol ), 2 - methyl - 2 - butene ( 19 . 86 gm , 283 mmol ) and sodium - dihydrogenphosphate dihydrate ( 2 g , 2 . 61 mmol ) were added to the resulting solution , and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . water was added to the reaction mixture , the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane , and then washed with water and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the dried product was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 50 : 50 → 0 : 100 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propionic acid ( 710 mg , yield : 68 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 - 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 62 - 1 . 91 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 75 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 69 - 4 . 75 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 29 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 25 - 1 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 50 - 3 . 00 ( 15h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 75 - 5 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 40 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 88 - 7 . 92 ( 2h , m ). 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 4 - methylpiperazine ( 199 mg , 1 . 38 mmol ), dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 310 mg , 1 . 50 mmol ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 168 mg , 1 . 38 mmol ) were added to a dmf solution ( 10 ml ) of 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propionic acid ( 500 mg , 1 . 25 mmol ) and stirred overnight at room temperature . water was added to the reaction mixture , the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane and washed with water and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the dried product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the resulting residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( ethyl acetate → dichloromethane : methanol = 10 : 1 ). the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate and a 4n hydrogen chloride ethylacetate solution was added thereto and stirred . the mixture was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 2 -( 4 - methyl piperazin - 1 - yl ) ethyl 3 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] propionate dihydrochloride ( 110 mg , yield : 17 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 87 - 3 . 04 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 60 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 27 - 4 . 44 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 67 - 4 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 76 - 7 . 09 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 07 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 122 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 68 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 70 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 93 - 3 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 11 - 3 . 29 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 04 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 06 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 31 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 41 - 10 . 92 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 - 1 . 15 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 82 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 72 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 79 - 4 . 85 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 88 - 7 . 06 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 53 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , m ). 1 -( 2 - chloroethyl )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 3 . 5 g , 8 . 98 mmol ), methyl 3 - mercaptopropionate ( 1 . 19 g , 9 . 88 mmol ), and sodium iodide ( 1 . 48 g , 9 . 88 mmol ) were added to dmf ( 30 ml ) and stirred at 80 ° c . for 5 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of methyl 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylsulfanyl } propionate ( 3 . 2 g , yield : 75 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 2 . 65 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 54 - 2 . 60 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 76 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 93 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 56 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 74 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 85 - 7 . 08 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 67 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 06 ( 1h , s ). lithium hydroxide mono - hydrate ( 31 mg , 0 . 74 mmol ) and water ( 5 ml ) were added to an acetonitrile solution ( 10 ml ) of methyl 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylsulfanyl } propionate ( 175 mg , 0 . 37 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture was washed with ethyl acetate , and then 2n hydrochloric acid was added to the water layer to make the mixture acidic . the generated insoluble matter was separated , washed with water and then dried , giving a white powder of 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylsulfanyl } propionic acid ( 140 mg , yield : 82 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 - 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 47 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 2 . 64 - 2 . 70 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 2 . 85 - 2 . 90 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 - 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 65 - 4 . 70 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 26 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 35 - 12 . 84 ( 1h , br ). 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethylsulfanyl } propionic acid ( 2 . 26 g , 4 . 92 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of dichloromethane ( 100 ml ) and methanol ( 20 ml ), m - chloroperbenzoic acid ( mcpba , purity : 70 %, 2 . 55 g , 10 . 33 mmol ) was added thereto , and the mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . the resulting reaction mixture was ice - cooled . an aqueous saturated sodium hydrogen sulfite solution ( 50 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction with dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 100 : 10 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure and subjected to recrystallization from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a pale yellow powder of 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethanesulfonyl } propionic acid ( 2 . 2 g , yield : 91 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 64 - 2 . 70 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 3 . 37 - 3 . 43 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 72 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 94 - 4 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 06 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 63 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 127 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 84 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 84 - 2 . 89 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 27 - 3 . 33 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 57 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 70 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 95 - 5 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 94 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 01 - 7 . 08 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 66 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 125 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 84 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 40 - 2 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 84 - 2 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 70 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 62 - 4 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 94 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 01 - 7 . 08 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 66 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 127 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 94 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 53 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 71 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 14 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 67 - 4 . 70 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 4 . 93 - 4 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 06 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ). o - iodoxybenzoic acid ( ibx , 1 . 9 g , 6 . 78 mmol ) was added to a dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) solution ( 3 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 1 -[ 2 -( 3 - hydroxypropane - 1 - sulfonyl ) ethyl ]- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 2 . 7 g , 5 . 65 mmol ) and stirred overnight at room temperature . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture . subsequently , insoluble matter was filtered off , and the filtrate was then separated . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 2 : 1 → 0 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethanesulfonyl } propionaldehyde ( 1 . 8 g , yield : 67 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 82 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 80 - 3 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 45 - 3 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 90 - 5 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 06 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 62 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 67 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 125 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 69 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 71 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 85 - 3 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 11 - 3 . 28 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 64 - 4 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 73 - 7 . 09 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 34 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 67 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 14 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 62 - 11 . 04 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 - 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 25 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 45 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 75 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 50 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 65 - 3 . 70 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 95 - 5 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 06 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 32 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). n - methylpiperazine ( 0 . 455 mg , 4 . 54 mmol ) was added to a methanol solution ( 20 ml ) of 3 -{ 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] ethanesulfonyl } propionaldehyde ( 1 . 8 g , 3 . 79 mmol ) while ice - cooling , and then the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . sodium cyanoborohydride ( 0 . 238 g , 3 . 79 mmol ) and acetic acid ( 2 ml ) were added to the resulting mixture and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . water was added to the reaction mixture , then the mixture was subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the extract was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and a 4n hydrogen chloride ethylacetate solution was added to an ethyl acetate solution of the residue . the thus - generated insoluble matter was separated , giving a yellow powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 -{ 2 -[ 3 -( 4 - methylpiperazin - 1 - yl ) propane - 1 - sulfonyl ] ethyl }- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one dihydrochloride ( 360 mg , yield : 15 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 - 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 96 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 12 - 2 . 34 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 80 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 00 - 3 . 75 ( 14h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 - 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 98 - 5 . 03 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 07 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 05 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 90 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 3 hz ), 4 . 35 - 4 . 38 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 3 hz ), 4 . 58 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 32 ( 6h , m ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 79 - 7 . 82 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 11 . 49 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 2 hz ). 20 % palladium hydroxide / carbon ( 5 . 0 g ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 50 ml ) of 8 -( 2 - benzyloxyethoxy )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 6 . 3 g , 15 . 0 mmol ), followed by hydrogen substitution . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours . after completion of the reaction , the catalyst was removed and the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 20 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 5 - fluoro - 8 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 5 . 2 g , yield : 99 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 7 hz ), 4 . 12 - 4 . 16 ( 2h , t , j = 4 . 7 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 96 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 17 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 85 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 120 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 80 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 92 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 92 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 16 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 82 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 11 . 46 - 11 . 49 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 13 . 10 - 13 . 30 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 84 - 0 . 90 ( 7 . 2 hz ), 1 . 10 - 1 . 60 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 15 - 3 . 23 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 66 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 87 - 6 . 96 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 16 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 8 . 31 - 8 . 35 ( 1h , t , 5 . 8 hz ), 11 . 68 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 2 . 40 - 2 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 14 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 45 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 80 - 4 . 21 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 95 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 15 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 20 - 8 . 50 ( 1h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 22 - 1 . 27 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 26 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 54 - 2 . 59 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 20 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 94 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 72 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 72 - 7 . 75 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 9 . 49 - 9 . 51 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 2 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 89 - 2 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 69 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 89 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 02 - 7 . 07 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 49 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 73 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 11 . 21 - 11 . 23 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 9 hz ), 11 . 6 - 12 . 5 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 79 - 0 . 86 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 15 - 1 . 40 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 00 - 2 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 35 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 2 . 99 - 3 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 15 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 95 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 16 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 11 . 27 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 2 . 02 - 2 . 07 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 40 - 2 . 43 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 94 - 3 . 26 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 80 - 4 . 21 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 95 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 15 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 20 - 8 . 50 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 60 - 11 . 10 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 91 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 81 - 3 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 63 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 79 - 6 . 93 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 37 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 72 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 9 . 05 - 9 . 08 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 7 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 136 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 70 - 3 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 99 - 4 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 09 - 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 80 - 4 . 93 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 18 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 79 - 7 . 87 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 0 - 11 . 5 ( 1h , m ). ethyl [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] acetate ( 4 . 0 g , 9 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ). a 1m - boron tribromide dichloromethane solution ( 35 ml , 35 mmol ) was added dropwise to the dissolution at − 10 ° c . after stirring at the same temperature for 2 hours , water was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction with dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 15 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a yellow powder of ethyl [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] acetate ( 2 . 7 g , yield : 57 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 19 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 77 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 14 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 5 . 29 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 76 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 97 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 11 . 7 hz ), 7 . 21 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 45 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 41 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 82 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 5 . 21 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 76 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 96 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 20 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 45 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 40 ( 1h , s ), 12 . 50 ( 1h , brs ). 4 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) morpholine ( 184 mg , 1 . 41 mmol ), 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( wsc , 295 mg , 1 . 54 mmol ) and 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hobt , 215 mg , 1 . 41 mmol ) were added to a dmf solution ( 7 ml ) of [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ] acetic acid ( 500 mg , 1 . 34 mmol ) and then the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 23 hours . water and triethylamine were added to the reaction mixture to make the reaction mixture basic , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 30 : 1 → 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 157 mg , yield : 24 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 78 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 33 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 17 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 52 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 92 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 5 . 12 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 75 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 94 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 9 hz , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 44 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 91 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 9 . 50 ( 1h , s ). potassium carbonate ( 129 mg , 0 . 93 mmol ) and ethyl bromoacetate ( 114 mg , 0 . 68 mmol ) were added to a dmf solution ( 4 ml ) of 2 -[ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ]- n -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethyl ) acetamide ( 300 mg , 0 . 62 mmol ), followed by stirring at room temperature for 87 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture and the reaction mixture was then subjected to separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 20 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow oily substance of ethyl [( 4 -{ 5 - fluoro - 1 -[( 2 - morpholin - 4 - ylethylcarbamoyl ) methyl ]- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinolin - 3 - yl } phenoxy ) acetate ( 306 mg , yield : 87 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 30 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 43 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 35 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 52 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 91 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 4 . 26 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 4 . 59 ( 2h , s ), 5 . 00 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 96 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 37 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 51 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). ethyl ( 4 -{ 5 - fluoro - 1 -[( 2 - morpholin - 4 - yl - ethylcarbamoyl ) methyl ]- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinolin - 3 - yl } phenoxy ) acetate ( 300 mg ) was added to a 7n ammonia - methanol solution ( 15 ml ) and then stirred at 70 ° c . for 43 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 9 : 1 → ethyl acetate : methanol = 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a pale yellow powder of 2 -( 4 -{ 5 - fluoro - 1 -[( 2 - morpholin - 4 - yl - ethylcarbamoyl ) methyl ]- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinolin - 3 - yl } phenoxy ) acetamide ( 100 mg , yield : 35 %) 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 81 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 34 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 18 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 94 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 43 ( 2h , s ), 5 . 14 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 39 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 53 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 93 ( 2h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 149 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 27 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 53 - 1 . 74 ( 6h , m ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 60 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 83 - 3 . 91 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 08 ( 1h , m ), 4 . 16 - 4 . 28 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 72 ( 1h , brs ), 5 . 10 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 84 - 7 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). 2n hydrochloric acid ( 6 . 3 ml ) was added to an ethanol solution ( 20 ml ) of ethyl ( 5 - fluoro - 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 3 -{ 4 -[ 2 -( tetrahydropyran - 2 - yloxy ) ethoxy ] phenyl }- 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl ) acetate ( 840 mg , 1 . 59 mmol ) and stirred at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the resulting mixture was cooled to room temperature and then concentrated under reduced pressure . ethyl acetate and water were added to the residue , followed by separation . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 30 : 1 → 15 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow oily substance of ethyl { 5 - fluoro - 3 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) phenyl ]- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - yl } acetate ( 627 mg , yield : 89 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 27 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 88 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 92 - 3 . 98 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 12 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 24 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 5 . 10 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 84 - 7 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 98 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 72 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 93 - 4 . 02 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 87 ( 1h , brs ), 5 . 22 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 02 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 22 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ), 12 . 50 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 148 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 79 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 40 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 18 ( 2h , q , j = 5 . 9 hz ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 53 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 74 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 91 - 4 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 91 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 5 . 14 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 93 ( 2h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 25 - 1 . 31 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 10 - 2 . 17 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 51 - 2 . 57 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 21 ( 6h , m ), 6 . 83 - 6 . 93 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 72 - 7 . 75 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 8 . 93 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 93 - 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 91 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 34 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 3 . 89 - 3 . 94 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 67 - 6 . 87 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 03 - 7 . 08 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 47 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 73 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 11 . 18 - 11 . 20 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 11 . 5 - 12 . 2 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 81 - 0 . 87 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 01 - 1 . 08 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 40 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 25 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 3 . 00 - 3 . 40 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 93 - 3 . 99 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 4 . 07 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 16 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 82 ( 2h , m ), 11 . 24 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 - 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 09 - 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 70 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 18 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 83 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 11 . 27 - 11 . 29 ( 1h , d , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 12 . 99 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 83 - 0 . 88 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 1 . 02 - 1 . 08 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 23 - 1 . 50 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 08 - 3 . 16 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 47 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 17 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 56 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 80 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 03 - 8 . 08 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ), 11 . 24 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 86 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 93 ( 5h , m ), 8 . 90 ( 1h , brs ), 10 . 02 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 106 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 01 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 35 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 59 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 54 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 50 ( 2h , d , j = 4 . 5 hz ), 4 . 66 ( 2h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 5 . 22 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 99 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 9 hz , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 33 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 73 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 38 - 2 . 50 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 38 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 53 - 3 . 61 ( 4h , m ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 92 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 12 . 0 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 9 hz , 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 71 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 89 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 94 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 41 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ), 11 . 46 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 73 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 30 - 1 . 38 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 89 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 49 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 79 - 3 . 02 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 61 - 3 . 69 ( 6h , m ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 42 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 92 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 8 hz , 12 . 0 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 9 hz , 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 37 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 67 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 92 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 45 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 - 1 . 16 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 86 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 86 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 91 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 92 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 43 ( 2h , m ), 9 . 25 ( 1h , brs ), 9 . 77 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 - 1 . 16 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 70 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 85 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 15 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 99 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 22 ( 2h , m ), 9 . 36 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 - 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 15 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 97 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 23 ( 3h , m ), 10 . 78 ( 1h , brs ), 13 . 00 - 15 . 00 ( 1h , br ). ethanolamine ( 10 ml ) was added to methyl 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 3 . 2 g , 7 . 78 mmol ) and stirred at 100 ° c . for 3 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 20 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow amorphous solid of 2 - hydroxyethyl 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carboamide ( 3 . 0 g , yield : 93 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 92 - 3 . 17 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 32 - 4 . 57 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 21 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 13 - 8 . 33 ( 1h , m ), 11 . 09 ( 1h , brs ). triphenyl phosphine ( 2 . 47 g , 9 . 8 mmol ) and carbon tetrachloride ( 1 . 4 g , 9 . 1 mmol ) were added to a thf solution ( 30 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydro - quinoline - 2 - carboxy -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amide ( 3 . 0 g , 7 . 24 mmol ) and heated under reflux for 2 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature , and water was then added thereto , followed by extraction with dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 20 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carboxy -( 2 - chloroethyl ) amide ( 1 . 8 g , yield : 58 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 - 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 30 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 86 - 6 . 95 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 21 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 64 - 8 . 69 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 11 . 14 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 167 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 100 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 54 ( 5h , m ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 65 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 80 ( 1 . 2h , s ), 3 . 82 ( 1 . 8h , s ), 3 . 99 - 4 . 00 ( 0 . 8h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 06 - 4 . 12 ( 1 . 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 89 ( 0 . 6h , brs ), 9 . 31 ( 0 . 4h , brs ). n - methylpiperazine ( 276 mg , 2 . 76 mmol ), sodium iodide ( 440 mg , 2 . 9 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 572 mg , 4 . 14 mmol ) were added to a dmf solution ( 8 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carboxy -( 2 - chloroethyl ) amide ( 600 mg , 1 . 38 mmol ) and stirred overnight at 80 ° c . the mixture was cooled to room temperature , and water was then added thereto , followed by extraction using chloroform . the thus - obtained organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was then purified using medium pressure liquid chromatography ( nh silica gel , dichloromethane : methanol = 100 : 0 → 10 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydro - quinoline - 2 - carboxy -[ 2 -( 4 - methylpiperazin - 1 - yl ) ethyl ] amide ( 100 mg , yield : 14 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 - 1 . 16 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 99 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 80 ( 13h , m ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 35 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 85 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 25 - 6 . 50 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 79 - 7 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 32 ( 2h , m ), 9 . 77 - 10 . 1 ( 1h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 170 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 - 1 . 16 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 88 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 17 - 2 . 25 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 29 - 3 . 35 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 58 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 35 - 6 . 50 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 79 - 7 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 34 ( 2h , m ), 9 . 96 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 134 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 07 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 32 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 61 - 2 . 65 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 04 - 4 . 12 ( 3h , m ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 94 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 17 ( 2h , m ), 10 . 03 ( 1h , brs ). 1 -( 2 - pyridyl ) piperazine ( 551 mg , 3 . 38 mmol ) was added to a 1 , 2 - dichloromethane solution ( 20 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 800 mg , 2 . 25 mmol ) and stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . sodium triacetoxyborohydride ( 670 mg , 3 . 16 mmol ) was added to the resulting mixture and stirred at room temperature for 4 hours . dichloromethane was added to the resulting reaction mixture , washed with water , and then the mixture was dried over sodium sulfate . thereafter , the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the residue was then purified using nh silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 1 : 1 ). the solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 2 -( 4 - pyridin - 2 - yl - piperazin - 1 - ylmethyl )- 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 400 mg , yield : 35 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 93 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 67 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 65 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 89 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 68 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 98 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 20 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 56 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 18 - 8 . 21 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 0 - 10 . 2 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 - 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 66 - 2 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 42 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 56 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 66 - 6 . 69 ( 2h , d , j = 5 . 3 hz ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 97 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 19 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 8 . 28 - 8 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 5 . 3 hz ), 9 . 90 - 10 . 2 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 - 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 93 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 39 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 64 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 53 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 41 - 6 . 44 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 6 . 50 - 6 . 53 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 20 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 41 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 2 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 - 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 46 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 60 - 2 . 70 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 54 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 - 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 45 - 6 . 55 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 95 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 17 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 17 - 8 . 19 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 9 hz ), 10 . 04 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 13 - 1 . 20 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 50 - 1 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 60 ( 3h , m ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 90 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 40 - 3 . 77 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 11 - 4 . 16 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 12 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 9 . 60 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 - 1 . 17 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 87 - 2 . 15 ( 3h , m ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 42 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 46 - 2 . 51 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 2 . 64 - 2 . 68 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 3 . 65 - 3 . 68 ( 4h , t , j = 4 . 6 hz ), 3 . 74 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 - 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 20 ( 2h , m ), 10 . 35 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 - 1 . 17 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 86 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 42 ( 7h , m ), 2 . 46 - 2 . 52 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 58 - 2 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 52 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 63 ( 4h , t , j = 4 . 6 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 18 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 10 . 11 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 168 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 100 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 26 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 64 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 03 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 48 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 75 - 6 . 96 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 89 ( 0 . 6h , brs ), 9 . 31 ( 0 . 4h , brs ). a dichloromethane solution ( 30 ml ) of methyl 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 2 - carboxylate ( 5 . 0 g , 13 mmol ) was cooled to − 78 ° c ., and hydrogenated diisobutylaluminium ( dibal - h , 1m toluene solution , 30 ml ) was added thereto dropwise under a nitrogen atmosphere . after completion of the addition , the mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 3 hours . the reaction mixture was heated to room temperature , and 5n sodium hydroxide was added thereto , followed by extraction with dichloromethane . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with water , dried over sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 10 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a yellow amorphous solid of 5 - fluoro - 2 - hydroxymethyl - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 4 . 8 g , yield : 85 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 - 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 92 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 39 ( 2h , s ), 4 . 67 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 71 - 6 . 83 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 98 ( 2h , m ), 9 . 82 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 - 1 . 14 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 47 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 47 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 68 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 12 - 4 . 16 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 79 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 14 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 25 ( 1h , m ), 10 . 21 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 173 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 18 - 1 . 24 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 86 - 2 . 08 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 31 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 36 - 2 . 79 ( 8h , m ), 3 . 49 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 - 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 2 hz ), 6 . 68 - 7 . 00 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 22 ( 2h , m ), 10 . 21 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 71 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 09 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 2 . 57 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 13 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 81 - 6 . 94 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 06 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 14 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 0 hz , 8 . 8 hz ), 10 . 40 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 82 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 19 - 1 . 30 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 84 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 03 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 48 - 2 . 56 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 94 - 2 . 99 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 81 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 05 - 7 . 15 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 82 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 0 hz ), 10 . 97 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 99 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 8 , 12 . 0 hz ), 7 . 23 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 9 , 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 12 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 08 ( 2h , s ), 9 . 10 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 68 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 87 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 7 , 12 . 0 hz ), 7 . 13 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 9 , 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 08 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 8 . 37 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 36 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 32 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 0 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 37 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 6 hz ), 6 . 99 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 10 . 7 hz ), 7 . 13 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 27 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 1 , 8 . 3 hz ), 7 . 37 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 7 . 47 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 7 . 75 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 37 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 54 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 18 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 28 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 9 hz ), 6 . 50 - 6 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 93 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 10 . 9 hz ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 34 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 72 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 42 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 15 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 32 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 0 hz ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 61 ( 2h , t , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 78 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 - 1 . 90 ( 28h , m ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 75 ( 1h , m ), 2 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 97 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 4 , 10 . 7 hz ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 42 ( 1h , dd , j = 5 . 1 , 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 51 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 4 , 12 . 1 hz ), 7 . 64 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 71 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 6 hz ), 6 . 60 - 6 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 96 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 10 . 8 hz ), 7 . 10 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 51 ( 1h , t , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 0 . 35 - 0 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 0 . 60 - 0 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 25 - 1 . 45 ( 19h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 6 . 40 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 1 hz ), 6 . 85 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 04 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 55 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 19 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 33 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 77 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 10 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 15 - 2 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 85 - 3 . 00 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 30 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 2 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 63 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 90 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 28 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 2 hz ), 6 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 02 ( 1h , dd , j = 6 . 8 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 78 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 11 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 37 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 93 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 34 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 1 hz ), 6 . 94 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 1 hz ), 7 . 06 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 81 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 01 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 38 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 36 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 90 - 2 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 36 ( 2h , d , j = 13 . 8 hz ), 7 . 01 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 10 . 9 hz ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 96 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 08 ( 2h , s ), 9 . 15 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 02 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 26 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 2 hz ), 6 . 96 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 06 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 33 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 24 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 2 hz ), 7 . 13 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 4 hz ), 7 . 40 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 42 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 52 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 1 , 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 69 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 45 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 69 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 80 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 19 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 20 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 7 hz ), 6 . 56 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 4 , 8 . 2 hz ), 6 . 61 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 4 hz ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 5 hz ), 7 . 16 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 80 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 35 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 15 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 28 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 2 hz ), 6 . 96 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 09 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 24 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 9 hz ), 6 . 75 - 7 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 11 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 4 hz ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 50 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 95 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 35 - 0 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 0 . 55 - 0 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 30 - 1 . 45 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 6 . 36 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 2 hz ), 6 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 33 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 45 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 19 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 28 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 8 hz ), 6 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 36 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 60 - 2 . 20 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 95 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 11 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 25 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 5 hz ), 6 . 97 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 5 hz ), 7 . 35 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 705 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 12 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 25 ( 2h , d , j = 11 . 5 hz ), 6 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 70 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 07 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 75 - 2 . 00 ( 10h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 4 . 60 ( 1h , m ), 5 . 85 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 6 . 48 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 7 . 00 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 33 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 6 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 52 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 16 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 2 , 8 . 6 hz ), 8 . 22 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 04 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 80 - 4 . 15 ( 5h , m ), 6 . 29 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 5 hz ), 7 . 07 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 32 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 87 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 31 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 32 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 24 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 32 ( 2h , d , j = 12 . 0 hz ), 7 . 17 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 11 . 4 hz ), 7 . 43 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 1 hz ), 8 . 39 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 10 ( 2h , s ), 9 . 13 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 04 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 1 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 42 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 14 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 08 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 12 . 2 hz ), 7 . 30 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 7 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 40 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 55 ( 1h , m ), 8 . 21 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 1 . 40 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 66 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 16 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 03 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 6 . 55 - 6 . 65 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 02 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 12 . 3 hz ), 7 . 17 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 28 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 7 , 9 . 0 hz ), 8 . 09 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 93 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 27 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 95 - 4 . 10 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 03 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 20 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 40 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 15 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 57 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 69 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 96 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 65 - 6 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 95 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 4 , 12 . 2 hz ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 30 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 12 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 20 - 0 . 35 ( 2h , m ), 0 . 40 - 0 . 60 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 45 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 6 . 09 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 2 hz ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 21 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 7 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 40 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 15 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 1 . 38 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 01 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 40 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 13 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 1 . 63 - 2 . 10 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 75 - 3 . 00 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 72 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , d , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 5 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 17 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 7 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 40 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 14 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , d , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 02 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 1 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 50 ( 5h , m ), 8 . 16 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 60 - 1 . 75 ( 10h , m ), 2 . 40 - 2 . 60 ( 1h , m ), 2 . 66 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 73 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 80 ( 1h , dd , j = 7 . 7 , 7 . 8 hz ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 55 ( 3h , m ), 8 . 18 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 94 ( 3h , d , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 93 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 1 hz ), 6 . 92 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 , 12 . 3 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 7 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 86 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 30 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 96 ( 3h , d , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 10 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 6 hz ), 7 . 05 ( 1h , dd , j = 8 . 9 , 12 . 1 hz ), 7 . 29 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 41 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 94 ( 2h , s ), 8 . 96 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 31 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 23 - 1 . 29 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 78 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 91 - 2 . 15 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 52 - 2 . 87 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 44 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 00 - 4 . 08 ( 2h , q , j = 6 . 1 hz ), 4 . 59 - 4 . 64 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 87 - 7 . 03 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 37 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 73 ( 2h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 63 - 1 . 81 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 87 - 2 . 14 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 57 - 2 . 81 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 39 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 61 - 4 . 66 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 6 . 84 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 63 ( 3h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 0 . 82 - 0 . 88 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 21 - 1 . 31 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 77 ( 2h , m ), 1 . 89 - 2 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 60 - 2 . 80 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 04 - 3 . 12 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 45 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 82 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 58 - 4 . 63 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 20 - 5 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 94 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 28 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 52 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 67 ( 2h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 32 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 39 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 3 . 00 - 3 . 05 ( 4h , m ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 6 . 84 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 37 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 53 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ), 10 . 95 ( 1h , s ), 11 . 80 - 12 . 20 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 33 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 81 - 0 . 87 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 1 . 19 - 1 . 40 ( 4h , m ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 95 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 25 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 2 . 97 - 3 . 10 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 93 - 3 . 98 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 93 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 39 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 7 . 75 - 7 . 83 ( 2h , m ), 10 . 97 ( 1h , brs ). sodium iodide ( 1 . 4 g , 0 . 9 mmol ) and sodium hydride ( 60 % oil base , 220 mg , 5 . 5 mmol ) were added to a dmf solution ( 15 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) and stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes . chloromethyl ( tert - butoxycarbonylmethylamino ) acetate ( 2 . 52 g , 10 . 6 mmol ) was added to the reaction mixture while ice - cooling , and then the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution was added to the reaction mixture and then the mixture was subjected to extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 2 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow amorphous solid of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ( tert - butoxycarbonyl methylamino ) acetate ( 290 mg , yield : 18 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 100 - 1 . 15 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 29 - 1 . 44 ( 9h , s ), 1 . 85 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 90 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 - 4 . 15 ( 4h , m ), 6 . 46 - 6 . 51 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 15 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 74 - 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). a 4n hydrogen chloride ethylacetate solution ( 1 ml ) was added to an ethyl acetate solution ( 2 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ( tert - butoxycarbonylmethylamino ) acetate ( 100 mg , 0 . 19 mmol ) and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . the deposited insoluble matter was collected by filtration , washed with acetone , and then dried , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl methylaminoacetate hydrochloride ( 78 . 3 mg , yield : 88 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 60 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , s ), 4 . 10 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 61 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 99 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 11 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 11 . 5 hz ), 7 . 39 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 60 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 17 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 14 ( 2h , br ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 106 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 88 ( 6h , m ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 34 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 58 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 3 . 37 - 3 . 44 ( 8h , m ), 4 . 04 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 4 . 67 ( 2h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 7 . 01 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 11 . 6 hz ), 7 . 27 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 52 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 7 . 72 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 8 . 05 ( 1h , s ). a 4n hydrogen chloride ethylacetate solution ( 2 ml ) was added to an ethyl acetate solution ( 3 ml ) of di - tert - butyl 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl phosphate ( 300 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) while ice - cooling and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the deposited insoluble matter was collected by filtration and dried , giving a white powder of 1 - chloromethyl - 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 18 mg , yield : 92 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 13 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 70 - 2 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 11 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 40 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 12 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 51 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ). benzyloxyacetyl chloride ( 1 . 9 ml , 3 equivalent weight ) was added to a dichloromethane solution ( 50 ml ) of 4 -( tert - butyldimethylsilyloxy )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - quinolin ( 1 . 5 g , 3 . 4 mmol ) while ice - cooling and the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution was added to the reaction mixture , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 2 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , giving a colorless oily substance of 1 -( 2 - benzyloxyacetyl )- 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 250 mg , yield : 15 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 95 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 38 ( 2h , s ), 4 . 52 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 95 - 7 . 40 ( 7h , m ), 7 . 57 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 92 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 233 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 05 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 41 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 02 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 00 - 7 . 15 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 233 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 0 . 95 - 1 . 15 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 70 - 2 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 80 - 4 . 20 ( 7h , m ), 6 . 50 - 8 . 00 ( 7h , m ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 229 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 5 . 11 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 62 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 15 ( 6h , m ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 45 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 84 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 94 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ). 10 % palladium / carbon ( 260 mg ) was added to a thf ( 30 ml ) and ethanol ( 15 ml ) solution of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - benzyloxybenzoate ( 2 . 6 g , 4 . 6 mmol ). the mixture was subjected to hydrogen substitution and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . after completion of the reaction , the catalyst was removed by conducting filtration using celite , and the mixture was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a pale yellow powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - hydroxybenzoate ( 2 . 22 g , yield : quantitative ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 81 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 63 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 42 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 22 ( 1h , br ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 83 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 88 ( 1h , s ). 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - hydroxybenzoate ( 2 . 2 g , 4 . 6 mmol ) was suspended in acetone ( 50 ml ). tetrasol ( 420 mg ) and di - tert - butyl diisopropyl phosphoramidite ( 1 . 9 ml ) were added thereto and the resulting suspension was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture was ice - cooled , and an aqueous 30 % hydrogen peroxide solution ( 2 . 9 ml ) was added thereto , followed by stirring at the same temperature for 2 hours . an aqueous sodium thiosulphate solution and an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution were added to the reaction mixture . the resulting mixture was stirred and then concentrated under reduced pressure . water was added to the residue , followed by extraction using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over sodium sulfate , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 100 : 1 → 2 : 1 ). the purified material was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , giving a white amorphous solid of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 -( di - tert - butoxyphosphono ) benzoate ( 2 . 51 g , yield : 81 %). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 50 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 08 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 63 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 26 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 83 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 97 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ). trifluoro - acetic acid ( 2 ml ) was added to a dichloromethane solution ( 10 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 -( di - tert - butoxy - phosphono ) benzoate ( 500 mg ) while ice - cooling , and then the mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 1 hour . the resulting mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of not higher than 30 ° c . the residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate - n - hexane , giving a pale yellow powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - phosphonoxybenzoate ( 406 . 7 mg , yield : 98 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 0 . 93 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 85 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 64 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 09 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 11 . 5 hz ), 7 . 27 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 37 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 92 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 38 ( 1h , s ). 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - phosphonoxybenzoate ( 397 mg ) was suspended in isopropyl alcohol ( 10 ml ) while ice - cooling . a 1n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 1 . 5 ml ) was added thereto and the suspension was stirred at the same temperature for 1 hour . the deposited insoluble matter was collected by filtration and recrystallized from acetone - water , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl 4 - phosphonoxybenzoate disodium salt ( 338 . 6 mg ). 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 81 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 50 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 60 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 89 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 30 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 68 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 92 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 12 . 1 hz ), 7 . 05 - 7 . 20 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 75 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 79 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 229 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 1 . 75 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 44 ( 2h , s ), 5 . 92 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 40 ( 9h , m ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 76 ( 1h , s ). 1 - bromo - 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - tetra - o - acetyl - α - d - glucopyranosyl ( 17 . 0 g , 41 . 3 mmol ), benzyltri - n - butylammonium bromide ( 1 . 3 g , 4 . 16 mmol ), potassium carbonate ( 14 . 37 g , 104 mmol ) and water ( 0 . 45 ml ) were sequentially added in this order to a chloroform solution ( 90 ml ) of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 6 . 75 g , 20 . 6 mmol ). chloroform ( 27 ml ) was added to the resulting reaction mixture and the mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 39 hours . 2n hydrochloric acid ( 80 ml ) was added to the thus - obtained mixture while ice - cooling , followed by extraction with dichloromethan . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : ethyl acetate = 30 : 1 → 4 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was dissolved in ethanol ( 100 ml ), and an aqueous solution ( 8 . 16 ml ) of potassium hydroxide ( 5 . 44 g ) was added thereto , followed by stirring at room temperature for 3 hours . the resulting reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure . 2n hydrochloric acid ( 20 . 4 ml ) was added to the residue , and extraction was conducted using ethyl acetate . the thus - obtained organic layer was washed with an aqueous saturated sodium chloride solution and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified using silica gel column chromatography ( dichloromethane : methanol = 50 : 1 → 20 : 1 → ethyl acetate : methanol = 30 : 1 ). the purified product was concentrated under reduced pressure , and the residue was then recrystallized from ethyl acetate , giving a white powder of 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 8 - propoxy - 1 -(( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - trihydroxy - 6 - hydroxymethyltetrahydropyran - 2 - yl )- 1h - quinolin - 4 - one ( 0 . 38 g ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 24 - 3 . 41 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 70 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 11 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 69 ( 1h , t , j = 5 . 5 hz ), 5 . 14 - 5 . 16 ( 2h , m ), 5 . 33 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 6 . 51 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 94 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 29 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 99 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 242 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 03 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 89 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 57 - 3 . 58 ( 3h , m ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 75 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 77 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 12 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 67 - 4 . 76 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 91 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 7 hz ), 5 . 17 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 6 . 43 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 96 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 28 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 hz , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 52 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 05 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 23 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 09 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 44 ( 18h , s ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 06 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 51 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 73 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 239 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , d , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 90 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 79 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 45 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 6 . 49 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 98 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 09 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 1 , 11 . 5 hz ), 7 . 36 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 4 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 8 . 16 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 25 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 84 ( 3h , d , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 61 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 86 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 25 ( 2h , d , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 6 . 26 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 73 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 88 ( 1h , dd , j = 9 . 2 , 12 . 1 hz ), 7 . 08 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 2 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 78 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 229 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 10 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 20 - 1 . 75 ( 24h , m ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 85 - 3 . 10 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 84 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 07 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 4 . 15 - 4 . 30 ( 1h , m ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 65 ( 1h , m ), 5 . 00 - 5 . 25 ( 1h , m ), 6 . 48 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 05 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 10 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz ), 7 . 59 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 74 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 229 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ppm : 1 . 08 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 12 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 1 . 79 ( 3h , d , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 1 . 90 - 2 . 00 ( 2h , m ), 2 . 30 ( 1h , q , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 2 . 33 ( 1h , q , j = 7 . 3 hz ), 3 . 85 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 00 ( 1h , td , j = 6 . 7 , 8 . 9 hz ), 4 . 12 ( 1h , td , j = 6 . 7 , 8 . 9 hz ), 6 . 80 - 7 . 10 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 66 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 29 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 using appropriate starting material . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 83 ( 3h , s ), 6 . 65 ( 1h , d , j = 13 . 6 hz ), 6 . 76 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 92 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 54 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 7 . 90 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 8 hz ), 11 . 75 ( 1h , brs ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 3 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 33 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 3 . 75 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 89 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 27 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 6 . 74 ( 1h , d , j = 13 . 7 hz ), 6 . 82 ( 1h , s ), 6 . 92 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 55 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 04 ( 1h , s ). the above compound was prepared in the same manner as in example 2 using appropriate starting materials . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ ppm : 1 . 00 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 06 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 88 ( 4h , m ), 2 . 16 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 2 . 58 ( 2h , t , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 90 ( 2h , q , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 4 . 14 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 6 . 81 - 6 . 94 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 06 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 15 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 0 hz , 8 . 8 hz ), 10 . 40 ( 1h , brs ). [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate ( 800 mg , 1 . 83 mmol ) was suspended in isopropyl alcohol ( 30 ml ). a 1n - potassium hydroxide aqueous solution ( 3 . 66 ml , 3 . 66 mmol ) was added thereto at 0 ° c . the resulting mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours . the generated insoluble matter was collected by filtration , recrystallized from acetone - water and then dried , giving a white powder of [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate dipotassium salt ( 445 mg , yield : 47 %). 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ) δ ppm : 0 . 97 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 88 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 76 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 01 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 7 hz ), 6 . 05 ( 2h , d , j = 9 . 1 hz ), 6 . 93 - 7 . 01 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 19 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 9 . 1 hz ), 7 . 43 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ), 8 . 16 ( 1h , s ). [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate disodium salt ( 800 mg , 1 . 66 mmol ) was dissolved in water ( 4 ml ). a calcium chloride ( 202 mg , 1 . 82 mmol ) aqueous solution ( 1 ml ) was added thereto at room temperature . the deposited solid was collected by filtration , washed with water and acetone , and then dried , giving a white powder of [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate calcium salt ( 690 mg , yield : 87 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 , 80 ° c .) δ ppm : 0 . 79 - 0 . 89 ( 3h , m ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 76 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 62 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 91 - 4 . 01 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 09 - 6 . 16 ( 2h , m ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 90 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 09 - 7 . 15 ( 1h , m ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 70 ( 2h , m ), 8 . 32 ( 1h , s ). [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate disodium salt ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 07 mmol ) was suspended in methanol ( 10 ml ). a methanol solution ( 4 . 3 ml ) of magnesium chloride ( 198 mg , 2 . 08 mmol ) was added thereto at room temperature . the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes . the solid deposited after condensation was collected by filtration , washed with water and acetone , and then dried , giving a white powder of [ 5 - fluoro - 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxo - 8 - propoxy - 4h - quinolin - 1 - ylmethyl ] monophosphate magnesium salt ( 845 mg , yield : 88 %). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 , 80 ° c .) δ ppm : 0 . 99 ( 3h , t , j = 7 . 4 hz ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 86 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 64 ( 3h , s ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz ), 6 . 09 ( 2h , d , j = 10 . 4 hz ), 6 . 80 - 6 . 98 ( 3h , m ), 7 . 24 ( 1h , dd , j = 4 . 6 , 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 58 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 00 ( 1h , s ). evaluation of the improvement of mitochondrial dysfunction using human neuroblastoma cell lines sh - sy5y treated with 1 - methyl - 4 - phenylpyridinium ( mpp + ) in human neuroblastoma cell lines sh - sy5y in which mitochondrial activity was injured by mpp + treatment ( bollimuntha s . et al ., j biol chem , 280 , 2132 - 2140 ( 2005 ) and shang t . et al ., j biol chem , 280 , 34644 - 34653 ( 2005 )), the improvement of mitochondrial dysfunction was evaluated on the basis of measurement values for mitochondrial oxidation reduction activity using alamar blue fluorescent dye after the compound addition ( nakai m . et al , exp neurol , 179 , 103 - 110 ( 2003 )). the human neuroblastoma cell lines sh - sy5y were cultured in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium containing 10 % fetal bovine serum ( dmem containing 50 units / ml penicillin and 50 μg / ml streptomycin as antibiotics ) at 37 ° c . in the presence of 5 % carbon dioxide . cells were scattered on a poly - d - lysine - coated 96 - well black plate at a concentration of 3 - 6 × 10 4 cells / cm 2 ( medium amount : 100 μl / well ), and cultured in the above medium for two days . further , the medium was changed to dmem containing a 1 % n2 supplement ( n2 - dmem ) or to a medium ( 100 μl / well ) in which 1 . 5 mm mpp + was dissolved . the cells were cultured therein for 39 to 48 hours , and then subjected to a mitochondrial oxidation reduction activity measurement system . a sample compound that had been previously dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) was diluted with n2 - dmem , and added in a volume of 10 μl / well 24 hours before the activity measurement ( final compound concentration : 0 . 01 to 1 μg / ml ). after removal of the medium by suction , a balanced salt solution containing 10 % alamar blue ( 154 mm sodium chloride , 5 . 6 mm potassium chloride , 2 . 3 mm calcium chloride , 1 . 0 mm magnesium chloride , 3 . 6 mm sodium bicarbonate , 5 mm glucose , 5 mm hepes , ph 7 . 2 ) was added in a volume of 100 μl / well , and reacted in an incubator at 37 ° c . for 1 hour . the fluorescent intensity was detected using a fluorescence detector ( a product of hamamatsu photonics k . k ., excitation wavelength 530 nm , measurement wavelength 580 nm ) to thereby measure the mitochondrial oxidation reduction activity . the fluorescent intensity of the well of the cells cultured in a medium containing mpp + and in each of the sample compounds was relatively evaluated based on the 100 % fluorescent intensity of the well of the cells cultured in a medium containing dmso alone ( final concentration : 0 . 1 %). when the mpp + - induced cell groups exhibited higher florescent intensity than the cell groups cultured in dmso alone , the test compound was judged to have improved the activity of the mitochondrial dysfunction . using a mouse having mptp - induced dopaminergic neurons ( chan p . et al ., j neurochem , 57 , 348 - 351 ( 1991 )), the dopamine neuroprotective activity was evaluated based on dopamine contents and protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase ( th ) and dopamine transporter ( dat ) ( i . e ., dopaminergic neuronal marker proteins ) in the brain corpus striatum region after the compound administration ( mori a . et al ., neurosci res , 51 , 265 - 274 ( 2005 )). a male c57bl / 6 mouse ( provided by japan charles river inc ., 10 to 12 weeks ) was used as a test animal . mptp was dissolved in a physiological salt solution so that the concentration became 4 mg / ml , and then administered to the mouse subcutaneously in a volume of 10 ml / kg . the test compound was suspended in a 5 % gum arabic / physiological salt solution ( w / v ) so that a compound having a concentration of 1 mg / ml could be obtained . each of the test compounds or solvents thereof was orally administered to the mouse after 30 minutes , 24 hours , and 48 hours of the mptp administration . the mouse was decapitated after 72 hours of the mptp administration , the brain was removed , and each side of the striatum was dissected . the left striatum was used as a sample to detect the protein levels by western blot analysis . each tissue was homogenized in a hepes buffer sucrose solution ( 0 . 32 m sucrose , 4 μg / ml pepstatin , 5 μg / ml aprotinin , 20 μg / ml trypsin inhibitor , 4 μg / ml leupeptin , 0 . 2 mm phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride , 2 mm ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ( edta ), 2 mm ethylene glycol bis ( β aminoethyl ether ) tetraacetic acid , 20 mm hepes , ph 7 . 2 ), and assayed for protein using a bicinchoninic acid kit for protein assay ( provided by pierce corporation ). each homogenized sample , having an equal amount of protein that had been dissolved in a laemmli sample buffer solution , was subjected to electrophoresis through sodium dodecyl sulfurate polyacrylamide gels . the protein separated by electrophoresis was electrically transferred to polyvinylidene fluoride membranes . the membranes were reacted with specific primary antibodies for th , dat , and housekeeping proteins , i . e ., the al subunit of na + / k + - atpase and actin ( na + / k + - atpase , a product of upstate biotechnology inc . ; others are products of chemi - con corporation ). subsequently , a horseradish peroxidase - labeled secondary antibody ( a product of amersham k . k .) for each primary antibody was fixed , and the chemiluminescence associated with enzyme activity of peroxidase was detected using x - ray film . the density of the protein band on the film was analyzed using a densitometer ( a product of bio - rad laboratories inc .) to obtain the th value relative to na + / k + - atpase and the dat value relative to actin . the right striatum , the tissue weight of which was measured immediately after dissection , was used as an analysis sample for determining the dopamine content . each tissue was homogenized in a 0 . 1 n perchloric acid solution containing isoproterenol as an internal standard substance of the measurement , using an ultrasonic homogenizer while being cooled with ice . the supernatant obtained from 20 , 000 g of homogenate that had been centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 15 minutes was subjected to a high performance liquid chromatography with a reversed phase column ( a product of eicom corporation ). a mobile phase 15 % methanol 0 . 1 m citric acid / 0 . 1 m sodium acetate buffer solution ( containing 190 mg / l 1 - sodium octane sulfonate , 5 mg / l edta , ph 3 . 5 ) was flowed at a rate of 0 . 5 ml / min , and the dopamine peak of each sample was detected using an electrochemical detector ( applied voltage + 750 mv vs . ag / agcl , a product of eicom corporation ). with reference to the identified dopamine peak , the dopamine content per tissue weight was calculated in each sample using analysis software ( a product of gilson inc .). in both analyses , the value of the sample derived from the mptp - induced mice in which only the test compound or the solvent was administered was expressed relative to the value of the sample derived from the mice without mptp treatment ( 100 %). values were analyzed statistically using a nonclinical statistical analysis system . values of significance probability & lt ; 0 . 05 were defined as statistically significant . in the mptp - induced mice , when the test drug group showed an increase in protein level compared to the solvent group , and a significant difference was observed between these groups in the t - assay , the test drug was judged to have dopamine neuroprotective activity . evaluation of the neuroprotective action in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion - reperfusion model the neuroprotective action of an experimental compound was evaluated in a middle cerebral artery ( mca ) occlusion - reperfusion rat model of stroke [ koizumi j . et al ., jpn j stroke , 8 , 1 - 8 ( 1986 )] using the cerebral infarct volume as an index [ kitagawa h . et al ., neurol res , 24 , 317 - 323 ( 2002 )]. male wistar rats ( 12 - 16 weeks old , japan slc , inc .) were used as the experimental animals . each rat was kept at 37 ° c . under isoflurane anesthetization , and immobilized in the supine position while breathing voluntarily . each rat was subjected to a median incision in the cervical region , and the right common carotid artery ( cca ), the right external carotid artery ( eca ) and the right internal carotid artery ( ica ) were exposed without damaging the vagus nerve . subsequently , the right cca and the right eca were ligated , the right ica was controlled with a suture at its origin and a small incision was made in the right cca . the occlusion of the right mca at its origin was produced by insertion of a silicon coated no . 4 - 0 nylon filament having 0 . 30 - 0 . 35 mm in diameter and about 17 mm in length into the ica . the right ica was ligated together with the filament , the skin was temporarily sutured , and the rats were returned to their cages . after 1 . 5 hours of occlusion , the cervical wound was reopened under isoflurane anesthesia , and the filament was slightly withdrawn to allow reperfusion . the cervical wound was closed , and the rats were returned to their cages . the experimental compounds were dissolved in a tris buffer solution or a physiological saline solution to produce a concentration of 1 . 5 to 15 mg / ml , and the prepared solutions or vehicle were intravenously administered in the quantity of 2 ml / kg immediately after the vascular occlusion and reperfusion . twenty - four hours after reperfusion , the rat whole brains were removed and the forebrain coronal sections were prepared in 2 - mm thick from the boundary of the cerebrum and cerebellum . the slices were incubated in a 1 % 2 , 3 , 5 - triphenyltetrazolium chloride ( ttc ) solution at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes and fixed by immersion in 10 % neutralized formalin . the images of the slices were scanned , and the area of the ttc achromatic region on the surface was measured using image - analysis software ( win roof ver . 5 . 6 , mitani corporation ). the measured area value was multiplied by the thickness of 2 mm to determine the volume of each slice , and the sum of the thus - obtained volumes was defined as the total cerebral infarct volume . the statistical difference in cerebral infarct volume between the vehicle administered group ( control group ) and the compound administered group was analyzed by a t - test ( two - tailed ) using a non - clinical statistical analysis system . a probability less than 0 . 05 was defined as a statistically significant difference . when a statistically significant decrease in the cerebral infarct volume was observed in the compound administered group compared to the control group , it was determined that the experimental compound had a neuroprotective effect .	2
the advanced platform rocker described here can tilt the platform as a function of time , including non - periodical movement . the angle of the platform can be accurately controlled , thereby enabling the platform rocker to perform advanced routines as well as use the angular position of the platform to drive other functions . the electronic circuit accurately controls the angular position of the shaft of the motor . a stepper motor is used , whereby the electronic circuit controls its position , to within a fraction of a step or of a degree of rotation . a home sensor is used to determine when the cam is in a known reference position . the following provides a means to controllably couple the platform to the motor . the motor rotates the cam . the cam is either on the shaft of the motor or on a separate shaft , coupled by some means , such as with a belt or chain . the platform is connected by a linkage to the cam , so as the cam revolves , the platform tilts back and forth . by controlling the angular position of the cam , the tilt of the platform is controlled . because there is a defined relationship between the angular position of the shaft of the motor and the angular position of the cam , the tilt of the platform can be controlled accurately . the platform can be electronically controlled to tilt or rock back and forth at a smaller tilt angle , e . g . reversing the rotation of the cam , in order to rotate back and forth for only a portion of a revolution . in standard platform rockers , the motor does not reverse direction , and require mechanical changes to change the range of tilt , e . g . changing the radial distance from the center of the cam to where the linkage pivots . the ability to rock back and forth within a smaller range of tilt angles , and then tilt further as needed , enables this platform rocker to perform additional functions . for example , by tilting further , liquid can be poured out of trays on the platform . to prevent the trays from sliding off the platform , they can be clamped in place . by tilting further in the opposite direction , the liquid can be poured into a different container . likewise , with a means for piercing on the trays , with the action of tilting a platform , the tray can pierce a reservoir holding reagent , and the reagent can flow , under gravity , into the tray on the platform . while contemporary platform rockers run at a constant speed , the electronic circuit in the advanced platform rocker described here can drive the motor for a period of time , then pause , then continue to repeat this pattern . this platform rocker can also rock at very slow speeds , run quickly in one direction , then slowly in the other , or even run with a high frequency oscillation superimposed on another motion , leading to a vigorous agitation , e . g . for more rapid washing of blots and gels . the routines can be preprogrammed and / or programmed by the user . this advanced platform rocker incorporates automated fluid handling , eliminating the need for pumps and valves . a reagent is loaded in reservoir tubes with sealed bottoms , such as with foil seals . seals are pierced to release reagents which are gravity fed into the trays . lances are located on the trays and the same motor and controller that drive the rocking of the trays can cause the trays to tilt further from horizontal , enabling the lances to pierce the foil seals . similarly , this advanced platform rocker incorporates a separate slider which contains the reagent reservoir tubes . by maintaining the platform in a level position , driving the slider into position above the platform , and then tilting the platform , the lances are moved into contact with and puncture the seals of the reagent reservoir tubes . after which , the platform returns to the horizontal position and the slider returns to its home position , allowing the tray holding platform to rock without interference . this method uses only a single motor or just two motors to control the dispensing of the reagents without the use of a pump or valve and similarly reduces the required sets of tubing . reagent volumes are determined by the amount pre - loaded into the reagent reservoir tubes . tilting the tray holding platforms to a steep angle , the liquid pours out of the trays , into catch tanks or containers . the liquids is transferred to these waste containers or recovery containers without the use of a pump , valves , or tubing . a cover for each tray is mounted with slotted holes or other gravity based mechanism so that the entire tray or most of the tray is covered to prevent evaporation . the cover can slide . when the tray is tilted at a relatively large angle in one direction , the drain spout is exposed . when the tray is tilted in the other direction beyond the typical rocking angle , the inlet region by the lances is exposed . this advanced platform rocker can wash blots more aggressively by superimposing a higher frequency vibration onto the rocking motion . advanced rocking such as moving forward 3 steps of rotation , back 2 , forward 3 , back 2 , can be performed rather than a continuous progression in one direction . in addition , external devices or sensors can communicate with the electronic circuit , thereby affecting the rocking parameters and / or signaling the advancement to the subsequent step in the rocking routine . for instance , a camera could monitor the blots and image processing software could be used to determine when the washing was completed , so as not to overwash or underwash , ensuring the best contrast . another feature would be a bluetooth or internet connection to signal the user when the program was done or the status of the program at any time . programs could be introduced via bluetooth , sd cards , ethernet , wi - fi or usb memory sticks , or other method , in addition to programming at the instrument itself . while the preferred embodiment uses a microcontroller in the electronic circuit , a field programmable gate array , logic chips , or other electronic means could control the rocking and other actions of the platform rocker . in other embodiments , one or more sensors monitor the angular position of the motor shaft , such as with an encoder , the tilt of the platform , or the angle or position of the linkage . in one embodiment , the electronic circuit also controls a means for transferring heat to or from the trays , such as a thermoelectric device or refrigeration unit mounted adjacent to the trays . in another embodiment , external sensors communicate with the electronic circuit . for example , an optical sensor , such as a ccd , signals that a predetermined amount of contrast in fluorescence is detected in a blot in the tray , thereby signaling that the washing is complete and the rocking proceeds to the next step in the routine . likewise , sensors monitor the ambient temperature , and the electronic circuit changes the rocking rate or times in response . signals from another device , at times such as when liquid pours into a tray on the platform , indicate to the electronic circuit that it needs to alter the rocking or to proceed to the next rocking step or to pause for an image to be taken of samples in the trays .	1
the collection of pyrimidine intermediates disclosed in this invention which are suitable for eventual conversion to rnfx must allow formation of a tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one having the following structure : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . in the invention , a tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one is a necessary precursor to a 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydropyrimidine , based on the known conversion of ketone carbonyl groups by reaction with difluoramine or difluorosulfamic acid in the presence of a strong acid . the nitrogen - protecting groups chosen for the new pyrimidine intermediates and precursors are certain sulfonyl substituents . the particular sulfonyl substituents are chosen from a group that favorably affects the basicity of the pyrimidine nitrogens to make them less basic than the oxygen sites in the pyrimidine intermediates , in order to allow difluoramination of the carbonyl oxygens to proceed to geminal - bis ( difluoramino ) alkylene derivatives . suitable intermediates leading to tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- ones include hexahydro - 5 - pyrimidinols ( including their oxygen - protected derivatives ) and hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidines . these novel n - sulfonylpyrimidine derivatives include hexahydro - 5 - pyrimidinols having the structure : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . ; and wherein r 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an alcohol - protecting group . the novel n - sulfonylpyrimidine derivatives also include hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidines having the following structure : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . in the preferred embodiment , a hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidine is utilized as the intermediate leading to a tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one . in the present invention , the production of hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidines is accomplished as follows : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . hexahydro - 5 - pyrimidinols and hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidines are suitable intermediates that can be converted to tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one precursors . for example , hexahydro - 5 -( methylene ) pyrimidines are converted to tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- ones by ozonlysis of the exo - methylene substituent . next , these precursors are converted to novel 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydropyrimidines and other geminal - bis ( difluoramino ) alkylene derivatives by difluoramination . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the general path of the reaction , after the formation of a tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one , is illustrated as follows : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . ; and wherein r 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , c 1 - c 2 alkyl , protected hydroxymethyl and 1 , 2 ethanediyl . in another embodiment of the invention , the reaction may also be accomplished using a carbonyl , rather than the r 2 groups illustrated above . that general path is illustrated as follows : wherein z 1 is selected from the group consisting of halosulfonyl , polyhaloalkanesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl , polyhaloarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl , polycyanoarenesulfonyl , a regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl , and polynitroarenesulfonyl . further , the regioisomer of fluoroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - fluoro - substituted arenesulfonyl , the regioisomer of cyanoarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - cyano - substituted arenesulfonyl and the regioisomer of nitroarenesulfonyl is selected from the group consisting of 2 -, 3 - and 4 - nitro - substituted arenesulfonyl . tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- ones suitable for conversion to 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydropyrimidines are substituted on the nitrogens ( positions 1 and 3 ) by electron - withdrawing sulfonyl substituents . the particular sulfonyl substituents are chosen from a specific group that imparts lower basicity to the nitrogens than to the oxygen in the tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- ones . therefore , the substitituent causes the nitrogens to have acid dissociation constants ( pk a ) of the ( protonated ) conjugate acid forms of the nitrogen sites to be less than that of the ketones , typically about − 7 . the sulfonyl substituents may include alkanesulfonyl , halosulfonyl , or arenesulfonyl substituents , but the arenesulfonyl must have electron - withdrawing subsitituents on the phenyl rings . for example , the nitro group ( no 2 ) is a suitable electron - withdrawing subsitituent . any single or multiple electron - withdrawing subsitituent ( s ) that collectively lower ( s ) the basicity of the arenesulfonyl - protected nitrogens below that of the oxygen in corresponding tetrahydropyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- ones is ( are ) suitable . similarly , alkanesulfonyl protecting groups may be electronegatively substituted to impart the same property on the protected nitrogens . in general , the sulfonyl substituent must have an inductive substituent constant ( σ i or f ) of a value greater than that of unsubstituted benzenesulfonyl , approximately 0 . 58 . such electronegatively substituted pyrimidines are unprecedented . the geminal - bis ( difluoramino ) alkylene derivatives must be susceptible to nitrolysis to form n - protected nitramines ( i . e . nitramides ) and the intermediate nitramides must be susceptible to deprotection to form desired nitramine intermediates . those intermediates then undergo cyclization by reaction with aldehydes or other alkylating reagents to form difluoramino - substituted heterocyclic nitramines . in the final step of the process , 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine intermediate is reacted with an electrophile or alkylating reagent , such as aldehyde , alkylene dihalide , aldehyde equivalent or alkylene di ( pseudohalide ), to undergo cyclization to a desired difluoramino - substituted heterocyclic nitramine . a cyclic 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine is the same as a generic 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - dinitropyrimidine when the cyclization is effected by a group containing only a single - carbon linkage between the two nitrogens ( positions 1 and 3 ). this linkage may have additional substituents , but the pyrimidine linkage contains n — c — n atoms directly bonded . the process of making rnfx consists of nitrolyzing the cyclic 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- disulfonyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine with nitric acid or other nitronium source to prepare a 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - n , n ′- disulfonyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine . this nitrolysis may proceed via a 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n - nitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine intermediate , if a chemical linkage bridging the precursor &# 39 ; s sulfonamide nitrogens is retained by one of the nitrogens upon nitrolysis . the resulting 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - n , n ′- disulfonyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine is then subjected to nucleophilic displacement of the sulfonyl protecting group . in 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino ) propanamine derivatives , this deprotection is relatively facile , and appropriate nucleophiles include a wide variety of oxygen , nitrogen and other heteroatom derivatives , examples of which include water , alcohols and amines . the resulting deprotected nitramine , 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine , is then reacted with a difunctional electrophile suitable for cyclizing the bisnitramine . a variety of electrophiles are suitable for this purpose , including aldehydes , dihaloalkanes , alkyl pseudohalides , other typical alkylating reagents , acylating reagents , and sulfonating reagents . the use of formaldehyde as the cyclizing reagent produces the simple hexahydropyrimidine product ( rnfx ). in the successful examples cited below , 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl was used as a role model nitrogen - protecting sulfonyl group to prepare electronegatively substituted pyrimidines as intermediates and precursors leading to geminal - bis ( difluoramino ) alkylene derivatives . a wide variety of other heretofore unknown pyrimidine derivatives suitable for conversion , successively , to tetrapyrimidin - 5 -( 4h )- ones and then to geminal - bis ( difluoramino ) alkylene derivatives becomes apparent from a review of known electron - withdrawing properties of sulfonyl substituents , such as reviewed by hansch et al ., chemical reviews 1991 , 91 , 165 ; these require that inductive substituent constants , σ i or f , are greater than approximately 0 . 58 , the value known for unsubstituted benzenesulfonyl . thus , other suitable electronegatively substituted pyrimidines include those protected on nitrogen by chlorosulfonyl ; fluorosulfonyl ; cyanosulfonyl ; polyhaloalkanesulfonyls , such as difluoromethanesulfonyl , trifluoromethanesulfonyl , and all perfluoroalkanesulfonyls ; arenesulfonyls appropriately substituted such that collective effects of substituents on the arene impart the desired electronegativity on the arenesulfonyl , including , but not limited to , nitrobenzenesulfonyl ( all isomers ) and all polynitrobenzenesulfonyls . arenesulfonyl substituents may be based on arenes other than benzene , including various aromatic heterocycles , such as azines . individual substituents on the arenesulfonyl of electronegativity comparable to or greater than that of nitro impart suitable electronegativity to the sulfonyl subsitituents to make suitable pyrimidine intermediates . the collective effect of multiple electronegative substituents of electronegativity less than that of nitro would also impart , collectively , the same necessary property of lowered basicity ; examples include polyhaloarenesulfonyl and polycyanoarenesulfonyl protecting groups ; other examples are apparent from compilations of quantitative inductive effects , such as hansch et al . ( op . cit .). in the successful examples cited below , 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl was used as a model nitrogen - protecting sulfonyl group to prepare 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - n , n ′- bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 1 , 3 - propanediamine intermediates susceptible to nucleophilic n - desulfonation and subsequent cyclization by appropriate electrophiles . based on the known general susceptibility of n - alkyl - n - nitrosulfonamides to nucleophilic n - desulfonation , it would be apparent that a variety of other n - sulfonyl subsituents are suitable for the present process of preparing 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine and subsequent cyclized derivatives , including alkanesulfonyl , arenesulfonyl ( including heteroarenesulfonyl ), and halosulfonyl protecting groups . in the successful examples cited below , a cyclic 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- disulfonyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine precursor [ specifically , 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine ] contained methylene ( ch 2 ) as a bridging link between sulfonamide nitrogens of the reactant ; the methylene bridge was susceptible to nitrolysis to an n - nitratomethyl substituent which was also nitrolyzed , forming an n - nitrosulfonamide . based on the known susceptibility to nitrolysis of “ substituted methylene ” linkages bridging heterocyclic nitrogens , other 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - disulfonylpyrimidines substituted in the 2 - position are also suitable reactants for the nitrolysis step generating 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine derivatives . the 2 - position substituents that remain feasible within the present process include a wide variety of alkyl , aryl ( including heteroaryl ) and cyclic alkyl ( including heterocyclic alkyl ) substituents . the class of feasible examples thus includes perhydro - 2 , 2 ′- bipyrimidines and a variety of other bicyclic systems linked to the 2 - position of the reactant 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - disulfonylpyrimidine . in the successful examples cited below , a formaldehyde equivalent generated in situ during nitrolysis of an n - nitratomethyl substituent was used to recyclize 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine to form rnfx . based on the known general reactivity of primary nitramines with aldehydes ( under acid catalyzed conditions ) and other electrophiles , the present process is extensible to the formation of other cyclic 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine derivatives via cyclization with alternative electrophiles . for example , 1 , 3 - propanediamines are known to condense with glyoxal to form perhydro - 2 , 2 ′- bipyrimidines ; 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine thus forms 5 , 5 , 5 ′, 5 ′- tetrakis ( difluoramino ) perhydro - 1 , 1 ′, 3 , 3 ′- tetranitro - 2 , 2 ′- bipyrimidine with glyoxal . although the description above contains many specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention . thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents . a 37 % aqueous solution of formaldehyde ( 1 . 34 ml ) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of 1 , 3 - diamino - 2 - hydroxypropane ( aldrich chemical co ., 95 % purity , 1 . 5 g , 17 mmol ) in 8 ml of water over 30 minutes at room temperature . after stirring at room temperature for 3 days , the solvent was removed via distillation to give a light yellow solid , hexahydro - 5 - pyrimidinol . a solution of hexahydro - 5 - pyrimidinol ( 1 . 0 g , 9 . 8 mmol ) and sodium carbonate ( 1 . 04 g , 9 . 8 mmol ) in 10 ml of water in a 250 ml round bottom flask was stirred with a magnetic stir bar for 10 minutes . a solution of 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 4 . 4 g , 19 . 8 mmol ) in 10 ml of toluene was added dropwise over a period of 30 minutes . the reaction mixture formed a white suspended solid . a mixture of 100 ml of water and 20 ml of toluene was added to the reaction mixture and stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was filtered and the solid was washed with 100 ml of toluene , then with 100 ml of water . the solid was dried at room temperature under reduced pressure to give 4 . 4 g ( 95 %) of crude product , hexahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 5 - pyrimidinol . [ 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 84 , 3 . 47 { ab q of d , j = 12 . 4 ( 3 . 8 ) hz , 12 . 4 ( 7 . 9 ) hz , 4h }, 3 . 30 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 46 , 5 . 07 ( ab q , j = 12 . 5 hz , 2h ), 5 . 31 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 11 , 8 . 41 ( ab q , j = 8 . 7 hz , 8h ); 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 50 . 0 , 59 . 8 , 60 . 6 , 124 . 6 , 128 . 9 , 143 . 3 , 150 . 1 ]. a suspended mixture of 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide ( 2 . 0 g , 9 . 9 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 0 . 68 g , 4 . 9 mmol ) in 100 ml water was stirred and heated at 70 ° c . until the reaction mixture turned clear . aqueous 37 % formaldehyde ( 0 . 2 ml , 4 . 9 mmol ) was added and the mixture heated at 70 ° c . for 3 days . the reaction mixture was concentrated by removal of water via rotary evaporation at reduced pressure . the reaction mixture was neutralized to ph 7 with hydrochloric acid . the resulting solid was filtered and washed with water to give 0 . 7 g ( 18 %) of methylenebis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide ) [ 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 2 . 82 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 86 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 07 , 8 . 35 ( ab q , j = 8 . 9 hz , 8h ); 13c nmr ( acetone - d 6 ) δ 53 . 0 , 125 . 2 , 129 . 1 , 148 . 4 , 151 . 0 ]. the yield of this reaction ranged from 10 - 30 %. a mixture of methylenebis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide ) ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 4 mmol ), potassium carbonate ( 0 . 66 g , 4 . 8 mmol ), and 3 - chloro - 2 -( chloromethyl )- 1 - propene ( 0 . 3 g , 2 . 4 mmol ) in 150 ml of acetonitrile was stirred and heated at reflux under a nitrogen atmosphere for 20 h . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure , and the remaining solid was chromatographed ( silica gel - ethyl acetate ) to give 0 . 84 g ( 75 %) of solid , hexahydro - 5 -( methylene )- 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine [ 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 3 . 90 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 00 ( s , 2h ), 8 . 18 , 8 . 44 ( ab q oft , j = 9 . 0 ( 2 . 2 ) hz , 8h ); 13 c nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 51 . 0 , 61 . 7 , 116 . 2 , 125 . 3 , 130 . 6 , 133 . 6 , 144 . 6 , 151 . 6 ]. a stream of ozone in oxygen was bubbled into a solution of hexahydro - 5 -( methylene )- 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine ( 0 . 6 g , 1 . 3 mmol ) in 150 ml acetone at − 78 ° c . ( dry ice - acetone bath ) until a blue color persisted for 5 minutes . the reaction was stirred for 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere . next , 2 . 0 ml of dimethyl sulfide was added . after stirring for 10 minutes , the solvent was removed and the solid dried under reduced pressure to give 0 . 5 g ( 83 %) of tetrahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one . [ 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 3 . 95 ( s , 4h ), 5 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 8 . 20 , 8 . 48 ( ab q , j = 9 . 0 hz , 8h ); 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 53 . 8 , 58 . 8 , 124 . 8 , 129 . 3 , 141 . 9 , 150 . 4 , 196 . 2 ]. difluoramine ( 2 . 2 g , 41 . 5 mmol ) was absorbed into a mixture of 3 . 0 ml fuming sulfuric acid ( 30 % so 3 ) plus 100 ml of trichlorofluoromethane in a temperature range of — 15 to + 5 ° c . tetrahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidin - 5 ( 4h )- one ( 0 . 255 g , 0 . 54 mmol ) was added via a solid addition funnel with another 15 ml of trichlorofluoromethane to wash out the funnel . after 3 h stirring at − 15 ° c ., the reaction mixture was poured onto ice . the mixture was basified with aqueous sodium carbonate to ph 6 and then extracted with dichloromethane . the solvent was removed from this extract by rotary evaporation and the residue was redissolved in chloroform and chromatographed on silica gel , eluting successively with chloroform ( two fractions ) and dichloromethane ( three fractions ). fraction # 2 , eluted by chloroform , contained a mixture of 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- bis ( difluoraminomethyl )- n , n ′-( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 1 , 3 - propanediamine [ 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ): δ 4 . 39 ( s ), 5 . 09 ( t ), 8 . 12 , 8 . 44 ( ab q , j = 8 . 9 hz ); 19 f nmr ( chloroform - d ): δ 30 . 59 ( s ), 44 . 86 ( t , j = 22 . 9 hz )] and n , n - bis ( difluoraminomethyl )- 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide [ 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ): δ 5 . 03 ( t , j = 22 . 6 hz , 4h ), 8 . 09 , 8 . 42 ( ab q , j = 8 . 9 hz , 8h ); 19 f nmr ( chloroform - d ): δ 43 . 53 ( t , j = 22 . 4 hz )]. the same reaction as described in example 4 is performed . elution of chromatography fraction # 3 with dichloromethane produced a mixture containing predominantly 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine [ 1 h nmr ( dichloromethane - d 2 - chloroform - d ): δ 3 . 98 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 98 ( s , 2h ), 8 . 07 , 8 . 42 ( ab q , j = 9 . 0 hz , 8h ); 13 c nmr ( dichloromethane - d 2 - chloroform - d ): δ 44 . 3 ( m , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 60 . 4 , 89 . 7 ( m ), 125 . 3 , 129 . 5 , 144 . 0 , 151 . 4 ; 19 f nmr ( dichloromethane - d 2 - chloroform - d ): δ 27 . 27 ] plus minor amounts of 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino )- 1 -( difluoraminomethyl ) hexahydro - 3 -( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine [ 19 f nmr ( dichloromethane - d 2 - chloroform - d ): δ 21 . 65 , 28 . 15 ( ab q , j = 610 hz , 4 f ), 45 . 38 ( t , j = 20 . 8 hz , 2 f )], n -( difluoraminomethyl )- 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide [ 19 f nmr ( dichloromethane - d 2 - chloroform - d ): δ 39 . 86 ( td , j = 22 . 6 , 7 . 6 hz )] and n , n - bis ( difluoraminomethyl )- 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonamide . the same reaction as in example 4 is performed . elution of chromatography fraction # 4 with dichloromethane produced effectively pure 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine . 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl ) pyrimidine is dissolved in a large excess of ca . 98 % nitric acid . nitrolysis of the methylene bridge in this reactant is conveniently followed by 19 f nmr spectrometry . nitrolysis initially produces 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n -( nitratomethyl )- n ′- nitro - n , n ′- bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 1 , 3 - propanediamine [ 1 h nmr ( hno 3 ): δ 4 . 53 ( s ), 5 . 09 ( s ), 5 . 88 ( s ), 8 . 42 , 8 . 78 ( ab q , j = 9 . 0 hz , 4h , n - aryl ), 8 . 43 , 8 . 70 ( ab q , j = 9 . 0 hz , 4h , n ′- aryl ); 13 c nmr ( hno 3 ): δ 44 . 2 , 45 . 8 , 60 . 6 , 90 . 8 , 125 . 6 , 128 . 6 , 131 . 3 , 143 . 1 , 146 . 6 , 150 . 5 , 151 . 6 ; 19f nmr ( hno 3 ): δ 29 . 39 ]. nitrolysis of the intermediate formed in example 7 replaces the n - nitratomethyl substitituent with n - nitro . the reaction rates of the successive nitrolysis steps are expectedly influenced by the concentration of reactants — the sulfonamides and nitric acid . with a proper proportion of reactants , the next step of the sequence occurs spontaneously : 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - n , n ′- bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 1 , 3 - propanediamine is adventitiously n - desulfonated by the water contained in the concentrated nitric acid , forming 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine , which does not accumulate but combines spontaneously with the formaldehyde equivalent generated in this nitrolysis , as described in example 9 . under the conditions of nitrolysis of 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n -( nitratomethyl )- n - nitro - n , n ′- bis ( 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonyl )- 1 , 3 - propanediamine in ca . 98 % nitric acid , the liberated formaldehyde equivalent becomes available for cyclization of the n - desulfonated bis ( primary nitramine ), 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine . the cyclization occurred spontaneously at room temperature , consuming the 2 , 2 - bis ( difluoramino )- n , n ′- dinitro - 1 , 3 - propanediamine intermediate and forming 5 , 5 - bis ( difluoramino ) hexahydro - 1 , 3 - dinitropyrimidine ( rnfx ) [ 1 h nmr ( cd 3 cn ): δ 4 . 85 ( s , 4h ), 6 . 06 ( s , 2h ); 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 5 . 07 ( s , 4h ), 6 . 31 ( s , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cd 3 cn ): δ 45 . 3 ( m , j = 6 hz ), 60 . 6 ( s ) ( not all carbons detected due to low s / n ); 19 f nmr ( cd 3 cn ): δ 29 . 67 ; 19 f nmr ( acetone - d 6 ): δ 29 . 31 )].	2
the present invention provides an improved process for the purification of tiacumicin b , resulting in a product with a purity of at least 95 %. the method according to the invention uses hydrophobic interaction chromatography ( hic ). in addition to said step , normal isolation procedures can be performed , such as insolubilisation or crystallisation of the end product . the process described is simpler than those described in the prior art , and makes the use of rp - hplc superfluous . we have now found that when hic columns with different ph values are used , different types of impurities can be eluted differentially , and therefore separated , which considerably improves the quality of the product . said characteristic is unprecedented in this field , and could not be foreseen on the basis of the chemical properties and structure of the product . the method , which is described in greater detail below , provides a very simple purification process and a substantially pure product . the present invention relates to a process for the recovery and purification of tiacumicin b which involves subjecting a liquid containing tiacumicin b to at least one hydrophobic interaction chromatography step . hydrophobic interaction chromatography uses a resin selected from the group of styrene - divinylbenzene absorbent resins . in particular , resins hp20 , hp21 , hp20ss , sp20 , sp2oss , sp825 , sp850 , sp207 , xad16 , xad1600 , xad18 , etc ., obtainable from mitsubishi , rohm & amp ; haas , can be used . in a preferred form of embodiment , the resin is hp20ss with a very fine particle size . the starting material of the process according to the present invention can be prepared by the method described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 918 , 174 . the fermentation broth used as starting material of the present invention is filtered and then purified by hic . the filtered broth can be pre - purified before the chromatography step to eliminate compounds chemically different from tiacumicins and correlated substances with a significantly different polarity . non - limiting steps of pre - treatment of the filtered broth include , for example , extraction with a water - immiscibile solvent or precipitation of the crude product . a ) loading the liquid containing tiacumicin b at a ph from 2 . 0 to 8 . 0 , preferably from 2 . 5 to 6 . 5 , onto the hydrophobic interaction resin ; b ) eluting the impurities from the hydrophobic interaction resin with a mixture consisting of water and an organic solvent selected from methanol , ethanol , acetonitrile , acetone , thf or a mixture thereof with a ph from 2 . 0 to 8 . 0 , preferably from 2 . 5 to 6 . 5 ; c ) eluting tiacumicin b from the hydrophobic interaction resin with a mixture consisting of water and an organic solvent selected from methanol , ethanol , acetonitrile , acetone , thf or a mixture thereof at a ph from 2 . 0 to 8 . 0 , preferably from 2 . 5 to 6 . 5 . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , tiacumicin b is purified using two successive hydrophobic interaction chromatography steps . during elution of the product , the fractions are isolated ; the fractions containing the product of the desired purity are combined to give the eluate from the first hic . this first step of hic increases the purity of tiacumicin b from approx . 40 % to 80 % or more . next , after removal of the solvent , the solution of partly purified tiacumicin b is reloaded onto a column containing the same resin as the first hydrophobic interaction chromatography step , and undergoes a second hydrophobic interaction chromatography step . the solution is loaded onto the column at a ph in the 2 . 0 to 8 range ; the ph of the solution is preferably in the 2 . 5 to 6 . 5 range . at the second step of hic the resin , after loading , is washed with a suitable mixture consisting of water and an organic polar solvent under conditions wherein the impurities are dissociated from the resin , whereas the tiacumicin b remains bound to it . finally , tiacumicin b is eluted under conditions wherein it is dissociated from the resin . the organic solvent is chosen from methanol , ethanol , acetonitrile , acetone , thf or mixtures thereof . during elution of the product , the fractions are isolated ; the fractions containing the product of the desired purity are combined to give the eluate from the second hic step . this second step of hic increases the purity of tiacumicin b from approx . 80 % to 95 % or more . tiacumicin b is then isolated from the purified solution under standard conditions ( i . e . by insolubilisation with an anti - solvent ). the purified end product has a purity of at least 95 %. in a preferred form of embodiment of this invention , the two hic columns are used at different ph values . this allows different types of compound to be separated on the basis of their differences of polarity , and the purity of the product to be improved . the order in which the two steps of hic are conducted ( at different ph values ) is not crucial . according to one form of embodiment of the invention , the first step is conducted at ph 2 . 0 - 5 . 0 , preferably 2 . 5 - 3 . 5 , and the second step is conducted at ph 3 . 5 - 7 . 0 , preferably 5 - 6 . 5 . the fermentation broth ( 10 1 ) containing tiacumicin b was extracted with 10 1 of ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate extract was concentrated to obtain 320 g of oily residue . the residue was dissolved in methanol at a concentration of 200 g / l . the resulting solution was loaded onto a column packed with hp20ss resin ( 1 1 − 50 × 5 cm ) previously equilibrated with 5 bed volumes ( bv ) of phosphate buffer at ph 3 . 5 . the column was washed with 10 bv of acetonitrile in phosphate buffer ph 3 . 5 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 10 % and 50 %). the tiacumicin b was eluted with 5 bv of acetonitrile in acetate buffer ph 3 . 5 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 52 % and 60 %). the eluate from the column was divided into fractions , and each fraction was analysed by hplc to evaluate its purity . the fractions with a purity greater than 75 % were combined and concentrated , and the concentrate was extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate layer was concentrated to dryness , and the residue was redissolved in methanol at a concentration of 200 g / l . the resulting solution was loaded onto a column packed with hp20ss resin ( 0 . 2 1 − 40 × 2 . 5 cm ) previously equilibrated with 5 bv of acetate buffer at ph 6 . 5 . the column was washed with 10 bv of acetonitrile in acetate buffer ph 6 . 5 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 10 % and 45 %). the tiacumicin b was eluted with 5 bv of acetonitrile in acetate buffer ph 6 . 5 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 48 % and 52 %). the eluate from the column was divided into fractions , and each fraction was analysed by hplc to evaluate its purity . the fractions with a purity greater than 95 % were combined and concentrated , and the concentrate was extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate layer was washed with 3 volumes of water and concentrated to a small volume , and 5 volumes of cyclohexane were added ; the suspension was kept at 4 ° c . to complete the crystallisation . the product was filtered and dried . 0 . 45 g of white powder with a purity of 97 . 4 % was obtained . crude tiacumicin b ( 16 g ) was dissolved in methanol at a concentration of 200 g / l . the resulting solution was loaded onto a column packed with hp20ss resin ( 1 1 − 50 × 5 cm ) previously equilibrated with 5 bv of acetate buffer at ph 5 . 0 . the column was washed with 10 bv of acetonitrile in acetate buffer ph 5 . 0 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 10 % and 48 %). the tiacumicin b was eluted with 5 bv of acetonitrile in acetate buffer ph 5 . 0 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 50 % and 55 %). the eluate from the column was divided into fractions , and each fraction was analysed by hplc to evaluate its purity . the fractions with a purity greater than 75 % were combined and concentrated , and the concentrate was extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate layer was concentrated to dryness , and the residue was redissolved in methanol at a concentration of 200 g / l . the resulting solution was loaded onto a column packed with hp20ss resin ( 1 1 − 50 × 5 cm ) previously equilibrated with 5 bed volumes ( bv ) of phosphate buffer at ph 3 . 0 . the column was washed with 10 bv of acetonitrile in phosphate buffer at ph 3 . 0 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 10 % and 52 %). the tiacumicin b was eluted with 5 bv of acetonitrile in phosphate buffer at ph 3 . 0 ( the % of acetonitrile ranges between 55 % and 60 %). the eluate from the column was divided into fractions , and each fraction was analysed by hplc to evaluate its purity . the fractions with a purity greater than 95 % were combined and concentrated , and the concentrate was extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate layer was washed with 3 volumes of water and concentrated to a small volume , and 5 volumes of cyclohexane were added ; the suspension was kept at 4 ° c . to complete the crystallisation . the product was filtered and dried . 2 . 8 g of white powder with a purity of 96 . 8 % was obtained .	2
the term “ assay ” as used herein refers to the analytic procedure for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence or amount or the functional activity of a target entity ( the analyte ). the term “ chandler loop assay ” as used herein refers to a system of rotating tubes that simulates the circulation of blood . this assay is suitable for testing the hemocompatibility of medical devices placed into the blood stream . the term “ coagulation ” or “ blood clotting ” as used herein refers to the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel . it potentially results in hemostasis , the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel , followed by repair . the term “ coating ” or “ coated ” as used herein refers to the functional layer of material that is applied to the surface of an object , usually referred to as the substrate . the term “ covalent bonding ” as used herein refers to the chemical bond that is formed as a result of the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms when they share electrons . the term “ endothelial cells ” as used herein refers to the cells that line the blood vessels . the term “ enzyme ” as used herein refers to a biological catalyst that facilitates a metabolic process . the term “ fibrin ” as used herein refers to a fibrous , non - globular protein involved in the clotting of blood . it is formed by the action of the protease thrombin on fibrinogen , which causes the latter to polymerize . the polymerized fibrin together with platelets forms a hemostatic plug or clot over the wound site . the term “ fibrinolysis ” as used herein refers to the degradation of fibrin . the term “ fibrinolytic ” as used herein refers to the ability of a substance to degrade fibrin and hence prevent blood clots from growing and becoming problematic . the term “ freeze - dried ” or “ lyophilized ” as used herein refers to materials that are dehydrated for the purpose of preservation . the term “ hemocompatible ” refers to a set of properties that allow contact with flowing blood without causing adverse reactions such as thrombosis , hemolysis , complement activation , or inflammation . the term “ immobilization ” as used herein refers to the attachment of a substance to an inert , insoluble material , allowing for increased resistance to changes in conditions such as pi or temperature . in particular , it allows enzymes to be held in place throughout a reaction , thus facilitating their reuse . the term “ mediator ” as used herein refers to an agent that mediates a physical , chemical , or biological process , such as a coating that facilitates the immobilization of enzymes to a substrate . the term “ non - thrombogenic ” as used herein refers to the tendency of a material in contact with the blood to prevent the formation of a thrombus , or clot . the term “ plasma - activated coating ” or “ pac ” as used herein refers to a process of immobilizing plasmin on stainless steel substrates using a plasma - activated coating mediator to create a surface that substantially attenuates thrombus formation . the term “ plasmin ” as used herein refers to the enzyme present in blood that degrades many blood plasma proteins , including fibrin clots . the term “ plasminogen ” as used herein refers to the blood circulating glycoprotein which is the precursor of plasmin . the term “ platelets ” or “ thrombocytes ” as used herein refers to blood cells whose function is to stop bleeding . platelets have no nucleus , they are fragments of cytoplasm which are derived from the megakaryocytes of the bone marrow , and then enter the circulation . the term “ reduced ” as used herein refers to having been made smaller or less in amount , degree , or size . the term “ stent ” as used herein refers to a mesh tube that is inserted into a natural passage or conduit in the body to prevent or counteract a disease - induced , localized flow constriction . the term “ streptokinase ” as used herein refers to the enzyme secreted by several species of streptococci that can bind and activate human plasminogen . the term “ substrate ” as used herein refers to the material that underlies the mediator and non - thrombogenic protein . the term “ thrombin ” as used herein refers to the serine protease that converts soluble fibrinogen into insoluble strands of fibrin , and that catalyzes many other coagulation - related reactions . the term “ thrombogenicity ” as used herein refers to the tendency of a material in contact with the blood to produce a thrombus , or clot . the term “ thrombosis ” as used herein refers to the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel that obstructs the flow of blood through the circulatory system . the term “ thrombus ” or “ blood clot ” as used herein refers to a solid or semi - solid mass formed from the constituents of blood within the vascular system that is the product of blood coagulation . there are two components to a thrombus , aggregated platelets that form a platelet plug , and a mesh of cross - linked fibrin protein . the term “ tissue plasminogen activator ” or “ tpa ” as used herein refers to a protein involved in the breakdown of blood clots . it is a serine protease found on endothelial cells . as an enzyme , it catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin , the major enzyme responsible for clot breakdown . the term “ urokinase ” as used herein refers to the serine protease that is present in the bloodstream and acts on plasminogen . the term “ valve ” as used herein refers to a device that controls the passage of fluid through a pipe or duct , allowing movement in one direction only . the term “ vain ” as used herein refers to the plasmin substrate d - val - leu - lys - p - nitroanilide . the term “ valy activity assay ” as used herein refers to an assay that measures the cleavage of valy by plasmin into p - nitroanilide and d - val - leu - lys . the term “ zymogen ” as used herein refers to an inactive enzyme precursor that requires biochemical change to become an active enzyme . it has been discovered that plasma polymerization of a substrate can greatly enhance biocompatibility , which is further enhanced by coupling of enzymes and other anti - thrombotics such as heparin that inhibit clotting and platelet activation . these are collectively referred to herein as “ anti - thrombotics ”. the anti - thrombotic coating is robust enough to withstand deployment and blood flow and presents the anti - thrombotic in a biologically active conformation , thereby decreasing thrombogenicity . the enzyme is covalently bound to metal substrates via a polymer intermediary such as acetlyene ( ethylene ). the acetylene layer is blended with the metal surface using plasma polymerisation , converting the inert metal surface into a reactive polymer surface . the composition of the polymer layer can be widely varied and conditions for optimal anti - thrombotic binding varied . similar results can be achieved using other carbon chains ( such as hexane ) or different plasma conditions . fig1 is a schematic showing the steps or stages of plasmin immobilization . in the absence of modification ( step 1 ), stainless steel recruits platelets and red blood cells , and activates fibrin ( step 2 ), leading to clot formation ( step 3 ). following surface activation with the pac process ( step 4 ), plasmin can be covalently retained ( step 5 ) and it can prevent the formation of fibrin networks , resisting clot formation ( step 6 ). given the current problems with regards to late stent thrombosis in drug eluting stents , many groups are exploring the use of biodegradable coatings for drug release . in such instances , a biodegradable drug release coating may be applied over a biocompatible coating such as enzyme covalently bound by plasma polymerization . this would allow local elution of a drug , leaving behind a stent with a biocompatible coating . stents can also be manufactured from degradable materials as alternatives to permanent metallic scaffolds . these bioresorbable stents have commonly been manufacted from polymers such as poly - lactic acid and poly - glycolic acid , which remain in the body for 6 - 24 months ( zilberman and eberhard , ann . rev . biomed . eng ., 8 : 153 - 180 ( 2006 )). bioresorbable stents can also be made from metal alloys such as magnesium . these are completely resorbed within 2 months and have shown promising clinical outcomes ( erbel , di mario , et al ., lancet , 369 : 1869 - 75 ( 2007 )). plasma polymerisation and / or coating with enzyme is also relevant to the improvement of the short term biocompatibility of these temporary scaffolds and could easily be adapted for their modification . materials which can be plasma polymerized include metals , polymers , carbon , and ceramic . the anti - thrombotic , can be applied to , crosslinked with , tethered to , blended with , or laminated as part of , one or more materials to form a surface , component , or device . in the preferred embodiment , a graded polymer such as acetylene layer is deposited on the surface of a metal , such that the initial deposition is metal , with increasing polymer , finishing with 100 % polymer . the effect of this graded layer is that there is no defined metal / polymer interface and no resultant peeling off of the coating . the polymer layer is chemically activated using treatment with gas plasma , pre - disposing it to form covalent bonds with anti - thrombotics . immersion of the plasma polymerised surface in a anti - thrombotic solution is sufficient for covalent attachment , with no separate cross - linking agent required . importantly , bioactivity is retained . typical metals include stainless steel and titanium . in one embodiment , the material is or includes one or more biodegradable or non - biodegradable synthetic polymers such as polylactides , polyglycolic acids , polycaprolactones , polycaprolactams , polyhexamethylene adipamide , polycarbonates , polyamides , polyanhydrides , polyamino acids , polyesters , polyacetals , polycyanoacrylates , polyvinyl alcohols , polyvinyl chlorides , polyethylenes , polyurethanes , polypropylenes , polyacrylates , polystyrenes , polyvinyl oxides , polyvinyl fluorides , poly ( vinyl imidazoles ), polyethylene oxides , polytetrafluoroethylenes , silicone polymers and copolymers and combinations thereof . in another embodiment , the material is or includes one or more natural materials such as a protein , sugar or polysaccharide , or combination thereof . representative examples include collagen , preferably type 1 and / or type 3 , fibrin , gelatin , vitronectin , fibronectin , hyaluronic acid , glycosaminoglycans , their derivatives and mixtures thereof . preferred glycosaminoglycans include chondroitin sulfate , dermatan sulfate , keratan sulfate , heparan sulfate , heparin and hyaluronan . the application will determine the selection and design of the mechanical properties . the material can be applied as a part of a variety of clinical vascular applications including a vascular conduit , a stent , a stent - graft , a surgically or percutaneously implantable heart valve , a vascutarlseptal occlusion device , avascular closure device , endovascular implant , stent graft , graft , pacemaker lead vascular occluder , left atrial appendage occlusion device , endovascular valve , vascular closure devices including atrial septal and patent foramen ovale closure , or vena caval filters , or as a surface coating for a vascular device / application . the protein can also be used to form coatings on materials such as microchips , which may be formed of a material such as a silicon chip , which may be used as sensors , electrodes , or for drug delivery , or a device such as an implantable pump . other useful materials are matrices for tissue engineering and / or drug delivery , bone implants and prosthetics including pins , rivets , screws and rods , as well as artificial knees and other joints , especially at the surfaces where the metal , ceramic or bone interfaces with the host tissue . in the majority of these cases , the critical role of the enzyme is to increase the biocompatihility of the implant or matrix , promoting cell attachment or diminishing the formation of scar tissue , abnormal proliferation of cells ( i . e ., restenosis or scarring ), and integration of the implant into the host . preferred enzymes include streptokinase , urokinase , tissue plasminogen activator ( tpa ) including alteplase , reteplase , tenecteplase and desmoteplase , and plasmin . other anti - thronogenic proteins such as direct thrombin inhibitors ( e . g . bivalirudin etc .) and anti - platelet agents can also or alternatively be immobilized on the substrates . other materials such as heparin and heparin fragment can also be immobilized on metal or polymeric substrates . a plasma - activated coating ( pac ) process covalently binds biomolecules in their bioactive state , has low thrombogenicity and can be robustly applied to medical devices , resisting delamination when deployed in vivo ( yin et al ., biomaterials , 30 : 1675 ( 2009 ); waterhouse et al ., biomaterials , 31 : 8332 ( 2010 ); waterhouse et al ., biomaterials , 33 : 7984 ( 2012 )). the substrate material is modified to create reactive surface groups which facilitate covalent interaction . in the case of inert polymeric materials like eptfe , the surface requires activation . both ‘ classical ’ plasma processes ( bilek et al . ( 2004 ) in smart materials iii , vol . 5648 ( ed , wilson , a . r .) spie , pp . 62 - 67 ) and higher energy plasma immersion ion implantation ( bilek , et al . surface and coatings technology , 156 : 136 - 142 ( 2002 )) ( piii ) can be used . in a preferred embodiment , the enzyme is covalently tethered to the polymer when a solution of the protein is incubated with the activated surface . piii has recently been shown to increase the functional lifetime of attached proteins and may be preferred ( nosworthy , et al . acta biomater , 3 : 695 - 704 ( 2007 )). metallic substrates can be also be functionalized by applying a modified plasma process to the substrate while it is immersed in a carbon containing plasma or in a vapor of the monomer used to deposit the plasma polymer layer or by codeposition of a graded substrate / polymer layer which terminates in the polymer ( yin , et al ., surf . coat . technol ., 203 : 1310 - 1316 ( 2009 )). a range of short chain carbon - based polymers including hexane and acetylene can be used to form the basis of the plasma polymer layer . the plasma chamber also contains a background carrier gas , examples of which include oxygen , hydrogen , argon , nitrogen and combinations thereof this plasma mixture is essential to efficacy . in a preferred embodiment acetylene is injected into the plasma chamber and activated together with a combination of nitrogen and argon background gas , subsequently condensing to form polymerized surfaces . this technique can be used to bind enzyme to a range of metals including stainless steel , as demonstrated by yin , et al ., biomaterials , 30 : 1675 - 1681 ( 2009 ). the present invention will be further understood by reference to the following non - limiting examples . reagents : all reagents were purchased from sigma - aldrich , st louis and used without further purification unless otherwise noted . human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( huvecs ) were harvested enzymatically from umbilical cords . endothelial cells from passages 2 - 4 were used . sample preparation : the substrates were 316l , stainless steel foil ( ss ) 25 μm thick ( brown metals ), or 3 . 0 × 10mm 316lvm stainless steel stents ( laserage , calif ., usa ). plasma - activated coating on 316l stainless steel ( pac ) surfaces were generated from acetylene in , argon mixed with nitrogen . stainless steel stents were imaged with a zeiss evo 50 scanning electron microscope . samples were incubated with increasing concentrations of plasmin ( 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 and 10 μg ) in pbs at 37 ° c . overnight and washed in pbs prior to use . surface characterization : the contact angle between pac and de - ionized water was measured using a kruss contact angle analyzer ds10 employing the sessile drop method . x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps , specs - xps , mode xp - 50 high performance twin anode with focus 500 ellipsoidal crystal monochromator and promos 150 mcd - 9 analyser ) was utilized to provide data on the elemental composition of pac variants over time . casa xps was used to calculate areas of elemental peaks with the concentration of each element expressed as an atomic percentage . as shown in fig2 a , the relative percentage of nitrogen in the surface decreased from 32 . 3 ± 1 . 0 % on day 1 , to 24 . 2 ± 0 . 5 % on day 23 . this corresponded to a small increase in oxygen from 7 . 1 ± 0 . 5 % up to 8 . 2 ± 0 . 3 % and in the relative carbon content from 60 . 6 ± 1 . 7 % to 67 . 6 ± 1 . 1 % from day 1 to 23 , respectively . the starting water contact angle of the pac was 42 . 9 ± 2 . 4 ° 30 minutes after treatment , increasing to 52 . 9 ± 1 . 0 ° after 2 hours ( fig2 b ). surface chemistry appeared to have stabilized by day 7 , when the water contact angle was observed to be 61 . 6 ± 0 . 4 °. only minor changes were observed from this time , out to 24 days . spectra of pac and ss surfaces after incubation with plasmin contained characteristic peaks associated with the internal protein vibrations and confirmed the presence of a cross - linked polymeric layer containing predominantly carbon and nitrogen , with hydrogen and oxygen terminations ( fig2 c ). bond vibrations attributed to both saturated and unsaturated c — c and c — n bonds are observed . c — h , o — h , and n — h absorptions indicate that hydrogen terminations are present and that the surface has been oxidized by exposure to atmosphere . the relative intensities of characteristic amide a , i , and ii ftir peaks for plasmin were compared before and after washing with detergent ( fig2 )). after detergent washing , surfaces displayed only covalently attached plasmin , with retention of 54 . 2 ± 3 . 8 % of originally bound plasmin on pac , but complete removal from stainless steel . covalent attachment : samples were washed with water to remove salt and dried prior to accumulation of spectra using a digilab fts7000 ftir spectrometer fitted with an attenuated total reflection ( atr ) accessory with a trapezium germanium crystal at incidence angle of 45 °. to obtain sufficient signal / noise ratio and resolution of spectral bands , 500 scans with a resolution of 1 cm − 1 were taken . difference spectra were used to detect changes associated with the presence of plasmin , and analysis carried out . unbound protein was removed by aspiration and the surfaces were washed with pbs . non - covalently bound protein was removed by sds - washing . samples were treated with 5 % ( w / v ) sds for 1 hat 80 ° c . following the sds treatment , samples were washed with pbs and distilled water . bioactivity assay : the enzymatic activity of plasmin was monitored using a commercially available kit . one unit of activity is defined as the production of one micromole of p - nitroartilide from d - val - leu - lys - p - nitroanilide ( valy ) at ph 7 . 5 at 37 ° c . activity was monitored over time , up to 210 mins , and compared free plasmin in solution to plasmin immobilized on pac and pac alone as a negative control . measuring the color change that occurs as valy is converted to p - nitroanilide at 405 nm was used to monitor the enzymatic activity of plasmin . both fresh plasmin solution and plasmin immobilized on pac were able to convert the substrate , showing an increased absorbance over the time course , up to 290 minutes ( fig3 a ). pac alone did not produce p - nitroanilide . endothelial cell interactions : for proliferation assays , huvecs ( 20 , 000 cells / ml ) were plated in 24 - well plates for 3 and 5 days . attachment and proliferation of cells to and on plasmin - coated wells was analyzed in comparison to tissue culture plastic alone and to wells coated with fibronectin ( 10 μg / well ). cells were quantified at 3 and 5 days post - seeding using the mtt ( 3 [ 4 , 5 - dimethylthiazol - 2 - yl ]- 2 , 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide ) assay according to manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) was used to dissolve insoluble formazan crystals , and the absorbance at 540 nm was measured using a spectrophotometer ( biorad ). after 3 days of incubation , cell numbers on tcp , plasmin and fibronectin ( fn ) were not significantly different ( fig3 b ). at day 5 , cell proliferation on plasmin was 56 . 40 ± 3 . 2 % higher than tcp alone ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ), but remained statically less than then fn positive control , which was a further 22 . 12 ± 1 . 8 % higher than plasmin ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). when immobilized on pac , there was again no significant difference between the conditions on day 3 ( fig3 c ). by day 5 , pac and pac + plasmin showed a 20 . 47 ± 1 . 6 % and 31 . 16 ± 2 . 4 % increase over stainless steel ( ss ) respectively , though this did not reach statistical significance . pac + fn increased huvec proliferation 53 . 49 ± 2 . 8 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) over stainless steel , but only 17 . 02 ± 1 . 2 % more than pac + plasmin ( p = ns ). example 4 , thrombogenicity in vitro . thrombogenicity assessment : whole blood was obtained from healthy , non - smoker , male volunteers with informed consent in accordance with the declaration of helsinki , who had not taken aspirin two weeks prior to donation . approval for this work was granted by the university of sydney , human research ethics committee ( protocol 05 - 2009 / 11668 ). experiments were conducted at least three times with different donors &# 39 ; blood . samples of ss , pac or pac + plasmin were incubated with heparinized whole blood ( 0 . 3 u / ml ) for 30 min at 37 ° c . whilst rocking . concentrations of plasmin increased from 0 . 1 - 10 u were used initially to determine an optimal coating density . thrombogenicity under flow conditions was investigated using a modified chandler loop . briefly , samples were balloon expanded into 28 cm lengths of tygon s - 50 - ht tubing ( sdr , australia ), connected into loops using 1 cm silicone connectors and filled with heparinized whole blood ( 0 . 5 u / ml , 2 . 5 ml ). the loops were rotated at 34 rpm at 37 ° c . for 60 min . the thrombus and steel from each loop was removed for imaging and weighing . the blood from each loop was combined with 10 % ( v / v acid citrate dextrose ( acd ) and centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 15 min to obtain serum . soluble p - selectin was detected via an elisa ( r & amp ; d systems , usa ). for stent evaluation , 0 . 3 u / ml heparin , 90 mins , was evaluated . the relative thrombogenicity of stainless steel , pac alone , and plasmin covalently bound to pac was studied using a whole blood adhesion assay ( fig4 ). increasing concentrations of plasmin , 0 . 1 u , 1 . 0 u , and 10 u , immobilized on pac demonstrated a dramatic reduction of thrombus weight in a dose - dependent manner , compared to stainless steel controls . pac alone reduced thrombus weight by 45 . 4 ± 9 . 1 %, but further reductions were observed for 0 . 1 u ( 62 . 3 ± 6 . 4 %), 1 u ( 78 . 3 ± 6 . 4 %) and 10 u ( 90 . 5 ± 1 . 3 %) plasmin , relative to stainless steel ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). the reductions in thrombus weight are also demonstrated in representative images of the samples . surface fibrinolysis was also demonstrated by incubation with whole blood containing fluorescently labeled fibrinogen . a complete interconnected fibrin network was observed on stainless steel after 30 minutes , while on pac only this network was also present but notably less dense . on plasmin coated pac only the rudiments of interconnected fibrin were observed . to more directly assess the contribution of surface - bound plasmin , the enzyme was denatured prior to incubation with pac . following repeated freeze - thaw cycles , plasmin was confirmed to be inactive using the valy conversion described above ( fig5 a ). denatured plasmin - bound surfaces continued to show superiority to stainless steel , but were statistically equivalent to pac only surfaces and had significantly higher clot weights than fresh plasmin on pac ( fig5 b ). considering the potential to store plasmin coated pac surfaces , samples were freeze - dried prior to rehydration and re - tested with whole blood . immediately following freeze - drying ( fig5 c ) and up to 14 weeks later ( fig5 d ), clot weights of freshly prepared and stored plasmin on pac were equivalent . under flow conditions in a modified chandler loop ( fig6 a ), stainless steel samples generated substantial thrombus formation ( 61 . 8 ± 8 . 3 mg ) ( fig6 b ). in contrast , the thrombogenicity of pac alone was reduced significantly to 15 . 8 ± 1 . 1 mg ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ), while immobilization of 10 u plasmin on pac further reduced clot weight to 1 . 4 ± 0 . 4 mg ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ), a 97 . 7 ± 1 . 3 % reduction relative to stainless steel controls . these differences are well demonstrated in the representative images , which show a clear contrast between the clotted stainless steel samples , and the 10 u plasmin samples , which are largely thrombus free . this striking thrombus reduction was driven by a significant decrease in the amount of sp - selectin detected in the samples ( fig6 d ). stainless steel controls , activating platelets generated 119 . 7 ± 4 . 8 ng / ml of sp - selectin , reduced to 88 . 1 ± 0 . 9 ng / ml in the presence of pac only . addition of plasmin to pac resulted in a further reduction to 57 . 16 ± 3 . 5 ng / ml , significantly lower than both stainless steel ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) and pac alone ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ), and not significantly different from the no implant control which represents the baseline level of activation in this assay . stainless steel stents ( 3 mm × 10 mm , 316 lvm ) were laser cut and electropolished to remove any surface contaminants . pac treated stents were macroscopically darker than untreated stainless steel stents . under scanning electron microscopy ( 50 × magnification ), pac coated stents had a smooth , contiguous appearance , free from cracking or delamination . the blood compatibility of stainless steel , pac only and pac + plasmin steins was demonstrated by incubation with whole blood containing fluorescently labeled fibrinogen in a chandler loop . after 15 minutes , only faint fluorescence was observed for all conditions . in contrast , after 30 minutes , significant fibrin deposition was observed for stainless steel , while little was seen on pac + plasmin . fibrin fluorescence on pac only was intermediate between these two conditions .	0
a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig5 to 7 . [ 0074 ] fig5 shows the structure of a digital image signal transmission apparatus . this image signal transmission apparatus comprises a transmission unit 10 set in a personal computer , a liquid crystal projector 20 and a cable 30 connecting them . the transmission unit 10 includes a vga controller ( graphic chip ) 11 , a switch circuit 12 , a cpu 13 , a one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 14 , a first panellink transmitter 15 and a second panellink transmitter 16 . the liquid crystal projector 20 includes a first panellink receiver 21 , a second panellink receiver 22 and a liquid crystal panel 23 of digital drive type . the first panellink receiver 21 incorporates a one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 21 a . the cable 30 comprises six pairs of signal lines for transmitting image data and one pair of signal lines for transmitting a clock signal . the cpu 13 detects which the image signals to be transmitted are of , a high resolution ( equal to or lower than the resolution of sxga ) or an ultrahigh resolution ( equal to or higher than the resolution of uxga ), on the basis of a control signal ( or both of the control signal and image data ) applied from the vga controller 11 . the cpu 13 controls the switch circuit 12 in accordance with the result of this detection . [ 0079 ] fig6 shows the data flow of a case when the cpu 13 detects that the image signals to be transmitted is of a high resolution ( equal to or lower than the resolution of sxga ). parallel image data ( r , g , b ) output by the vga controller 11 are input to the first panellink transmitter 15 via the switch circuit 12 . the panellink transmitter 15 converts the image data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the resultant serial r , g , and b signals each for a respective channel are transmitted through the cable 30 to the first panellink receiver 21 , which converts the received serial signals into the parallel ones . when the second panellink receiver 22 receives no image signals , the first panellink receiver 21 uses the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 21 a to perform a one - phase to two - phase conversion of the obtained parallel signals , thereby obtaining the rgb even and odd data , which are then applied to the liquid crystal panel 23 of digital drive type . the information as to whether or not the second panellink receiver 22 receives any image signals is sent therefrom to the first panellink receiver 21 . in a case when the second panellink receiver 22 does receive the image signals , the first panellink receiver 21 applies the obtained parallel signals , as they are , to the liquid crystal panel 23 . [ 0084 ] fig7 shows the data flow of a case when the cpu 13 detects that the image signals to be transmitted is of an ultrahigh resolution ( equal to or higher than the resolution of uxga ). parallel image data ( r , g , b ) output by the vga controller 11 are applied through the switch circuit 12 to the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 14 , being separated into even and odd data . the even data are applied to the first panellink transmitter 15 , while the odd data are applied to the second panellink transmitter 16 . the first panellink transmitter 15 converts the even data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the second panellink transmitter 16 converts the odd data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the serial r , g and b signals , each for two channels , obtained by panellink transmitters 15 and 16 are transmitted through the cable 30 to the first and second panellink receivers 21 and 22 . the first panellink receiver 21 converts the received even data from the serial signals to the parallel signals , while the second panellink receiver 22 converts the received odd data from the serial signals to the parallel signals . the parallel signals , rgb even and odd data , thus obtained by the first and second panellink receivers 21 and 22 are applied to the liquid crystal panel 23 . in the above - described embodiment , when it is detected that the image data to be transmitted are of a high resolution , the image data are transmitted by use of the “ single link ” method . when it is detected that the image data to be transmitted are of an ultrahigh resolution , the image data are transmitted by use of the “ dual link ” method . in the above - described first embodiment , the cpu 13 detected which the image signals to be transmitted were of , a high resolution ( equal to or lower than the resolution of sxga ) or an ultrahigh resolution ( equal to or higher than the resolution of uxga ), and the result of this detection was used to control the switch circuit 12 . instead , it may be arranged that the user selects , according to the resolution of the image signals to be transmitted , the high or ultrahigh resolution and that the switch circuit 12 is controlled based on his selected resolution . a second embodiment will be described below with reference to fig8 to 10 . [ 0094 ] fig8 shows the structure of a digital image signal transmission apparatus . this image signal transmission apparatus comprises a transmission unit 10 set in a personal computer ( pc ) 1 , a receiving - side unit 105 set in a liquid crystal projector 20 , and a cable 30 connecting the transmission unit 10 and the receiving - side unit 105 . the transmission unit 10 includes a graphics controller ( graphic board ) 101 , a switch circuit 102 , a one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 103 and a transmitting - side unit 104 . the graphics controller 101 is connected to a main cpu 2 in the pc 1 via a bus 3 also therein . the main cpu 2 is connected to a line receiver 146 . the transmitting - side unit 104 includes first and second panellink transmitters 111 and 112 , respectively . the receiving - side unit 105 in the liquid crystal projector 20 is connected to a liquid crystal panel 106 of digital drive type in the liquid crystal projector 20 . the receiving - side unit 105 includes a first panellink receiver 131 , a second panellink receiver 132 and a coupler 141 . the first panellink receiver 131 incorporates a one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 131 a . the liquid crystal projector 20 also includes a detector circuit 142 , an a / d converter 143 , a cpu 144 and a line driver 145 . the transmitting - side unit 104 in the transmission unit 10 is connected through the cable 30 to the receiving - side unit 105 in the liquid crystal projector 20 . the cable 30 comprises six pairs of signal lines for transmitting the image data and one pair of signal lines for transmitting the clock signal . this image signal transmission apparatus has , as its operation modes , a duallink mode for performing the signal transmission by use of the dual link method , and a singlelink mode for performing the signal transmission by use of the single link method . when the singlelink mode is selected as the operation mode , the parallel image data ( r , g , b ), the clock signal and the control signals ( h , v , de ( display enable )) from the graphics controller 101 are applied through the switch circuit 102 directly to the first panellink transmitter 111 without being applied to the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 103 . in that case , the second panellink transmitter 112 is inactive in a power down mode . the first panellink transmitter 111 encodes the image data and clock signal , and performs a parallel - serial conversion that converts the image data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the thus obtained serial r , g and b signals each for a respective channel are transmitted through the cable 30 to the first panellink receiver 131 in the receiving - side unit 105 . in that case , the second panellink receiver 132 is inactive , entering the power down mode . the first panellink receiver 131 performs a data extraction , a serial - parallel conversion and a decoding with respect to the codes applied from the first panellink transmitter 111 in the transmitting - side unit 104 , thereby producing the parallel image data , h , v and de . when the second panellink receiver 132 receives no image signals , the first panellink receiver 131 uses the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 131 a to perform a one - phase to two - phase conversion of the produced parallel image signals , and then applies the thus obtained rgb even and odd data to the liquid crystal panel 106 . the first panellink receiver 131 also uses the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 131 a to perform one - half frequency divisions of the produced h , v and de and of the received clock signal , and then applies them to the liquid crystal panel 106 . the information as to whether or not the second panellink receiver 132 receives any image signals is sent therefrom to the first panellink receiver 131 . in a case when the second panellink receiver 132 does receive the image signals , the first panellink receiver 131 applies its obtained parallel signals , as they are , to the liquid crystal panel 106 . when the duallink mode is selected as the operation mode , the parallel image data ( r , g , b ) output by the graphics controller 101 are applied through the switch circuit 102 to the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 103 , being separated thereby into even and odd data . the even data are applied to the first panellink transmitter 111 in the transmitting - side unit 104 , while the odd data are applied to the second panellink transmitter 112 also in the transmitting - side unit 104 . in the meantime , the clock signal and control signals ( h , v , de ( display enable )) output by the graphics controller 101 are applied to the one - phase to two - phase converter circuit 103 , being one - half frequency divided thereby , and then being applied to the first and second panellink transmitters 111 and 112 in the transmitting - side unit 104 . the first panellink transmitter 111 encodes the even data and clock signal , and performs a parallel - serial conversion that converts the even data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the second panellink transmitter 112 encodes the odd data and clock signal , and performs a parallel - serial conversion that converts the odd data from the parallel signals to serial ones . the r , g and b serial signals each for two channels , obtained by the first and second panellink transmitters 111 and 112 , are transmitted through the cable 30 to the first and second panellink receivers 131 and 132 in the receiving - side unit 105 . the first panellink receiver 131 performs a data extraction , a serial - parallel conversion and a decoding with respect to the codes applied from the first panellink transmitter 111 , thereby producing the parallel signals with respect to the even data and also producing h , v and de . the second panellink receiver 132 performs a data extraction , a serial - parallel conversion and a decoding with respect to the codes applied from the second panellink transmitter 112 , thereby producing the parallel signals with respect to the odd data . the parallel signals ( rgb even and odd data ) obtained by the first and second panellink receivers 131 and 132 are applied to the liquid crystal panel 106 . the control signals ( h , v and de ) produced by the first panellink receiver 131 and the clock signal received thereby are also applied to the liquid crystal panel 106 . incidentally , the three pairs of image data of the r , g and b signals and one pair of clock signals each are transmitted as a pair of differential signals from the transmitting - side unit 104 to the receiving - side unit 105 , and hence are almost at the same signal level . the transmission speed of the digital image data ( the serial image data ) along the cable 30 is , for example in the case of uxga , 1 . 65 gbps in the singlelink mode , and half the same , 825 mbps , in the duallink mode . in this embodiment , the coupler 141 is located on one of two signal lines for the pair of differential signals , clk + and clk −, received as the clock signal , specifically , on the signal line of signal clk −, as shown in fig9 and its coupling output is applied to the detector circuit 142 . the clk + and clk − signal lines each exhibit a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms at the single end , and a terminating resistor 141 a of the coupler 141 exhibits , for example , 50 ohms . the detector circuit 142 converts the clk − coupling output signal into an analog signal of a dc voltage proportional to the amplitude level of the clk − coupling output signal . the detector circuit 142 may comprise , for example , an ic of ad8313 available from analog devices inc . the detection signal output by the detection circuit 142 is converted into a digital signal by the a / d converter circuit 143 and then applied to an input port of the cpu 144 . the cpu 144 compares the level of the received clk − signal with a predetermined threshold value and provides a control signal for switching the operation mode ( from the singlelink mode to the duallink mode or vice versa ). this control signal is transmitted through the line driver 145 to the line receiver 146 in the pc 1 on the transmitting side as a feedback signal . as to the transmission of the control signal responsive to the level of the received signals to the line receiver 146 in the pc 1 , in a case of using , for example , a 24 - pin connector of digital visual interface ( dvi ) standard specified as a digital interface between pcs and liquid crystal projectors or the like in the united states , its unused pin terminal 8 ( nc ) can be utilized , without any additional wiring , to effect a serial transmission of the one - bit control signal . instead , however , an additional signal wiring may be used as the interface for transmitting the control signal . the control signal received by the line receiver 146 in the pc 1 is applied to the main cpu 2 . on the basis of the control signal applied to the main cpu 2 , the pc 1 sends an operation mode switch signal for switching between the singlelink mode and the duallink mode to the graphics controller 101 via the bus 3 . when receiving the operation mode switch signal , the graphics controller 101 sends a control signal responsive to this operation mode switch signal to the switch circuit 102 . in this embodiment , the initial operation mode of the transmission unit 10 has been set to the singlelink mode . when the transmission of image data to the liquid crystal projector 20 is started for the first time after turn - on of the transmission unit 10 , it is decided which mode should be used as the operation mode . in a case of using a short cable of three meters or less as the cable 30 , even when the image signals to be transmitted are of a high resolution of uxga that exhibits a transmission speed of 1 . 65 gbps in the single link method , the attenuation amount of the signals transmitted through the cable 30 is less than five or six db . thus , the singlelink mode can be used to provide a sufficient c / n ratio to reproduce the received signals without any errors . in such a case , the amplitude of a clk − coupling output signal developed by the coupler 141 is large , and the amplitude level of a signal output by the detector circuit 142 is high . thus , the cpu 144 develops a control signal for selecting the singlelink mode as the operation mode . this control signal is conveyed through the line driver 145 to the transmitting side . when receiving this control signal , the main cpu 2 in the pc 1 selects the singlelink mode as the operation mode and applies an operation mode switch signal responsive to this mode selection to the graphics controller 101 . the graphics controller 101 then applies a switch control signal for the singlelink mode to the switch circuit 102 . as a result , the initial operation mode ( singlelink mode ) remains unchanged . in a case of using a long cable of ten meters or more as the cable 30 , when the image signals to be transmitted are of a high resolution of uxga that exhibits a transmission speed of 1 . 65 gbps in the single link method , the attenuation amount of the signals transmitted through the cable 30 is 20 db or so . thus , the singlelink mode cannot be used to provide any sufficient c / n ratio to reproduce the received signals to a normal degree . in such a case , the amplitude of a clk − coupling output signal developed by the coupler 141 is small , and the amplitude level of a signal output by the detector circuit 142 is low . thus , the cpu 144 develops a control signal for selecting the duallink mode as the operation mode . this control signal is conveyed through the line driver 145 to the transmitting side . when receiving this control signal , the main cpu 2 in the pc 1 selects the duallink mode as the operation mode and applies an operation mode switch signal responsive to this mode selection to the graphics controller 101 . the graphics controller 101 then applies a switch control signal for the duallink mode to the switch circuit 102 . as a result , the initial operation mode ( singlelink mode ) is switched to the duallink mode . when the operation mode is thus switched to the duallink mode , the transmission speed of the signals through the cable 30 is reduced to 825 mbps , and the attenuation amount of the signals through the cable 30 is reduced to , for example , 10 db or so , resulting in a sufficient c / n ratio to reproduce the received signals . in a case of using a cable of five meters as the cable 30 , it is possible for the single link method to transmit uxga resolution signals . however , when qxga resolution signals , the transmission speed of which is higher , are transmitted , the amplitude of a clk − coupling output signal developed by the coupler 141 is small and hence the amplitude level of a signal output by the detector circuit 142 is low . consequently , the operation mode is automatically switched from the singlelink mode to the duallink mode in the same manner as stated above , resulting in a reproduction of the received signals without any errors . according to the second embodiment described above , an appropriate transmission method , either the single link method or the dual link method , can automatically be selected , as the method for transmitting the signals from the transmitting - side unit , in accordance with the resolution of the image data to be transmitted and the length of the cable actually used . in the second embodiment described above , the coupler 141 was located on the clk − signal line , but it may be located on the clk + signal line , or on any one of the other rxr +, rxr −, rxg +, rxg −, rxb +, and rxb − image signal lines . additionally , as shown in fig1 , the transmission of the control signal from the liquid crystal projector 20 on the receiving side to the pc 1 on the transmitting side may be effected by use of a wireless interface such that the control signal output by the cpu 144 is transmitted from a wireless transmitter 147 and received by a wireless receiver 148 . a third embodiment will be described blow with reference to fig1 to 14 . [ 0129 ] fig1 shows the structure of an image signal transmission apparatus . in fig1 , elements corresponding to the same elements in fig3 and 4 are identified by the same reference designations . this image signal transmission apparatus comprises a transmission unit 10 set in a personal computer pc 1 , a receiving - side unit 153 set in a liquid crystal projector 20 , and a cable 154 connecting the transmission unit 10 and the receiving - side unit 153 . the transmission unit 10 comprises a graphics controller ( graphics board ) 151 and a transmitting - side unit 152 connected thereto . the graphics controller 151 is connected to a main cpu 2 in the pc 1 via a bus 3 also therein . the transmitting - side unit 152 in the transmission unit 10 is connected to the receiving - side unit 153 via the cable 154 . the main cpu 2 is connected to a line receiver 196 . the receiving - side unit 153 in the liquid crystal projector 20 is connected to a liquid crystal panel 155 of digital drive type in the liquid crystal projector 20 . the liquid crystal projector 20 also includes a detector circuit 192 , an a / d converter 193 , a cpu 194 and a line driver 195 . the transmitting - side unit 152 includes an encoding / parallel - serial converting circuit 161 , a pll circuit 162 , and an amplitude control circuit 163 . the encoding / parallel - serial converting circuit 161 receives image data , de ( a display enable signal ) and a control signal from the graphics controller 151 . in the encoding / parallel - serial converting circuit 161 , a parallel - serial conversion of the 24 - bit parallel image data is performed . then , the signal amplitude is reduced so as to effect a reduction of emi noise . additionally , an encoding is performed at the time of the parallel - serial conversion . when this encoding is performed , the variation of the level of the signals to be transmitted is reduced so as to further reduce the emi noise . the pll circuit 162 generates a clock signal for the encoding / parallel - serial converting circuit 161 on the basis of a clock signal applied from the graphics controller 151 . the cable 154 comprises three pairs of signal lines for transmitting the codes including both the image data and the control signal , and one pair of signal lines for transmitting the clock signal generated by the pll circuit 162 . the amplitude control circuit 163 adjusts , in accordance with the resistance value of an external variable resistor circuit 164 , the amplitude of the signals ( i . e ., the codes including both the image data and the control signal , and the clock signal ) to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 . as shown in fig1 , the variable resistor circuit 164 comprises a parallel combination of a series circuit of a first resistor 201 and a first switch 205 , a series circuit of a second resistor 202 and a second switch 206 , a series circuit of a third resistor 203 and a third switch 207 , and a series circuit of a fourth resistor 204 and a fourth switch 208 . for example , the resistance value of the first resistor 201 is 820 ohms , that of the second resistor 202 is 620 ohms , that of the third resistor 203 is 390 ohms , and that of the fourth resistor 204 is 180 ohms . the switches 205 to 208 are controlled by a 2 - bit amplitude control signal ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ). when the amplitude control signal is , for example , “ 00 ”, the first switch 205 only is turned on , the other switches 206 , 207 and 208 being turned off . in that case , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the resistance value of 820 ohms . when the amplitude control signal is , for example , “ 01 ”, the second switch 206 only is turned on , the other switches 205 , 207 and 208 being turned off . in that case , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the resistance value of 620 ohms . when the amplitude control signal is , for example , “ 10 ”, the third switch 207 only is turned on , the other switches 205 , 206 and 208 being turned off . in that case , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the resistance value of 390 ohms . when the amplitude control signal is , for example , “ 11 ”, the fourth switch 208 only is turned on , the other switches 205 , 206 and 207 being turned off . in that case , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the resistance value of 180 ohms . in this way , the resistance value of the variable resistor circuit 164 can be switched among the four values . in other words , the on / off control of the switches 205 , 206 , 207 and 208 can switch , among four values , the amplitude of the signals to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 . the receiving - side unit 153 includes a data extracting / serial - parallel converting / decoding circuit 181 , a pll circuit 182 and a coupler 191 . the data extracting / serial - parallel converting / decoding circuit 181 performs a data extraction , a serial - parallel conversion and a decoding with respect to the codes applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to produce the image data , de and the control signal . the pll circuit 182 produces a clock signal for the data extracting / serial - parallel converting / decoding circuit 181 on the basis of the clock signal applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 . the image data , de and control signal produced by the data extracting / serial - parallel converting / decoding circuit 181 and the clock signal produced by the pll circuit 182 are applied to the liquid crystal panel 155 . the three pairs of image data of r , g and b signals each pair are transmitted as a pair of differential signals from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the receiving - side unit 153 , and hence are almost at the same signal level . the transmission speed of the digital image data ( the serial image data ) along the cable is , for example in a case of sxga signals , 1 . 08 gbps . in this embodiment , the coupler 191 is located on one of two signal lines for the pair of differential signals , rxr + and rxr −, received as the r signal , specifically , on the line for the signal rxr −, as shown in fig1 , and its coupling output is applied to the detector circuit 192 . the rxr + and rxr − signal lines each exhibit a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms at the single end , and a terminating resistor 501 of the coupler 191 exhibits , for example , 50 ohms . the detector circuit 192 converts the rxr − coupling output signal into an analog signal of a dc voltage proportional to the amplitude level of the rxr − coupling output signal . the detector circuit 192 may comprise , for example , an ic of ad8313 available from analog devices inc . a detection signal output by the detection circuit 192 is converted into a digital signal by the aid converter circuit 193 and then applied to an input port of the cpu 194 . the cpu 194 provides , in response to the level of the rxr − received signal , a control signal to be conveyed so as to change the level of the signals to be transmitted from the transmitting side . this control signal is conveyed through the line driver 195 to the line receiver 196 in the pc 1 on the transmitting side as a feedback signal . as to the transmission of the control signal responsive to the level of the received signals to the line receiver 196 in the pc 1 , in a case of using , for example , a 24 - pin connector of digital visual interface ( dvi ) standard specified as a digital interface between pcs and liquid crystal projectors or the like in the united states , its unused pin terminal 8 ( nc ) can be utilized , without any additional wiring , to effect a serial transmission of the one - bit control signal . instead , however , an additional signal wiring may be used as the interface for transmitting the control signal . the control signal received by the line receiver 196 in the pc 1 is applied to the main cpu 2 . on the basis of the control signal applied to the main cpu 2 , the pc 1 sends a command signal ( amplitude command signal ) to the graphics controller 151 via the bus 3 . when receiving the command signal , the graphics controller 151 applies an amplitude control signal responsive to this command signal to the variable resistor circuit 164 . in a case of using a short cable of one meter or less as the cable 154 , the amplitude of a rxr − coupling output signal developed by the coupler 191 is large , and the amplitude level of the signal output by the detector circuit 192 is high . thus , the aforementioned control signal , developed by the cpu 194 , to be conveyed so as to change the level of the signals to be transmitted from the transmitting side is conveyed through the line driver 195 to the transmitting side so as to reduce the amplitude level of the signals to be transmitted from the transmitting side . on the basis of the control signal conveyed from the receiving side , the pc 1 applies a command signal ( amplitude command signal ) through the bus 3 to the graphics controller 151 , which then provides a 2 - bit amplitude control signal of “ 00 ”. in that case , the switch 205 is in the on - state , while the other switches 206 to 208 being in the off - state . thus , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the largest one of the four resistance values , 820 ohms , so that the amplitude of the signals to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 becomes the smallest one of the four amplitude values . in a case of using a long cable of ten meters or more as the cable 154 , the amplitude of a rxr − coupling output signal developed by the coupler 191 is small , and the amplitude level of a signal output by the detector circuit 192 is low . thus , the aforementioned control signal , developed by the cpu 194 , to be conveyed so as to change the level of the signals to be transmitted from the transmitting side is conveyed through the line driver 195 to the transmitting side so as to raise the amplitude level of the signals to be transmitted from the transmitting side . on the basis of the control signal conveyed from the receiving side , the pc 1 applies a command signal ( amplitude command signal ) through the bus 3 to the graphics controller 151 , which then provides a 2 - bit amplitude control signal of “ 11 ”. in that case , the switch 208 is in the on - state , while the other switches 205 to 207 being in the off - state . thus , the variable resistor circuit 164 exhibits the smallest one of the four resistance values , 180 ohms , so that the amplitude of the signals to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 is the largest one of the four amplitude values . according to the third embodiment described above , the pc 1 , in which the graphics controller 151 has been set , can automatically adjust the amplitude of the signals to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 so that the amplitude level of the image data will be appropriate on the receiving side . the third embodiment was described above with respect to the case of adjusting , among the four values , the amplitude of the signals to be applied from the transmitting - side unit 152 to the cable 154 . the present invention , however , is not limited only to this number of signal amplitude values but may be applied to any other number of signal amplitude values . in the third embodiment described above , the coupler 191 was located on the rxr − signal line , but it may be located on the rxr + signal line , or on any one of the other rxg +, rxg −, rxb +, and rxb − image signal lines . additionally , as shown in fig1 , the transmission of the control signal from the liquid crystal projector 20 on the receiving side to the pc 1 on the transmitting side may be effected by use of a wireless interface such that the control signal output by the cpu 194 is transmitted from a wireless transmitter 197 and received by a wireless receiver 198 .	8
in accordance with the invention , formulations are provided for use with the inventive method that incorporate civamide into sterile solutions or suspensions suitable for intrathecal administration such as cerebrospinal injection . in each of the foregoing formulations , civamide may be present in a single dosage of from about 0 . 001 mg to about 1 mg . the civamide can be present as the compound civamide or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , such as a hydrochloride salt or an acetate salt . the civamide composition can be in the form of a suspension with a pharmaceutically acceptable suspension agent , such as dimethylsulfoxide or cyclodextrin . the composition will include a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle suitable for introduction into the intrathecal space , such as normal saline . in a preferred form , the composition will be packaged in sterile ampules or vials . civamide is synthesized according to a proprietary process and supplied by winston laboratories , vernon hills , ill . the instant invention comprises the method of instilling or injecting sterile solutions or suspensions of civamide or one of its salts into the cerebrospinal fluid in a single dose or very infrequent doses ( monthly or bimonthly ) in order to treat a variety of painful disorders including post - surgical pain and chronic neuropathic disorders such as postherpetic neuralgia , diabetic neuropathy , reflex sympathetic dystrophy , and post - mastectomy pain . the civamide or its salt will be present in each dose in the amount of about 0 . 001 mg to about 1 mg . the method of the instant invention will be more readily comprehended from the following examples . civamide in amounts of 1 φg , 5 φg , 10 φg , 50 φg , and 100 φg was dispersed in both 10 φl and 20 φl of each of the following : 100 % dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ), normal saline ( 0 . 9 % w / v sodium chloride ) with 10 % dmso as suspending agent , normal saline with 0 . 5 % dmso and 10 % cyclodextrin , 10 % cyclodextrin and 10 % dmso as suspending agent , and normal saline with 10 % cyclodextrin suspending agent , and normal saline with 25 % dmso . in each case , the saline was 0 . 9 % usp . these compositions were physically and chemically stable , and used for injection into the cerebrospinal fluid of male sprague - dawley rats . civamide and capsaicin were each separately administered intrathecally , in dosages of 1 φg , 5 φg , 10 φg , 50 φg , or 100 φg in either 10 φl or 20 φl of 0 . 9 % usp saline with 25 % dmso suspending agent , 0 . 9 % usp saline and 10 % cyclodextrin , and 0 . 9 % usp saline with 0 . 5 % dmso and 10 % cyclodextrin , to male sprague - dawley rats into whom intrathecal catheters had been inserted . seven days later , tail flick , hot plate ( 49 ° c ., 52 ° c .) and paw pressure pain models were evaluated . in these pain models , intrathecally administered civamide was significantly more effective than saline , as well as more effective than intrathecally administered capsaicin . civamide 10 φg / 10 φl saline , 25φg / 10 φl saline , and 50 φg / 10 φl saline and saline itself were administered intrathecally to male sprague - dawley rats . each of the civamide compositions also included either 20 % dmso or 25 % dmso as a suspending agent . the saline used was 0 . 9 % usp . eighteen hours , 7 days , 14 days and 28 days after administration of a single intrathecal dose of either civamide or saline , models for various types of pain were evaluated . these included models for acute nociceptive processing ( i . e . thermal escape ), post tissue injury hyperpathic states ( i . e . formalin and thermal injury evoked hyperalgesia ) and nerve injury induced hyperpathia ( i . e . tactile allodynia in the chung model of neuropathy ). the results of these studies demonstrated that within 18 hours after administration , intrathecal civamide produced effective pain amelioration , and the effects of a single dose lasted for at least 28 days after admistration . while the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .	0
“ rebacuo superconductor ” means rare earth ( re ), barium ( ba ), copper ( cu ) and oxygen ( o ) containing compositions that constitute superconductors at cryogenic temperatures . “ substantially pure rebacuo superconductor ” means a rebacuo superconductor that contains less than 2 %, preferably less than 1 %, most preferably less than 0 . 5 % by weight of materials other than re , ba , cu and o . fig1 shows a cross - section of one embodiment of the coated conductor 10 . at least a substrate 12 and ( re ) bco layer 14 are provided . the substrate 12 supports , either directly or through the presence of one or more intermediate layers , the ( re ) bco ( re ) bco layer 14 . optionally , a solution deposition planarization layer 16 is formed at the surface of the substrate 12 . the solution deposition planarization layer 16 may then directly support the ( re ) bco layer 14 , or may interface with an intermediate layer 18 . in one implementation , the intermediate layer 18 may be an ibad epitaxial layer , such as an ibad epi mgo layer . the intermediate layer 18 may directly support the ( re ) bco layer 14 , or may interface with a optional buffer layer 20 , which in turn can support the ( re ) bco layer 14 . the substrate may be either non - flexible or flexible . if non - flexible , it may be a crystal substrate , such as an mgo substrate . if the substrate is flexible , it may be for example a flexible metal tape . in one implementation , substrate 10 is a flexible metal substrate that can for example be stainless steel or hastelloy . the thickness of the substrate is often in the range of 0 . 002 to 0 . 004 inch . the substrate material must meet certain selection criteria : it must be mechanically and chemically stable at the growth temperature of the superconductor (˜ 800 c ), it must have a thermal expansion coefficient similar to the superconductor (˜ 12 - 13 ), a high yield strength , and be non - magnetic . with reference to fig2 and 3 , an optional planarization step is performed . the planarization provides an amorphous metal oxide layer that is solution deposited preferably using a solution deposition planarization ( sdp ) process on the substrate . this one layer provides a diffusion barrier , planarizes the rough metal surface , is chemically stable and provides an amorphous surface suitable for the growth of subsequent layers . often to otherwise accomplish all of these features several separate steps including electropolishing , the addition of a diffusion barrier and a amorphous bed layer for ion beam assisted deposition ( ibad ), would be required . substrate tape stock 24 may be fed from a spool into a bath 26 containing the planarization solution . the coated conductor passes through dryer 28 onto a take up spool having the now planarization layer coated substrate 30 . fig3 shows an exploded view of the substrate 12 and the solution deposition planarization layer 16 . the solution deposition planarization ( sdp ) process uses metal organic precursor dissolved in solvent . this solution can be applied to the metal substrate utilizing techniques such as dip coating , spray coating , meniscus coating or slot die coating . the solution deposited on the metal substrate travels into a heater where the solvent is evaporated out , and the organic carrier is volatilized leaving behind only the dense , amorphous , metal oxide film . multiple coatings deposited by sequentially repeating this process creates a smooth ( roughness ˜ 1 nm ), planarized , chemically stable , and amorphous surface . with reference to fig4 , the optional next layer is deposited using an ion beam assisted deposition ( ibad ) technique . a metal oxide having a rock - salt - like crystal structure , usually mgo , is deposited with the assistance of an ion beam ( see , e . g ., do et al ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 190 , 752 entitled “ thin films having rock - salk - like structure deposited on amorphous surfaces ”, see also wang , et al ., “ deposition of in - plane textured mgo on amorphous si 3 n 4 substrates by ion - beam - assisted deposition and comparisons with ion - beam - assisted deposited yttria - stabilized - zirconia ” appl . phys . lett . 71 ( 20 ), pp . 2955 - 2957 , 17 nov . 1997 and iijima et al , “ research and development of biaxially textured ibad - gzo templates for coated superconductors ”, mrs bulletin , august 2004 pp . 564 - 571 , all incorporated herein as if fully set forth herein ) to permit the formation of a 3 - dimensionally ordered , crystalline thin film . optionally a thicker layer of the metal oxide can be grown epitaxially to increase thickness and improve crystallinity . ion beam assisted deposition ( ibad ) is typically done by vacuum evaporating magnesium oxide ( mgo ) ( source 32 ) while directing an ion beam 34 at an angle to the substrate 12 . when the ion beam is set to the correct energy and density , it gives bi - axially textured orientation to the mgo . this ibad textured layer then provides a seed layer for the epitaxial growth of ( re ) bco material . next an optional buffer layer 20 ( fig1 ) is grown on the ibad layer to improve the lattice match to the ( re ) bco film . the epitaxial hts layer is next grown , preferably using a reactive co - evaporation cyclic deposition and reaction ( rce - cdr ), described in more detail , below . lastly an optional cap layer 22 of metal , preferably silver is deposited on the hts to provide electrical contact to the superconducting film and physical protection . with reference to fig5 , the rce - cdr uses high purity metal targets 36 of one or more of the following rare earths ( yttrium , samarium , gadolinium , neodymium , dysprosium , etc . ), barium and copper in an oxygen background environment of 10 − 5 torr . the film growth occurs when it passes through the oxygen pocket where the pressure is maintained at 10 - 30 mtorr . this deposition and film growth cycle is done at 5 - 10 hz by rotating the sample holder . heater 38 heats the substrate . after the film is fully grown it is cooled down in oxygen pressure of 600 torr . techniques for rce - cdr are now known to those skilled in the art , see , e . g ., ruby et al , “ high - throughput deposition system for oxide thin film growth by reactive coevaporation ”, now published as us published application 2007 / 0125303 , which is incorporated herein by reference for the teaching of rce - cdr , as if fully set forth herein . fig6 is a plot of the critical current ( i c ) ( left vertical axis ) and critical current density ( j c ) ( right vertical axis ) as a function of magnetic field strength applied parallel to the sample , for two different temperatures . the graph shows the critical current of ( re ) bco grown on flexible metal tape measured in magnetic field at different temperatures . as the magnetic field increases the critical current decreases . at a field of 3 t , with the magnetic field parallel to the film , the i c is approximately 290 a / cm - width , and j c is approximately 0 . 66 ma / cm 2 . the upper data set is at 65 k and the lower data set is at 75 k . fig7 is a plot of the critical current ( i c ) ( left vertical axis ) and critical current density ( j c ) ( right vertical axis ) as a function of the angle from the c - axis applied to the sample . fig7 shows the critical current of the same sample as in fig6 measured at 75 k as a function of the angle of the applied magnetic filed . it shows a very strong peak when the magnetic filed is perpendicular to the film normal . the upper data set is at 75 k in a 3 t field , and the lower data set is at 75 k in a 5 t field . fig8 is a plot of the critical current ( i c ) ( left vertical axis ) and critical current density ( j c ) ( right vertical axis ) as a function of magnetic field strength applied parallel to the sample . fig8 is the same type of measurement as fig7 but done at a lower temperature of 65 k . the critical current increases significantly when cooled from 75 k . at 65 k and 3 t the minimum critical current is 250 a . the upper data set is at 65 k in a 3 t field , and the lower data set is at 55 k in a 5 t field . fig9 is a plot of the critical current ( i c ) ( left vertical axis ) and critical current density ( j c ) ( right vertical axis ) as a function of magnetic field strength applied parallel to the sample , at two different temperatures . it shows the critical current of the same ( re ) bco deposited on single crystal mgo instead of the metal tape . this was measured in magnetic field at different temperatures under the same condition as fig6 . the minimum critical current improves roughly 50 % when ( re ) bco is grown on single crystal . the upper data set is at 65 k and the lower data set is at 75 k . fig1 is a plot of the critical current density ( j c ) ( left vertical axis ) and critical current ( i c ) ( right vertical axis ) as a function of magnetic field strength applied parallel to the sample . fig1 shows the critical current of the sample grown on single crystal mgo measured at 65 k as a function of the angle of the applied magnetic field . comparing fig8 to fig1 shows a minimum critical current improvement of 80 %. the uppermost data set is at 3 t , the middle data set is at 5 t and the bottom data set is at 7 t . fig1 is a plot of the critical current density ( j c ) as a function of the angle from the c - axis of the magnetic field applied to a three different ndbco samples . the field is 1 t , at 75 . 5 k . at angle 0 , the uppermost data set is for a field of 1 t , with ndbco of thickness 0 . 7 μm , the middle data set is for a field of 0 . 9 t , for nd 1 . 11 bco of thickness 0 . 7 and the bottom data set is for a field of 1 t for ndbco of thickness 1 . 4 μm . the off - stoichiometry for nd rich films significantly enhanced the minimum j c values , by approximately a factor of 4 . fig1 is a plot of the critical current density ( j c ) as a function of the angle from the c - axis of the magnetic field applied to a three different smbco samples and one ndbco sample . fig1 may be compared to fig1 for the difference between the two rare earths ( nd and sm ). at angle 0 , the uppermost data set is for a field of 0 . 9 t , with smbco of thickness 0 . 7 μm , the second data set is for a field of 0 . 9 t , for sm 1 . 1 bco of thickness 0 . 8 μm , the third data set is for a field of 0 . 9 t , for sm 1 . 2 bco of thickness 0 . 86 μm , and the bottom data set is for a field of 0 . 9 t for ndbco of thickness 0 . 7 μm . the off - stoichiometry for sm rich films significantly enhanced the minimum j c values , especially those having a sm enhancement of substantially 1 . 1 , or 10 %. fig1 is a plot of the critical current density ( j c ) as a function of the angle from the c - axis of the magnetic field applied to a series of smbco samples having various thicknesses . at angle 0 the upper most data are for the 0 . 7 μm film , the 1 . 6 μm film , then the 4 . 4 μm film , then the 3 . 3 μm film , with the 2 . 2 μm film showing at angle 0 as the lowest datapoint . for films less than 1 . 6 μm , and particularly for films at substantially 2 . 2 μm and thicker , the angular dependence of the j c is essentially flat . fig1 a and b show x - ray diffraction patterns showing 2θ - ω and ω scans for : fig1 a ybco on mgo single crystal and fig1 b ybco on ibad / epi mgo on sdp hastelloy . the δ2θ is preferably less than 0 . 2 , more preferably less than 0 . 1 , and most preferably less than 0 . 050 . the δω is preferably less than 0 . 5 , more preferably less than 0 . 36 , and most preferably less than 0 . 15 . these results establish that the films are of very high crystal quality . fig1 shows the x - ray diffraction pattern of ( re ) bco grown on metal tape substrate . ( 001 ) peaks are well defined and it is a clear indication that the hts is growing c - axis orientated . there are no signs of polycrystalline material nor evidence of a , b oriented growth . fig1 is a x - ray diffraction pole of ( re ) bco ( 103 ) peak which shows that in - plane texture is well defined having four strong peaks . fig1 is an atomic force microscopy ( afm ) image showing the surface image of a thin layer of silver deposited on ( re ) bco grown on metal substrate . the large particles are copper oxide covered by silver and the short needle - like microstructure comes from the silver grains grown on top of ( re ) bco . fig1 is a resistivity vs . temperature curve of ( re ) bco grown on mgo single crystal substrate . the single crystal was inserted next to the metal substrate as a process monitor . this particular sample had a critical temperature of 93 . 7 kelvin . fig1 a , b and c are graphs of critical current ( i c ) under magnetic field of 0 . 66 t as a function of position along a tape for a 70 cm long tape ( fig1 a ), a 120 cm long tape ( fig1 b ) and a 24 cm long tape ( fig1 c ), for self - field at 77 k . high temperature superconductor ( re ) bco is deposited on 2 different types of substrates : flexible metal substrate and single crystal magnesium oxide . the dimension of the metal tape is 4 cm long , 1 cm wide and 0 . 004 inch thick . solution deposition layer of metal oxide is deposited on the metal substrate followed by ion beam assisted deposition of magnesium oxide . single crystal magnesium oxide substrate is cut into 1 cm length , 1 cm width and 0 . 02 inch thick piece and crystal orientation is ( 100 ). the method of deposition is reactive co - evaporation . high purity metal targets of rare earths ( yttrium , samarium , gadolinium , neodymium , dysprosium , etc . ), barium and copper are used for evaporation . barium and copper can be evaporated with a thermal source , whereas most of the rare earths require electron beam source because of their high melting temperature . samarium is an exception due to its nature to sublimate . it is easily deposited with special thermal source with baffles . the evaporation rate is monitored and controlled by quartz crystal monitors ( qcm ). each elemental source has its own qcm directed line - of - sight through multiple collimators . the oxygen is directly supplied through the heater and its flow is controlled by a mass flow controller . the overall background oxygen pressure is monitored by a hot cathode ion gauge . typical background pressure during deposition is in the range of 10 − 5 torr . this deposition and film growth cycle is done at 5 / 10 hz by rotating the sample holder attached to the heater . the film growth occurs when the sample passes through the oxygen pocket where the pressure is maintained at 10 / 30 mtorr . heater temperature ranges between 750 - 800 ° c . after the film is fully grown it is cooled down in oxygen pressure of 600 torr . these inventions provide cutting edge high - magnetic - field test results for second generation ( 2g ) hts wire . this demonstrates exceptional in - field critical current values . this world - class current - carrying capability in high magnetic field demonstrates the effectiveness of the disclosed hts fabrication process at producing 2g hts wire for demanding applications such as superconducting fault current limiters and high - power wind turbine generators . the 2g hts coated conductor sample on a template that exhibits a minimum critical current of 228 amperes ( a ) at a temperature of 65 kelvin ( k ) in an applied magnetic field of 3 tesla ( t ), corresponding to 256 a / centimeter ( cm )- width . this critical current is the minimum value as a function of magnetic field angle . the maximum critical current of this sample at 65 k exceeded 404 a / cm - width for a 3 - t magnetic field oriented parallel to the coated conductor surface ; this latter current value was limited by the amount of current supplied by the measurement apparatus . in a st field at 65 k , the coated conductor exhibited a minimum critical current of 143 a / cm - width and a maximum critical current of 322 a / cm - width . this sample was fabricated using a straightforward hts structure and did not need to add additional elements or so - called artificial pinning centers to the coated conductor to obtain this result . these 2g hts wires utilize hts material deposition processes and volume manufacturing to produce energy - efficient , cost - effective , and high - performance 2g hts wire for next generation power applications . 2g hts wire is fabricated using its deposition technology known as reactive coevaporation with cyclic deposition and reaction ( rce - cdr ). this specific sample of 2g hts wire is 8 . 9 millimeters wide × 4 . 4 microns thick and was grown on a 1 - cm - wide × 4 - cm - long template . this simplified template contained a reduced number of layers compared to competing 2g hts wire technologies . the template consisted of a non - magnetic nickel - alloy substrate followed by layers of only two materials : a solution - deposition planarization ( sdp ) layer and an ion - beam assisted deposition ( ibad ) layer . an advantage of the rce - cdr technology is that it allows high - performance 2g hts wire to be grown on these simplified templates . this simplified template platform combined with the rce - cdr process results in a superior high - yield , low - cost 2g hts wire technology . coated conductors are useful in a wide variety of applications including but not limited to high power transmission cables ( ac ), superconducting fault current limiters , wind turbine ( generator ), industrial motors and generators , and magnetic resonance imaging machines . all publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding , it may be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the at in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims .	7
the synthetic examples of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) of the present invention , and the organic el device applied with the compounds are explained through the synthetic examples and practicing examples below . additional advantages , objects , and features of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows and will also become apparent to those who practice the present invention . the objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be explained in the written description including the claims . 60 g of 2 , 5 - dibromo - p - xylene ( 0 . 227 mole ), 42 . 4 g of cucn ( 0 . 568 mole ) and 300 ml of dimethylformamide were added into a round - bottom flask , and then the reaction was performed at 130 ° c . for 12 hours . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was added to the mixing solution of 300 ml of water and 300 ml of aqueous ammonia , and extracted crystal therefrom was filtered . then , the crystal was added again to the mixing solution of 100 ml of water and 300 ml of aqueous ammonia , mixed and filtered . the obtained crystal was added to 2 , 000 ml of toluene , heated to dissolve , and treated with active carbon . the filtrate was evaporated in vacuum , and then 300 ml of hexane was added thereto to obtain 20 g of white crystal ( 0 . 128 mole , yield : 56 %). 2 g of 2 , 5 - dimethyl - terephthalonitrile ( 0 . 0128 mole ), 1 . 9 ml of bromine ( 0 . 384 mole ) and 100 ml of dichoromethane were added to a middle pressure tube , and the reaction was performed at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . after completion of the reaction , 200 ml of water was added thereto , and then the ph of the reaction solution was ph 10 with 2 % sodium hydroxide . after the organic layer was separated , extracted by 200 ml of water two times , and evaporated in vacuum . the concentrated crystal was loaded to column with hexane to obtain 1 . 1 g of product ( 3 . 5 mole , yield : 27 . 5 %). 3 g of 2 , 5 - dibromomethyl - terephthalonitrile ( 9 . 55 mmole ), 6 . 6 ml of triethoxyphosphate ( 0 . 038 mole ) and 100 ml of toluene were added into a round - bottom flask , and refluxed for 24 hours . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was treated with active carbon , and the filtrate was evaporated in vacuum to obtain 3 g of white crystal ( 7 . 0 mmole , yield : 75 %). 1 . 3 g of [ 2 , 5 - dicyano - 4 -( diethoxy - phosphorylmethyl )- benzyl ]- phosphonic acid diethyl ester ( 3 . 03 mmole ), 1 . 4 g of 9 - ethyl - carbazolaldehyde , and 100 ml of tetrahydrofuran were added into a round - bottom flask . 0 . 7 g of t - butyloxide potassium ( 6 . 37 mmole ) divided by several times was slowly added to the reaction mixture , and then the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 1 hour , 200 ml of water was added thereto , and then the produced crystal was filtered and washed with 50 ml of methyl alcohol . the obtained crystal was added to 100 ml of dichloromethane , mixed , and filtered to obtain 0 . 8 g of orange crystal ( 1 . 41 mmole , yield : 46 %). the melting point of the final compound was measured to 333 ° c . 1 . 3 g of [ 2 , 5 - dicyano - 4 -( diethoxy - phosphorylmethyl )- benzyl ]- phophosphonic acid diethyl ester ( 3 . 03 mmole ), 1 . 54 g of 10 - ethyl - 3 - phenocyazine aldehyde ( 6 . 06 mmole ), and 100 ml of tetrahydrofuran were added into a round - bottom flask . 0 . 7 g of t - butyloxide potassium ( 6 . 37 mmole ) divided by several times was slowly added to the reaction mixture , and then the reaction mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 1 hour . then , 200 ml of water wad added thereto , and the produced crystal was filtered , and washed with 50 ml of methyl alcohol . 100 ml of dichloromethane was added to the obtained crystal , stirred and filtered to obtain 0 . 94 g of orange crystal ( yield : 49 %). 1 . 3 g of [ 2 , 5 - dicyano - 4 -( diethoxy - phosphorylmethyl )- benzyl ]- phophosphonic acid diethyl ester ( 3 . 03 mmole ), 1 . 45 g of 10 - ethyl - 3 - phenocyazine aldehyde ( 6 . 06 mmole ), and 100 ml of tetrahydrofuran were added into a round - bottom flask . 0 . 7 g of t - butyloxide potassium ( 6 . 37 mmole ) divided by several times was slowly added to the reaction mixture , and then the reaction mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 1 hour . then , the produced crystal was filtered , and washed with 50 ml of methyl alcohol . 100 ml of dichloromethane was added to the obtained crystal , stirred and filtered to obtain 0 . 72 g of orange crystal ( yield : 39 %). 1 . 3 g of [ 2 , 5 - dicyano - 4 -( diethoxy - phosphorylmethyl )- benzyl ]- phophosphonic acid diethyl ester ( 3 . 03 mmole ), 1 . 65 g of 4 - formyltriphenyl aldehyde ( 6 . 06 mmole ), and 100 ml of tetrahydrofuran were added into a round - bottom flask . 0 . 7 g of t - butyloxide potassium ( 6 . 37 mmole ) divided by several times was slowly added to the reaction mixture , and then the reaction mixture was refluxed and cooled to obtain a crystal . then , the produced crystal was filtered , and washed with 200 ml of methyl alcohol . 100 ml of dichloromethane was added to the obtained crystal , stirred and filtered to obtain 0 . 8 g of orange crystal ( 1 . 41 mmole , yield : 39 %). a brome crude liquid ( 14 ml , 0 . 27 mmol ), iron powder ( 4 g , 72 mmol ), and carbon tetrachloride ( 30 ml ) were added to a reaction vessel , and then 1 , 3 , 5 - trimethylbenzene ( 2 ml , 14 mmol ) was slowly added thereto over 1 hour . the reaction mixture was further stirred for 1 hour , and then na 2 s 2 o 3 solution was excessively added thereto and brome was excluded . then , this solution was extracted with water / chloroform to eliminate solvent thereof , and re - crystallized with the mixing solution ( toluene / acetone = 1 / 5 ) to obtain white product [ yield : 3 . 5 g ( 70 % over )]. cucn ( 220 g , 243 mmol ) and pyridine ( 146 . 7 g , 1 . 85 mol ) were added to a high pressure reaction vessel , and well mixed , and then 2 , 4 , 6 - tribromo - 1 , 3 , 5 - trimethylbenzene ( 25 g , 75 . 8 mmol ) was added thereto . the reaction mixture was reacted at 205 ° c . for 2 hours . cu therein was excluded with excessive methylene diamine , and then filtered by mc . water in the reaction mixture was eliminated over mgso 4 , and then solvent therein was evaporated in vacuum . the residue was absorbed to silica gel column and separated with a tube chromatography ( hx : mc = 3 : 1 ) to obtain white solid [ yield : 6 g ( 40 . 59 %)]. tcm ( 1 g , 5 . 128 mmol ), bromine ( 2 . 86 g , 17 . 248 mmol ), and carbon tetrachloride ( 10 ml ) were added to a light reactor , and then reacted by tungsten lamp for 8 hours . the reaction mixture was extracted by mc , and water therein was excluded over mgso 4 , and then the solvent was evaporated in vacuum . the residue was separated with a tube chromatography ( hx : ea = 8 : 1 ) to obtain white solid [ yield : 1 . 32 g ( 60 %)]. tcbm ( 1 g , 2 . 32 mmol ), triethylphosphite ( 1 . 616 g , 13 . 92 mmol ), and toluene ( excess amount ) were added to a reaction vessel , and refluxed for 8 hours . after the solvent was evaporated in vacuum and excluded , the residue was separated with a tube chromatography ( hx : mc = 3 : 1 ) to obtain yellow liquid [ yield : 0 . 84 g ( 60 %)]. a high pressure tube , dried by a dry oven , was filled with argon gas , and then m - toryl amine ( 1 g , 9 mmol ), 1 - bromo - 4 - methyl - benzene ( 6 . 2 g , 36 mmol ), pd ( dba ) 3 ( 0 . 39 g , 0 . 43 mmol ), dppf ( 0 . 48 , 0 . 86 mmol ), naotbu ( 4 . 1 g , 43 mmol ), and toluene ( 20 ml ) were added thereto , and stirred at 120 ° c . for 72 hours . the reaction mixture was extracted by mc , and the solvent was evaporated in vacuum . the residue was filtered with a tube chromatography ( hx : ea = 10 : 1 ), and re - crystallized with hexane to obtain white solid [ yield : 1 . 07 g ( 40 %)]. after mtpa ( 0 . 2 g , 0 . 69 mmol ) was dissolved into dmf ( 20 ml ), pocl 3 ( 0 . 15 g , 1 mmol ) was added thereto dropwise at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred over 30 minutes , and then the temperature thereof was elevated to 90 ° c . to react for 4 hours . the reaction mixture was added to 50 ml of iced water , and neutralized with 20 % naoh solution , and extracted by mc . after the solvent was evaporated in vacuum and eliminated , the residue was separated a tube chromatography ( hx : ea = 15 : 1 ). [ yield : 0 . 16 g ( 80 %)] lda ( 0 . 84 ml , 0 . 51 mmol ) was added to tcpm ( 0 . 1 g , 0 . 17 mmol ) in 10 ml of thf at − 72 ° c . condition , and after 30 minutes the bath was eliminated , and the reaction mixture was further stirred for 30 minutes . then , the temperature thereof was lowered , tpad ( 0 . 16 g , 0 . 51 mmol ) was added thereto dropwise , stirred , and after 30 minutes the bath was eliminated for 30 minutes and allowed to overnight . the residue was separated with a tube chromatography ( hx : ea = 1 : 4 ). [ m . p . : 280 ° c ., yield : 0 . 070 g ( 38 %)]. other compounds including formula ( 1 ) are synthesized by a similar method to synthetic examples 1 to 5 . the synthesized materials as above were further purified with a vacuum sublimation apparatus to use in the organic el device . for the present example , the organic el device using compound 10 as dopant and alq3 as host of a red color emitting layer was manufactured . first , a hole injection layer was formed with the thickness of 30 nm by depositing cupc ( copper ( ii ) phthalocyanine ) in vacuum on an ito - deposited glass washed by a microwave . then , after a hole transport layer was formed with the thickness of 50 nm by depositing npd ( n , n ′- dinaphthyl - n , n ′- phenyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ) in vacuum thereon , an emission layer is formed with the thickness of 30 nm on the hole transport layer by depositing alq3 ( host ), which was doped with compound 10 ( dopant ) by 1 . 0 %. an electron transport layer ( alq3 ; 40 nm ), an electron injection layer ( li 2 o ; 25 nm ), and a cathode ( mg / ag ; 100 nm ) were formed in order thereon by depositing in vacuum to complete the organic el device . the direct voltage of forward bias was applied to the organic el device manufactured by example 1 , and luminescent property thereof was evaluated . the luminescent color was red . as a result of spectroscopy , a spectrum having approximately 605 nm of luminescent peak was obtained . in addition , as a result of voltage - brightness test , 5 , 400 cd / m 2 of brightness at 8 v was obtained , at which point the efficiency was 1 . 88 lm / w ( see table 1 ). for the present example , the organic el device using compound 1 as host and dcm as dopant of a red color emitting layer was manufactured . first , a hole injection layer was formed with the thickness of 30 nm by depositing cupc in vacuum on an ito - deposited glass washed by a microwave . then , after a hole transport layer was formed with the thickness of 50 nm by depositing npd ( n , n ′- dinaphthyl - n , n ′- phenyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ) in vacuum thereon , an emission layer is formed with the thickness of 30 nm on the hole transport layer by depositing compound 1 ( host ), which was doped with dcm ( dopant ) by 1 . 0 %. an electron transport layer ( alq3 ; 40 nm ), an electron injection layer ( li 2 o ; 25 nm ), and a cathode ( mg / ag ; 100 nm ) were formed in order thereon by depositing in vacuum to complete the organic el device . the direct voltage of forward bias was applied to the organic el device manufactured by example 1 , and luminescent property thereof was evaluated . the luminescent color was red . as a result of spectroscopy , a spectrum having approximately 609 nm of luminescent peak was obtained . in addition , as a result of voltage - brightness test , 5 , 740 cd / m 2 of brightness at 8 . 7 v was obtained , at which point the efficiency was 1 . 92 m / w ( see table 1 ). for the present example , the organic el device using compound 22 as host and dcm as dopant of a red color emitting layer was manufactured . first , a hole injection layer was formed with the thickness of 30 nm by depositing cupc in vacuum on an ito - deposited glass washed by a microwave . then , after a hole transport layer was formed with the thickness of 50 nm by depositing npd ( n , n ′- dinaphthyl - n , n ′- phenyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ) in vacuum thereon , an emission layer is formed with the thickness of 30 nm on the hole transport layer by depositing compound 22 ( host ), which was doped with dcm ( dopant ) by 1 . 0 %. an electron transport layer ( alq3 ; 40 nm ), an electron injection layer ( li 2 o ; 25 nm ), and a cathode ( mg / ag ; 100 nm ) were formed in order thereon by depositing in vacuum to complete the organic el device . the direct voltage of forward bias was applied to the organic el device manufactured by example 1 , and luminescent property thereof was evaluated . the luminescent color was red . as a result of spectroscopy , a spectrum having approximately 621 nm of luminescent - peak was obtained . in addition , as a result of voltage - brightness test , 3 , 872 cd / m 2 of brightness at 8 . 5 v was obtained , at which point the efficiency was 1 . 48 m / w ( see table 1 ). for the present example , the organic el device using compound 1 as host and compound 22 as dopant of a red color emitting layer was manufactured . first , a hole injection layer was formed with the thickness of 30 nm by depositing cupc in vacuum on an ito - deposited glass washed by a microwave . then , after a hole transport layer was formed with the thickness of 50 nm by depositing npd ( n , n ′- dinaphthyl - n , n ′- phenyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ) in vacuum thereon , an emission layer is formed with the thickness of 30 nm on the hole transport layer by depositing compound 1 ( host ), which was doped with dcm ( dopant ) by 1 . 0 %. an electron transport layer ( alq3 ; 40 nm ), an electron injection layer ( li 2 o ; 25 nm ), and a cathode ( mg / ag ; 100 nm ) were formed in order thereon by depositing in vacuum to complete the organic el device . the direct voltage of forward bias was applied to the organic el device manufactured by example 1 , and luminescent property thereof was evaluated . the luminescent color was red . as a result of spectroscopy , a spectrum having approximately 617 nm of luminescent peak was obtained . in addition , as a result of voltage - brightness test , 4 , 200 cd / m 2 of brightness at 7 . 8 v was obtained , at which point the efficiency was 1 . 55 m / w ( see table 1 ). the results of the examples are summarized in table 1 below . as shown in the above table , the organic el devices applied with the red color emitting materials of the present invention shows high advanced luminescent efficiency and brightness than the organic el device applied with conventional red color emitting materials . in addition , the present materials contribute to enhance the safety and the life time of the device .	8
in fig1 , a chromatic dispersion compensator 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is shown . compensator 10 includes a pbs 110 , a first ninety degree mirror 120 , a quarter - wave plate 130 , a gte 140 , a second ninety degree mirror 150 and a third ninety degree mirror 160 . pbs 110 is made from two right angle glass prisms joined at the hypotenuse . the hypotenuse face of one prism has a dielectric coating so as to make pbs 110 reactive to the polarization of light . that is , light is either transmitted or reflected at the hypotenuse of pbs 110 depending on its polarization . first ninety degree mirror 120 is a right angle glass prism whose hypotenuse is fully reflective . quarter - wave plate 130 is a birefringent crystal which converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light and vice versa . when quarter - wave plate 130 is double - passed , it acts as a half - wave plate and rotates the plane of polarization of light . gte 140 has a first mirror which is partially reflective , a second mirror which is fully reflective and a cavity in between . the spacing between the mirrors ( i . e . the thickness of the cavity ) is generally a function of the channel spacing of a dwdm system in which compensator 10 is operative . light arriving from pbs 110 or prismatic mirror 120 enters and exits gte 140 through the partially reflective mirror . gte 140 subjects different wavelength components of the light to variable delay in accordance with its resonant properties . that is , the partial reflectivity of the first mirror causes certain wavelength components to be restrained in the cavity between the first mirror and the second mirror longer than others . gte 140 thereby imposes a group delay on the wavelength components of the light which , when implemented over multiple instances , i . e . multiple bounces , can correct cd previously induced on the light &# 39 ; s pulses by a high speed , long haul , dwdm transmission system . second ninety degree mirror 150 is a right angle glass prism whose shortest two legs are fully reflective . third ninety degree mirror 160 is a right angle glass prism whose shortest two legs are fully reflective . in operation , an input optical beam 100 , which is unpolarized , is incident into pbs 110 . pbs 110 splits beam 100 into two polarized beams a 1 , b 1 . polarized beams a 1 , b 1 are directed ( with the help of mirror 120 in the case of beam b 1 ) toward gte 140 at normal incidence via quarter - wave plate 130 . gte 140 contributes a first unit of group delay on polarized beams a 1 , b 1 . upon reflecting from gte 140 and passing through quarter - wave plate 130 a second time on the return trip , the polarization plane of beams a 1 , b 1 is rotated . thus , when the beams a 1 , b 1 re - intersect at pbs 110 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to mirror 150 . this completes the first cycle . prismatic mirror 150 redirects the unpolarized beam toward pbs 110 , beginning a second cycle in which gte 140 contributes a second unit of group delay on polarized beams a 2 , b 2 . upon reflecting from gte 140 and double passing through quarter - wave plate 130 , the polarization plane of beams a 2 , b 2 is once again rotated . thus , when the beams a 2 , b 2 re - intersect at pbs 110 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to mirror 160 . this completes the second cycle . mirror 160 redirects the unpolarized beam toward pbs 110 , beginning a third cycle in which gte 140 contributes a third unit of group delay on polarized beams a 3 , b 3 . upon reflecting from gte 140 and double passing through quarter - wave plate 130 , the polarization plane of beams a 2 , b 2 is once again rotated . thus , when the beams a 3 , b 3 re - intersect at pbs 110 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to mirror 150 . this completes the third cycle . mirror 150 redirects the unpolarized beam toward pbs 110 , beginning a fourth and final cycle in which gte 140 contributes a fourth unit of group delay on polarized beams a 4 , b 4 . upon reflecting from gte 140 and double passing through quarter - wave plate 130 , the polarization plane of beams a 4 , b 4 is once again rotated . thus , when the beams a 4 , b 4 re - intersect at pbs 110 , they are recombined into an unpolarized output optical beam 190 , which exits compensator 10 . all told , compensator 10 contributes four units of group delay over four cycles . that is , four interactions with gte 140 are made by the constituent components of input optical beam 100 , all at normal incidence . in general , any number of such interactions can be designed into this geometry . in fig2 , a chromatic dispersion compensator 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is shown . compensator 20 includes a pbs 210 , a first ninety degree mirror 220 , a quarter - wave plate 230 , a first gte 240 , a second gte 245 , a second ninety degree mirror 250 and a third ninety degree mirror 260 . elements 210 , 220 , 230 , 250 and 260 are similar in composition and operation to their counterparts 110 , 120 , 130 , 250 and 260 in fig1 . however , use of two gtes 240 , 245 having different resonant properties allows for polarization mode dispersion ( pmd ) in which the group delays induced on the beams may be made polarization - dependent . use of two gtes 240 , 245 also permits adjustments to ensure normal incidence of beams into gtes 240 , 245 , even if one or more of prismatic mirrors 220 , 250 , 260 are imperfect . finally , use of two gtes 240 , 245 enables cd correction of pulses transmitted on broader channels . in operation , an input optical beam 200 , which is unpolarized , is incident into pbs 210 . pbs 210 splits beam 200 into two polarized beams c 1 , d 1 . polarized beams c 1 , d 1 are directed ( with the help of mirror 220 in the case of d 1 ) toward gtes 240 , 245 , respectively , at normal incidence via quarter - wave plate 230 . gtes 240 , 245 contribute a first unit of group delay to polarized beams c 1 , d 1 , respectively . recall that the group delay induced by gte 240 may have different wavelength - dependence than the group delay induced by gte 245 owing to configurably different resonant properties of gtes 240 , 245 . upon reflecting from gtes 240 , 245 , respectively , and again passing through quarter - wave plate 230 , the polarization plane of beams c 1 , d 1 is rotated . thus , when beams c 1 , d 1 re - intersect at pbs 210 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to mirror 250 . this completes the first cycle . mirror 250 redirects the unpolarized beam toward pbs 210 , beginning the second cycle in which gtes 240 , 245 contribute a second unit of group delay on polarized beams c 2 , d 2 , respectively . all told , compensator 20 contributes four units of group delay over four cycles . that is , four interactions with gtes 240 , 245 are made by the constituent components of input optical beam 200 before an unpolarized output optical beam 290 exits compensator 20 . moreover , the constituent portion of input optical beam 200 which had a first polarization is subjected to four interactions with gte 240 , while the constituent portion of inbound beam 200 which had a second polarization is subjected to four bounces off gte 245 , enabling pmd if desired by configuring gte 240 and gte 245 with different resonant properties . in general , any number of such interactions can be designed into this geometry . in fig3 , a chromatic dispersion compensator 30 in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention is shown . compensator 30 has a pbs 310 , two quarter - wave plates 320 , 350 , two gtes 330 , 360 and multiple elevator prisms 340 . the principle of operation is generally the same as in fig1 and 2 except in compensator 30 the beam migrates from ground level to higher levels with the assistance of elevator prisms 340 . elevator prisms 340 are right angle glass prisms whose shortest two legs are fully reflective and which are disposed to cause an input optical beam to project onto a higher plane upon reflection . in operation , an input optical beam 300 , which is unpolarized , is incident into pbs 310 ( identified as beam stage 1 in fig3 ). pbs 310 splits beam 300 into two polarized beams . the two polarized beams are directed toward gtes 330 , 360 , respectively , at normal incidence via quarter - wave plates 320 , 350 , respectively . gtes 330 , 360 contribute a first unit of group delay on the polarized beams , respectively . upon reflecting from gtes 330 , 360 and passing through quarter - wave plates 320 , 350 a second time on the return trip , the polarization plane of the beams is rotated . thus , when the beams re - intersect at pbs 310 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to an elevator prism ( beam stage 2 in fig3 ). this elevator prism has been omitted from fig3 for clarity . this completes the first cycle . the elevator prism elevates and redirects , the unpolarized beam toward pbs 310 ( beam stage 3 in fig3 ), beginning a second cycle in which gtes 330 , 360 contribute a second unit of group delay on the respective polarized beams , upon reflecting from gtes 330 , 360 and completing another double - pass through quarter - wave plates 320 , 350 , the beams re - intersect at pbs 310 and are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to elevator prism 340 ( beam stage 4 in fig3 ). this completes the second cycle . all told , the beam completes beam stages 5 , 6 , 7 , . . . 11 in which compensator 30 contributes six units of group delay on the polarized beams , respectively , over six cycles . that is , six interactions with gtes 330 , 360 are made by the constituent components of input optical beam 300 , all at normal incidence , before output optical beam 370 , which is unpolarized , exits compensator 30 ( beam stage 12 in fig3 ). in fig4 , a crystal polarizer 40 is shown . crystal polarizer 40 includes a birefringent crystal 410 which is reactive to the polarization of light to create spatial separation , without altering direction . that is , light is either transmitted on the plane of entry or “ walks over ” and is transmitted on a different plane depending on its polarization . in the case of fig4 , ordinary beam “ o ” having a first polarization is transmitted as output optical beam 430 on the plane of entry while extraordinary beam “ e ” having a second polarization walks over and is transmitted as output optical beam 420 on a lower plane than the plane of entry . both output optical beams 420 , 430 continue in the direction of entry . in fig5 , a chromatic dispersion compensator 50 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention is shown . compensator 50 has a crystal polarizer 520 , two quarter - wave plates 510 , 530 , three gtes 540 , 550 , 560 , a ninety degree mirror 570 and a pbs 580 . in operation , an input optical beam 500 , which is unpolarized , is incident into crystal polarizer 520 . crystal polarizer 520 splits beam 500 into two polarized beams e 1 ( ordinary beam “ o ”) and f 1 ( extraordinary beam “ e ”) in the general manner discussed above in connection with fig4 . that is , e 1 is transmitted on the plane of entry while f 1 walks down and is transmitted on a lower plane than the plane of entry . polarized beams e 1 , f 1 are directed toward gte 540 at normal incidence via quarter - wave plate 530 . gte 540 contributes a first unit of group delay on polarized beams e 1 , f 1 . upon reflecting from gte 540 and passing through quarter - wave plate 530 a second time on the return trip , the polarization plane of beams e 1 , f 1 is rotated . this completes the first cycle . when beams e 1 , f 1 reenter crystal polarizer 520 ( transitioning to beams e 2 , f 2 , respectively ), e 2 walks up for transmission on a higher plane than the plane of entry while f 2 is transmitted on the plane of entry . polarized beams e 2 , f 2 are directed toward gtes 560 , 550 , respectively , at normal incidence via quarter wave plate 510 . gtes 560 , 550 contribute a second unit of group delay to polarized beams e 2 , f 2 , respectively . upon reflecting from gtes 560 , 550 and passing through quarter - wave plate 510 a second time on the return trip , the polarization plane of beams e 2 , f 2 is rotated . this completes the second cycle . in similar fashion , compensator 50 contributes eight additional units of group delay on polarized beams e 3 . . . e 10 , f 3 . . . f 10 , respectively , over eight additional cycles . in all , a total of ten bounces off gtes 540 , 550 , 560 are made on the constituent portions of input optical beam 500 , all at normal incidence . then , polarized beams e 11 and f 11 are directed to pbs 580 ( with the help of mirror 570 in the case of beam e 11 ). at pbs 580 , beams e 11 , f 11 re - intersect and are recombined into output optical beam 590 which is unpolarized and which exits compensator 50 . in fig6 , a chromatic dispersion compensator 60 in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention is shown . compensator 60 has a pbs 610 , two quarter - wave plates 620 , 640 , two gtes 630 , 650 and two ninety degree mirrors 660 , 670 . in operation , an input optical beam 600 , which is unpolarized , is incident into pbs 610 . pbs 610 splits beam 600 into two polarized beams g 1 , h 1 . polarized beams g 1 , h 1 are directed toward gtes 630 , 650 , respectively , at normal incidence via quarter - wave plates 620 , 640 , respectively . gtes 630 , 650 contribute a first unit of group delay on polarized beams g 1 , h 1 . upon reflecting from gtes 630 , 650 and passing through quarter - wave plates 620 , 640 a second time on the return trip , the polarization plane of beams g 1 , h 1 is rotated . thus , when the beams g 1 , h 1 re - intersect at pbs 610 , they are recombined into an unpolarized beam and directed to mirror 660 . this completes the first cycle . mirror 660 redirects the unpolarized beam toward pbs 610 , beginning a second cycle in which gtes 630 , 650 contribute a second unit of group delay on polarized beams g 2 , h 2 , respectively . all told , compensator 60 contributes four units of group delay over four cycles . that is , four bounces off gtes 630 , 650 are made by the constituent components of input optical beam 600 , all at normal incidence , before output optical beam 680 , which is unpolarized , exits compensator 60 . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character hereof . the present invention is therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims , and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein .	8
fig1 shows one embodiment of a system for handling messages in a software system . a report handler module 10 is contacted and activated by a subroutine 12 that has a message of a certain level ( ml ). as part of the contact between the subroutine 12 and the report handler 10 , the subroutine would pass its identification ( srid ) to the report handler . it is also possible that the subroutine could pass the message level ( ml ). the report handler 10 then makes contact with the operation system 14 to identify the process from which that subroutine is making contact . the report handler 10 also queries two tables to determine the message level for the process and the subroutine . the two tables could be implemented in several ways . for example , a list of possible messages and their priorities are shown below . the above table is for either processes or subroutines . the process level table ( pl ) lists the various processes and their message level . the subroutine level table ( srl ) lists the various subroutines and their respective message priority levels . once the report handler 10 has acquired the process identification ( pid ) and the subroutine identification ( srid ) it queries these two tables for the process message level ( pl ) and the subroutine message level ( srl ). the system developer could set these tables up manually during set up of the system . however , an executable file could be used to set up the tables with indices providing the correlation between the messages and the data . this would save the developer time and save execution time by not searching the table sequentially . the options for table set up are left up to the system designer and the above examples are merely considerations . returning to fig1 the procedure then moves to step 18 in which these levels are compared to the incoming message level received by the report handler from the subroutine . note that the message only contains the message information , the report handler must extract the context in which the message was sent . the report handler then compares the level of the incoming message ( ml ) to the process message level ( pl ) and the subroutine message level ( srl ). if the incoming message level is of a lower level than either the process message level or the subroutine message level , the message is reported at step 20 . if the message level is not a lower than either of the two message levels , no report is sent and the report handler process ends . note that the comparison of less than is dependent upon the manner in which the message priorities are laid out . if the ordering of severity were reversed , the message would be reported if it were of a higher level , rather than a lower level . the above example is merely for demonstrative purposes only and is in no way intended to limit the specifics of the how the comparison is performed . in this manner , then , only messages that are above a certain predetermined priority level are reported . this allows the system designer or troubleshooter to differentiate problem sources , between processes , subroutines or subroutines under different processes . this allows the user performing the analysis to more closely track and isolate problems in the system . one example of a situation in which it is difficult to isolate problems is in an instance of mutual exclusion , where two processes are prohibited by the system design from operating at the same time . if these two processes are using the same subroutine , it is impossible to tell which of these processes is actually running in current systems . the only message received is that the subroutine is running or has errors , with no idea of whether that subroutine had problems in one process and not in another , in current systems . an example of such a situation is shown in fig2 . in this example , there are two processes , process a and process b . both use a subroutine ( sr ). between the two processes , b has the higher operational priority , so it is programmed to take over the processor when it is running . however , there is a critical region of the subroutine in which all operational priorities are suspended until the critical region is completed . with these parameters established , the sequence of events is shown in fig2 . at step 22 , process a starts the common subroutine sr . process a enters the critical regions of the subroutine at step 24 . during performance of the critical region , a semaphore is set that prevents any other processes , including those with higher operation priority , from taking the processor . at step 26 , process b has tried to take the processor , but since a has set the semaphore , b is sent back to the semaphore queue . however , at step 28 , a exits the critical region of the subroutine , but is still in the subroutine itself . since b has higher operational priority , a is suspended from the subroutine and sent to the semaphore queue as soon as it releases the semaphore and b starts to operate . note that this happens regardless of b &# 39 ; s relationship to the critical region of the subroutine , with respect to process a . b can now only be preempted from the processor is a third process with a higher operational priority enters the subroutine and b is not in the critical region . once b completes the subroutine at step 30 , after it releases the semaphore . at step 32 , then , a finally completes the subroutine . the above example is merely a context in which a message control system that differentiates the priorities of messages between processes and subroutines would be helpful . for example , assume process b was set to a higher level than process a . in this example , the messaging system would report information from process b and only exceptions or errors from process a . the subroutine will probably be set to have a higher level as well . during the sequence of events described in fig2 then , the system designer or trouble shooter would be able to track the preemption of the processor by b , and would only be told if there were problems with the subroutine running under process a . in this method , the message level is not statically bound to the message . the same message can be used in different contexts without requiring creation of new messages . for example , if two drivers were being analyzed , one could have a timeout set as a warning or information , using the messaging scheme described in the table above . in the other driver , a timeout would be reported as an error . the same message , timeout , would be reported in one instance and not in the other . this saves message space and allows interoperability between message and severity . thus , although there has been described to this point a particular embodiment for a method and structure for a message control system , it is not intended that such specific references be considered as limitations upon the scope of this invention except in - so - far as set forth in the following claims .	6
the vanadium complex can be prepared , for example , by the reaction of vcl 3 ( thf ) 3 in a thf ( tetrahydrofuran ) solution with an excess of a trialkylaluminum compound , adding the mixture to silica , and drying the mixture to a free flowing powder . a typical procedure for preparing the complex / excess trialkylaluminum / support component is set forth in example 1 , below . the complex is comprised of at least one cation and at least one anion . one of the cations can be represented by the formula v 2 x 3 ( ed ) m and one of the anions by the formula alcl 2 r 2 . the vanadium precursor can be a vanadium trihalide , a vanadium oxy trihalide , or a vanadium tetrahalide . the halide is either chlorine , bromine , or iodine , or mixtures thereof . the electron donor is a liquid , organic lewis base in which the vanadium compound and trialkylaluminum are soluble . it can be selected from the group consisting of alkyl esters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids , aliphatic ketones , aliphatic amines , alkyl and cycloalkyl ethers , and mixtures thereof , each electron donor having 2 to 20 carbon atoms . among these electron donors , the preferred are alkyl and cycloalkyl ethers having 2 to 20 carbon atoms ; dialkyl , diaryl , and alkylaryl ketones having 3 to 20 carbon atoms ; and alkyl , alkoxy , and alkylalkoxy esters of alkyl and aryl carboxylic acids having 2 to 20 carbon atoms . the most preferred electron donor is tetrahydrofuran . other examples of suitable electron donors are methyl formate , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , ethyl ether , dioxane , di - n - propyl ether , dibutyl ether , ethyl formate , methyl acetate , ethyl anisate , ethylene carbonate , tetrahydropyran , and ethyl propionate . while an excess of electron donor is used initially to provide the reaction product of the vanadium compound , electron donor , and trialkylaluminum , the reaction product finally contains about 1 to about 20 moles of electron donor per mole of vanadium compound and preferably about 1 to about 10 moles of electron donor per mole of vanadium compound . about 3 moles of electron donor per mole of vanadium compound has been found to be most preferable . as noted , an excess of trialkylaluminum compound is also used . while the atomic ratio of aluminum to vanadium in the complex is about 0 . 5 : 1 , the molar ratio of trialkylaluminum compound adsorbed on the support to vanadium is in the range of about 2 . 5 : 1 to about 10 : 1 and is preferably in the range of about 3 : 1 to about 7 : 1 . silica is the preferred support . other suitable inorganic oxides are aluminum phosphate , alumina , silica / alumina mixtures , silica modified with an organoaluminum compound such as triethylaluminum , silica modified with diethylzinc , and a mixture of silica and calcium carbonate . a typical support is a solid , particulate porous material essentially inert to the polymerization . it is used as a dry powder having an average particle size of about 10 to about 250 microns and preferably about 30 to about 100 microns ; a surface area of at least about 3 square meters per gram and preferably about 50 square meters per gram ; and a pore size of at least about 80 angstroms and preferably at least about 100 angstroms . generally , the amount of support used is that which will provide about 0 . 05 to about 0 . 5 millimole of vanadium compound per gram of support and preferably about 0 . 2 to about 0 . 3 millimole of vanadium compound per gram of support . r = hydrogen or an unsubstituted or halogen substituted alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms ; preferred promoters include fluoro -, chloro -, and bromo substituted methane or ethane having at least 2 halogen atoms attached to a carbon atom , e . g ., methylene dichloride , 1 , 1 , 1 - trichloroethane , chloroform , cbr 4 , cfcl 3 , hexachloroethane , ch 3 ccl 3 , and cf 2 clccl 3 . the first three mentioned promoters are especially preferred . about 0 . 1 to about 10 moles , and preferably about 0 . 2 to about 2 moles , of promoter can be used per mole of cocatalyst . the trialkylaluminum compound can be represented by the formula r 3 al wherein each r is an alkyl ; each r can be alike or different ; and each r has up to 14 carbon atoms , and preferably 2 to 8 carbon atoms . further , each alkyl can be straight or branched chain . examples of suitable alkyls are : methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , tert butyl , pentyl , neopentyl , n - hexyl , 2 - methylpentyl , heptyl , octyl , isooctyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , 5 , 5 - dimethylhexyl , nonyl , decyl , isodedcyl , undecyl , and dodecyl . the cocatalyst can be the same as the foregoing r 3 al except that r can also be aryl . examples of suitable hydrocarbyl aluminum compounds are as follows : triisobutylaluminum , tri n - hexylaluminum , di - isobutylhexylaluminum , isobutyl dihexylaluminum , trimethylaluminum , triethylaluminum , tripropylaluminum , triisopropylaluminum , tri - n - butylaluminum , trioctylaluminum , tridecylaluminum , tridodecylaluminum , tribenzylaluminum , triphenylaluminum , trinaphthylaluminum , and tritolylaluminum . the preferred trialkylaluminum compounds and hydrocarbyl aluminum compounds are triethylaluminum , triisobutylaluminum , and tri n - hexylaluminum . the cocatalyst and promoter can be added to the vanadium complex either before or during the polymerization reaction . they can be added together or separately , simultaneously or sequentially . the cocatalyst and promoter are preferably added separately as solutions in an inert solvent , such as isopentane , to the polymerization reaction at the same time as the flow of the comonomers is initiated . the cocatalyst is necessary to obtain any significant polymerization . the promoter , on the other hand , can be considered a preferred option . about 5 to about 500 moles , and preferably about 10 to about 40 moles , of cocatalyst can be used per mole of vanadium catalyst precursor , i . e ., the reaction product of the vanadium compound , the electron donor , and the trialkylaluminum . the polymerization can be conducted in the gas phase or liquid phase using conventional techniques such as fluidized bed , slurry , or solution processes . a continuous , fluidized bed process is preferred . using this fluidized bed process , the vanadium complex / excess trialkylaluminum / support component , the cocatalyst , the promoter , and comonomers are continuously fed into the reactor and product is continuously removed . the fluidized bed polymerization is conducted at a temperature below the sintering temperature of the product . the operatinq temperature is generally in the range of abut 10 ° c . to about 115 ° c . the fluidized bed reactor is typically operated at pressures of up to about 1 , 000 , and preferably about 50 to about 350 , psig . a chain transfer agent , such as hydrogen , can be used to terminate the polymer chain . usually the ratio of hydrogen to ethylene will vary between about 0 . 001 to about 0 . 1 mole of hydrogen per mole of ethylene . subject catalyst can be used in the polymerization of at least one alpha olefin havinq 2 to 20 carbon atoms . it is particularly useful in the production of copolymers in which a major proportion , i . e ., more than 50 percent by weight , is based on ethylene , propylene , and / or butene comonomers . it is understood that the term &# 34 ; copolymer &# 34 ; includes polymers having two or more different comonomers incorporated into the same polymer chain . the balance of the copolymer is attributed to various alpha olefins or diolefins having 2 to 20 carbon atoms , which are present in minor proportion . examples of the alpha olefins and diolefins are 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene , 1 - hexene , 1 - octene , 1 , 4 - hexadiene , and dicyclopentadiene . of particular interest are ethylene / propylene rubbers and ethylene / propylene / ethylidene norbornene rubbers . 3 . 0 millimoles of vcl 3 , dissolved in freshly distilled tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) is placed in a 200 milliliter flask and blanketed with nitrogen . the solution is stirred at room temperature and 18 millimoles of trimethylaluminum in hexane are added via syringe . the resulting deep violet solution is stirred at 45 ° c . for 30 minutes . during this time , the solution turns green , indicative of the vanadium + 2 species . 10 . 0 qrams of silica ( dried at 600 ° c .) is added and the slurry is dried down at 45 ° to 50 ° c . under vacuum for 2 hours . analysis shows 0 . 26 millimole vanadium per gram of catalyst and a thf / v mole ratio of 5 . 5 : 1 . a one liter autoclave reactor is heated to 110 ° c . and purged with nitrogen for 30 minutes . after cooling to 45 ° c ., 500 milliliters of dry , deaerated hexane are added . 0 . 8 millimole of triethylaluminum , 0 . 8 millimole of chcl 3 promoter , and the catalyst precursor ( 0 . 02 millimole of vanadium ) prepared in example 1 are added next . then , 10 milliliters of ethylidene norbornene , 1 . 5 psi of hydrogen , and 7 grams of propylene are charged to the reactor . the reactor is pressurized with 130 psi of ethylene and heated to 65 ° c . with stirring . ethylene is fed continuously and the polymerization is continued for one hour . the reactor is vented and the contents poured into isopropanol , stirred in a high speed blender , and filtered . the resulting resin is in a granular form and is dried overnight under vacuum in a 65 ° c . oven . comonomer content is determined by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis . the variables and results for examples 2 through 6 are given in the table . example 2 is repeated except that triethylaluminum is substituted for trimethylaluminum in example 1 . example 2 is repeated except that 4 millimoles of trimethylaluminum are used in example 1 . example 2 is repeated except that trisobutylaluminum is substituted for trimethylaluminum in example 1 . example 2 is repeated except that tri - nhexylaluminum is substituted for trimethylaluminum in example 1 . example 2 is repeated except that the catalyst is prepared in the same manner as the catalyst used in example 1 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 508 , 842 , issued on apr . 2 , 1985 , incorporated by reference herein . table______________________________________ component % % example a1 / v ( iv ) activity propylene enb______________________________________2 6 tma 2536 4 . 1 1 . 13 6 teal 2513 5 . 1 2 . 04 4 tma 1300 -- -- 5 6 tiba 2200 -- -- 6 6 tnhal 2337 -- -- 7 4 . 5 deac 870 4 . 3 0 . 5______________________________________ notes with respect to the table : 1 . a1 / v is the molar ratio of excess trialkylaluminum compound adsorbed o the support to vanadium . 2 . the activity of the catalyst is measured in grams of ethylene / propylene / ethylidene norbornene terpolymer per millimole of vanadium per hour . 3 . % propylene is the percent by weight of the terpolymer attributed to the propylene monomer ( analyzed by nmr ). 4 . % enb is the percent by weight of the terpolymer attributed to the ethylidene norbornene monomer ( analyzed by nmr ). 5 . nmr = nuclear magnetic resonance . 6 . tma = trimethylaluminum . 7 . teal = triethylaluminum . 8 . tiba = triisobutylaluminum . 9 . tnhal = trin - hexylaluminum . 10 . deac = diethylaluminum chloride . the product of reduction of vcl 3 with trimethylaluminum is isolated as a green solid , dissolved in thf , and deposited on silica . no excess aluminum alkyl is present . extraction with thf shows only 9 mole percent of the vandium is adsorbed on the surface of the silica . a polymerization test of the catalyst according to example 2 gives an activity of 868 . a catalyst is prepared as in example 8 except that the silica is pretreated with triethylaluminum to react surface hydroxy moieties . extraction shows 39 mole percent of the vanadium to be adsorbed on the surface of the silica . a polymerization test of this catalyst according to example 2 gives an activity of 1045 . a catalyst prepared as in example 1 is extracted with thf . 49 mole percent of the vanadium is not extracted . a polymerization test of the catalyst according to example 2 gives an activity of 2263 . a fluidized bed reactor is operated as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 508 , 842 employing the catalysts used in examples 2 and 7 . the objective is the preparation of ethylene / propylene / diene terpolymer ( epdm ). ______________________________________example 11 12catalyst example 1 example 7______________________________________temperature (° c .) 40 40propylene / ethylene 0 . 41 0 . 37mole ratioethylene ( psi ) 126 123cocatalyst tiba tibapromoter chcl . sub . 3 chcl . sub . 3ethylidene norbornene ( enb ) 7 . 4 6 . 3 ( bed wt . %) propylene ( wt . %) 26 . 8 29 . 5enb ( wt . %) 3 . 5 4 . 9ash ( wt . %) 0 . 177 0 . 334g / g cat . 707 286______________________________________ notes : 1 . psi = pounds per square inch . 2 . tiba = triisobutylaluminum . 3 . ethylidene norbornene ( bed wt . %) = the percent by weight of ethyliden norbornene based on the weight of the fluidized bed . 4 . propylene ( wt . %) = the percent by weight of propylene based on the weight of the epdm . 5 . enb ( wt . %) = the percent by weight of ethylidene norbornene based on the weight of the epdm . 6 . ash ( wt . %) = the percent by weight of ash based on the weight of the epdm . 7 . vanadium ( ppm ) = parts per million by weight of vanadium based on the weight of epdm . 8 . g / g cat . = grams of epdm produced per gram of supported vanadium catalyst . examples 11 and 12 are repeated except that the objective is the preparation of linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ). the reaction conditions , which differ from examples 11 and 12 , and the results are as follows : ______________________________________example 13 14______________________________________temperature (° c .) 90 901 - hexene / ethylene 0 . 043 0 . 049mole ratiohydrogen / ethylene 0 . 0191 0 . 0155mole ratioethylene ( psi ) 138 141cocatalyst teal tealmelt index 0 . 39 0 . 30melt flow ratio 99 92density ( g / cc ) 0 . 9293 0 . 9250vanadium ( ppm ) 6 . 79 7 . 43ash ( wt %) 0 . 049 0 . 053productivity 1915 1750 ( lb / lb / catalyst ) ______________________________________ notes ( also see notes for examples 11 and 12 ): 1 . teal = triethylaluminum . 2 . melt index , melt flow ratio , and density = see u . s . pat . no . 4 , 508 , 842 for definitions . 3 . productivity ( lb / lb catalyst ) = pounds of lldpe produced per pound of catalyst added to the reactor .	2
the description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of the invention . it will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that , although not explicitly described or shown herein , embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope . furthermore , all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions . moreover , all statements herein reciting principles , aspects , and embodiments of the invention , as well as specific examples thereof , are intended to encompass equivalents thereof . fig1 shows a machine type communication scenario according to a preferred embodiment , comprising a first device , e . g . a base station 10 in a 4g wireless system or a 5g wireless system , and associated user equipment devices 12 , 14 , e . g . sensor devices or the like . the term user equipment device 12 , 14 is to be understood to cover sensor devices in a sensor network , other known user equipment devices like mobile phones , which might transmit and receive data with or without the interaction of a human being and other fixed installed or mobile communication devices able to transmit and receive data . the user equipment devices 12 , 14 and the base station 10 are located within the communication range of these devices and communication is performed via a transmission channel 16 , which is e . g . a wireless transmission channel . a multi - carrier system is used for communication between the base station 10 and the user equipment devices 12 , 14 , e . g . an ofdm , sc - fdma or fbmc system with resource allocation in transmission time intervals and frequency resources . in scenarios where devices are distributed over certain cell areas ( e . g . macro or micro cells ), larger dynamic ranges of receive signal powers are occurring due to the near - far - effect . some user equipment devices within the cell coverage of a base station 10 are considered as disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 . because of obstacles 18 blocking the direct wireless connection between a disadvantageous user equipment device 14 and a base station 10 or because the disadvantageous user equipment device 14 is relatively far away from the base station at the edge of a wireless cell , these user equipment devices 14 have difficulties in transmitting data without the need of many retransmission . fig2 discloses a simulation of an exemplary scenario , showing that a certain percentage of disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 , e . g . 20 %, have a large number of retransmissions . this results in a large delay for successful reception , which is disclosed in fig3 . those disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 have difficulties to get a fair access into the system . the reason is e . g . the residual interference from non - ideal interference cancellation of a real multi packet reception with real channel estimation . if the receiver uses successive interference cancellation ( sic ), errors in the residual signal occur when cancelling out the devices with strong receive signals from the superimposed receive signal . this is due to inaccuracies in channel knowledge . in sic , weakest devices are detected last . the accumulated errors from the previously cancelled devices increase the probability that the packets are not correctly decoded . fig4 discloses a frame structure , a superframe 40 for communication between a base station 10 and a user equipment device 12 , 14 via a wireless communication link 16 . the frame structure 40 includes an uplink control frame 42 , regular frames 44 and a reserved frame 46 dedicated to disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 , which have according to their geographical location in the cell or for any other reasons difficulties to communicate with the base station 10 . these difficulties may appear in a high bit error rate for these user equipment devices 14 and / or a large number of retransmissions before a transmission will have been successfully finished . only the disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 are allowed to access or at least are preferred in accessing the reserved frame 46 . in one embodiment , also multiple reserved frames 46 may be provided in a superframe 40 . the superframe 40 disclosed in fig4 is used e . g . in a slotted aloha cdma system . the time slots are defined for random access based transmission of data and are used as uplink control frame 42 , regular frames 44 or reserved frames 46 . in one embodiment , the reserved frame 46 has a longer duration than the other frames , e . g . twice as long as a regular frame as depicted in fig4 . fig5 illustrates a method for transmitting data in a system using reserved frames 46 for disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 . in step 50 , a user equipment device 12 , 14 transmits its data and id to the base station 10 within a timeslot of a regular frame 44 when a communication should be performed . in step 51 , the user equipment device checks if an acknowledgement ( ack ) is received from the base station 10 . if an ack is received , the transmission is completed and the method terminates in step 52 . if no ack is received , the user equipment device 12 , 14 checks how many attempts have been made so far to transmit the data , and if the number of attempts is lower than a predefined number , the user equipment device 12 , 14 increases the number of unsuccessful attempts by one and goes back to step 50 in order to transmit the data and id again . the retransmission may take place a predefined time or a randomly defined time after the previous attempt . if the number of transmission attempts exceeds the predefined number , the user equipment device 14 decides to be a disadvantageous user equipment device 14 . then , in step 53 a request for transmission in a reserved frame 46 is sent to the base station via the uplink control frame 42 . in one embodiment , the uplink control channel on which the uplink control frames 42 are transmitted has extended duration in order to allow efficient communication from the disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 . the base station 10 then decides about the request and the user equipment device 14 receives in step 54 an acknowledgement from the base station 10 for sending data in the reserved frames 46 . in one embodiment , the acknowledgment is transmitted with optional extra configurations for disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 . a downlink control channel may be used here . in step 55 , the user disadvantageous user equipment device 14 transmits its data in the reserved frame 46 . in one embodiment , the step 53 of requesting transmission in a reserved frame 46 and the step 54 for receiving an acknowledgment for transmission in a reserved frame 46 are omitted . instead , the disadvantageous user equipment device 14 whose transmission attempts exceeds a predefined number accesses the reserved frame 46 without a special uplink request to the base station . instead , it received repeatedly information regarding the reserved frame 46 communication or has this information stored . the control information may contain but is not limited to the predefined number of failed attempts until the machine can access the reserved frames 46 , and further configurations for accessing the reserved frames 46 , such as contention probability and maximum retransmissions . the information is evaluated in step 56 , and then the disadvantageous user equipment device 14 just sends the data in the reserved frame 46 in step 55 . thus , control information transmitted over the network is reduced . in one embodiment , multi - carrier cdma is used and a set of subcarriers ( physical resource blocks ) is reserved for the disadvantageous user equipment devices 14 . the rest of the band may be used by the other user equipment devices 12 , which are not necessarily machine to machine communication devices . different codes and subcarriers may be used for the reserved frames 46 . while multi - carrier cdma may be understood in the art as ofdm with additional spreading on top of the ofdm resource elements , within the scope of this disclosure with the expression multi - carrier cdma is to be interpreted more general , e . g . as a combination of cdma / spreading with any kind of multi - carrier modulation signal format , like fbmc ( filter bank based multi - carrier ) or iota - ofdm . the functions of the various elements shown in the figures , including any functional blocks , may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software . when provided by a processor , the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor , by a single shared processor , or by a plurality of individual processors , some of which may be shared . moreover , the functions may be provided , without limitation , by digital signal processor ( dsp ) hardware , network processor , application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), field programmable gate array ( fpga ), read only memory ( rom ) for storing software , random access memory ( ram ), and non volatile storage . other hardware , conventional and / or custom , may also be included .	8
referring to fig1 and 2 , an apparatus 10 is shown for controlling movement of a valve 12 in a camless engine between a fully closed position ( shown in fig1 ), and a fully open position ( shown in fig2 ). the apparatus 10 includes an electromagnetic valve actuator ( eva ) 14 with upper and lower coils 16 , 18 which electromagnetically drive an armature 20 against the force of upper and lower springs 22 , 24 for controlling movement of the valve 12 . switch - type position sensors 28 , 30 , 32 are provided and installed so that they switch when the armature 20 crosses the sensor location . it is anticipated that switch - type position sensors can be easily manufactured based on optical technology ( e . g ., leds and photo elements ) and when combined with appropriate asynchronous circuitry they would yield a signal with the rising edge when the armature crosses the sensor location . it is furthermore anticipated that these sensors would result in cost reduction as compared to continuous position sensors , and would be highly reliable . a controller 34 is operatively connected to the position sensors 28 , 30 , 32 , and to the upper and lower coils 16 , 18 in order to control actuation and landing of the valve 12 . the first position sensor 28 is located around the middle position between the coils 16 , 18 , the second sensor 30 is located close to the lower coil 18 , and the third sensor 32 is located close to the upper coil 16 . in the following description , only the valve opening control is described , which uses the first and second sensors 28 , 30 , while the situation for the valve closing is entirely symmetric with the third sensor used in place of the second . the key disadvantage of the switch - type position sensor as compared to the continuous position sensor is the fact that the velocity information cannot be obtained by simply differentiating the position signal . rather , the present invention proposes to calculate the velocity based upon the electromagnetic subsystem of the actuator . specifically , the velocity is estimated based upon the current and rate of change of current in the electromagnetic actuator 14 . because the disturbance due to gas force on the valve does not directly affect the electromagnetic subsystem of the actuator , this velocity estimation can be done reliably . the velocity estimation ( assuming no magnetic field saturation ) has the form : velocity = ( z + k b k a ) - ( l · i - ɛ ) + r · i - v i   k a ( z + k b ) 2 where , z and vel are the armature position ( distance from an energized coil ) and velocity , respectively , r is the electrical resistance , v and i are voltage and current , respectively , and e is the dynamic state of the estimator and is derived from the dε / dt formula below . l is an estimator gain and k a and k b are constants that are determined by magnetic field properties and are calibrated from the relation between the force on the armature and the gap distance between the armature and the lower coil : f mag = k a  i 2 ( z + k b ) 2 the rate of change of current in the eva is estimated as ( l · i − ε ) in the velocity formula above , where  ɛ  t = - l · ( l · i - ɛ ) and l & gt ; 0 is an estimator gain and the actual measurement of the current i is an input to the formula . accordingly , the calculated velocity is based on current and estimated rate of change of current in the eva . the estimate is implemented in discretized form on a microprocessor system dedicated to actuator control . the duty cycle of the eva is the excitation signal on - time divided by total time . the duty excitation signal applied to the lower coil 18 ( essentially a fraction of maximum voltage applied to the coil , i . e ., v = v max · d ) during a single cycle is shaped by changing the values of several parameters . one such scheme uses the following parameters : t 2 is the time instant when the duty cycle is applied to effect armature catching ; t 3 is the time instant when catching action is changed to holding action ; and an algorithm is proposed for adjusting these parameters that uses the information from the first and second sensors 28 , 30 , and accomplishes the tasks of both in - cycle control and cycle - to - cycle adaptation . when the armature passes the location of a switch - type position sensor , a rising signal edge from a sensor is detected , and the position at this time instant is known . using the above characterization of the electromagnetic subsystem , the armature velocity is backtracked and used for control . consequently , the velocity of the first sensor crossing can serve as an early warning about the magnitude of the disturbance affecting the valve motion , and this information can be used for in - cycle control . the cycle - to - cycle adaptation aims at regulating the velocity at the second sensor crossing to the desired value . experiments show that disturbances on the exhaust valves are largest at the beginning of the valve motion and , hence , regulating the velocity to the desired value near the end of the valve travel can be used as an enforcement mechanism for soft landing . finally , in situations when a valve is about to malfunction , as may be indicated by a serious velocity deficit at the second sensor crossing or a second crossing of the second sensor occurs , it may be necessary to apply the full duty cycle to ensure landing . in other words , voltage is continuously applied to the lower coil 18 . the below - described algorithm assumes ( for simplicity ) that the initial catching part of the duty cycle becomes active only after the first sensor crossing . at higher engine speeds , an earlier activation of the duty cycle may be needed to provide faster responses . in this situation , it is possible to use the crossing information from the third sensor 32 instead of the crossing information from the first sensor 28 . it is also possible to modify the algorithm so that it only applies to the part of the active duty cycle profile after the first sensor 28 crossing . finally , it should be clear that the crossing information from all three sensors 28 , 30 , 32 can be used to shape the duty cycle within a single valve opening or valve closing event . the main features of the algorithm described in fig5 are as follows . if the estimated velocity at the first sensor crossing , vel 1 , is below the desired value , vel 1d , the value of d c ( i . e ., the duty cycle ) is increased from its nominal value d c , 0 by a value , f p ( vel 1 , d − vel 1 ), whose magnitude is a faster than linear increasing function of the magnitude of the difference . this calculation is shown at block 40 in fig5 where f p is a calibratable gain . the increase in d c assures armature landing since lower than desired velocity indicates larger than expected disturbances counteracting the motion of the valve 12 . disproportionately more aggressive action is provided for a larger velocity deficit . if the estimated velocity at the first sensor crossing is above the desired value , the value of d c may be decreased from its nominal value by a conservative amount that may depend on the magnitude of the difference . still referring to block 40 , the adaptive term is added to the resulting d c value to provide cycle - to - cycle adaptation . this adaptive term is formed by multiplying a gain k times the integrator output θ that sums up the past differences between the estimated vel 2 and desired velocity , vel 2 , d at the second sensor crossing . referring to block 42 of fig5 if the resulting d c value exceeds one ( i . e ., not physically realizable ), d c is set to 1 and t 2 is advanced from its nominal value t 2 , 0 by a value whose magnitude is a monotonic function of the amount by which the originally calculated value of d c exceeds 1 . t 2 is the time instant when the duty cycle is applied to effect armature catching . in other words , when greater than 100 % duty cycle is demanded , catching current t 2 is initiated sooner to compensate for such demand . referring to blocks 44 and 46 of fig5 if the value of vel 2 is significantly lower than the desired value vel 2 , d , or if a second crossing of the second sensor has been detected ( indicating the valve 12 starting to move in the opposite direction ), an emergency pulse is formed to force the valve landing , wherein the duty cycle d c is set to the maximum value of 1 until a prespecified time t f elapses . after the time t f elapses , the duty cycle d c is set to the holding duty cycle d h . the results of simulating the actuator model in the closed loop with the proposed algorithm of fig5 are shown in table 1 below , and in fig3 a - 3 c and 4 a - 4 c . the unmeasured disturbance acting on the valve is assumed to be of initially persistent ultimately exponentially decaying type , to reflect the fact that the disturbance has initially larger size . in the case when the disturbance acts against the valve motion (“− w ”) applying the nominal duty cycle profile ( i . e . with algorithm off ) yields no landing at all ( in fact , the armature does not make it to the second sensor location ). when the disturbance acts in the direction of the valve motion (“+ w ”), large landing velocity results with the algorithm off . with the algorithm on , landing is ensured in “− w ” case and , in addition , the variability in the landing speed in both cases is greatly reduced . some residual variability is still present despite the fact that the velocity at the second sensor crossing is regulated to the desired value . this is because some - disturbance does remain and does affect the armature motion even after the second sensor crossing . table 1 illustrates steady state ( i . e ., after ten cycles ) landing velocity w ( in meters per second ) with and without compensation for the nominal case ( w = 0 ) and for the cases when the unmeasured disturbance of initially persistent , ultimately exponentially decaying type is acting on the valve . in the “− w ” case , the disturbance opposes the valve opening , while in the “+ w ” case , the disturbance acts in the direction of valve opening . referring to fig3 a - 3 c , the catching voltage v c = v max · d c ( v max equals 200 ), landing velocity and velocity of the second sensor crossing from one cycle to the next are shown . the desired value of vel 2 , d is shown by the dashed line in fig3 c . the nominal value of v c is 100 . here , an unknown disturbance force ( of initially persistent , ultimately exponentially decaying type ) acts on the valve , opposing the armature motion toward the lower coil . the emergency pulse compensation is used on the first and the third cycle to ensure that the armature actually lands . the armature crosses the second sensor location three times on the first and on the third cycle . aggressive compensation for the difference vel 1 , d − vel 1 , with f p ( vel 1 , d − vel 1 ) term , is clearly visible on fig3 a in the first cycle , as well as slower cycle - to cycle adaptation from the difference vel 2 , d − vel 2 . referring to fig4 a - 4 c , the catching voltage v c = v max d c ( v max = 200 ), landing velocity and velocity at the second sensor crossing from one cycle to the next in the “+ w ” case are shown . the desired value of vel 2 , d is shown by the dashed line on fig4 c . the nominal value of v c is 100 . here , an unknown disturbance force ( of initially persistent , ultimately exponentially decaying type ) acts on the valve , accelerating the armature toward the lower coil . here ( for illustration purposes ), the action f p ( vel 1 , d − vel 1 ) on the velocity difference at the first crossing was set to zero , to illustrate the effect of cycle - to - cycle adaptation . while the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in detail , those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims .	5
the orders of magnitude addressed with the touch fastener should suffice in the geometrical implementation and are designed such that interaction with a corresponding part , whether in the form of another touch fastener , or in the form of the surface of a body in the vicinity on which the touch fastener according to the invention is to be fixed , can preferably take place by van - der - waals forces . these van - der - waals forces constitute a subgroup of adhesion and are formed because the negatively charged electrons swirling around the positive nucleus in an atom are briefly concentrated on one side . for this reason , the atom on this side is temporarily negatively charged , while on the other side conversely it is positively charged . this charging also influences adjacent atoms . in this case , the atoms along the top of the support surface of the head cause the support surface of the head , depending on which charge it receives , to be attracted either by the positive atoms or the negative atoms of the respective opposite surface of the body in the vicinity . the larger the resulting contact surfaces are in total , the stronger the forces which arise . the resulting large - dimensioned head support surfaces arising as a result of the conically tapering stem ends are then favorable for achieving strong van - der - waals forces . although the van - der - waals forces are among the weakest forces in nature , the effect is sufficient to achieve relatively high fastening forces , especially considering that several thousand bonding elements can be on the extremely small space of the backing . if the surface of the respective head should be chemically modified in a corresponding manner , a true chemical bond as the adhesion connection is conceivable . the touch fastener shown in fig1 , for the purposes of this invention , can be obtained , for example , according to a micro - replication process described in de 196 46 318 a1 . the prior art process is used to produce a touch fastener with a plurality of interlocking means or elements made in one piece with the backing 10 in the form of stems 14 having heads 12 . preferably , a thermoplastic in the plastic or liquid state is delivered to the gap between a compression roll and a shaping roll . the shaping roll is provided with a screen with cavities open to the interior and the exterior . the two rolls for the production process are driven in opposite directions so that the backing material is formed in the gap between the rolls with the formation of the backing 10 . since the touch fastener according to the invention has stems 14 made conical , the screen cross section is matched to the exterior contour of the respective support stem 14 . in particular , the screen cross section uniformly tapers conically in the direction of the interior of the roll . another possibility for obtaining the fastener system shown in the figures is described in de 100 65 819 c1 . in this known method for producing touch fasteners , a backing material in at least one partial region of its surface is provided with touch fastener elements or bonding elements projecting from its plane . a plastic material forming the fastener elements is applied to the backing element providing the backing 10 . the elements are made without a shaping tool at least in one partial region in which the plastic material is deposited by at least one application device in successively delivered droplets . although the application device yields plastic material with a droplet volume of only a few picoliters via its nozzle , a high - speed process can be implemented such that a touch fastener as shown in fig1 is obtained in an extremely short period of time . this method also makes it possible , in particular , to produce individual bonding elements as shown in fig3 where each has a head 12 and a conical stem 14 with an articulation site on part 16 . in turn , these bonding elements can then be applied in a plurality of backings 10 of any form , for example , by cementing or melting on . this backing 10 then need not have a configuration extending flat , but may definitely follow curved paths with convex or concave radii ( not shown ). another option for producing the touch fastener according to the invention may involve a thin plastic film being applied , for example , doctored on , onto the free tapering stem end 14 and then to clip it , for example , by a laser , to obtain the desired geometry of the respective head 12 . films can also be applied in this way for the backing 10 . the backing 10 as well as the heads 12 and the tapering stems 14 with integrated articulation coupling are formed preferably of a plastic material chosen in particular from the group of acrylates such as polymethacrylates , polyethylenes , polypropylenes , polyoxymethylenes , polyvinylidene fluoride , polymethylpentene , poly ( ethylene )- chlorotrifluoroethylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene oxide , polyethylene terephthalate , polybutylene terephthalate , nylon 6 , nylon 6 . 6 , and polybutene . essentially , plastics with long chains of molecules and good orientation behavior , as well as plastic materials with thixotropic behavior can be used especially effectively . thixotropic behavior for the purposes of the invention in this connection is to denote the reduction of structural thickness during the shear loading phase and its more or less a prompt but complete restoration during the following rest phase . this breakdown / restoration cycle is a completely reversible process , and thixotropic behavior can be defined as a time - dependent behavior . furthermore , plastic materials have proven favorable in which the viscosity measured with a rotational viscosimeter ranges from 7 , 000 to 15 , 000 mpas . preferably , it has a value of approx . 10 , 000 mpas at a shear rate of 10 l / sec . for the purposes of a self - cleaning surface , it has proven favorable to use plastic materials whose contact angle has at least a value of greater than 60 degrees as a result of its surface energy for wetting with water . under certain circumstances , this surface energy can be further changed by subsequent treatment processes . with respect to the aforementioned requirements , an especially interesting representative of suitable plastic materials is polyvinyl siloxane . the use of this plastic can be provided in particular for forming the heads 12 and their free surface side . for the sake of clarity , the individual bonding elements in fig1 are shown arranged spaced relatively far apart from one another . in reality , these bonding elements including of the stem 14 , articulation site or part 16 , and head 12 lie tightly against one another . thus 10 , 000 to 20 , 000 of these elements per square centimeter can be located on the homogenous backing 10 . a uniform arrangement is preferred in which all bonding elements have the same distance to one another . irregular arrangements or those in pattern form ( circular , stem - shaped , ellipsoidal , etc .) are also possible . the heads 12 which are disc - shaped in exterior contour can also have other shapes . for example , the heads can be made elliptical or in polygonal form . a hexagonal form has been found to be especially favorable , also relative to the screen shaping process . the same applies to the stems 14 . the conicity for the respective stem 14 is at least one degree of oblique tilt relative to horizontal . preferably , the conicity is approx . 2 . 5 to 5 degrees to be able to obtain slender stem elements . the articulation site 16 , shown in fig2 , has a diameter from approx . 1 to 5 μm , preferably 2 μm , this diameter range being shown in fig2 as z 2 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the conical stem 14 as a molded part is connected in one piece to the backing 10 . the connection of the stem 14 to the backing 10 can also be produced via a cement connection ( not shown ) in the same size range . the thickness of the backing 10 is shown in fig2 with the opposing arrows w and in terms of magnitude corresponds to the indicated size z 2 . in particular , when the bonding element as shown in fig3 is produced without backing 10 and is connected to it only later , for example , by a cement or melt connection method , the backing 10 can also be made larger in terms of the thickness w . on its end facing away from the articulation site 16 , the conical stem has a thickness z 1 from 5 to 25 μm , preferably from approx . 10 to 20 μm . the diameter y of the head 12 is in turn , depending on the stem geometry , 30 to 100 μm , preferably approx . 40 μm . the head 12 in terms of its thickness x is chosen to be exceptionally narrow - lipped , and the values can be & lt ; 1 μm . for an embodiment ( not shown ) originating from the transition region of the head 12 to the stem 14 , the head tapers to the exterior in terms of width and ends in an annular end edge . especially high holding forces for the head 12 can be expected for the narrow - lipped feature tapering in this way . the purpose of fig3 is to illustrate in particular a detachment of the head 12 as a peeling motion from the body 18 in the vicinity . when the stem 14 is tilted around the articulation part by an angle a of approx . 20 ° relative to the vertical 20 , the peeling motion takes place , i . e ., the edge of the head 12 which is the left edge as viewed in fig3 begins to detach over the contact surface 22 of the head 12 as a rolling motion . depending on the concept of the touch fastening element , this angle a can also be more than 20 °, in particular at least 40 °. if in the initial state the stem 14 is not located parallel to the vertical 20 , but rather , extends obliquely , the stem already assumes a starting angle a , that is , the tapered end of the stem 14 ends in an oblique arrangement on the otherwise flat head plate of the head 12 . for a detachment motion in turn a corresponding angle offset can be expected which is then lower this time than for a vertical arrangement of the stems 14 relative to the head plate of the head 12 . as shown , the head plate can be made flat and accordingly can have essentially a uniform thickness . other cross sectional shapes on head plates can be implemented within the framework of the solution according to the invention . in another embodiment , as shown in fig4 , the head plate viewed in cross section is made as a double wedge shape , i . e ., proceeding from the middle in the region of the stem 14 the head plate narrows to both sides , along bevels tapering away from one another . in the embodiment as shown in fig5 , a single wedge is formed with one side having the greatest thickness and the opposite side having the smallest thickness . in the illustrated embodiment only the top is tilted . the top and underside can also taper toward one another to form a wedge . in the embodiment as shown in fig6 , in contrast to the above described solutions , the stem 14 is arranged off - center on the underside of the head plate of the head 12 . the head forms a plate made flat . instead of the head plate made flat , in the embodiment as shown in fig6 , it can also have other shapes , in particular the wedge cross sectional shapes as shown in fig4 and 5 . if a tilted wedge shape is used for the head plate , the oblique surfaces are tilted between 5 ° to 15 °, preferably by 10 °. depending on the peeling direction , the associated angle a can then be set , in particular , can be enlarged . the sharp - edged transitions shown in the figures between the backing band , the stem 14 and the head 12 are preferably round , in particular at the transition between the underside of head 12 and stem 14 . the radial outside edges of the head 12 , at least partially , can likewise be provided with the corresponding rounding to simplify production . while various embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	8
referring to fig1 , the protective ballistic armor carrier ( 10 ), comprises a securing region ( 12 ). in one example , both sides of the carrier may be held together with additional securing straps ( 14 ). in the preferred embodiment the securing region ( 12 ) has fastening material ( 11 ) disposed thereon . referring to fig2 , the shirt ( 20 ) comprises a securing region ( 22 ). in a preferred embodiment the securing region ( 22 ) is comprised of a fastening material ( 23 ). in another embodiment , a tactile region ( 21 ) of the shirt ( 20 ) has a grippingly adhesive tactile material disposed thereon , which maybe tucked into the pants of a user to provide additional stabilization along region ( 24 ). the regional line is not actually drawn on the shirt ( 20 ), it is simply illustrated in this way for convenience . referring to fig3 , the protective ballistic armor of the present invention has a corresponding securing region ( 32 ) on its interior surface . in another embodiment , both sides of the ballistic armor may be held together with additional securing straps ( 33 ). in the preferred embodiment the securing region ( 32 ) has fastening material ( 31 ) disposed thereon . fig4 shows the embodiment where the protective ballistic armor carrier has an interior region cut out ( 42 ) thereby exposing portion of the protective ballistic armor &# 39 ; s securing region ( 43 ) so that fastening material ( 41 ) is exposed there through . this allows the fastening material ( 41 ) to secure directly to the fastening material of the shirt shown in fig2 . it should be noted that the invention is not limited to only one securing region . in an alternative embodiment a plurality of securing regions may be used . additionally , the securing regions are not limited to specific location and can appear on any portion of the invention . in yet another embodiment a plurality of tactile regions can be used to further frictionally secure various portions of the invention . it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a new body armor stabilization system , where comfort and stability are increased . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .	5
fig1 shows a hemispherical recess 1 in the surface 2 of a wind power unit in a sectional side view . as shown in fig1 , the surface 2 is subject to an incident flow essentially parallel to the surface . the hemispherical recess 1 shown in this exemplary embodiment should only be seen as an example . instead of a hemispherical form , the form of a half - teardrop or another form can be selected , which improves the flow . as the air sweeps past the recess 1 , an eddy 3 forms in the recess 1 , which assists the passage of the air and accelerates the air volume . the extent of this effect is a function of the incident flow speed , the angle of incidence , the air pressure , the air temperature , the form and configuration of the recess 1 . the eddies 3 forming in each recess act like a “ ball bearing ” for the passing air . the laminar flow at the surface 2 is not disturbed or is only slightly disturbed as a result . fig2 - 7 show the recess 1 shown in fig1 and the aerodynamic effects as air sweeps past in individual steps . fig2 is a top view and represents the surface 2 of a component of the wind power unit , which has a recess 1 . the circular edge of the hemispherical recess 1 can be seen in fig2 . the recess 1 is subject to an essentially laminar incident flow by the passing air , as a result of which two symmetrical eddies 3 , 4 are initially generated . fig3 shows the recess in fig2 a short time later . due to asymmetries in the incident flow , the dominant eddy has formed in the recess 1 , while the other eddy 4 has become weaker . it can also be seen in fig3 that the flow lines 5 of the passing air are deflected laterally between the eddies 3 , 4 . as shown in fig4 the dominant eddy 3 on the one side has become a “ tornado ”. in other words a small , local eddy has occurred , in which the air rises , so that it is moved away from the surface 2 . an eddy 3 has therefore formed out of the recess 1 , which drives the passing air further in the flow direction . fig4 also shows that the passing air is deflected laterally . fig5 shows the flow conditions a short time later . the eddy 3 collapses again after a short time due to flow asymmetries , so the strength of the dominant eddy is reduced . at the same time the other eddy 4 starts to extend . unlike the situation in fig4 , in this situation the passing air is not deflected laterally , in other words it is not affected . fig6 shows the flow conditions a little later . the eddy 4 starts to dominate , as it is significantly larger and stronger than the other eddy 3 . it can also be seen that the flow lines 6 of the passing air are deflected laterally . the eddies 3 , 4 have opposing rotation directions , so the flow lines 6 of the passing air are deflected in the opposite lateral direction compared with the situation in fig4 , in which the eddy 3 was dominant . fig7 shows the flow conditions a short time later . the eddy 4 , which is counter to the eddy 3 , has developed to become a larger eddy , which drives the passing air further out of the recess 1 in the flow direction . the eddy 4 also goes on to collapse again due to flow asymmetries and the sequence shown is repeated continuously . fig8 shows the development of flow eddies at the recesses . the wind power unit generally has a plurality of recesses , which are configured on the surface of the rotor blades , the mast , the gondola or another component around which there is a flow . small flow eddies form from each individual recess 1 and drive the passing air further in the flow direction . after some time the eddy collapses and an eddy with the opposite rotation direction develops . adjacent recesses 1 , 7 can thereby have the same or opposite rotation directions . the friction resistance in the boundary layer between the passing air and the surface is thereby reduced and the air flow at the surface is also assisted and accelerated . as the overall energy in a closed system cannot increase , energy is consumed at the same time at other points , for example due to friction effects , i . e . the friction energy of conventional systems is partly used to generate the eddies , which in turn reduce overall friction losses . fig9 shows a field with regularly arranged recesses and the resulting flow field . as shown in fig9 , the recesses are arranged in horizontal rows , adjacent rows being offset laterally such that each recess 1 is essentially the same distance from all adjacent recesses . the counter - clockwise and clockwise eddies alternate over time and a pattern of these alternating eddies develops on the surface 2 around which there is a flow , said eddies extending essentially from one recess 1 to the next recess 1 as a function of incident flow speed and further aerodynamic parameters . these eddies 3 , 4 assist and accelerate the air flow over the entire surface 2 . fig1 shows a schematic diagram of a rotor mast of a conventional wind power unit subject to an incident flow and the turbulence field generated in a horizontal sectional view . the rotor mast 8 has a circular cross - section . the incident air mass 9 is essentially laminar , i . e . the individual flow elements run parallel to each other and the air is turbulence - free . the transition points 9 are located on the left and right sides of the rotor mast viewed in the flow direction in the region of the maximum diameter . the transition point 10 characterizes the point at which the laminar flow 9 changes to a turbulent flow 11 . as shown in fig1 , the wake region with the turbulent flow is slightly tapered in form so the turbulent region increases behind the wind power unit . wind power plants behind are subject to the action of turbulent air , which reduces their efficiency . fig1 is similar to fig1 and shows a rotor mast 12 , with a film 13 on the outside , the film 13 having recesses to improve flow . unlike the rotor mast in fig1 , in the case of the rotor mast 12 with film 13 the incident laminar air 16 has a significantly longer laminar section , so the transition points 14 are displaced in the flow direction . as shown in fig1 , the transition points are behind the maximum diameter of the rotor mast 12 , so that the flow is subject to very low friction levels until then . the turbulent flow 15 can only form after this . unlike the example shown in fig1 , the region of turbulent flow 15 is significantly smaller , so that wind power units behind are influenced significantly less . it is therefore possible to set up individual wind power units in a wind farm at shorter distances from each other , resulting in better surface utilization and a higher energy yield per unit of area . fig1 shows a schematic view of a wind power unit , the surface of which at least partly has recesses to improve flow . the wind power unit , referred to as a whole as 17 , essentially comprises a mast 12 , a rotor with several rotor blades 18 , a gondola 19 to accommodate the generator and a spinner 20 , which covers the hub region of the rotor . the regions of the surface of the individual components of the wind power unit 17 which have recesses are shown hatched in fig1 . the rotor mast 12 is provided in its entirety , apart from its lower section , with recesses to improve flow . the entire surfaces of the gondola 19 and spinner 20 are also provided with recesses . the rotor blades 18 have strip - shaped regions running longitudinally along their upper and lower sides , which are provided with recesses . unlike the known sharkskin effect , with which friction can be reduced by around 10 %, first preliminary trials have shown that an improvement of around 30 % can be expected with the wind power unit .	8
referring now in more detail to the drawings , the invention will now be described in more detail . using a sensor device which varies its output as a particular point on the circumference of the tire enters and exits the contact patch lends itself to digital values with respect to time . tire deflection can then be calculated using the ratio of time spent in the contact patch to time spent traveling around the circumference of the tire . a digitized electrical signal also provides the number of tire rotations per unit of time ( rotational frequency ) as well as the total number of tire revolutions over the life of the tire . using tire deflection and the tire rotational frequency , the tire speed can be calculated and monitored to verify tire operations within an acceptable load , speed and life cycle regime . in addition , tire deflection / speed / revolution measurements can be made using a relatively short monitoring time which can be repeated every few minutes . tire deflection and speed can be combined with a count of total tire revolutions to provide a more useful measure of tire carcass fatigue life using deflection , speed and time or deflection , speed and revolution count relationships . additionally , this sensor may also be used to measure the severity of the tire operating environment by developing algorithms which convert the magnitude and frequency of load , pressure and speed oscillations to the severity of tire service . the length of the contact patch varies in relation to the inflation pressure of a pneumatic tire under a constant vehicle load in that , to an extent , increasing the inflation pressure shortens the contact patch . the total outer tread circumference of a loaded tire in contact with the ground surface has a length fixed by the length of the relatively rigid belt plies below the tire &# 39 ; s tread portion . the outer tread circumference has a contact patch portion and a free portion not making contact with a ground surface . the total length of these two portions when added together remains essentially constant with a changing inflation pressure within the tire and / or when changing the load on the tire . however , the relative length of these two portions changes . the contact patch is that portion of the tire tread circumference which is in contact with the ground surface . the load on a pneumatic tire at a constant inflation pressure changes the length of the tire &# 39 ; s contact patch in that , to an extent , increasing the load lengthens the contact patch . the length of the contact patch is further lengthened by decreasing the inflation pressure . the illustration of fig1 a shows the tire 10 in contact with a ground surface 30 . a contact length cl of the contact area 13 must fall within an acceptable range for the pneumatic tire to function properly . the larger the contact length the more the tire is being deflected . for optimal performance , contact length should be adjusted by varying inflation pressure for a given load and tire rotational speed w conditions . the inflation pressure within a loaded tire is inversely proportional to the percentage of time that a reference point 20 on the outer surface 12 of the tire tread spends in contact with the ground surface 30 . a relationship can be formulated as follows : where tc is the period of time a reference point on the tread &# 39 ; s circumference is free from contact with a ground surface ; tp is the period of time a reference point on the tread &# 39 ; s circumference is in contact with a ground surface ; tc / tp is a ratio as further discussed in this description ; and k is a constant of proportionality for the tire used and is a nonlinear function of the load and pressure . increasing the load transferred through the rim 18 or decreasing the inflation pressure results in an increased percentage of the time that the reference point 20 on the surface of the tire &# 39 ; s tread spends in contact with the ground surface during one revolution of the tire . a sensor device 50 used to provide a signal for calculating tire contact patch length tl can comprise one of several different types , including but not limited to : 1 ) a piezoelectric polymer , which consists of a piece of polymer which was manufactured in such a way as to contain aligned dipolar molecules which cause an electrical charge potential when the polymer is strained ; 2 ) a photorestrictive fiber optic cable connecting a light emitting diode and a photocell , which modulates the amount of light received by the photocell when the fiber optic cable is bent normal to its longitudinal axis ; 3 ) a variable capacitor made from aluminized mylar , whose capacitance changes as a function of pressure ; and 4 ) a variable inductor sensor , consisting of an inductive coil whose inductance changes or whose coupling between two inductive coils changes as a result of sensor strain . the preferred embodiment of the sensor device consists of the piezoelectric polymer which strains as a result of the tread bending or flexing as it enters and exits the contact patch . fig3 is a diagram of an exemplary electronic signal curve 100 which may be obtained from a sensor device of the above types for lightly as well as heavily deflected tires . there are large deformations of the sensor device as the reference point enters contact with the ground surface . the strain of these first deformations produces an electrical signal having a maximum value 102 followed by a minimum value 104 before the tread surface becomes flat on the ground surface 30 . the characteristic time period tf between maximum and minimum signal values corresponds to a characteristic frequency of the tire . as the reference point leaves the contact area 13 the sensor device is again strained and a second deformation produces another electrical signal having another maximum value and another minimum value . the electrical signal as the reference point exits the contact patch is essentially the same as that illustrated in fig3 . the first and second deformations of the sensor device as the reference point enters and exits the contact patch defines very well the contact length cl ( fig1 a ). the evolution of tf for a known load , speed and pressure is also an indication of the tire &# 39 ; s wear . the position of the sensor device within the tire is critical to the proper generation of electrical signals . a tire cross - section taken along line a -- a in fig1 a is illustrated in fig1 b . the sensor device 50 is positioned near the radial plane r -- r of the tire on an inside surface 16 of the tire 10 . preferably the sensor device 50 is protected by a rubber patch 52 on the inside surface 16 of the tire . the reference point 20 is adjacent the sensor device on the external surface 12 of the tire &# 39 ; s tread at the radial plane . sensor device electrical signals are monitored as disclosed in the following discussions . in fig2 a simplified block diagram of the tire monitoring system is illustrated in accordance with the preferred embodiments of this invention . fig2 shows the general electronic requirements for electrical signal conditioning , transmission , and processing to carry out this invention . as the sensor device 20 strains , the piezoelectric polymer of the sensor device generates a continuous electrical signal which can be amplified and converted to digital electrical pulses by a digital monitoring device 62 . a logic circuit of the monitoring device monitors the electrical signals from the sensor device to define first and second electrical signals . first electrical signals are generated when the reference point 20 is not contained within the contact area 13 . second electrical signals are generated when the reference point is contained within the contact area . the digital monitoring device further includes a digital clock device and counting circuit to provide a system monitoring time and frequency . first and second electrical signals are converted to first and second electrical clock pulses respectfully . electrical clock pulses are generated in accordance with a monitoring frequency to give a plurality of pulses per revolution of the tire . electrical pulses have a magnitude difference only as required to distinguish the first electrical pulses from the second electrical pulses . the electrical pulses are used as input into a digital counting circuit and the logic circuit of the monitoring device . the digital counting circuit uses the converted sensor electrical pulses to count the number of revolutions which occur for any given monitoring time period and the number of first and second electrical pulses each revolution of the tire . the digital logic circuit uses the conditioned first and second electrical pulses and the digital clock circuit to calculate the ratio of the time that the sensor device spends in the contact patch to the time that the sensor spends outside the contact patch . this ratio is proportional to the tire deflection . in addition , the digital logic circuit will provide the time for each tire revolution , yielding the tire &# 39 ; s angular velocity ( wheel speed ). information from the digital logic circuit and the counter values from the digital clock counter circuit are recorded by an interface memory device 64 and stored in random access memory ( rom ) 65 . this information is periodically transmitted by a passive radio frequency ( rf ) transceiver when needed . the transceiver has a transmitter 82 within the tire and a receiver 84 within the vehicle . the passive rf transceiver would only transmit when activated by a rf interrogation signal external to the tire . this affords the in - tire passive rf transceiver minimum power consumption . this allows the electronic package and the sensor device to be powered by a long - life battery or a rechargeable battery which can preferably be charged by the motion of the tire . the electronics package , including the digital monitoring device 62 , plus the memory device 64 , the rom 65 and the transmitter 82 may contain electrical components which have a low tolerance to the cyclic stress and strain of the rotating tire . these components are positioned near the bead area 14 of the tire as illustrated in fig1 b . the bead area provides a stable environment to limit cyclic fatigue of these components remote from the sensor device . a lead wire 54 electrically connects the sensor device with these low life - cycle components . other connection means are also within the scope of this invention , including wireless connections . an antenna 61 for radio frequency transmissions may also be positioned near the bead area 14 . the illustration of fig4 shows a generalized plot of the sensor device electrical signal as a function of the angle around the tire . the cure 110 representing the electrical signal has one set of values when the reference point is with the contact patch or area and another set of values when the reference point is in a angular location where the tire has a normal radius . the normal radius corresponds to the reference point not being in the contact area . the zero angular reference location is at the top of the rolling tire with the center of the contact patch being at 180 degrees . in this example , the contact is between 149 degrees and 212 degrees . the percentage of the tire &# 39 ; s circumference in the contact patch is 100 ×( 212 - 149 )/ 360 = 18 percent of the total circumference of the tire . this percentage is very sensitive to the tire &# 39 ; s deflection . the contact patch length cl is somewhat larger than the peak to peak distance cm of the electrical signal 110 . the relationship between cl and cm can be obtained and stored in the memory device for different tires to be used in determining an accurate contact length in obtaining an optimum percentage or ratio . in another embodiment of the present system and method the electrical signals from the sensor device can be processed by a frequency processing circuit within the electronics package to determine a characteristic frequency of the tire in use . for example , this may be a wheel hop frequency or a radial natural resonant frequency of the tire . this characteristic frequency can provide an additional system parameter to be used to determine what part of the tire &# 39 ; s deflection is attributed to inflation pressure and what part is attributed to the load on the tire . the addition of this information would eliminate the need for the operator of the vehicle to input information on wheel loads into the computer . the rf receiver 84 mounted in the vehicle will periodically interrogate the rf transmitter 82 in the tire . the revolution count , vehicle speed , and tire deflection data ( load and inflation pressure ) can them be computed and displayed by an on - board vehicle computer . the computer or microprocessor would control overall performance of the monitoring system and could be programmed with algorithms to take advantage of the revolution count , vehicle speed and tire deflection data including but not limited to : ( b ) individual or average wheel revolution counts over a given period of time ; and ( c ) filtered individual and average wheel deflection acceptable operating range of wheel deflection for a given wheel angular velocity . this information can be displayed in the vehicle cabin for the driver &# 39 ; s immediate use , or as a warning in the case of a low pressure , high load and high speed situations , or as an input into a vehicle central tire inflation system ( ctis ) 90 . since the tire monitoring system circuitry would contain each tires unique identification number permanently stored in read only memory ( rom ) 65 , the in - cab microprocessor system or computer could download individual tire data to another external computer for fleet - wide tracking of tire usage . the preferred embodiment of this invention has 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 of scope of the following claims .	1
fig1 shows a system for an inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ) with a sun ( s ). additional figures and descriptions in this disclosure detail the structure and function of the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). also shown is a sun ( s ). fig2 shows certain components of an inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 200 ). shown in fig2 are an inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 200 ) comprising an inflatable upper chamber ( 205 ), a lower chamber ( 210 ), and a cooking chamber ( 215 ). also shown is a sun ( s ). as will be described , the inflatable upper chamber ( 205 ) functions as a three - stage primary solar concentrator so that a majority of sunlight striking the inflatable upper chamber ( 205 ) is concentrated through the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). in some embodiments , the solar radiation from the sun ( s ) could be concentrated to as much as ten suns into the cooking chamber ( 215 ). fig3 provides additional details about the structure and function of the inflatable upper chamber ( 205 ). the lower chamber ( 210 ) functions as an additional two - stage solar concentrator for the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ) to ( a ) direct solar radiation into the cooking chamber ( 215 ) that exits the inflatable upper chamber ( 205 ) but does not enter the cooking chamber ( 215 ), and ( b ) functions as a barrier against convective heat escape by trapping hot air within the lower chamber ( 210 ). the lower chamber ( 210 ) thus assures more heat is delivered to the cooking chamber ( 215 ). fig5 provides additional details about the structure and function of the lower chamber ( 210 ). fig3 shows certain details of an inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). shown in fig3 are an inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ), a substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ), a substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ), a substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ), and at least one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ). the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) receives sunlight and refracts the sunlight into the interior of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). this is the first stage of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) as a three - stage primary solar concentrator for the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) must be sufficiently pliable and have sufficient tensile strength to be inflatable . in addition , the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) must be substantially transparent to allow sunlight to pass through and into the interior of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). lastly , the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) must have at least a marginal refractive index to refract sunlight into the interior of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). in some embodiments , the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) may be clear polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) is a structural component providing a conical shape to the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ), and may be opaque , partially transparent , or wholly transparent . the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) similarly must be sufficiently pliable and have sufficient tensile strength to be inflatable . in some embodiments , the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) may also be polyester film . the conical shape of the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) is one - half of the second stage of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) as a three - stage primary solar concentrator for the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) reflects sunlight striking the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) from the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) so that the sunlight is directed further along the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ). in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may comprise a polyester film , including mylar ®, metalized or with a reflective coating , film or other reflective structure integrated or affixed to fulfill the reflective function . in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may comprise a polyethylene ( pe ) film or polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ) film . in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may comprise an aliphatic polyamide film , including nylon , metalized or with a reflective coating , film or other reflective structure integrated or affixed to fulfill the reflective function . in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may comprise an aluminum coating on a flexible substrate . in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may be a polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) reflective film . in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may be integrated with the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ). in some embodiments , the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) may be subsurface , i . e ., a layer , between the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) and a substantially transparent layer within the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) is the second - half of the second stage of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) as a three - stage primary solar concentrator for the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) must be sufficiently pliable and have sufficient tensile strength to be inflatable . the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) receives sunlight from the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ) and the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) and refracts the sunlight into the adjacent structures . the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) is the third stage of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) as a three - stage primary solar concentrator for the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 100 ). the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) must be substantially transparent to allow sunlight to pass out of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). in some embodiments , the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) has a refractive index greater than one . as described in fig4 , there is a mathematical relationship of the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) to the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ). in simplest terms , the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) is about three times wider than the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ). this mathematical relationship is not required for use , but rather , provides for optimum efficiency of the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 200 ). the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) must be sufficiently pliable and have sufficient tensile strength to be inflatable . in some embodiments , the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) may be clear polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . altogether , the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ), the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ) and the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) make the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) function as a cone shape sunlight concentrator . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ) is a port for the passage of a transparent gas into , out of , or into and out of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) so the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) may be inflated , deflated , or inflated and deflated . in some embodiments , there may be one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ). other embodiments may have a plurality of gas passage nozzles ( 325 ). a plurality of gas passage nozzles ( 325 ) may be required in an embodiment in which one or more of the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ), the substantially conical outer wall ( 310 ), the substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ), or the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) is inflated either separated , or as a separate set from one or more of the structures of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ). the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that all structures of the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) might be made of the same material . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) might be deflated and compressed for storage and not risking damage , which might occur if the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 325 ) were a non - flexible material . fig4 provides details about a mathematical relationship of the shape of the inflatable upper chamber ( 400 ) to have a high optical efficiency . for purposes of fig4 , the inflatable upper chamber ( 400 ) is presumed to have a true trapezoid shape . shown in fig4 as a presumably true trapezoid , is a inflatable upper chamber solar radiation entrance ( 405 ), which is dimensioned as ‘ a ’. in the fig3 inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ), the inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) is connected to the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) along this side . also shown in fig4 is a inflatable upper chamber solar radiation exit ( 410 ) which is dimensioned as ‘ b ’. in the fig3 inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ), the substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) is connected to the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) along this side . as sides of a true trapezoid , the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation entrance ( 405 ) and the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation exit ( 410 ) are parallel to each other . also shown in fig4 are sides ( 415 ) of the inflatable upper chamber which are dimensioned as ‘ h ’ and form an angle θ (“ theta ”) against a right angle formed by side a , or side b and a perpendicular line to side a , or side b . since every time the sunlight reflects at the inner surface of the upper balloon , a percentage of solar energy is lost . an optimized solar concentrator will have all sunlight entering “ a ” reach exit “ b ” with minimal number of reflection . that is : for the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) to have a high optical efficiency , height h should satisfy equation ( 4 ) to maximize concentrating the sunlight entering the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation entrance ( 405 ) and leaving the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation exit ( 410 ). in effect , side ‘ a ’, the dimension of the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation entrance ( 405 ) should not be greater than three times of dimension “ b ”, the inflatable upper chamber solar radiation exit ( 410 ), i . e ., fig5 a and 5 b shows an embodiment of an lower chamber ( 500 ). in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 500 ) models a semi - hollow cylinder comprising an inflatable outer wall ( 505 ), a inner chamber ( 510 ) and at least one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ). the inflatable outer wall ( 505 ) provides support for the lower chamber ( 500 ) to stage semi - right when inflated . as with the upper chamber , the inflatable outer wall ( 505 ) may be polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . in other embodiments , the inflatable outer wall ( 505 ) might be a polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) film , polyester film , polyethylene ( pe ) film , polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ) film . the inflatable outer wall ( 505 ) could be opaque , transparent , or have partial transparency . the lower chamber ( 500 ) may serve a plurality of purposes . in some embodiments , the lower chamber ( 500 ) is a secondary solar concentrator to the inflatable upper chamber . in these embodiments , the inner chamber ( 510 ) comprises a reflective inner surface . as with the upper chamber , the reflective inner surface may be clear polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . in other embodiments , the reflective inner surface might be reflective polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) film . in other embodiments , the reflective inner surface might be aluminum metalized coating . the inner chamber ( 510 ) also serves a holding reservoir for cooking or heating foodstuff , heating beverages , or both . in some embodiments , the lower chamber is integrated with the cooking chamber . while the foodstuff or beverage would typically be placed in a separate container to preserve cleanliness of the foodstuff or beverage , the inner chamber ( 510 ) might also serve as a container , for which the lower chamber ( 500 ) might have a sealed bottom ( not shown ). the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ) is a port for the passage of a transparent gas into , out of , or into and out of the lower chamber ( 500 ) so the lower chamber ( 500 ) may be inflated , deflated , or inflated and deflated . in some embodiments , there may be one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ). other embodiments may have a plurality of gas passage nozzles ( 515 ). the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that all structures of the lower chamber ( 500 ) might be made of the same material . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that the lower chamber ( 500 ) might be deflated and compressed for storage and not risking damage , which might occur if the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 515 ) were a non - flexible material . in some embodiments , the lower chamber ( 500 ) may also comprise a lower chamber transparent cover ( 520 ) for trapping heated air within the lower chamber ( 500 ). in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 500 ) is a two - stage solar concentrator . in some embodiments , the lower chamber transparent cover ( 520 ) may be clear polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . fig6 shows another embodiment of an lower chamber ( 600 ). in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 600 ) models a toroid semi - circle comprising an outer surface ( 605 ), an at least partially open inner chamber ( 610 ) and at least one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ). this embodiment of the lower chamber ( 600 ) presents certain advantages in that the toroid semi - circle shape , when deflated , folds into a smaller size than some other shapes . in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 600 ) may cradle a food container and provide a base for the inflatable upper chamber as well . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 605 ) may be a polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . in other embodiments , the outer surface ( 605 ) might be polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) film . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 605 ) may be clear . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 605 ) may be reflective . in other embodiments , the outer surface ( 605 ) might be aluminum metalized coating . if reflective , the lower chamber ( 600 ) would assist in heating the food or beverage within the inflatable light weight solar cooker . the at least partially open inner chamber ( 610 ) may be small or large as designed to accommodate whatever cooking container is used , if one is used . in some embodiments , the at least partially open inner chamber ( 610 ) may have a sealed bottom so that a flexible cooking container , perhaps made of a flexible plastic , such as a polyethylene bag , or even a paper bag , may be placed on the at least partially open inner chamber ( 610 ) for heating and cooking . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ) is a port for the passage of a transparent gas into , out of , or into and out of the lower chamber ( 600 ) so the lower chamber ( 600 ) may be inflated , deflated , or inflated and deflated . in some embodiments , there may be one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ). other embodiments may have a plurality of gas passage nozzles ( 615 ). the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that all structures of the lower chamber ( 600 ) might be made of the same material . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that the lower chamber ( 600 ) might be deflated and compressed for storage and not risking damage , which might occur if the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 615 ) were a non - flexible material . fig7 shows another embodiment of an lower chamber ( 700 ). in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 700 ) models a torus comprising an outer surface ( 705 ), an at least partially open inner chamber ( 710 ) and at least one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ). as with the embodiment in fig6 . this embodiment of the lower chamber ( 600 ) presents certain advantages in that the toroid shape , when deflated , folds into a smaller size than some other shapes . in this embodiment , the lower chamber ( 700 ) is deeper for cradling larger food container and provides a base for the inflatable upper chamber as well . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 705 ) may be a polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . in other embodiments , the outer surface ( 705 ) might be polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) film . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 705 ) may be clear . in some embodiments , the outer surface ( 705 ) may be reflective polyester film or reflective polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) film in other embodiments , the reflective inner surface might be aluminum metalized coating . if reflective , the lower chamber ( 700 ) would assist in heating the food or beverage within the inflatable light weight solar cooker . the at least partially open inner chamber ( 710 ) may be small or large as designed to accommodate whatever cooking container is used , if one is used . in some embodiments , the at least partially open inner chamber ( 710 ) may have a sealed bottom so that a flexible cooking container , perhaps made of a flexible plastic , such as a polyethylene bag , or even a paper bag , may be placed on the at least partially open inner chamber ( 710 ) for heating and cooking . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ) is a port for the passage of a transparent gas into , out of , or into and out of the lower chamber ( 700 ) so the lower chamber ( 700 ) may be inflated , deflated , or inflated and deflated . in some embodiments , there may be one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ). other embodiments may have a plurality of gas passage nozzles ( 715 ). the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that all structures of the lower chamber ( 700 ) might be made of the same material . the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ) is flexible in some embodiments so that the lower chamber ( 700 ) might be deflated and compressed for storage and not risking damage , which might occur if the at least one gas passage nozzle ( 715 ) were a non - flexible material . fig8 shows an embodiment of an inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 800 ) with an inflatable upper chamber ( 805 ) having an inner reflective surface as previously described , a lower chamber ( 810 ) with reflective inner surface ( 815 ), a lower chamber transparent cover ( 820 ), a supporting stand ( 825 ) and supporting strap ( 830 ). the lower chamber ( 810 ) is similar to other embodiments . the distinction of inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 800 ) is that the lower chamber ( 810 ) with reflective inner surface ( 815 ) is typically not inflatable . in some embodiments , the lower chamber ( 810 ) with reflective inner surface ( 815 ) may include a lower chamber transparent cover ( 820 ) for trapping heated air within the lower chamber ( 810 ) with reflective inner surface ( 815 ). in some embodiments , the lower chamber transparent cover ( 820 ) may be clear polyester film , including that sold under the mylar ® brand . in some embodiments , the lower chamber ( 810 ) may be integrated with the cooking chamber . in some embodiments , the lower chamber transparent cover ( 820 ) may be polyethylene ( pe ) film or polyethylene terephthalate film . another distinction of the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 800 ) is that a supporting stand ( 825 ) may be present . supporting stand ( 825 ) aids in keeping inflatable upper chamber ( 805 ) pointed at the sun ( s ) without assistance . as inflatable upper chamber ( 805 ) is lightweight , supporting stand ( 825 ) does not have to support much weight . in some embodiments , supporting stand ( 825 ) may be comprise polyvinyl tubing , which is beneficial in being lightweight , inexpensive , easy to cut to size , and easy to assemble with off - the shelf supplies . another distinction of the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 800 ) is that a supporting strap ( 830 ) may be present . as with the supporting stand ( 825 ), the supporting strap ( 830 ) aids in keeping inflatable upper chamber ( 805 ) pointed at the sun ( s ) without assistance . similarly , supporting strap ( 830 ) may be made from lightweight , off the shelf materials , even bungee cords . fig9 shows an embodiment of an inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 900 ) with an inflatable upper chamber ( 905 ) having an inner reflective surface as previously described , a cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ), a lower chamber ( 915 ), a cooking chamber ( 920 ), a supporting stand ( 925 ) and a supporting strap ( 930 ). the inflatable light weight solar cooker ( 900 ) is similar to other embodiments of the inflatable light weight solar cooker , with the exception of the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ). in other embodiments , the inflatable upper chamber of the inflatable light weight solar cooker is typically resting on or within the lower chamber ( 915 ). if the lower chamber is open , i . e ., without a transparent cover , heat may escape , while debris and contaminants may enter the cooking chamber ( 920 ). the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ) aids in both trapping heat in , and blocking debris and contaminants from entering the cooking chamber ( 920 ). the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ) is also helpful when the sun ( s ) is low in the sky with the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ) reflecting concentrated light from the inflatable upper chamber ( 905 ) into the lower chamber ( 915 ). in some embodiments , the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ) may be flexible . in some embodiments , the cowling with inner reflective surface ( 910 ) may be integrated with the lower chamber ( 915 ). fig1 shows a method for delivering thrice - concentrated sunlight into a cooking chamber . the method ( 1000 ) comprises : step 1010 : concentrating sunlight by refraction through an inflatable upper chamber substantially transparent refractive upper lens ( 305 ) and passing the concentrated sunlight into an inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ), step 1020 : concentrating the sunlight a second time in the inflatable upper chamber ( 300 ) with a substantially reflective inner wall ( 315 ), step 1030 : passing the sunlight through a substantially transparent lower lens ( 320 ) to concentrate the sunlight a third time by refraction , and step 1040 : delivering the thrice - concentrated sunlight into a cooking chamber . these descriptions and drawings are embodiments and teachings of the disclosure . all variations are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure . this disclosure is not to be considered as limiting the claims to only the embodiments illustrated or discussed . certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention . it is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each structure or element recited in any of the claims is to be understood as referring to all equivalent structure or elements . the following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as possible in whatever form it may be used .	5
fig1 is a perspective schematic view of one embodiment of an electrical system having an electronic assembly mounted therein . fig1 a is a perspective assembly schematic view of a mounting location of the system with a board . the figures will be described in reference to each other . an electronic system 2 generally has one or more electronic assemblies 4 a , 4 b , 4 c ( generally “ 4 ”) coupled to a communication bus 6 , where the assemblies are sometimes referred to herein as “ boards ”. the term “ board ” is used broadly and encompasses electronic assemblies , regardless of shape and function , that are part of an electronic system to perform a one or more functions , including but not limited to , processing , communication , or other functions generally found in electronic systems . in at least one embodiment , the boards can be the same board used at multiple locations , for example , to communicate on different aspects of the system &# 39 ; s status . the term “ communication bus ” is used broadly and includes any system or method of communication between multiple electronic assemblies in an electronic system . the communication bus provides an interconnectivity between multiple portions of the electronic system and enables the electronic system to perform its intended function . in at least one embodiment , the system 2 is designed to accept the boards at predetermined mounting locations 8 a , 8 b , 8 c ( generally “ 8 ”) and provide mounts , so that the boards can be mounted therewith . in at least one embodiment , the system 2 includes one or more system mounts 10 . the system mounts are in a constant spacing relative to each other . similarly , the board 4 has a plurality of board mounting openings 12 to align with the system mounts 10 . alignment between the mounts 10 and the openings 12 is a constant . while in at least one embodiment , the mounts are on the system and the openings are formed in the boards , it is understood that the mounts can be formed on the board and the openings on the system , or a combination thereof . generally , the arrangement of the mounts 10 and the openings 12 will be asymmetric , so that the board can be mounted in only one orientation relative to the mounts . this single alignment further reduces needed instructions and operator error . at least one conductive fastener 14 can couple the board 4 with the system 2 by use of the mounts 10 and openings 12 . the term “ fastener ” is used broadly and includes any device or system that can be used to couple two elements together . for example , a fastener can be a screw , wire , clasp , protrusion , receiver , or other coupling device , whether conductive or non - conductive . in some embodiments , a conductive standoff 18 , also shown in fig3 , can be used . the conductive fastener also forms a mounting conductive path between the board 4 and the system 2 . in a preferred embodiment , the indicated location and / or function of the board 4 ( the “ identity ” of the board ) to the system depends simply on which opening ( s ) in the board and mounts of the system are used to couple therebetween . further , in at least one embodiment , the conductive fastener can assist is forming a ground connection between the board and the system . multiple conductive fasteners can be used , such as at diagonals , but it is believed such will complicate the mounting and thus complicate the easily established identity of the board with the system . to change the indicated identity of the board 4 to the system 2 , the conductive fastener 14 can be simply moved to a different board mounting opening 12 in conjunction with the corresponding system mount 10 relative to other mounts at that location 8 . the board and / or system recognizes the different location of the mounting conductive path and establishes a different identity for the board relative to the system . in at least one embodiment , the position of the board can be uniquely identified by only one mounting conductive path , for example , if the board is mountable in only one orientation . further , in at least one embodiment , other board mounting opening ( s ) 12 and the corresponding system mount ( s ) can be coupled by non - conductive fastener ( s ) 16 and / or non - conductive standoff ( s ) 20 . fig2 is a top perspective schematic view of one embodiment of the electronic assembly . fig3 is a top perspective schematic view of the electronic assembly of fig2 , illustrating an arrangement of standoffs between the board 4 and the system 2 . the figures will be described in conjunction with each other . the board 4 generally has a plurality of board mounting openings 12 . the coupling of a particular board mounting opening 12 in conjunction with a corresponding system mount 10 , shown in fig1 a , can be used to establish the identity of the board with the system 2 . to assist in maintaining proper orientation of the board 4 , the board mounting openings 12 can be asymmetric to allow only one mounting orientation relative to the system mounts 10 . in at least one embodiment , the same board 4 can be used in multiple locations in the system 2 ( fig1 ). however , different mounting positions of a conductive fastener 14 through the use of different board mounting openings 12 and corresponding system mounts 10 establishes different identities for the board in different locations . other board mounting openings 12 can be used to couple the board 4 to the system 2 with other corresponding system mounts 10 through one or more non - conductive fasteners 16 . in general , standoffs can be used with the fasteners to separate the board 4 from unintentional contact with the system 2 . for example , a conductive standoff 18 will generally be used with the conductive fastener 14 and a non - conductive standoff 20 will generally be used with a non - conductive fastener 16 . thus , a combination of non - conductive standoffs 20 and conductive standoffs 18 on the board in conjunction with different board mounting openings and their corresponding system mounts can affect the identity of the board . when the arrangement of the conductive path is known by use of fasteners and / or standoffs , no complicated instructions or onsite changes are necessary . generally , the factory designs the system 2 with one or more appropriate locations of the board 4 in the system . system mounts 10 are formed in the system at the appropriate locations to receive the boards 4 . in at least one embodiment , the factory advantageously provides conductive and non - conductive standoffs preassembled to the system mounts 10 that correspond to the appropriate arrangement and intended identity of the board 4 for that location . alternatively , the factory can provide the standoffs preassembled to the board in the proper arrangement to assist in establishing an identity for the board . further , the standoffs can be provided separately with instructions such as a diagram of the proper arrangement of standoffs for the particular location of the board relative to the system . still further , standoffs need not be used , if additional contact between the board and the system will not adversely affect the identity of the board . minimal directions need be given to the installer to couple the board with the system . the same board can be used in multiple locations , where the installer can install a conductive fastener to couple the board 4 with the system 2 using the proper opening . the proper opening can be readily identified by the presence and / or absence of the conductive standoff ( s ), if provided , or by a diagram or other indicia indicating the intended location of the fastener ( s ) for the particular board identity relative with the system . the particular arrangement of standoffs and / or fasteners when the board 4 is coupled to the system 2 establishes the board identity in the system . fig4 is a top perspective schematic view of the electronic assembly of fig2 , illustrating an alternative arrangement of a mounting conductive path between the board and the system . for example , the mounting conductive path can be made through the conductive fastener 14 in conjunction with a different mount relative to the other mounts at a location . the different relative mount compared to the mount used by the conductive fastener in fig2 establishes a different identity for the electronic assembly at that location . in this disclosure , the board 4 can be the same board as in fig2 and 3 and even perform the same function , including but not limited to , monitoring , communicating , sensing the status of system components at different locations . by the term “ same ”, the multiple boards have the same critical mounting configuration and generally the same critical hardware , firmware , and / or circuitry , even though some differences , such as notches , colors , accessories , and markings can be present . however , the identification of the board in the system generally can be established by the simple location of the mounting conductive path between the board and the system . various basics of the invention have been explained herein . the various techniques and devices disclosed represent a portion of that which those skilled in the art would readily understand from the teachings of this application . variations are possible and contemplated and are limited only by the claims . details for the implementation thereof can be added by those with ordinary skill in the art . such details may be added to the disclosure in another application based on this provisional application and it is believed that the inclusion of such details does not add new subject matter to the application . the accompanying figures may contain additional information not specifically discussed in the text and such information may be described in a later application without adding new subject matter . additionally , various combinations and permutations of all elements or applications can be created and presented . all can be done to optimize performance in a specific application . the various steps described herein can be combined with other steps , can occur in a variety of sequences unless otherwise specifically limited , various steps can be interlineated with the stated steps , and the stated steps can be split into multiple steps . unless the context requires otherwise , the word “ comprise ” or variations such as “ comprises ” or “ comprising ”, should be understood to imply the inclusion of at least the stated element or step or group of elements or steps or equivalents thereof , and not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps or equivalents thereof . further , any documents to which reference is made in the application for this patent as well as all references listed in any list of references filed with the application are hereby incorporated by reference . however , to the extent statements might be considered inconsistent with the patenting of this invention such statements are expressly not to be considered as made by the applicant ( s ). also , any directions such as “ top ,” “ bottom ,” “ left ,” “ right ,” “ upper ,” “ lower ,” and other directions and orientations are described herein for clarity in reference to the figures and are not to be limiting of the actual device or system or use of the device or system . the device or system may be used in a number of directions and orientations .	8
the preferred embodiment illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . it is chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention . as shown in the drawings , lock 10 is used in an article 12 . article 12 is fitted with a flexible cover 14 . the flexibility of cover 14 is allowed by hinged tambour slats 16 . slats 16 are continuous on one side 18 . the other side 20 of slats 16 is bevelled to form openings 22 therebetween . cover 14 is fitted at each end into a track 24 formed within spaced end walls 25 of article 12 . article 12 can be a storage or similar cabinet . track 24 includes a guide channel part 27 . lock 10 includes a keyed actuator 26 which forms a part of a lock cylinder 28 . cylinder 28 is inserted into a bore 30 formed in one end wall 25 of article 12 . cylinder 28 has a spring biased , retractable latch 32 . a pin 36 extends transversely from cylinder 28 of lock 10 . pin 36 extends through a transverse slot 38 in wall 25 and intersects track 24 in the wall . pin 36 is shiftable longitudinally within slot 38 and track 24 upon movement of cylinder 28 as seen in fig4 and 5 . a spring 34 is fitted into bore 30 between cylinder 28 and wall 25 to urge the cylinder from its retracted or locking position shown in fig4 into its extended or open position shown in fig5 . a pin 40 extends through wall 25 in front of latch 32 . to lock , cylinder 28 is pushed into bore 30 compressing spring 34 until latch 32 springs into an enlarged portion 31 of bore 30 behind pin 40 . pin 36 carried by cylinder 28 is now located within track 24 . to open , a key is inserted into actuator 26 and turned to withdraw latch 32 from bore portion 31 and allow spring 34 to move the cylinder to its open position and to shift pin 36 from track 24 . this allows free movement of cover 14 within the track . pin 36 prevents cylinder 28 from being removed entirely from end wall bore 30 . to lock cover 14 in a predetermined position , cylinder 28 is shifted into its locked position so that pin 36 fits within a selected opening 22 between slats 16 of cover 14 . as shown in fig6 pin 36 can also be positioned to prevent the leading edge 15 of cover 14 from passing along track 24 . it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the preceding description , but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims .	8
the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussed hereinafter in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be obvious , however , to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instance , well - known structures are not shown in detail in order to unnecessary obscure the present invention . at first , the first embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 is a block diagram showing a structure according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment . referring to fig1 the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a user terminal device 10 , a map information providing device 20 , and a network 30 such as the internet for connecting both with each other . the user terminal device 10 is an information processing device , for example , like a personal computer , which comprises an access / input unit 11 such as a keyboard or a pointing device for entering necessary information through access to the map information providing device 20 , a display unit 12 such as a liquid crystal display for receiving and displaying the information sent from the map information providing device 20 , and a destination identification information storing unit 13 for temporarily storing the identification information of a destination a user selects from retrieved list information . the map information providing unit 20 is an information processing device , for example , such as a workstation server , which comprises a destination identification information retrieving unit 21 , a destination identification information storing unit 22 , a billing checking unit 23 , a billing processing unit 24 , a map information creating / sending unit 25 , a map information database 26 , a pay destination database 27 , and a user billing information database 28 . the destination identification retrieving unit 21 retrieves the identification information of a destination from the map information database 26 according to a retrieval condition of the destination sent from the user terminal device 10 . the retrieval condition sent from the user terminal device 10 may be specified , for example , by a single item of the name ( company name , shop name , and the like ), address , zip code , area , and business type , or by a combination of some items ( a combination of xx department store and tokyo or a combination of indian restaurant and sinjuku ). the identification information of a destination retrieved according to the above retrieval condition is the information including , for example , the name of a destination , the address , and the telephone number . when xx department store ginza , shibuya , and ikebukuro are found as the result of retrieval according to the retrieval condition of xx department store and tokyo , the name , the address , and the telephone number of each shop are sent to the user terminal device 10 as the identification information of the retrieval result . the destination identification information storing unit 22 receives and stores the identification information of the destination a user selects after the identification information of the retrieval result is sent to the user terminal device 10 by the destination identification information retrieving unit 21 . the billing checking unit 23 retrieves the pay destination database 27 based on the identification information of the destination a user selects , and checks whether the destination is a pay destination or a free destination . when it is a pay destination , it retrieves the user billing information database 28 based on a user id number received from the user terminal device 10 , so to check whether or not this user is under a contract of monthly fixed charge , thereby deciding whether the map display this time should be charged or not . the free destination means the public facilities and the shops and companies paying for the contract fee , while the pay destination means the destination a map information provider originally adds to a map . the billing processing unit 24 bills a user under a contract of monthly fixed charge once a month ( for example , at the end of a month ), and bills some other user for a predetermined charge every time providing him or her with the map information of a pay destination . in this case , a charge may be fixed , depending on the number of the pay destinations or regardless of the number of the pay destinations . the details of the payment from a user &# 39 ; s account of a financial institute are well known , and the description thereof is omitted because it is not the purpose of the present invention . the map information creating / sending unit 25 retrieves the map information database 26 according to the identification information of the destination sent from the user terminal device 10 , to receive the map information corresponding to the destination , and provides it to the user terminal device 10 . the map information database 26 stores map image data in correspondence with the map number and the coordinate number , as the map information , and stores the name of each pay destination and free destination displayed on a map , in correspondence with the items of address , zip code , area , and business type , as well as with the map number and the coordinate number . as the map image data , that one including the pay destinations ( the destinations a map information provider originally adds to a map ) and the free destinations ( public facilities , and the shops and companies paying for the contract fee ) is created and stored in the map information database 26 . the pay destination database 27 stores the identification information of the pay destinations ( the name of a destination , the address , the telephone number , and the like ). this information is decided by a map information provider and registered into the pay destination database 27 in advance . on the contrary to the free destinations that are the shops and the companies with which a map information provider makes a contact to be published on a map and which pay for the contract fee , the pay destinations are destinations which a map information provider originally adds to a map , without making a contact with anyone or without income of the contract fee , and instead , a charge of use can be collected from a user when providing the user with the map information of a pay destination . thus , a map information provider can improve income and a user can find his or her destination more easily in the wider range of the retrieval objects . the user billing information database 28 stores the respective billing information corresponding to the user id number for every user . the billing information means the information whether or not the billing for a user &# 39 ; s receiving the map information of a pay destination is under a contract of monthly fixed charge and the settlement information including the account number of a financial institution and the amount of a bill . this time , an operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 and fig2 . fig2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention . in the following description , assume that the network 30 is the internet . a user gains access to the home page opened by a map information provider on the network 30 from the access / input unit 11 and enters the retrieval condition of a destination whose map information a user wants to display ( step a 1 of fig2 ). the destination identification information retrieving unit 21 of the map information providing device 20 receives the retrieval condition entered in step a 1 , retrieves the identification information of the destination from the map information database 26 according to the retrieval condition , and sends the list information of the retrieval result to the user terminal device 10 ( step a 2 ). a user selects the destination he or she wants , from the list information of the received retrieval result , through the access / input unit 11 of the user terminal device 10 , and stores the selected identification information into the destination identification information storing unit 13 ( step a 3 ). when the selection of the destination is finished , the user enters the user id number through the access / input unit 11 ( step a 4 ) and pushes , for example , a complete button on the home page , hence to send the identification information of the destination stored in the destination identification information storing unit 13 in step a 3 and the user id number entered in step a 4 to the map information providing device 20 , before deleting the identification information of the destination identification information storing unit 13 ( step a 5 ). since the user id number is the number to be given to every user after a billing contract with a user to receive a map information service of the pay destinations , a user who is not under the contract cannot enter anything at this time . therefore , on the home page , there is displayed a message to the effect that a user who has not made a billing contract to receive the map information service of the pay destinations doesn &# 39 ; t have to enter the user id number . the billing checking unit 23 of the map information providing device 20 temporarily stores the identification information of the received destination into the destination identification information storing unit 22 , and retrieves the pay destination database 27 to check whether the identification information of the received destination corresponds to a pay destination . then , it stores the destination identification information with specification of a free destination or a pay destination , into the destination identification storing unit 22 ( step a 6 ). when the destination proves to be a pay destination as the retrieval result in step a 6 , the billing checking unit 23 confirms whether the user id number has been sent from the user terminal device 10 ( step a 7 ), and when it is a free destination , this step will be advanced to step a 20 . when it proves that the user id number has been sent in step a 7 , this step will be advanced to step a 15 , while when it has not been sent , contract screen information for the map information service of the pay destinations is sent to the user terminal device 10 ( step a 8 ). the contract screen information is displayed on the user terminal device 10 , and there is displayed a message to the effect that a billing contract is necessary because the destination a user selects is a pay destination ( step a 9 ). this induces a user to select whether or not to make a billing contract to receive the map information service of the pay destinations ( step a 10 ). when a user selects that he or she doesn &# 39 ; t make a billing contract in step a 10 , the user enters the contract data through the access / input unit 11 ( step a 11 ). the contract data means the information whether billing for receiving a map information service of the pay destinations is under a contract of a monthly fixed charge and the settlement information including the account number of a financial institution for drawing a charge . the billing checking unit 23 creates a user id number newly by receiving the contract data from the user terminal device 10 and sends the same number to the user terminal device 10 ( step a 12 ). the user terminal device 10 displays the sent user id number ( step a 13 ), thereby enabling a user to use this user id number at the next access to the map information providing device 20 and the later . continuously to step a 12 , the billing checking unit 23 registers the contract data sent from the user terminal device 10 into the user billing information database 28 in correspondence with the user id number ( step a 14 ). thereafter , the billing checking unit 23 checks the necessity of billing , referring to the contract data including the information whether the billing for receiving the map information service of the pay destinations is under a contract of a monthly fixed charge ( step a 15 ). in the case of the contract of the monthly fixed charge , it decides that the billing is not necessary because it should not be required every time , and this step is advanced to step a 20 . on the other hand , when the billing is not under a contract of a monthly fixed charge , it decides that the billing is necessary because it should be required every time , and sends a message to the effect that you are charged , for example , your charge is δδ yen , to the user terminal device 10 ( step a 16 ). the user terminal device 10 displays the message to the effect that you will be charged ( step a 17 ), and a user enters whether he or she pays for the charge or not ( step a 18 ). when the user selects no in step a 18 , the connection is broken ; when the user selects yes , the billing checking unit 23 registers a predetermined charge in the user billing information database , as the data on the amount of a bill corresponding to the user id number of this user , and passing the user id number to the billing processing unit 24 , asks the unit 24 for the billing processing . the billing processing unit 24 performs the billing processing for drawing a charge from a user &# 39 ; s account with reference to the user billing information database 28 ( step a 19 ). since this drawing processing of a charge from a user &# 39 ; s account of a financial institution is well known and it is not the purpose of the present invention , the detailed description is omitted here . the map information creating / sending unit 25 retrieves the map information of a destination from the map information database according to the identification information of the destination temporarily stored in the destination identification information storing unit 22 , continuously to steps a 6 , a 15 , and a 19 , sends it to the user terminal device 10 , and thereafter , deletes the identification information of the destination temporarily stored in the destination identification information storing unit 22 ( step a 20 ). the user terminal device 10 displays the map information of the destination on the display unit 12 ( step a 21 ). the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . this embodiment is different from the first embodiment of the present invention in that a plurality of destinations are displayed on the same map . in the first embodiment , since each destination is displayed one by one , if a user selects no payment for the charge of a pay destination , the connection will be broken . in the second embodiment , however , if a user selects no payment for the charge , the map information excluding the pay destinations from a plurality of destinations will be provided , differently from the first embodiment . the structure of the second embodiment is almost the same as that of the first embodiment shown in fig1 . in detail , however , the following points are added to the map information creating / sending unit 25 and the map information database 26 . when a user selects no payment for the charge of a pay destination , the map information creating / sending unit 25 provides the user terminal device 10 with the map information excluding the display of the pay destinations . as described later , the pay destinations are distinguishable from the free destinations , for example , in the color of display and the form of a character . accordingly , the data corresponding to the above can be deleted distinguishably , thereby providing the user terminal device 10 with the map information excluding the pay destinations . the map information creating / sending unit 25 includes processing means ( function ) for retrieving each map number or each map coordinate number of the respective map information in the identification information of a plurality of destinations from the map information database and calculating each map number or map coordinate number including all the map information . for example , when the map coordinate number of the first destination is x2 / y3 and the map coordinate number of the second destination is x4 / y5 , it derives x2 to x4 / y3 to y5 . therefore , the unit 25 sends the map information of a rectangular area ranging from x2 to x4 in the horizontal axis and from y3 to y5 in the vertical axis to the user terminal device 10 , and a user can see the map information including both the first and the second destinations . the map information database 26 creates and stores the map information including both the pay destinations and the free destinations , and the pay destinations are displayed in a distinguishable way from the free destinations , for example , in the color of display and the form of a character . the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 3 . fig3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention . the operation of the second embodiment in fig3 is different from that of the first embodiment in fig2 in that in fig3 step b 4 and step b 20 are added to fig2 . the others are almost the same . for the sake of preventing the overlap of the description , the different portions are described here . the reference marks ( a 1 ), ( a 2 ), and the like in fig3 indicate the respective steps corresponding to those in fig2 and for example , the case of b 1 ( a 1 ) shows that step b 1 in fig3 corresponds to step a 1 in fig2 . in the added step b 4 , whether or not there is any other destination to be retrieved is checked . if there is , the operation of steps b 1 to b 3 ( corresponding to steps a 1 to a 3 in fig2 ) is repeated . thus , the identification information of several destinations selected is stored in the destination identification storing unit 13 . in step b 7 , whether all the received destinations are out of charge or not is checked , and if there is even only one pay destination , this step will be advanced to step b 8 . in step b 20 , the map information creating / sending unit 25 creates the map information excluding the pay destinations and sends the same information to the user terminal device 10 when a user answers that he or she doesn &# 39 ; t make a contract for use in step b 11 or when a user answers that he or she doesn &# 39 ; t pay for the charge in step b 19 . at this time , the map information creating / sending unit 25 retrieves each map number or each map coordinate number of the respective map information from the map information database 26 , out of the identification information of the free destinations stored in the destination identification information storing unit 22 , calculates the map numbers or the map coordinate numbers including all the map information , and receives the map information including all the free destinations from the map information database 26 . for example , by deleting the data indicated in the color of display or the form of a character used for displaying the pay destinations , from the map information , the map information excluding the pay destinations is created . in step b 22 , the map information creating / sending unit 25 creates the map information excluding all the destinations and sends the same information to the user terminal device 10 . at this time , the map information creating / sending unit 25 retrieves each map number or each map coordinate number of the respective map information from the map information database 26 , out of the identification information of the pay destinations and the free destinations stored in the destination identification information storing unit 22 , calculates the map numbers or the map coordinate numbers including all the map information , receives the map information including all the destinations from the map information database 26 , and sends the same information to the user terminal device 10 . the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . this embodiment is different from the second embodiment of the present invention in that the information of a reference point such as a user &# 39 ; s house and a user &# 39 ; s current position is further added and that the reference point and one or several destinations are displayed on the same map . [ 0144 ] fig4 is a block diagram showing a structure of the third embodiment . the structure of this embodiment is different from the first embodiment shown in fig1 in that a reference point registering unit 14 is further added to the user terminal device 10 of fig1 . according to this , the information of the reference point is respectively added to the destination identification information retrieving unit 21 and the destination identification information storing unit 22 of fig1 which are changed to the destination / reference point identification information retrieving unit 21 a and the destination / reference point identification storing unit 22 a . an operation according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig4 to 6 and fig3 . at first , the registering operation of a reference point will be described in detail with reference to fig5 . fig5 is a flow chart showing the registering operation of a reference point in the third embodiment of the present invention . a user gains access to the home page opened by a map information provider on the network 30 , through the access / input unit 11 from the user terminal device 10 a and enters the address information or the retrieval condition of the reference point whose map information the user wants to display ( step k 1 of fig5 ). the destination / reference point identification information retrieving unit 21 a of the map information providing device 20 a receives the address information or the retrieval condition entered in step k 1 , retrieves the identification information of a reference point from the map information database 26 according to this address information or retrieval condition , and sends the list information of the retrieval result to the user terminal device 10 a ( step k 2 ). a user selects a reference point he or she wants from the list information of the received retrieval result , through the access / input unit 11 of the user terminal device 10 a , and stores the selected identification information into the reference point registering unit 14 ( step k 3 ). thereafter , if there is a reference point the user wants to register , step k 1 to step k 3 will be repeated ( step k 4 ). this time , the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig4 to fig6 . fig6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention . the operation of the third embodiment in fig6 is different from the operation of the second embodiment in fig3 in that , in fig6 step c 5 is added to fig3 . the others are almost the same and therefore , in fig6 only the portion different from that of fig3 will be described . the reference marks ( b 1 ), ( b 2 ), and the like in fig6 indicate the respective steps corresponding to those in fig3 and for example , the case of c 1 ( b 1 ) indicates that step c 1 in fig6 corresponds to step b 1 in fig3 . in the added step c 5 , the identification information of a reference point a user wants is selected from the identification information of the reference points previously registered in the reference point registering unit 14 by the registering operation shown in fig5 . thereafter , the user id number is entered in step c 6 , and the reference point , the identification information of the destination , and the user id number are sent to the map information providing device 20 a in step c 7 . in creating the map information in step c 21 and c 23 , the map information creating / sending unit 25 creates the map information including both the reference point and the destination . the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . [ 0156 ] fig7 is a block diagram showing a structure of the fourth embodiment of the present invention , which comprises a computer 40 and a recording medium 50 . the structure of the computer 40 is fundamentally the same as that of the map information providing device 20 of fig1 described in the first embodiment of the present invention . the recording medium 50 stores a map information providing program . the recording medium 50 may be realized by a magnetic disk , an optical recording disk , a semiconductor memory , or the other recording medium . the map information providing program is read by the computer 40 from the recording medium 50 , and the same operation as that of the first embodiment of the present invention can be realized by controlling the computer 40 . the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . [ 0158 ] fig7 is a block diagram showing a structure of the fourth and the fifth embodiments of the present invention , which comprises the computer 40 and the recording medium 50 . the structure of the computer 40 is fundamentally the same as that of the map information providing device 20 of fig1 described in the second embodiment of the present invention . the recording medium 50 stores the map information providing program . the recording medium 50 may be realized by a magnetic disk , an optical recording disk , a semiconductor memory , or the other recording medium . the map information providing program is read by the computer 40 from the recording medium 50 , and the same operation as that of the second embodiment of the present invention can be realized by controlling the computer 40 . the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . [ 0160 ] fig8 is a block diagram showing a structure of the sixth embodiment of the present invention , which comprises a computer 60 and a recording medium 70 . the structure of the computer 60 is fundamentally the same as that of the map information providing device 20 a of fig4 described in the third embodiment of the present invention . the recording medium 70 stores a map information providing program . the recording medium 70 may be realized by a magnetic disk , an optical recording disk , a semiconductor memory , or the other recording medium . the map information providing program is read by the computer 60 from the recording medium 70 , and the same operation as that of the third embodiment of the present invention can be realized by controlling the computer 60 . in the above - mentioned first to sixth embodiments , although the pay destination database 27 is provided separately from the map information database 26 , the pay destination database 27 may be deleted , and the information of the pay destinations and the free destinations may be attached to the identification information of the map information database 26 . in the above - mentioned first to sixth embodiments , the registration of the user id number may be performed as soon as a user gains access to the home page from the user terminal device 10 . in the above - mentioned first to sixth embodiments , although any mark ( marking ) is not attached to the destinations and the reference points on the map information , the map information creating / sending unit 25 may be provided with means ( function ) of attaching the marking data to the map information , thereby providing the map information convenient for a user to see . further , in the above - mentioned second , third , fifth , and sixth embodiments , the map information including the free destinations and the pay destinations distinguishable from each other in the color of display and the form of a character is created and stored as the map information in the map information database 26 , and the map information creating / sending unit 25 controls the delete of the data about the pay destinations . otherwise , two kinds of the map information ; one including both the data of the pay destinations and the free destinations and the other excluding the data of the pay destinations may be stored in the map information database 26 , although its capacity becomes large , and the map information creating / sending unit 25 may select one of them . in the above - mentioned second , third , fifth , and sixth embodiments , the retrieval whether a destination is the pay destination or the free destination may be also performed in step b 2 of fig3 and in step c 2 of fig6 and when a user selects a destination in step b 3 of fig3 and step c 3 of fig6 and the destination is the pay destination , a message to this effect may be displayed , so as to inform it to a user in advance . in the description of the above - mentioned third and sixth embodiments , although the registration of a reference point is performed in advance , as illustrated in fig5 the retrieval of a reference point may be performed every time continuously to the destination retrieval of fig6 instead of selecting one from the reference points previously registered like in step c 5 of fig6 . according to the present invention , not only the destinations of the shops and the companies from which a map information provider receives the contract fee , are provided free of charge , but also the destinations the map information provider originally adds , are provided with a charge . therefore , it is effective in that a map information provider can expect an increasing income and that a user can find a destination more easily according to the wider range of the retrieval objects . according to the present invention , since a plurality of destinations are displayed on the map , it is effective in that a user can grasp the distance and positional relation more easily . according to the present invention , since a plurality of destinations , a user &# 39 ; s current position , and a reference point such as a user &# 39 ; s house are displayed on the same map , it is effective in that a user can grasp the distance and positional relation more easily . although the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to exemplary embodiment thereof , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes , omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . therefore , the present invention should not be understood as limited to the specific embodiment set out above but to include all possible embodiments which can be embodies within a scope encompassed and equivalents thereof with respect to the feature set out in the appended claims .	6

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